Taking care of our eyes

Jan Rose
Times Contributor

 

All of us at the back of our eyes have snitches who tell on us. And thank goodness those blood vessels and capillaries do, for they give evidence of not only eye problems but developing trouble in the body such as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure and diabetes long before symptoms appear.
Dr. Michelle Duke at FYI Doctors is a strong proponent of comprehensive eye exams for not only checking vision and determining eye health but a forewarning of developing problems elsewhere in the body.
“A comprehensive eye exam is one where we check your vision, we check to see if you have a prescription, binocular vision, how well your eyes work together, and a lot of health components. So much can be detected in an eye exam.” As an example, she cites glaucoma as an example of how an eye problem can escape notice that leads us to believe our eyes are healthy.
Glaucoma at first affects peripheral vision so must people don’t notice the effect, she explained. If left untreated the disease damages the optic nerve with the potential to cause blindness. There isn’t a remedy, only temporary measures such as eye drops that relieve the pressure and surgery in some situations.
“A lot of people think that eye diseases such as glaucoma happen when you’re older,” Duke explained. “That isn’t true. I’ve had young patients who despite there not being a family history develop the disease.”
Another eye disease, macular degeneration, is age related (AMD) but can be influenced by other factors such as smoking and being exposed to sunlight for long periods during a person’s life. The degeneration is of two types: wet and dry. In the former small blood vessels grow underneath the macula destroying light sensitive cells in addition to leaking blood fluid into the eye. In dry AMD, as in wet, light sensitive cells break down. Waste products build up in the retina, forming small deposits that tend to increase in size. Eventually, central vision begins to deteriorate.
Although AMD is age related it can be caused by bad habits such as smoking and not taking preventative measures such as wearing sun glasses that block ultra-violet radiation from the sun, Judy pointed out. Nutritional supplements can assist eye health although a proper balanced diet can achieve the same result. Eat foods such as kale and other dark green leafy vegetables. Pay particular attention to orange coloured vegetables like peppers and carrots. Omega 3 found in fish oils is also beneficial.
Duke recommends patients having an eye exam ask the optometrist if it is comprehensive or something simpler. Eyes should be examined every two years for those between the ages of 19 to 64, annually for patients over 64.