September is Healthy Aging Month

September is healthy aging month.  There are many things you can do to help you age gracefully and healthy.  Taking measures to protect your eyesight is one of them.  Preventative eye care can help ensure that everyone has good vision throughout life.  Eye conditions and diseases can strike at any time in life, destroying healthy vision.

In the United States, one in six Americans over age 65 has a visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. This is often caused by common eye conditions and diseases. Among older Americans, visual impairment is one of the most significant contributors to loss of independence; it is also associated with a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions, falls, injuries, depression and social isolation.

Here are some steps you can take to keep healthy vision as you age.

Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect diseases in their early stages.  During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, drops are placed in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil. We use a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and look for signs of damage and other eye problems.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Living an overall healthy life is good for your eyes!  You can live a healthy life by maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy foods, not smoking and managing chronic conditions you are diagnosed with.

Know your family history.
Eye health can be hereditary so it’s important to know if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with an eye disease.  This will help us determine if you are  at higher risk of developing an eye disease.

Use protective eye wear.
Thousands of Americans get eye injuries by doing simple chores, playing sports or being on the job.  Injuries can easily be prevented by wearing protective eye wear.  You can purchase safety glasses or goggles in our optical shop.

Wear sunglasses.
Other than being a great fashion statement sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.  The sun’s UV rays can cause cataracts, macular degeneration or ptergium.  When looking to purchase sunglasses you should buy ones that block 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation.

This message was brought to you by  the National Eye Institute (NEI), the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Friedberg Eye Associates

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cataract Symptoms & Clearing the Blur

Image
More than 20 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts and nearly three million patients have cataract surgery in the US annually.  Technological advances have made cataract surgery safer, more comfortable and more effective. A cataract is a gradual clouding of the clear lens in the eye, the part that focuses light and produces clear images.  As old cells die they become trapped.  As time passes, more cells die and accumulate causing the lens to cloud, making vision blurred and dim.  Cataracts form slowly and painlessly, but can eventually lead to blindness. Cataracts can be caused by metabolic diseases such as diabetes, an injury to the eye, medications, long-term exposure to the sun, eye surgery, congenital defects or aging. Please refer patients if they are experiencing any of the following: Blurry vision, with no pain Glare, or sensitivity to light Double vision in one eye The need to read with brighter light Poor night vision Dull ...
Read more

June is Cataract Awareness & Fireworks Eye Safety Month

CATARACT M ore than 20 million Americans over the age of 40 have cataracts.   A cataract is a gradual clouding of the clear lens in the eye, the part that focuses light and produces clear images.  As old cells die they become trapped.  As time passes, more cells die and accumulate causing the lens to cloud, making vision blurred and dim.  Cataracts form slowly and painlessly, but can eventually lead to blindness. Cataracts can be caused by metabolic diseases such as diabetes, an injury to the eye, medications, long-term exposure to the sun, eye surgery, congenital defects or aging. If you experience any of the following schedule an exam: Blurry vision, with no pain Glare, or sensitivity to light Double vision in one eye The need to read with brighter light Poor night vision Dull or yellowed image Family history of cataracts Medical problems, such as diabetes High salt intake Long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlight Eye Injuries...
Read more

Dry Eye Education

Image
There are two main forms of Dry Eye disease. Are you treating the right one? Tears are necessary for your overall eye health. Dry Eye occurs when the eyes do not produce sufficient tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Without proper treatment, inadequate tears can make daily activities frustrating, affecting your personal and professional life, from reading to watching TV, to driving or working on the computer.  The most common form of Dry Eye is Evaporative Dry Eye, which affects 9 out of 10 (86%) Dry Eye cases. 1 This form results from a shortage of oil in your tears caused by a blockage in your eyelid (Meibomian) glands, leading tears to evaporate faster than normal. This lack of tear oil is often referred to as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).   Now, with the breakthrough LipiFlow® technology, it’s possible to directly treat the root cause of Evaporative Dry Eye. If you think you suffer from  Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) call us tod...
Read more