Individuals living with diabetes face a host of complications stemming directly from the disease itself. From kidney damage to cardiovascular disease, maintaining and controlling blood sugar is key to preventing many complications. Too much sugar, or too little sugar, can increase risk factors for many of these impediments, including diabetic retinopathy. But, with proper management and treatment from your Scottsdale ophthalmologist, diabetic retinopathy will not lead to blindness. Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy is defined as a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. Specifically, this complication is caused by too much sugar in your blood, which damages the blood vessels in the eye that nourish the retina. Over time and without proper treatment, the blood supply to the retina can be completely cut off and vision loss can result.
5 Tips for Preventing Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Love Your Eyes: Ophthalmologists Remind Older Americans to Protect Themselves from Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Seniors are at heightened risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among older Americans. The disease damages central vision, limiting a personâs ability to read and recognize faces. Approximately 2.1 million Americans had AMD as of 2010. This number is expected to double to more than 5.4 million by 2050. Meanwhile, fewer people are aware of the disease compared to other eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. To help raise awareness of age-related macular degeneration, the Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons, PC and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are reminding seniors that their eyes need love, too. There are steps they can take to take better care of their eyes and protect themselves from AMD-related blindness. Here are five eye-loving tips from the Academy and the facts behind the advice: Get regular comprehensive medical eye exams. AMD often has no early warning signs, so getting regular comprehensive eye exams is critical to diagnosing and treating AMD in its early stages. The Academy recommends that people over age 65 get an exam every one to two years, even if they have no signs or symptoms of eye problems. Quit smoking. Numerous studies have shown smoking to increase the risk of developing AMD and the speed at which it progresses. If you smoke, you are twice as likely to develop macular degeneration compared with a nonsmoker. Know your familyâs eye health history. If you have a close relative with AMD, you have a 50 percent chance of developing the condition. Before you go in for your next eye exam, speak with your family about their eye health history. Sharing this information with your eye doctor may prompt him or her to recommend more frequent eye exams. The earlier AMD is caught, the better chances you may have of saving your vision. Eat a diet rich in omega-3s and low in cholesterol and saturated fat. A number of studies have shown that people who had a reduced risk of AMD had diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish. In one study of patients who were at moderate risk for AMD progression, those who reported the highest omega-3 intake (not in the form of a supplement) were 30 percent less likely to develop advanced AMD after 12 years. In another study, an increased risk of AMD was found in individuals who had a higher intake of saturated fats and cholesterol and in those with a higher body mass index. Exercise regularly. Many studies have shown that getting regular exercise can benefit your eyes. One study found that exercising three times a week reduced the risk of developing wet AMD over 15 years by 70 percent. âThere is still a worrying lack of awareness when it comes to AMD, despite it being the number one cause of blindness in seniors,â said Rahul N. Khurana, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. âOlder Americans who are unaware of the disease may be putting themselves at risk by not taking early steps to care for their vision. The good news is that they protect their sight from AMD-related blindness by showing their eyes some TLC with regular eye exams and lifestyle changes.â Age-related Macular Degeneration is a very serious eye disease and the proper steps should be taken to protect your vision. Make sure to be seen by an eye doctor often for a comprehensive eye exam! To make an appointment call us at 480-994-1872 or visit our website to book online!
What You Need to Know about Glaucoma
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma occurs when there is damage to the optic nerve, usually from high intraocular pressure (fluid pressure) and it results in visual field loss. Glaucoma is called the âsneak thief of sightâ because patients may not notice any change in vision until significant loss has occurred, which is why regular monitoring is essential. When caught early, it is easily treatable.
6 Smart Things College Students Can Do For Their Eyes
Six Smart Things College Students Should Do for Their Eyes This fall, a record 21.7 million students will attend a college or university in the United States. Many teens will be living away from home for the first time without mom or dad around to reinforce healthy habits, including how to care for their eyes. Before students head for the dorms, our Ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians would like to provide parents with college eye health tips to ensure their freshmen sons and daughters keep seeing 20/20 during school. While accurate vision plays a vital role in learning, college students can be susceptible to a host of vision and eye problems such as injury, infection and increased nearsightedness that can complicate life in and out of class. Crowded classes and dorms can serve as a breeding ground for infectious eye disease, while reading and computer use in school has been linked to poorer eyesight. Fortunately, there are many ways to avoid these and other eye issues on campus. Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons along with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the worldâs largest association of eye physicians and surgeons, offers the following six tips for protecting eyes during college: Donât shower or swim in contact lenses. Acanthamoeba is a parasite that lives in water and can cause a rare but serious eye infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. According to the CDC, 85 percent of Acanthamoeba eye infections occur in contact lens wearers, one of the main risks being exposure of lenses to water. To avoid this dangerous infection, do not wear contact lenses in showers, hot tubs or when swimming in lakes or pools. Also, never use water to clean or store contact lenses; only use sterile contact lens disinfecting solution and a clean contact lens case. Go outside. Scholastically-inclined students spend much of their time studying indoors, which can put them at risk of becoming more nearsighted, or myopic. A 2014 study found that more than 50 percent of college graduates are nearsighted, with eyesight worsening for each year in school. Other research shows that spending more time outdoors can protect vision from getting worse. Grab your books and head outside whenever possible. Wash your hands. Conjunctivitis, often called pink eye, spreads fast in schools and dorms. An outbreak struck more than 1,000 Ivy League college students in 2002. Avoid rubbing the eyes and wash hands with soap to avoid catching and spreading pink eye, not to mention other infections. Give your eyes a break. Nearly 80 percent of engineering and medical school students experienced symptoms such as dry eyes and redness, according to a study of students at one Indian university. To help avoid eye strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. Because dry eye can also cause painful corneal ulcers, which are open sores on the front part of the eye, blink regularly and fully to keep eyes moist. Donât share makeup. Harmless as it may seem, sharing makeup is a surefire way to spread infection such as herpes keratitis among friends. Infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid eye makeup. Stick to your own makeup and throw it away after three months. If you develop an eye infection, immediately toss all of your eye makeup. Protect your eyes during the game. Nearly 1 in 18 college athletes will get an eye injury playing sports. Common injuries, like scratches on the eye surface and broken bones near the eye socket, happen most often in high-risk sports such as baseball, basketball and lacrosse. Athletes should consider wearing polycarbonate sports glasses to help keep stray balls and elbows from hitting their eyes. âFor many teens just starting college, taking care of their eye health may be the last thing on their minds,â said Rebecca Taylor, M.D., comprehensive ophthalmologist and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. âBut the fact is that an eye injury or condition can affect their grades and social life, causing days or even a lifetime of poor vision. We hope that parents will remind their kids of these risks before they fly the coop this fall.â Get your kids into the eye doctor before they head off to school! Call 480-994-1872 to make an appointment today! This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmartÂŽ program (www.geteyesmart.org).
6 Tips to Better Educate Yourself During Healthy Vision Month this May
Healthy Vision Month May is Healthy Vision Month and the National Eye Institute wants to help empower and educate Americans to make their eye health a priority. The National Eye Institute along with the Doctors at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons recommend the following steps to protect your vision:
How does cataract surgery work?
Cataracts have been known to be one of the leading causes of vision loss in the United States, and by the age of 65 90% of all Americans will develop a degree of cataracts. A cataract is the gradual clouding of the lens inside your eye, which causes vision impairment or vision loss. But the good news is cataract surgery is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures performed. This simple and pain free procedure takes very little time and the success rate is very high!
Exercise is good for your eye health
Exercise and eye health We all know that exercise is beneficial but did you know that hitting the gym could actually be preserving your vision and eye health?
Most Americans Unaware of One of the Leading Causes of Blindness Among Seniors
Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds the public that a simple eye exam is key to saving sight against Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Age-Related Macular Degenerationis one of the leading causes of blindness among seniors, affecting approximately 2.1 million people nationwide[1].
Macular Degeneration. What You Need to Know
Macular Degeneration, often referred to as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), is caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina. The retina’s central portion, known as the macula, is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye. It controls our ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail. Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry or wet. Wet Macular Degeneration refers to growth of new blood vessels in the macula, where they are not supposed to be. The dry form of Macular Degeneration is more common than the wet AMD. Eighty five to ninety percent of patients are diagnosed with dry AMD. Macular Degeneration by itself will not lead to total blindness. In almost all cases, some vision remains and few Macular Degeneration patients experience total visual loss
Simple Adjustments to Your Desk Can Help Eye Fatigue
Ergonomics for the Eyes: Simple Adjustments to Your Office Environment Can Help Reduce Eye Fatigue Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons, PC and the American Academy of Ophthalmology offer tips for avoiding dry, strained eyes during Workplace Eye Wellness Month in March! These simple tips can significantly help eye fatigue! We have all heard that ergonomic desks are good for backs and necks, but they are also important for the health and comfort of the eyes. In support of Workplace Eye Wellness Month in March, Scottsdale Eye and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are offering tips to desk workers everywhere whose eyes may need relief from too much screen time. Many people who spend long hours reading or working on a computer for their jobs experience eye discomfort. Focusing on tiny type for hours on end can cause eye strain, fatigue and headaches. Staring at screens for long periods can also leave eyes parched, red and gritty-feeling.