June is Cataract Awareness Month! The Optometrists of Colorado want to make you aware of this common and natural part of aging. Did you know, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world? It’s true! In fact, in the U.S.,  nearly 70% of people over the age of 75 have cataracts or have undergone cataract surgery¹. You might be wondering “what is a cataract?” A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye that can affect one or both eyes resulting in reduced clarity. To keep your vision healthy and clear, it is important to get an annual comprehensive eye exam, especially if you are over the age of 55! 

Risk Factors 

Certain lifestyles and genetics can play a factor in your risk of cataract development. 

• Family history of cataracts 
• Excessive exposure to sunlight 
• Smoking 
• High blood pressure 
• Diabetes 
• Obesity 

Thankfully, you can combat some of the risk factors by wearing UV-blocking sunglasses to avoid excess sunlight exposure. Also, eating a balanced diet with foods high in Vitamin C while also partaking in a healthy and balanced lifestyle! 

Diagnosis 

To determine whether you have a cataract, your doctor will review your medical history and symptoms, and perform an eye examination. Your doctor may conduct several tests, including: 

• Visual acuity test: A visual acuity test uses an eye chart to measure how well you can read a series of letters. Using a chart or a viewing device with progressively smaller letters, your eye doctor determines if you have 20/20 vision or if your vision shows signs of impairment. 
• Slit-lamp examination: A slit lamp allows your eye doctor to see the structures at the front of your eye under magnification. The microscope is called a slit lamp because it uses an intense line of light, a slit, to illuminate your cornea, iris, lens, and the space between your iris and cornea. The slit allows your doctor to view these structures in small sections, which makes it easier to detect any tiny abnormalities. 
• Retinal exam: To prepare for a retinal exam, your eye doctor puts drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils. This makes it easier to examine the back of your eyes, otherwise known as the retina. Using a slit lamp or a special device called an ophthalmoscope, your eye doctor can examine your lens for signs of a cataract². 
• Glare testing: This test re-creates the effects of headlights to see if that kind of light reduces your best corrected vision. 

If you notice clouding in your eye and blurring in your vision, make an appointment with an eye doctor. 

Treatment 

Cataract surgery is quick and nearly painless. The surgery can be done in around 30 minutes and is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States. During the surgery, your doctor will remove your natural lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL), this will significantly improve your blurred vision! There is a very high success rate for this surgery, leaving patients with improved quality of life. The good news is that cataract surgery with basic lens replacement is often covered by Medicare and other insurance companies.  

Ultimately, cataracts are natural and very common! It’s important to keep your eyes healthy and vision clear for the best possible quality of life, and eye doctors are able to help with this. Find a doctor near you, so you can ensure you’re seeing your best!

References:

1. https://iconeyecare.com/eye-care-blog/10-cataract-facts-cataract-awareness-month/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353795https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y

We all know it is important to keep children’s eyes safe when playing sports and doing physical activity, but what about adults and seniors? Well, it is just as important! Adults and seniors need the same eye protection that is provided to children. In fact, eye trauma can result in pain, vision loss or disease. That’s why it is important that active senior citizens utilize proper eyewear and protection when playing sports. It allows you to keep enjoying your athletics while maintaining proper eye health. Here are some tips to keep you playing (and seeing) in a healthy way.   

Proper Eye Protection 

Whether you wear corrective lenses or not, it is important to protect your eyes from a multitude of factors. For example, playing a ball-focused sport, like tennis or pickleball, you want to make sure that your eyes are protected from the high speed nature of the sport. Being hit in the eye with a ball flying at a high speed can cause damage or even lead to serious eye diseases, such as retinal detachment, resulting in vision loss¹.  Optometrists in Colorado suggest that you wear protective eyewear such as racquet sports glasses when playing your sport of choice. The safety glasses you wear should be made of polycarbonate with UV filters. Safety glasses can be made with your prescription and worn in place of your day-to-day glasses. Even if you wear contact lenses, wearing non-prescription safety glasses in conjunction with them is highly suggested because they will help to protect you from potential eye trauma.  

If you do experience eye trauma, be sure to contact your optometrist right away as they can help you quickly and efficiently without a visit to the ER!  

UV Protection 

Protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays is always important (especially here in Colorado)! Wearing sunglasses during the summer, and all year, can help protect you from damaging light from the sun and even indoor sources.  

To provide adequate protection for your eyes, sunglasses should²: 

• Block out 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. 
• Screen out 75 to 90% of visible light. 
• Have lenses that are perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection. 
• Have lenses that are gray or brown depending on your preference.  

For sports participation, sunglass lenses should be made from polycarbonate or Trivex® material, just like the safety glasses/goggles mentioned before. These lenses are very durable and resist impact. Wearing wraparound frames should be considered as they offer even more protection for your eyes.

There are even certain contact lens brands that offer UV protection and are a great option for everyday use. Be sure to check with your optometrist during your annual comprehensive exam to see which option is the best fit for you and your sun protection needs. 

Vision Exam

To keep you at peak athleticism, be sure to schedule your annual comprehensive eye exam. Not only will your optometrist check your vision and offer you corrective lenses if necessary, but they will also screen for over 270 different diseases! Being confident in your vision and overall eye health will surely up your game, whether it is pickleball, tennis or everyday life. If you are in need of an optometrist near you, click here to find one! 

References:

1. https://icrcat.com/en/eye-health/athletes/#:~:text=How%20should%20athletes%20protect%20their%20vision%3F,-Protection%20against%20sunlight&text=The%20use%20of%20protective%20sunglasses,the%20retina%20or%20the%20macula.
2. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y

You may have heard the term “glaucoma” before, but what is it really, and how do you know if you have it? Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged over time due to elevated pressure in the eye, resulting in vision loss. There are not many noticeable symptoms, so regular eye exams are the only way to identify if you have elevated eye pressure and to prevent blindness from glaucoma. Early detection is key, so getting a yearly comprehensive eye exam is your best bet in preventing vision loss!  

Causes and Risk Factors:

The main risk factor for glaucoma is elevated pressure within the eye. This is an imbalance between the rate at which the aqueous humor, the clear fluid filling the space in the front of the eyeball between the lens and the cornea, is produced and the rate it leaves the eye. Increased intraocular pressure over time causes damage to the optic nerve which connects the eye and the brain, causing irreversible vision loss.

There are several components and  risk factors that doctors look into. 

• Age: Can begin as early as 40 years old
• Race: African-Americans have a higher risk and are more likely to suffer permanent vision loss.
• Family History: If someone in your family has a history of glaucoma it increases your risk.
• Medical conditions: Diabetes and High Blood Pressure may increase your risk of developing glaucoma.

Diagnosis: 

You might be wondering how to know if you are suffering from glaucoma. At your annual comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will check your eye pressure in a couple of different ways:

• Tonometer. After special numbing drops are put in your eye, your doctor gently holds this pencil-shaped device against the outside of your eyeball. The reading tells how well your cornea pushes back.
• “Puff of air.” Your doctor could also use an instrument that blows a small puff of air at your eye while you look into a light.
  • Most people are familiar with the famous eye puff test. While it can still be used today as a screening method for checking eye pressure, it is slowly going by the wayside. Not only do patients dread the air puff, it is not as accurate as some of the newer methods of testing eye pressure or the gold standard tonometer.
• Icare. No drops required. Single-use tips are used for measurement, which gently touches your eye quicker than a blink.

All of these methods are painless and only take a few seconds to complete. Your results will be available right away and your doctor will explain what they mean and the next steps if treatment is necessary. 

Treatments:

Luckily there are many treatments available to patients who are experiencing glaucoma. They range from drops to surgery depending on the need of the patient. 

• Glaucoma medications are drops that can be used daily to decrease eye pressure by decreasing the amount of fluid made, increasing the outflow of fluid, or both.
• SLT surgery is the use of Laser energy applied to the drainage tissue in the eye. This starts a chemical and biological change in the tissue that results in better drainage of fluid through the drain and out of the eye. This eventually results in lowering of the intraocular pressure or IOP. . It may take 1-3 months for the results to appear.
• Minimally Invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is a surgery using shunts that lower eye pressure.

These treatments may be combined for maximum pressure lowering.

What Should You Do?

No one should be afraid of glaucoma, but they should also not ignore it. Annual eye exams are the key to watch for this silent condition  

Early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma is critical to ensure your vision remains healthy. The best thing to do to manage your eye health is to have an annual comprehensive eye exam. During your comprehensive eye exam you will be asked about your family history, medical conditions and have your eye pressure tested. If you are in need of an optometrist, click here to find a doctor near you!