Did you know that Optometrists routinely detect systemic diseases and/or conditions from annual eye examinations? Diabetes is one of the most common conditions we, as optometrists, pick up during routine eye exams. Many patients go for years without seeing their primary care doctors but continue to see their optometrist every year. Because of this, we are sometimes the first practitioners to pick up on subtle changes which can be a sign of diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure. There are at least 20 different diseases that can be detected during a routine eye exam. Another very interesting, common disease that Optometrists see is Thyroid disease or Hyperthyroidism. Sometimes difficult to detect during routine physicals, the hallmark sign of eye "bulging" or Proptosis is easily detectable to any eye doctor. Note the visible bulging of the patient's left eye below So, the next time you receive your "reminder" for your annual eye exam from your Optometrist, resist the urge to say, "I don't need an eye exam. I don't think my vision has changed." There's so much more to an eye exam than just whether you can see the bottom row of letters. With all the technology we have today, the benefit to having your eyes checked every year is invaluable.
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People often ask me, "What is the best thing I can do for my eyes?". They're thinking about healthy foods, eye exercises, etc. But, the answer is actually 100% UV protection in the form of good sunglasses. Just as our friends the dermatologists can't stop talking about sunscreen and recommending it to each and every patient, we do the same with sunglasses. Cataracts, Pinguecula, Ptyrigium, Skin Cancer, Macular Degeneration, Photokeratitis, are just a few of the diseases caused mainly by UV radiation. The next question then is, "Can I just buy some at the drugstore?" This is the million dollar question. The problem is, there's really no "regulation" on labeling sunglasses. They can say "100% UV" and mean 100% of the UV is transmitted through the lens. But, if you put a dark pair of sunglasses on without them blocking UV light, the pupil will actually open WIDER and let MORE UV light into the eye which is the exact opposite of what you want. So, purchasing sunglasses from your friendly, neighborhood Optometrist is really the best bet. And, if your Optometrist owns her own private practice, you're most likely supporting a team of local community members instead of large, multi-million dollar corporations like Target or Wal-Mart. The OTHER important reason to wear good quality sunglasses is to protect the delicate skin around the eye from damage which causes wrinkles, crow's feet, etc. As you might have heard, Los Gatos Eye Care is adding & Aesthetics to our name. This means we're going to be "focusing" even more on the beauty of the eye and face as well as the vision and ocular health. That might be why, when I thought about our first Blog subject, I thought about UV protection. They truly represent the best decision for both vision and eye health as well as the aesthetic appearance of your eyes. The third question is almost always about Polarized vs. non-Polarized but I many leave that to another Blog post!!
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