Comprehensive Eye Exams are the Key to Early Detection for Glaucoma

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Next to cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world today. Glaucoma is not just one disease; it is an entire group of eye diseases that is characterized by elevated eye pressure that damages the optic nerve. Damage to the optic nerve is irreversible, and permanent vision loss can occur if glaucoma is not discovered in the early stages. There is currently no cure for glaucoma, and the existing treatments only serve to help prevent further vision damage.

Regular comprehensive eye exams are the best way to detect glaucoma at the earliest possible stage. During a comprehensive eye exam, your ophthalmologist will perform many tests to detect eye conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, focusing problems, color blindness, cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Glaucoma is often tested by tonometry, or a pressure test that blows a small puff of air into each eye. If elevated pressure is present in either eye, your ophthalmologist will know immediately.

If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, there are many treatments that your ophthalmologist can suggest. Many glaucoma patients begin their treatment by using medicated eye drops that help bring their eye pressure down to a safe level. If you have more advanced stages of glaucoma, your doctor may present other options like laser procedures or surgery to open up the filtration system in the eye or to shunt inner eye fluid away from the eye to lower eye pressure.

Because glaucoma often has no symptoms in the early stages, your best defense against glaucoma is having routine eye exams. A glaucoma test will be able to detect the disease much earlier than waiting for symptoms to present. One of the earliest warning signs of glaucoma is narrowing of the visual field, or reduced peripheral vision. By the time you may notice changes in your vision, the disease has often progressed to a more advanced stage.

Don’t take chances when it comes to your eyesight. Take a few moments to call your ophthalmologist to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. It will help prevent glaucoma and keep your vision healthy for years to come.

How to Cope with Winter Allergies

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Winter is the season of sniffs and sniffles, but your drippy nose may not be caused by the latest cold virus. When temperatures drop below freezing and you start spending most of your time indoors, you increase your exposure to indoor allergens like dust mites and mold. Much like a pollen allergy, your body may identify these foreign invaders as harmful substances and trigger an immune response. This means you develop a host of cold-like symptoms, including runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, and a persistent cough.

Because their symptoms are so similar, it can be difficult to differentiate between winter allergies and the common cold. However, there are some clues that can help you reach a diagnosis. A cold or flu typically will not last beyond 10 days, and symptoms will generally start to improve after two to three days. Winter allergy symptoms can last for weeks or even months without improvement. The cold and flu may also cause fever and body aches, both of which are uncommon with allergies.

If your symptoms last more than a week, schedule an appointment with your doctor or allergist to discuss the possibility of winter allergies. Your doctor may perform a skin test or blood test to confirm a diagnosis. If you do have winter allergies, there are a variety of treatment options available to relieve your symptoms. They include:

Antihistamines to block histamine activity in the body and prevent itching, sniffling and sneezing
Decongestants to clear mucus build-up and relieve inflammation
Allergy shots which build your immunity to particular allergens and have long-lasting effects

In addition to treatments prescribed by your doctor, you can help reduce allergy symptoms by making your home an allergen-free zone.

  • Wash all curtains and bedding in hot water. For delicate items that cannot withstand heat, wash on a low setting and rinse laundry twice for at least three minutes each.
  • Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to vacuum all carpets, rugs and upholstery
  • Use allergen-proof covers on all mattresses, box springs and pillows
  • Wipe down all counters, cabinets, furniture, baseboards, and wood surfaces with a damp cloth
  • Use mold-killing products on shower liners, bathroom tiles and shower surfaces
  • Install HEPA air filters in your home and remember to change them regularly

Seasonal allergies aren’t preventable, but they can be managed with proper treatment and preparation. Take steps to make your home an allergy-free zone this winter, and schedule an appointment with your doctor if you develop bothersome symptoms. Finding the right treatment plan is the key to complete relief (Source: WebMD).

Safety is our Priority

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We are Medicare approved and undergo routine voluntary accreditation screening and surveying. All of our patients receive a complete health assessment and medical history review to ensure they are an appropriate candidate for care in an ambulatory surgery center. However, as with all surgical procedures, even those in the hospital, there are risks. Patients should review those risks with their physician before making a final decision on their care.

We want to assure our current and future patients that we are committed to offering a safe, high-quality patient experience and thank you for letting us be a part of your healthcare.

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The Bone-Chilling Truth about Cigarettes

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The negative side effects of smoking are well-established. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, claiming 443,000 lives each year. Studies have linked smoking to various mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety and depression, but the physical side effects of smoking are even more severe. Individuals who smoke are at greater risk of developing heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, vision problems, and osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak, brittle and prone to fractures. More than 53 million Americans already have osteoporosis or are at increased risk due to low bone mass (Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation).

Cigarette smoking was first identified as a risk factor for osteoporosis over two decades ago. Since that time, research has continued to establish a direct link between tobacco use and bone loss. Nicotine and other toxic substances in cigarettes can damage bones by:

  • Inhibiting calcium absorption from dietary sources
  • Slowing the production of osteoblasts, the bone-forming cells responsible for growing new bone
  • Reducing blood supply to the bones
  • Accelerating the breakdown of estrogen, a fundamental hormone for healthy bones

If you are currently a smoker and you’ve thought about quitting, you are not alone. A recent government survey found that nearly 70 percent of smokers in the U.S. want to quit, and nearly half of them tried to quit last year. Unfortunately, a mere six percent of these individuals succeed (Source: Drugfree.org). These statistics are grim, but there is hope.

The Great American Smokeout is designed to help smokers kick the habit, even if it’s just for one day. With an assortment of support tools, programs and resources, you’ll have everything you need right at your fingertips to begin your smoke-free journey. Giving up cigarettes is difficult, but it’s one significant step you can take towards a longer, happier, more fulfilling life. Let the Great American Smokeout inspire you to seize the day and turn your health into a success story.

Five Reasons Why You Should Schedule Your Upper Endoscopy Now

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When it comes to scheduling medical procedures, we often have a laundry list of concerns. How much will it cost? Can I afford to take the time off work? Can it wait? Any time is a good time to make your health a priority, but there are certain advantages to scheduling your procedure before the end of the year. Here are a few:

Maximum savings
Most health insurance plans have an annual deductible, a set dollar amount you must pay out-of-pocket before your policy begins to pay for services. If you are close to meeting your deductible or if it has already been met, now is the time to schedule those more expensive procedures while your insurance company picks up most of the tab!

Easy scheduling
Appointment slots fill up quickly as patients try to fit in those last minute year-end visits. Get ahead of the game by scheduling your appointment today. You’ll have more flexibility with scheduling so you can choose a date and time that works for you.

Take advantage of unused vacation days
Most patients are able to return to work the next day after an upper endoscopy. If you have unused vacation days, why not use one of them to do something that will benefit your health? Better yet – schedule your appointment on a Friday and give yourself a three day weekend!

Peace of mind
Getting your procedure out of the way before the holidays will give you great peace of mind. Enjoy your time with friends and family without the looming concern of a potential health issue.

Fresh start to the New Year
Scheduling all your appointments now will allow you to put your best foot forward in 2017. It will also spare you costly appointments at the start of the year when your deductible renews. Make this New Year the best one yet with fewer worries on your mind and a lot more cash in your wallet!

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New App Could Offer Convenience for Glaucoma Patients and Caregivers

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The main objective in managing glaucoma is maintaining a safe level of intraocular (inner eye) pressure. Increased intraocular pressure places stress on the optic nerve, which can result in permanent eye damage. One of the standard glaucoma treatments is medicated eye drops, which must be administered at specific intervals every day to lower intraocular pressure. Topical drops can be effective when they are used as directed, but patients often forget to administer their eye drops or they may administer them incorrectly.

Due to the time-intensive nature of this eye disease, researchers have been trying to develop technology that will make managing glaucoma a little easier. The September issue of the Journal of Glaucoma published results of a recent survey that gathered interest among glaucoma patients and their caregivers for an app on their smartphone or tablet called the Glaucoma App.

The Glaucoma App was developed by Wills Eye Glaucoma Research Center and Drexel University. It has many helpful features such as educational videos, eye drop reminders, appointment reminders, medical data storage, a visual field tutorial, and intraocular pressure tracker. Functioning as a “treatment plan hub,” the Glaucoma App gathers all information in a single location for the ease of patients and their caregivers (Source: Eye Doc News).

The developers of the Glaucoma App hope that this new tool will help patients and their caregivers follow eye drop regimens more precisely, remember follow-up appointments and stay up-to-date on glaucoma news. If you are having trouble managing your glaucoma treatment plan, look for the free Glaucoma App in the iTunes store. Your ophthalmologist may also have some helpful tips as well, so schedule a check-up soon.

Building Hip Strength Could Alleviate Runner’s Knee

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Also known as runner’s knee, PFPS is a broad term that describes anterior knee pain stemming from overuse or injury. Physical therapy, stretching, and exercises to strengthen the knee and surrounding muscles are traditional therapies in treating PFPS, but research shows there might be a better way. A study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that rehab routines which focus on hip strength appear to provide superior results in relieving runner’s knee.

British and Australian scientists evaluated 14 previous studies of individuals with PFPS. The researchers found that participants whose therapy programs included hip strengthening, endurance and activation exercises had less knee pain and improved joint function over participants whose programs only focused on the quadriceps muscles. Programs that focused on improving hip and glute strength with heavy weights also had favorable results after a one year follow-up.

Runner’s knee tends to be a recurring condition, so ongoing exercise programs which focus on hip strength could be the key to long-term relief, says study author Dylan Morrissey, Ph.D., of the Queen Mary University of London. However, treatment for runner’s knee or any other running injury should not be a one size fits all approach. If you experience ongoing knee troubles, Morrissey recommends seeing a physical therapist or medical professional. “There are lots of other things that can be done to help runner’s knee pain, and we are learning more about them all the time,” he said (Source: Active).

Diabetic Eye Disease is a Worldwide Concern

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If you have diabetes, you are prone to develop diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which the delicate blood vessels of the retina become damaged and start leaking, resulting in distorted vision. It is important to diagnose diabetic retinopathy in the early stages because it can cause retinal scarring, vision impairment and eventually blindness. November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month, a time to increase awareness of diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic-related eye complications.

A recent study was published in Diabetes Care by researchers across the globe.The study examined regions of the world over the past 20 years with the highest number of people who were visually impaired by diabetic retinopathy: South Asia, Middle East & North Africa, and West Sub-Saharan Africa.
Over the past two decades, blindness and visual impairment because of diabetic retinopathy increased significantly. In 2010, one in every 39 blind people was blind due to diabetic retinopathy, which increased 27 percent since 1990. Of those with moderate or severe vision impairment, one in 52 people had diabetic-related vision loss, a stunning increase of 64 percent since 1990.

The authors of the study compiled a report that included some specific recommendations for how to decrease diabetic retinopathy incidence and prevent vision loss. Some ideas include:

  • Improving control of glucose levels and blood pressure among diabetics
  • Increasing education about diabetic retinopathy and related vision loss
  • Developing cost-effective strategies for screening
  • Prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy through laser treatments, steroid injections and other drugs

If you have diabetes, it is important to have annual comprehensive eye exams for optimum eye health. Your ophthalmologist will perform various tests to evaluate the health of your retina and examine the blood vessels inside your eyes. Early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy means early treatment and, best of all, preserved vision (Source: Medical Express).

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