Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses sugar. It is one of the most common diseases in the United States, and about 8.3 percent of Americans have diabetes (about 26 million people). Unfortunately, 7 million diabetics are unaware that they have the disease.

Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye conditions that can affect people with diabetes. Not all diabetics will develop diabetic eye disease, but untreated or uncontrolled diabetes can lead to permanent vision loss.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease among working adults and a leading cause of blindness. Diabetes can cause the blood vessels in the eye to leak fluid, causing the retina to swell. Accumulated fluid on the retina can cause blurred vision. As the condition progresses, new blood vessels can grow on the surface of the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy can cause a condition called diabetic macular edema (DME). DME is characterized by swelling in an area of the retina called the macula.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Diabetics are 2 to 5 times more likely than those without diabetes to develop cataracts. Cataracts also tend to develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.

Glaucoma is a family of diseases that damage the optic nerve, the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the eye to the brain. In some diabetic patients, new blood vessels grow on the iris and block the flow of inner eye fluid, which increases eye pressure and places stress on the optic nerve. This condition is called neovascular glaucoma.

Here are some guidelines to help you preserve your vision:

• Visit your primary care physician regularly for blood sugar monitoring.
• Control your diet by eating foods that are high in nutrients and low in fat. Limit sugar to small servings.
• Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. This will help control blood sugars and reduce your risk for heart disease and nerve damage.
• Schedule regular comprehensive eye exams to screen for diabetic eye disease.

Are your red, bloodshot eyes making you look like an evil superhero? According to SpongeBob SquarePants, “It’s the red beady eyes that’s a dead giveaway for the evil fellas.” Unless it’s Halloween and you want to add dramatic effect, you probably don’t want to accentuate eye redness.

Although a case of red-eye is a common condition, it can be embarrassing and annoying to have to answer the same question over and over, “What happened to your eyes?” Chronic red eye can also be alarming if you are concerned that you may be developing an infection that could harm your vision.

When your eyes are red or bloodshot, it means that they have become irritated by an internal or external factor. Depending on the source of irritation, the redness may extend across the entire sclera, or it may be isolated to a few spots or lines in the whites of your eyes.
Associated symptoms of this condition can include:

• Itchy eyes
• Watery eyes
• Swollen eyelids
• Burning sensation
• Light sensitivity
• Thick or watery discharge
• Crusting or scaling of the eyelid skin

There are several common causes of red, bloodshot eyes. Dry eye is an eye condition that is gaining nationwide awareness, thanks to Jennifer Aniston’s educational campaign. When tear glands don’t produce enough tears to keep eyes lubricated, your eyes feel scratchy and irritated. It may be tempting to reach for that little bottle of whitening drops. These drops promise to reduce redness by constricting the blood vessels in your eyes, but they can exacerbate the condition and actually make redness worse after the initial effect wears of

Allergies are another common culprit of red, bloodshot eyes. Millions of Americans are allergic to pollen, mold, ragweed, pet dander, and dust. Spring and fall allergies can be especially brutal, but allergies can cause red eye all year round. Eyes can feel itchy, stinging, and inflamed if allergies are not diagnosed and treated by an allergist.

Ophthalmologists are getting more and more complaints about a condition called digital eye strain, which results from staring at a computer, tablet or smart phone for too long. Electronic devices emit blue light which reduces your blink rate and can cause dry eye, eye irritation and possibly even vision damage.

If your red, bloodshot eyes are making you look like the bad guy in a graphic novel, get some help by calling your eye care professional. Some cases of red eye can clear up on their own, but untreated redness could be indicative of a more serious condition. Make an appointment for an eye exam to rule out infection or other potentially harmful causes. Preserve your vision and improve your appearance (Source: Bel Marra Health).

Glaucoma specialists are becoming well-versed in dry eye treatment because dry eye often accompanies glaucoma. Glaucoma is a family of diseases that is characterized by increased eye pressure. When eye pressure reaches a dangerous level, it can damage the optic nerve and cause permanent vision loss. Dry eye does not always precede glaucoma diagnosis. In fact, many glaucoma patients develop dry eye as a reaction to medicated eye drops that are prescribed to lower their eye pressure.

Treating dry eye in glaucoma patients is important because dry eye can affect specific eye tests that are routine for glaucoma patients. These tests include visual field tests, optical coherence tomography (eye mapping) and topographical measurements for cataract surgery.

This new information about dry eye and glaucoma care is causing glaucoma specialists to consider other glaucoma treatment methods that may not increase risk for dry eye. Procedures like microinvasive glaucoma surgery and selective laser trabeculoplasty are two newer glaucoma treatment options that are not known to cause dry eye. There is also a new therapy that uses intracameral drug delivery systems that offers exciting options. Glaucoma specialists are optimistic about using these new treatments because this means that patients will have an array of choices without the unwanted side effects.

If you or someone you love has glaucoma, it is essential to schedule regular comprehensive eye exams to prevent vision loss. Discuss treatment options with your doctor and consider all choices before making a final decision. By staying current with your eye exams, you can preserve your vision and have clear eyesight for years to come (Source: Ophthalmology Times).

This is because African Americans are five times more likely to develop glaucoma and six times more likely to have glaucoma-related blindness.

African Americans tend to develop glaucoma about 10 years earlier in life, and the disease often progresses faster than in individuals of other ethnicities. This means that there is an increased risk for vision loss, so early diagnosis is essential.

African Americans in any of the following groups are at an even greater risk for glaucoma:

• Over the age of 40
• Extreme nearsightedness
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Prolonged steroid use

Another factor that increases glaucoma risk is having a sibling that is diagnosed with glaucoma. Research shows that siblings of an individual with glaucoma have almost a 10-fold increased risk of developing glaucoma compared to siblings of an individual who does not have glaucoma.

Glaucoma often has no symptoms in the early stages, so most cases of glaucoma are diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam. The best way to preserve your vision is to schedule routine preventative screenings. If you are at increased risk for glaucoma, you can be assured that your eye care specialist will perform all necessary tests to measure your eye pressure and evaluate the health of your optic nerve. Talk to your eye care professional to assess your personal risk for glaucoma so you can schedule comprehensive eye exams at appropriate intervals (Source: Glaucoma Research Foundation).

If you had to give up one of your five senses, which one would you be willing to part with? It certainly would be a difficult choice, but chances are that you would never want to give up your sight. After all, we perceive up to 80 percent of all our impressions from our sense of sight.

If vision contributes the majority of all input data to our brain, it definitely deserves regular care and maintenance. Healthy Vision Month is an annual initiative that encourages all men, women and children to consider the importance of lifelong eye health. It is a perfect time to renew your commitment to your vision by taking proactive steps to protect your gift of sight.

Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam
You may not have any noticeable vision issues, but do not rely on the absence of symptoms as proof that your vision is healthy. Many eye diseases like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration have no warning signs in the early stages. Once there are symptoms present, it often means that permanent damage has already occurred. Comprehensive eye exams are also helpful to diagnose refractive errors, focusing problems and conditions like dry eye or computer vision syndrome. Possibly the most important feature of a dilated eye exam is that it allows your eye doctor to evaluate the health of your retina and optic nerve.

You may be at increased risk for a specific eye disease or eye condition if it runs in your family. Researchers have mapped genes for diseases like glaucoma and are identifying genes in macular degeneration, so it is important to know what eye diseases run in your family. Use family gatherings to talk to your relatives about family eye health history, and share this information with your eye care professional.

Live a healthy lifestyle
You cannot do anything to change your family history, but you make daily choices that influence your eye health. You have the ability to help preserve your vision by eating a nutritious and balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, managing chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, and not smoking (Source: National Eye Institute).

Use protective eye wear
Each year, about 2.4 million eye injuries occur in the United States, but 90% could have been prevented by wearing correct eye protection. Safety goggles, safety glasses and eye guards can prevent most injuries at home, on the job or outside. Eye protection is important for the entire family and not just adults, so invest in protective eye wear for the whole family. And as a final reminder, sunglasses should be worn in all types of weather and not just when it is sunny outside. (Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology).

Value your sense of sight by following these four steps. You can start by making an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with dilation for the whole family. Thank you for celebrating Healthy Vision Month and helping to spread the word to others!

What may be more surprising is that 14 percent of reported eye problems are related to computer work. It doesn’t take a construction site accident or chemical burn to damage your vision; it can happen in the comfort of your soft leather office chair.

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, a perfect time to do some self-evaluation on how we are valuing and caring for our vision. As our jobs and daily tasks increasingly rely on computers and electronic devices, it is important for us to understand how prolonged screen time affects our vision.

Our eyes can see a limited amount of light wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths of visible light are between about 390 nanometers (nm) to 700 nm. Laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, LEDs and CFLs all emit blue light, which has wavelengths of 380 nm to 500 nm. These short, high-energy light waves create a glaring effect on the eyes that can lead to symptoms like dry eye, blurred vision, headaches, nearsightedness, and eye fatigue. Some doctors believe that overexposure to blue light has the potential to cause retinal damage and increase the risk for macular degeneration.

Now that we know the facts about blue light, what can we do about the fact that most Americans use electronics in the workplace and at home? Here are some simple reminders that you can jot down on a post-it note and adhere to your computer screen:

• Install a blue-light filter app on your smartphone and tablet.
• Talk to your ophthalmologist about getting some glasses for the office with anti-reflective (AR) lenses.
• Keep the computer roughly 30 inches away from your eyes.
• During your workday, remember the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
• Blink frequently. This simple action reduces dry eye and maintains eye health.
• Visit your eye doctor regularly. Nothing can substitute for a comprehensive eye exam to evaluate your eye health.

It is estimated that 20.5 million Americans have cataracts, which is about one in every six individuals over the age of 40. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss, but they are treatable through surgery. In an outpatient procedure, your eye surgeon can remove your cataract and replace the lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) that is customized to your vision needs.

IOLs have been safely and successfully implanted routinely since the 1970s. Today, new technology and designs offer a multitude of options for IOLs. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by your choices, think of all the possibilities that are available to you in being able to select a lens that suits your activity level and lifestyle.

Here are the basic types of IOLs from which you can choose:

• Monofocal lens—Monofocal lenses improve vision at one distance: far, intermediate or near. It is most common for individuals to want improved distance vision, which means that they still will need to wear glasses for reading. This is the least expensive IOL, and it is usually covered by Medicare and private insurance companies. If you have astigmatism and choose to have a monofocal IOL, you will likely need to wear glasses at all times.
• Astigmatism-correcting monofocal lens—Depending on the shape of your cornea, you may be a candidate for an astigmatism-correcting monofocal lens. This toric lens corrects astigmatism and cataracts in a single procedure. After surgery, you may still need glasses or contact lenses for reading. Toric lenses are considered a premium lens, which means that you will be responsible for additional costs because this lens is considered a luxury and not a necessity.
• Multifocal lens—Around the age of 40, most adults notice a change in their ability to focus on nearby objects. If you wear glasses or contacts for distance vision and your near vision is diminishing, you may want to consider a mulitifocal lens. In some cases, this IOL can eliminate your need for eyeglasses because they help improve near, distance and intermediate vision. A multifocal lens is considered a premium lens, so you will be responsible for additional costs.

Talk to your eye surgeon about which IOL he or she suggests for your vision. Cost will also factor into your decision, so call your insurance company to verify your benefits and estimated out-of-pocket expenses.

But today’s cataract surgery is nothing like cataract surgery in its early days. Here are some ways that cataract surgery has advanced:

• More sophisticated instruments and medications. Eye surgeons use diamond blades to create micro-incisions. Ultrasonic waves break up the deteriorated lens for easy removal. Pre and post-procedure eye drops help prevent infection.
• Use of lasers to perform cataract surgery. While the laser may never completely replace the human hand when it comes to cataract removal, laser-assisted cataract surgery provides a precise, reproducible procedure.
• Customizable lenses. When the old eye lens is removed, an artificial lens called an intraocular lens or IOL, takes its place. There are several types of lenses from which to choose, such as monofocal, astigmatism correcting and multifocal.
• Shorter recovery time. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure today. Infection is rare because of antibiotic drops that are prescribed before and after surgery. Small incisions often eliminate the need for sutures, and most patients can resume their daily activities rapidly.
• Convenient locations. Cataract surgery it is often performed in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) instead of a hospital. ASCs offer personalized care in a smaller environment, and many patients prefer the ease and convenience of an ASC instead of a larger facility.
• Reducing the dependence on eyeglasses. Although multifocal IOLs are usually not covered by insurance companies, many patients choose a multifocal lens so they will not have to wear eyeglasses. Multifocal lenses allow for clear distance and near vision, and many patients claim that their post-procedure eyesight is clearer than it ever was before.

Cataract surgery may sound like it is only for the elderly generation, but that is an incorrect assumption. In fact, 40 and 50-year olds are choosing cataract surgery because they will enjoy more years of clear vision! Talk to your ophthalmologist to find out whether you are a candidate for cataract surgery. Thanks to cataract surgery advancements, lifelong healthy vision is now a reality.

Obesity is a nationwide epidemic. Being overweight is a danger to our health because it increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. This favorite topic in newspapers, magazines, online journals, and morning talk shows has become so pervasive that it does not even catch our attention anymore. But what if you heard that obesity could rob you of clear vision? You might stop and listen, wouldn’t you?

Recent research suggests that being overweight could increase the pressure inside of your eyes. Inner eye pressure is a delicate matter. The optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting images from the eye to the brain, can be permanently damaged when eye pressure reaches a dangerous level. These levels vary from individual to individual, but spikes in eye pressure can make you more prone to glaucoma.

Glaucoma actually refers to an entire family of diseases that damage the optic nerve. One of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, glaucoma threatens 3 million Americans. Unfortunately, only about half are aware that they have it. Known as “the sneak thief of sight,” glaucoma can diminish a significant portion of the visual field without symptoms or pain.

There are several other eye conditions that are influenced by obesity or being overweight. Some of them include diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, floppy eyelid syndrome, and thyroid eye disease. These conditions can also cause vision loss and because of a lack of early symptoms, can be fairly advanced at the time of diagnosis.

If you are seeking to lose weight, there are many resources available to help you succeed. Your primary care physician can help you formulate a plan centered on nutritional eating and physical exercise. It is also important to visit your ophthalmologist for comprehensive eye exams to check your eye pressure so you can maintain healthy vision. In just one hour, your eye care specialist can test the clarity of your vision and diagnose any eye problems (Source: Healio).