Did You Know...?
...that diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer and immunosuppressive diseases such as AIDS can be detected from an eye examination? Not only do we check for visual abnormalities and diseases (i.e. macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, etc.) but we also screen for systemic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
...that rigid gas permeable contact lenses have been shown to suppress myopia progression better than soft contacts and glasses?
...that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in people over the age of 65?
...that it is recommended by the American Optometric Association to have your eyes checked every year if you are over the age of 40?
...that children under 6 years of age are not receiving adequate eye care, either by seeking professional eye exams or having undergone an adequate screening. For example, amblyopia is a condition that affects approximately 2.5% of children and is the leading cause of vision loss in the 20 to 70 year old age group.
...that nearly all patients who have Type 1 diabetes for about 20 years will have evidence of diabetic retinopathy.
...that up to 21% of Type 2 diabetics have retinopathy when they are initially diagnosed with diabetes.
...that diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.
The North Carolina Children's Vision Committee released a study they conducted and finalized as of June 2002. The results showed that &147;screenings are not effective in diagnosing eye and vision problems. Of the 186 reporting previous screenings 90 passed, 46 failed, and 50 were unsure. Of the 90 reporting they passed their previous screening 73 (81 percent) were diagnosed with vision or vision related disorders. Of the 46 reporting they failed their previous screening, 45 (98 percent) were diagnosed with a vision or vision related disorder.&148; In short, the survey showed that 81 percent of the children in North Carolina that have received and passed &147;vision screenings&148; had a significant vision dysfunction identified at their first comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist.
...The American Optometric Association guidelines recommend that your child have a complete vision and eye health examination at the age of six months, 3 years, upon entering kindergarten, and yearly thereafter throughout their school years.
According to a recent Prevent Blindness America press release, sources estimate that vision problems in nearly 430,000 children can cause permanent loss of sight if left untreated.
...a recent study showed that of children undr 6 years of age, only 14 percent have had an eye or vision exam. And only 30 percent of school age children have had an eye exam within the past year.
...that if you have diabetes you target blood pressure should be 130/80 mm/Hg, the goal for LDL (bad) cholsterol is 100mg/dl, and the upper limit for a normal fasting blood glucose is 130 mg/dl.
...that over 100 million Americans use a computer to one extent or another on a daily basis. Conservative estimates indicate that perhaps 75 percent of these people suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is defined as &147;eye and vision-related problems related to near visual tasks that are experienced during or related to computer use.&148; If you experience symptoms such as headaches, eyestrain, eye fatigue, dry eyes, neck pain, watery eyes, blurry vision, or difficulties focusing, you may be suffering from CVS.
Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of acquired blindness among elderly Americans (age 65 and older). About 10 million Americans show early pathological changes associated with this disease. The risk of macular degeneration increases with age and smoking triples the risk. One excellent way of reducing your risk is to eat foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Foods High in Lutein and Zeaxanthin are (highest to lowest) Kale, raw Spinach, cooked Turnip greens, cooked Collard greens, cooked Spinach, raw lettuce, raw broccoli, cooked broccoli, raw squash, cooked corn, and canned peas.
Alarming National Statistics:
100 million Americans are visually disabled without corrective lenses. 70 million Americans are myopic (nearsighted) 2 million Americans are visually impaired by glaucoma. 1 million or more have glaucoma and donŐt even know it. 80 million Americans could have potentially blinding eye diseases. 6.4 million new cases of eye disease occur each year in America. 1. Six million Americans have a vision deficit caused by amblyopia. Each year, 75,000 new cases of amblyopia are found each year in 3 year olds. Amblyopia is responsible for vision loss in more people under 45 years of age than all other forms of ocular disease and trauma. 2. Children under 10 who have vision problems in the U.S. would fill 400,000 classrooms. 3. Almost 17 million people in the United States have diabetes. Of those 17 million people, nearly 6 million are unaware they have the disease. 4. African-Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Latino whites. 5. 25% of African-Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have diabetes. 6. Diabetic retinopathy affects more than 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older, and will affect about 7.5 million by 2020.
