Category Archives: Eye Disease & Problems

Cataracts, Computer Vision Syndrome, Diabetes, Dry Eye, Eye Disease & Problems, Eye Exam Information, Eye Health, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration

Eye exams and why they are important

Annual eye exams can detect serious health problems.

Did you know that many people first learn they have serious health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even cancer from — yes, you guessed it — a routine eye exam.

Our eyes have been called “the window to our soul.” It turns out, they also are often a very effective window to our overall health.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor can observe and evaluate the health and condition of the blood vessels in your retina, which are a good predictor of the health of blood vessels throughout your body. Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia all are visible by changes in the appearance of the retinal blood supply and blood vessels.

Annual eye exams are especially important for anyone with diabetes or who might be at risk for the disease (due to obesity, family history or other reasons). More than 30 million Americans with diabetes and another 84 million who have prediabetes are at risk for developing diabetic eye disease, the leading cause of blindness among adults. In its early stages, diabetic eye disease has no visible symptoms; only a comprehensive eye exam can detect signs of the disease so treatment can begin soon enough to prevent vision loss.

Also, research is advancing to develop an eye test to identify your risk for Alzheimer’s disease that may soon be performed during a comprehensive eye exam.

Don’t put it off — schedule an eye exam today

Even if you think you have perfect vision, an annual eye exam can be one of the best things you can do to protect the overall health and wellness of you and your loved ones.

Don’t put if off any longer — contact us for an eye exam today.

Computer Vision Syndrome, Industry News

Nearly Half of the Global Population May Be Nearsighted by 2050, Researchers Say

An estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide were nearsighted in 2000. That’s about 23 percent of the total global population. But by 2050, researcher predict this figure will soar to 4.8 billion, afflicting 49.8 percent of the world’s population.

The good news is, there are ways to protect your children from landing on the wrong side of this statistic. One key may be to encourage them to turn off their electronic devices and head outdoors.

Although the vision of most people with nearsightedness can be restored with glasses and contact lenses, high levels of myopia increase the risk of eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and myopic macular degeneration — all of which can

Regular eye exams are important to maintaining your eye health. Fine Eyewear and Eyecare provides advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for more information.  http://www.fineeyewear.net

Cataracts, Industry News, Macular Degeneration, Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a must – protect your eyes!

More than one in four American adults are risking serious eye damage through exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a new report from The Vision Council,  “Protection for the Naked Eye: Sunglasses as a Health Necessity.” The report, which is intended to educate consumers about the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect against UV.   It finds that more than 25 percent of U.S. adults rarely or never wear sunglasses, and nearly two-thirds are unaware of the link between UV exposure and serious eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

The report also finds that more than one-third of parents report that their children 13 and under rarely or never wear sunglasses, despite the fact that children are at increased risk for UV overexposure.

To view or download a copy of the report, Protection for the Naked Eye: Sunglasses as a Health Necessity, click here.

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare offers an extensive sunglasses collection that not only look great, but protect your eyes. Our eye doctors also provide advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for a preview a few of our sunglasses : Fine Eyewear Sunglasses Collection
Cataracts, Eye Disease & Problems, Macular Degeneration, Sunglasses

Sunglasses, UV Protection and What You Need to Know to Protect Your Vision

We must take appropriate measures to protect our eyes from harmful UV radiation year-round. Although it can be easier to feel the impact of sun in the summer, UV radiation is always present and can be even more damaging during colder months when adults and children stop wearing UV protection. While the UV index is highest in the spring and summer, it can still reach moderate to very high levels in the fall and winter.
Fine Eyewear and Eyecare offers an extensive sunglasses collection that not only look great, but protect your eyes. Our eye doctors also provide advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for a preview a few of our sunglasses : Fine Eyewear Sunglasses Collection
Eye Disease & Problems

Symptomatic Vitreomacular Adhesion

What is Symptomatic VMA?

As a person gets older, the central gel that fills the eye called the vitreous liquefies and loses shape, leading to separation of the vitreous from the retina located at the back of the eye. This separation is a normal part of aging and is called a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). However, if the separation is not complete, small areas of the vitreous can remain attached to the macula, the part of the retina that is responsible for your sharp, central vision. If this attachment causes the retina to be pulled, the condition is called symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (symptomatic VMA). It can lead to distortion of your vision, a decrease in vision, and/or a loss of central vision in more severe cases.

Who is at Risk for Symptomatic VMA?

Much like posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), symptomatic VMA typically occurs in individuals over the age of 50 and is most common in elderly individuals over the age of 70. It is also slightly more common in women and nearsighted individuals.

What are the signs and symptoms of Symptomatic VMA?

Symptomatic VMA may lead to various symptoms such as distortion of your vision, a decrease in vision, and/or a loss of central vision.

 

How Does Symptomatic VMA Damage My Eyes?

Symptomatic VMA is a result of the macula, center of the retina, being pulled. This pulling disrupts the retinal architecture and can lead to several problems such as vitreomacular traction and full thickness macular hole.

Eye care professionals are able to detect symptomatic VMA through a complete, dilated eye examination including an optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination. During the eye exam, the eye doctor widens the pupil of the eye (dilates the eye) with eye drops to allow a closer look at the inside of the eye. The OCT examination provides images of the back of the eye including the vitreous and retina, allowing eye doctors to accurately diagnose symptomatic VMA. Diagnosis is difficult without an OCT examination.

Current options for patients with symptomatic VMA are “watchful waiting,” surgical removal of the vitreous gel (vitrectomy), and intraocular injection of medication.

 

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare are able to detect symptomatic VMA through a complete, dilated eye examination including an optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination.  Our eye doctors provide advanced vision care to the families of North Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.

Visit our main website for to read more about our advanced testing :    Fine Eyewear Advanced Optometry

Computer Vision Syndrome, Eye glasses lens technology

Smartphones are causing sight problems to soar!

Rates of short sightedness among young people have soared because of smartphones, a leading laser eye surgeon has claimed.  David Allamby, Founder of Focus Clinics, says there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) since the launch of smartphones in 1997. He has warned the problem could increase by 50 per cent in the next ten years.

Mr Allamby said: ‘If things continue as they are, I predict that 40 to 50 per cent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smartphones and lifestyles in front of screens – an epidemic we call screen sightedness.

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare are experts in helping with “screen sightedness” !  We specialize in custom tailored eyeglasses lenses that are built specifically for you and your lifestyle.  Our eye doctors provide advanced vision care to the families of North Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.

Visit our main website for to read more about our custom tailored free-form lenses : Fine Eyewear Superior Optics

Eye Disease & Problems

Are generics are just like their name-brand drugs?

If you’re a layperson, this is the way you probably think of generics: They’re the exact same products in different packaging.

The FDA agency’s definition of bioequivalence is surprisingly broad: A generic’s maximum concentration of active ingredient in the blood must not fall more than 20% below or 25% above that of the brand name. This means a potential range of 45%, by that measure, among generics labeled as being the same.

There are other differences. The generic must contain the same active ingredient as the original. But the additional ingredients, known as excipients, can be different and are often of lower quality. Those differences can affect what’s called bioavailability — the amount of drug that could potentially be absorbed into the bloodstream.

These and other factors need to be taken into consideration, especially if your medicate is designed to save your eyesight or other vital organs.

 

 

Diabetes

Weight Lifting May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk In Men.

Bloomberg News (8/7, Ostrow) reports, “Lifting weights 30 minutes a day, five times a week, may reduce a man’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 34 percent, and when combined with aerobic exercise like brisk walking or running, cuts the risk as much as 59 percent.”

“Even a small amount of weight training helped,” HealthDay  (8/7, Dallas) reports. “Men who lifted weights for just up to 59 minutes a week reduced their risk for diabetes by 12 percent.”

 (8/7, Fiore), the study “was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.” Also covering the story are Medscape  (8/7, Brown), BBC News  (8/7), and Reuters 8/7, Joelving).
Diabetes, Eye Disease & Problems

Is the eye the mirror to the heart ?

The University of Edinburgh is conducting a study to determine whether scanning blood vessels in the eyes can help detect heart disease

The researchers will use high def eye scans of  patients suspected of having heart disease. They will look for signs like changes in blood vessel width or suspicious branching, which may be linked to heart disease. Developing this type of method could avoid the need for invasive procedures such as biopsies and angiograms.

 

Diabetes

Exercise May Result In Epigenetic Modifications To DNA and Regulate Insulin Levels

The CBS News  “HealthPop” blog reported, “A new study in the March issue of Cell Metabolism shows that that when people exercise for something as little as a 20 minute workout, it can alter their DNA almost immediately.” Investigators “concluded that…’epigenetic modifications’ seem to be the early precursor to the genetic reprogramming of muscle for strength, structure and the metabolic benefits of exercise.”

According to a study  published in the journal Diabetes Care, taking a walking break every twenty minutes, rather than prolonged sitting, could help regulate the body’s glucose and insulin levels after meals. This would prevent large spikes in blood sugar and insulin that are linked to heart disease and diabetes.