I switched to a different eye doctor today, and learned something new. My new doctor had a machine for Optomap Retinal Exams from Optos. An exam with this machine can take the place of uncomfortable dilating drops. Of course, being the medically curious person I am, I had to read all about it.

The Optomap, which I had never heard of until today, has been around for several years. Unfortunately, many eye insurance companies don’t cover it, but will cover dilation instead. It cost me $40 to have the Optomap exam done, but some offices may charge less. I decided to …read more

Dump Your Sugar Addiction, Avoid Age-Related Macular Degeneration
By Guest Blogger Anders Wedin, OD
A high sugar diet affects the body in many different ways, all of which put your health at risk. Widely known is the increased risk of obesity (defined by a high Body Mass Index or BMI), but an equally serious effect that is often neglected when discussing high sugary foods is the connection between excessive sugar ingestion and vision impairments. It is the intention of this article to explain how a “sugar addiction” can damage your vision severely.
There are several vision impairments that are directly caused by …read more

We tend to take our eyes and our vision for granted. Sure, when we find out we need glasses or have to change to a stronger prescription, we think about our eyes – but other than that, how often do we pay attention to the wonderful gift of sight that most of us have?
Although not all types of vision loss are preventable, many either are preventable or they could be caught early enough to slow down the deterioration. But it’s never too late to start taking care of your eyes.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a visual impairment common among the elderly in which the center of the field of vision appears as a black spot (see image here). It affects approximately 15 million Americans and in the UK, about 12% of men and 29% of women over the age of 75 suffer from this partial blindness. Aside from age and genetics, one of the main factors thought to influence the risk of developing AMD is the diet. According to an article in the ScienceDaily:
Spinach and some other vegetables like sweetcorn, kale and broccoli are rich in a chemical called …read more