AMD affects people as they age and is listed as the leading cause of vision loss in Americans 65 years and older. There is no cure for AMD, but treatment can slow down the vision loss. Sometimes, the progress of AMD is very gradual, maybe not even noticeable at first, so it’s essential that it be detected by an eye care professional. Unfortunately, eye exams are not often on the priority list of many people, particularly if they are experiencing financial difficulties.

EyeCare America, the public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is committed to the preservation of sight, accomplishing its mission through public service and education. They would like to help seniors who need help and are doing so by offering a program called Do You See What I See?

With the holiday season quickly approaching, EyeCare America is working to make people more aware of AMD, its effects, and the importance of eye exams.

The year-round program promotes annual eye exams for people 65 and older, raises awareness of AMD, provides the latest information about treatment options and low vision services, offers free AMD educational materials, and facilitates access to no cost eye care through EyeCare America’s AMD EyeCare Program. The eye exams will be provided by more than 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the U.S. Those interested in the program can call 1-866-324-EYES (3937) to see if they are eligible.

Who is eligible?

The AMD EyeCare Program is designed for people at increased risk for AMD, who:

* Are age 65 and older
* Have not been diagnosed with AMD
* Are US citizens or legal residents
* Have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years
* Do not belong to an HMO or the VA

People can call the toll-free helpline at 1-866-324-EYES (3937) anytime, for themselves and/or family members and friends to see if they qualify for a free eye exam.

Callers who have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years may be eligible to receive a comprehensive medical eye exam and, in most cases, up to one year of care at no out-of-pocket cost for any disease diagnosed during the initial exam.

Eyeglasses, medicines, hospital services and fees of other medical professionals are not included.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Blisstree

Free Eye Exams for Eligible U.S. Seniors

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 go ahead and pay up since I haven’t had my eyes dilated in years, though I did get regular eye exams.

How did the Optomap exam benefit me?

In addition to not having to bother with getting my eyes dilated, I now have a permanent record of the condition of my retinas this year. You don’t get that with the standard exam with dilation. Having an archived record of your retinas can help your doctor compare changes that take place from year to year. Another benefit is that I got to look at the results on a computer with my doctor.

As it turns out, I have a freckle in my right eye. This isn’t anything serious, but something that should be watched. If I have another retinal exam next year, my doctor can see if the freckle has changed.

The exam is quick and painless, though you will see a bright flash when images are taken. There’s no direct contact with your eyes. Ask your doctor if you can receive an Optomap exam without dilating drops. The Optos website notes that you may not need the drops, leading me to believe it’s necessary in some cases.

Optomap can help with identifying certain eye diseases in their early stages. These include:

• Melanomas
• Hypertension
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Retinal detachment
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy

To see a retinal exam and resulting images, watch the video below from The Doctors.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

My Experience with the Optomap Retinal Exam

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 a high sugar diet. The most severe is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as it is the number one cause for vision loss in United States – incidentally also the home of the most obese people in the developed world.

AMD affects the macula of the eye, which is located in the center of the retina, and controls your central vision. The fovea is located in the center of the macula where vision focus and sharpness is determined.

This disease is primarily age-related and people over 60 are at greater risk of developing the disease. The risk is about 30% in people over 75 years old and about 200,000 new cases are reported in the US each year. In its early stages, AMD displays no symptoms, but once advanced, the recipient may experience blurry vision and blind spots in the center field of vision.¹

Image: sxc.hu

The link between high sugar foods and macular degeneration has been confirmed by a number of studies. In the U.S, at Tufts University, a study was made based on documentation of over 4,000 adults in the ages 55-80. The study could not entirely rule out other contributing factors, but showed a strong connection between the consumption of foods that increase blood sugar levels and AMD.²

However, there are also foods that will improve eyesight and help prevent eye diseases from developing. By replacing snacks, trans fat and sugar with natural foods like fish, grains, vegetables and fruits you will not only reduce the risk of getting age-related macular degeneration, you will also prevent Glaucoma.

AMD-friendly foods:

• Whole grains
• Antioxidants
• Vegetables
• Legumes

Glaucoma-friendly foods:

• Salmon
• Broccoli
• Fish oil and liver oil
• Walnuts
• Cabbage
• Green leafy veggies

Also note that high sugar diets, or over consumption of refined sugars, may also accelerate the development of Myopia (nearsightedness). This means that, should you become nearsighted, refined sugars can exacerbate the condition quickly, thus increasing the needed optical power of your corrective eyewear. By severely decreasing your intake of sugars and refined carbs, you can decelerate the process and keep your contact lenses or glasses longer.^{3 4}

In conclusion, in order to avoid AMD, Glaucoma, and severe Myopia, you must decrease your intake of high sugar foods. Obesity and heart related diseases aside, a diet of extensive amounts of sugar can cause partial to complete vision loss.

Anders Wedin, OD is the in-house optometrist at LensShopper.com, a consumer guide to buying contact lenses and general eye care information.

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¹ macular-degeneration.org

² Chiu, CJ, Milton, R.C., Ferris III, F.L., Gensler, G, and Taylor A. Dietary carbohydrate and glycemic index in relation to Age-Related Macular Degeneration – The Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Am J Clin Nut. 2007;86:180-188.

³ Edwards MH. Do variations in normal nutrition play a role in the development of myopia? Optom Vis Sci 73(10):638-43, 1996

⁴ Gardiner PA. Dietary treatment of myopia in children. Lancet i:1152-5, 1958

Post from: Blisstree

Dump Sugar Addiction, Avoid Eye Disease

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. Here are the top 10 ways you can do so:

1- Know the difference between the different professionals who help you take care of your eyes. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has specialized in eyes and and eye diseases, but can also test your vision for the appropriate glasses or contacts. An optometrist is qualified to test your eyes and treat them for some eye problems, and to determine what types of correction you may need. An optician is someone who makes and tailors the glasses to fit your needs.

2- Get your eyes checked regularly even if they’re “ok” now. That old saying, an ounce of prevention….., is really true. Be sure to get your eyes checked regularly, depending on what your eye care professional suggests. You will first need a baseline test to see where you’re at. After that, you’ll be told what your plan of action should be. If you sense any changes in your eyes or vision, get your eyes checked as something may be going on.

3- Know your family history . Your history is important because some sight problems run in families. Knowing what eye problems your family has will alert your doctor as to what to watch for and may change your prevention plan.

4- Take care of your glasses and contacts. Make sure your glasses are right for you. If they don’t feel right or seem to not be strong enough any more, get your eyes checked again. Contact lens care is very important. Follow instructions closely and avoid contaminating the lenses. It’s easy to introduce problems such as corneal tears and infections if you don’t treat the lenses carefully.

5- Follow your treatments . Vision is a funny thing. You may not feel like you need the eye drops or medications that you’ve been prescribed, but even if you don’t feel it, the damage in your eye could be getting worse.

6- Protect your eyes. So many people end up with eye injuries because they didn’t use eye protection when participating in certain activities, such as certain sports (hockey, for example) or home renovations.

7- Wear sunglasses. This goes with “protect your eyes,” because your eyes are very sensitive to the sun, even if you don’t feel it. Spend the money on good sunglasses as cheap ones that don’t offer enough protection will give you a false sense of security.

8- Be aware of eye fatigue. Don’t focus on a computer screen, for example, for too long a period. Look away from your screen regularly (some experts recommend that you look away from your screen every 20 minutes for a minimum of 20 seconds). If you’re having problems with your computer screen, it may need adjusting or you may need glasses or different glasses.

9- Don’t start smoking and quit if you do. I know, easier said than done, but doctors have found a direct link between smoking and eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.

10- Eat a healthy, balanced diet . This is good advice for just about any body system and that includes your eyes. Vegetables play a large role in eye health, in particular.

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Images: iStock, MorgueFile.com, Stock.xchng

Post from: Blisstree

Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Eye Sight

Spinach and some other vegetables like sweetcorn, kale and broccoli are rich in a chemical called lutein, which, together with another carotenoid, zeaxanthin, form an oily, yellow substance at a central point of the retina known as the macula. This yellow oil, called macular pigment, is thought to protect the macula from age-related macular degeneration or AMD [snip].

This macula pigment is wholly derived from the diet, either from eating food rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, or taking such compounds as dietary supplements.

A study will be conducted in the UK to find out whether a spinach-rich diet can indeed improve vision in AMD patients. If you live in the Manchester area and have been diagnosed with the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (and have no aversion to spinach, of course), you may want to take part in the study. See the ARMD website for further details of the study on spinach and the ageing eye.

Post from: Blisstree

Spinach May Protect Against Age-Related Visual Impairment, Study Calls For Volunteers