American adults over 40 are at a greater risk for developing eye disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 6.5 million people in this age group are visually impaired and one million are blind.

Lower income, less education linked to vision impairment

Recent research finds that 28 percent of adults over 71 are visually impaired, even with the help of corrective lenses or visual aids.

The study was published in JAMA Ophthalmology and was led by Olivia J. Killeen, MD, a clinical lecturer in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Michigan Medicine.

One of the main findings was that various types of visual impairment that are linked to older age are more prevalent in those with lower income and less education. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adults were likelier to have visual acuity and contrast sensitivity impairments than non-Hispanic White adults.

Many participants in the study needed an updated eyeglass prescription to treat their visual impairment, but some faced financial barriers. For example, many seniors have to pay out of pocket for glasses because Medicare only provides eyeglass benefits after cataract surgery.

“These findings are important to address, as poor vision is associated with several adverse outcomes for older adults, including depression, dementia, falls, motor vehicle accidents, and even death,” said Dr. Killeen.

Comprehensive eye exams prevent vision loss

Regular comprehensive eye exams with dilation can help detect vision problems and preserve your eyesight as you age. Yearly eye exams can help prevent or delay eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration that can impair vision. If your ophthalmologist diagnoses a vision problem in the early stages, it is much easier and less expensive to treat.

Chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and arthritis are more common among seniors with vision impairment, so you must also visit your general practitioner regularly. Having diabetes can put you at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, the most common vision impairment of people over 40.

Has it been over a year since your last eye exam? Eye conditions can develop slowly, so you cannot rely on symptoms or warning signs. If you are looking for a board-certified ophthalmologist, our eye care centers are located nationwide. Call today to make an appointment.

New research suggests low sleep quality could make you more susceptible to glaucoma and irreversible vision loss.

January Is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the United States. Characterized by loss of light-sensitive cells and damage to the optic nerve, glaucoma affects more than three million Americans. By 2030, the National Eye Institute expects to reach 4.2 million.

Glaucoma often has no warning signs in the early stages, and a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to detect glaucoma. Because it develops without notice, glaucoma is called the “sneak thief of sight.” If left untreated, glaucoma can cause irreversible sight loss.

Sleep Quality and Glaucoma

Snoring, daytime sleepiness or sleeping too much or too little can increase the risk for glaucoma, according to a study by UK Biobank. The research team analyzed data from 409,053 participants between the ages of 40 and 69 who provided information about their sleep.

All three of these factors influenced glaucoma risk (Medical Xpress):

• Those who slept too long (more than nine hours) or too short (less than seven hours) had an 8 percent increased risk for glaucoma.
• Snorers had a 12 percent increased risk.
• Those with frequent daytime sleepiness had a 20 percent increased risk for glaucoma.

Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery With Cataract Surgery

Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early treatment can prevent permanent optic nerve damage and protect your vision. Many innovative procedures can treat glaucoma as well as cataracts, like Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). Some MIGS procedures are stand-alone, but other MIGS operations can be performed in conjunction with cataract surgery so both conditions are treated at once. Another benefit of MIGS is that it targets eye tissues that are not utilized by traditional surgeries, allowing for a more comprehensive array of treatment options.

Make an Appointment for an Eye Exam

Anyone can develop glaucoma, but African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are even more at risk. Everyone over 60 is more likely to develop glaucoma, so staying current with your eye exams is essential. A yearly comprehensive eye exam with dilation can help prevent eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration. If you have a developing condition, you can receive treatment in the early stages and prevent vision loss.

Our eye care centers are located nationwide and are accepting new patients. Call today to make an appointment.

Changes in eye color are rare and usually harmless, but they could indicate a medical condition requiring treatment.

Why Are My Eyes Changing Color?

Your eyes may appear to change color according to light or the clothes you wear. However, certain conditions such as trauma, medication and diseases could cause an actual change in eye color.

Trauma
Injury to the eye can damage the iris or corneal tissue and make the eye color look different. A dilated pupil can also appear to change the color of the eye, and trauma like a stroke or brain injury could cause this.

Medication
Glaucoma medications like prostaglandins can cause lasting color changes in the iris, often making the iris color darker over time. Conversely, Latisse is a prostaglandin medication that does not appear to alter the color of the iris because it is not applied directly to the eye.

Diseases or Conditions
Several diseases or syndromes can cause color changes in the eyes. For example, cataracts cloud the eye lens and can make the pupil look milky white. About 25 percent of people in their 60s have cataracts, but they are easily removed with cataract surgery.

Another condition called arcus senilisis can make your eyes look a different color. A build-up of fats in the eye causes a hazy blue or white ring around the peripheral cornea. This could mean you have high cholesterol.

Uveitis is an inflammation of the eyeball, often caused by autoimmune or infectious diseases. This condition sometimes causes redness in the conjunctiva or the eye’s clear covering. However, it can also alter the color of the iris.

Make an Appointment for an Eye Exam

If you experience any change in eye color or any other aspect of your vision, it’s always best to have an eye exam by a board-certified ophthalmologist. Eye conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration can develop slowly and often do not cause symptoms in the early stages.

A yearly comprehensive eye exam tests more than your vision. It offers a window into your overall health. An ophthalmologist can sometimes detect signs of hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol while checking your eyes.

Most eye exams take only an hour, but the payoff will last a lifetime. Our eye care centers are located nationwide, and their friendly staff can schedule you for an appointment at your convenience. Your vision is worth the investment.

Studies show that variance in eye disease may be linked to race, and Black individuals may be at increased risk for chronic eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

November Is National Diabetes Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 37.3 million Americans have diabetes, and one in five people with diabetes are unaware they have it. November is National Diabetes Month. Because diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of vision loss, it’s important to detect diabetic eye disease early and get treatment as soon as possible.

Black Individuals and Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) involves damage to the eye’s retina that occurs with long-term diabetes. Although there are few symptoms of DR in the early stages, people may experience floaters, blurred vision, blindness, shadows and missing areas of sight as the disease progresses. Data from the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) study found that Black individuals were four times as likely as white individuals to have vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, DR causes 17 percent of vision loss among Black individuals.

Glaucoma and Black Individuals

Glaucoma is a term for a family of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve, which transmits visual signals to the brain. Often known as the “sneak thief of sight,” glaucoma usually has no symptoms in the early stages. However, once the condition is diagnosed, it often has already caused permanent vision loss. Black individuals are six times more likely to go blind from glaucoma, and the disease typically strikes this patient population 10 years earlier than other ethnicities.

Importance of Annual Comprehensive Eye Exams

The most effective way to prevent eye disease is by scheduling annual comprehensive eye exams.

“Being that Black patients do not get eye exams as early or frequently, this increases risk for or prevalence of conditions like glaucoma and diabetic or hypertensive retinopathy going undetected,” said Darryl Glover, OD, a private practitioner from Durham, North Carolina. “This puts Black patients in a disadvantaged position by setting off a cascade of events that negatively impact how they function in life. Overall, we need to see all walks of life earlier and more frequently, especially in the Black community” (Healio).

Schedule an Eye Exam Today

Your eye health is a precious gift. When was the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam? If you are not under the care of a board-certified ophthalmologist, you are putting your eyesight at risk. Individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension must be especially vigilant, as they may be at increased risk for eye disease. Remember that prevention is always less expensive than treatment.

An eye exam takes less than an hour, and your doctor will evaluate your vision and eye health. Our eye care centers are located nationwide, and their friendly staff can schedule you for an appointment at your convenience.

The calendar year is coming to a close. You can take advantage of your health insurance benefits by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam or eye procedure before the end of the year.

If you haven’t maximized your health insurance benefits, it’s time to take action. One of the best ways to stretch your healthcare dollars is to schedule appointments and procedures after you meet your annual deductible. Your healthcare deductible is the amount you must pay for covered medical procedures before your insurance company begins to contribute.

Most deductibles reset on Jan. 1, so now is the time to evaluate whether you should schedule a comprehensive eye exam or cataract surgery. If you meet your deductible, your out-of-pocket responsibility for an elective eye procedure could be considerably less.

Importance of Comprehensive Eye Exams

Yearly eye exams are important for people of all ages and are essential for preventive care. Eye exams test more than your vision. They provide an assessment of your overall health. During a comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will test you for focusing problems, eye diseases and refractive errors (like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism).

Some of the most common eye diseases include the following:
Cataracts: a clouding of the eye lens that will affect everyone at some point
Glaucoma: a family of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve
Macular degeneration: a condition that destroys a person’s sharp, central vision

An eye exam can often detect conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you are at increased risk for cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Therefore, it is essential to have regular eye exams to manage your condition and preserve your vision.

Why You Should Schedule an Eye Procedure at an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)

If your ophthalmologist detects an eye disease like a cataract, you can have it removed with cataract surgery. The good news is that you don’t have to schedule cataract surgery or an eye procedure at a hospital. An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is a less-expensive option and offers exceptional patient care.

An ASC is often smaller than a hospital, which makes it easier to navigate, and it usually has convenient parking. In addition, most procedures at an ASC will be more cost-effective because they don’t have all the overhead costs of a hospital. Finally, an ASC dedicates itself to specific procedures like cataract surgery rather than emergency procedures, so your appointment is less likely to get delayed or rescheduled.

Make an Appointment With an Ophthalmologist

Have you met your deductible already? Schedule your procedure before the end of the calendar year to take full advantage of your health plan’s benefits. Your deductible will reset soon, so contact your insurance company to verify your status.

Are you looking for a board-certified ophthalmologist? It is simple to locate one of our eye care centers. Our centers are located nationwide, and our doctors are accepting new patients. Call today and request an appointment before the end of the year.

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, a time to focus on protecting and maintaining children’s eye health. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is a common eye condition in school-aged children, but it is often improperly diagnosed, which can sometimes worsen the infection.

What Is Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye?

As school begins, parents can anticipate their children contracting contagious illnesses like the common cold, strep throat and pink eye. Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, develops when infection or allergies irritate the conjunctiva, the mucus membrane that covers the inside of the eyelids and the front of the eye. Pink eye is the most frequently diagnosed eye infection in the United States, infecting up to six million people annually. Typical symptoms of pink eye include the following:

• Pinkness or redness in the white of the eyes
• Increased tear production
• Swelling of the conjunctiva
• Burning or itching
• Feeling like there is a foreign object in the eyes
• An urge to rub the eyes

Three Common Types of Pink Eye

There are three common types of conjunctivitis with three unique causes.

Viral conjunctivitis is the most common type of pink eye. It is highly contagious and can easily transmit in schools and populated areas. Often occurring in conjunction with a cold, respiratory infection or the flu, viral pink eye can begin in one eye and spread to the other. This type often causes a watery discharge, rather than a thick discharge.

Bacterial conjunctivitis is also very contagious. It often causes sore, red eyes with a thick discharge that causes the eyelids to crust and stick together. Sometimes, bacterial conjunctivitis develops along with an ear infection or strep throat.

Allergic conjunctivitis develops due to an allergic reaction to an environmental irritant like animals, pollen or cigarette smoke. It is not contagious but can cause inflammation, itching and redness.

How to Treat Pink Eye

Most cases of pink eye develop from viruses or allergies and do not respond to antibiotics. Viral conjunctivitis usually improves in one to two weeks without treatment. Although bacterial conjunctivitis responds to antibiotic eye drops, most cases of bacterial pink eye are mild and improve within a week or two without medication.

Unfortunately, doctors overprescribe antibiotics for pink eye symptoms. A study by the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center found that 60 percent of patients with conjunctivitis symptoms receive a prescription for antibiotics, even though antibiotics are often not necessary. In addition, about 20 percent receive antibiotic steroid drops, which can worsen the infection and potentially cause antibiotic resistance.

Call Your Eye Doctor if Your Child Has Pink Eye Symptoms

If your child exhibits symptoms of pink eye, call your ophthalmologist instead of going to a walk-in clinic. Often, conjunctivitis will clear up on its own without medication. Your eye doctor can suggest ways to help your child stay comfortable and prevent spreading the infection to other family members.

Before school begins, schedule a yearly comprehensive eye exam for your family. An eye exam takes less than an hour, and you’ll ensure your family’s vision is healthy and clear when classes resume. You can talk to your eye doctor about any vision or eye concerns you may have. If you are not under the care of a board-certified ophthalmologist, our eye care centers are here to meet your needs.