Alamo Optometry Blog
Adult Vision Ages 41-60
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Adult Vision: Ages 41-60 (As appeared in Alamo Today, October 2009, pg. 27) In our next-to-last installment in our series, we will address vision and eye health issues after ago 40. The most noticeable condition at this point is presbyopia. As those of you in this age range can attest, it is the need for reading and up-close help. In addition, systemic issues like diabetes and hypertension, medications including anti-depressants and antihistamines, and a family history of eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration come into play. Presbyopia or the “short-arm syndrome”, affects everyone at this time. It may affect some sooner than others, but there will be a point in time when through your distance correction (or no correction if your distance vision is fine), where you will need to address your up-close vision. The key thing to remember is this a completely normal part of the aging process. The decrease in focusing ability is the result of your lens in the middle part of your eye becoming less flexible. This flexibility allows the eye to change focus from near to far objects. For those of you that have never had to wear glasses, it tends to be a little more of a shock, because for the first time in over 40 years, you are having difficulty with vision. For the rest, it is simply a necessary change to your current vision correction. Keep in mind that there are many options for correction including progressive lenses, bifocals, and near-vision only glasses. In contact lens wearers, depending on your correction, bifocal contacts and monovision are always viable possibilities. Many systemic ailments including diabetes, hypertension, auto-immune diseases, and high cholesterol affect the eyes. A dilated evaluation of the retina allows the only view of the blood vessels without an invasive procedure. Being able to observe the size and appearance of the blood vessels can go a long way in telling whether you might have the disease in question. If you do have a condition, it is a good way to determine how well it is being controlled. The best thing you can do is follow-up with your treating doctor to ensure your treatment plan is successful and to have your eyes checked annually. Patients do not realize that certain conditions and medications can have a large impact on the eyes. Medications such as antihistamines, any hormone therapy including birth control, and diuretics for high blood pressure can have a drying effect, which can cause blurred and fluctuating vision, and decrease contact lens comfort and wearing time. Some antidepressants can affect focusing ability, and these patients might notice a difficult time reading. Steroids like prednisone, when taken for long periods of time can increase the pressure in the eyes (a possible sign of glaucoma) and lead to premature cataracts. It is paramount that your eye doctor knows all of your medical history including all prescribed and over-the-counter medications. Even though you might not think it is relevant to your eyes, it is very likely that it does. Lastly, it is around this age that patients’ parents are developing eye issues like glaucoma and macular degeneration. Our patients are obviously concerned for their loved ones, but are also concerned for themselves. These diseases do have a genetic component; however, it is not absolute. It does not mean that you will also be afflicted, but it does mean that you need to be more vigilant in your overall health and eye care to help ensure if something does develop, it will be caught early and treated aggressively. Patients in this age group have both visual and health issues to be addressed. Whether it is presbyopia, dry eyes, or diabetes management and detection, your eye doctor should be a major part of your overall care. Our office is well-equipped to assess and recommend options for all of your vision and medical needs; and when a referral to a specialist is required, we have a local network of qualified doctors to help. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-820-6622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at: ww.alamooptometry.com.
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Adult Vision Ages 19-40
Friday, September 4, 2009
Adult Vision Ages 19-40 (As appeared in Alamo Today, September 2009, pg. 29) In this installment of our series, we will tackle what to expect from your eyes and how to take care of them from after high school until age 40. For most adults, this is the time of healthy eyes and good correctable vision. The two main issues for this age group are visual stress from heavy computer use, fatigue, poor lighting, etc., and injuries from sports and work. For a majority of patients, simple vision issues like near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism can be well-corrected with glasses and contact lenses without having to deal with presbyopia or other eye diseases which will be discussed in later articles. As you start out in the world after school, your eyes and vision are integral to your success. Whether you need them for long hours studying pursuing a college or post-graduate degree, beginning your career in your chosen field, or enjoy sports, your vision will be paramount in your endeavors. The first thing to remember is that healthy eyes and good vision go together; if you don't take good care of your eyes, they will not help you in your daily life. A healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables will only help your overall health, including the eyes. Supplemental vitamins are also recommended if your diet is lacking in some of these areas. In addition, hydration is very important. Dryness is a big problem with heavy computer use, and staying hydrated can help alleviate some end-of-day redness and discomfort. Exercise helps improve blood circulation throughout the body and helps remove toxins in the bloodstream away from the eyes. Smoking cessation can be extremely beneficial to your overall health. Besides the heart, lung, and other systemic diseases that smoking can lead to, the risk for macular degeneration later in life in increased about 4-6 fold. As always, routine eye care in conjunction with the above suggestions will help maintain your overall vision and ocular health. Now that we have addressed the health issues with the eye, we need to discuss how to deal with the visual stress that is present in our daily world. The most common causes are computer use and long hours reading documents and contracts. Even though computer use has become a major part of society, most people compound the problem by not having the correct eyeglass prescription, having improper lighting and incorrect viewing angles and working distances. As the day progresses, eyestrain and visual fatigue manifest themselves as tired eyes, red eyes, dry, stinging, burning, and focusing difficulties. Making some adjustments like keeping your eyes above the level of the computer monitor, taking a break from the monitor every 30 minutes and let your eyes rest, blinking, staying properly hydrated, and reducing a lot of artificial light and glare can go a long way in relieving visual fatigue and stress. In addition to taking care of your eyes at work and college, the eyes need the proper care for sports and at-home activities. Sports such as basketball, football, baseball, and racquetball require the safety from protective eyewear or goggles that regular eyeglasses and contact lenses do not provide. Frames and goggles for adults and kids at our office made by Liberty provide both a fashionable and functional option for vision and eye protection. The lenses can be made in most prescriptions and made out of polycarbonate, which offers both UV protection and shatter-resistance. At home, some of the everyday activities that we do can pose a danger to the eyes. Things such as mowing the lawn, woodworking, and using strong household chemicals require safety goggles. Non-prescription safety goggles can be found in some hardware stores and depending on the type of glasses, prescription lenses can be put into them. Even though a majority of patients in this age range are healthy and have good correctable vision, there are always issues and pitfalls are present at work and home that can lead to vision loss. Staying healthy with routine medical care in conjunction with coordinated eye care will help you optimize your vision and eye health. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-820-6622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at: ww.alamooptometry.com.
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