Elisabeth S. Swan, O.D.

It’s a big word for tiny floaters, those specks that people begin to notice as they grow older. Sometimes they appear to be tiny insects or cobwebs drifting round the visual area.

If they were stationary we wouldn’t notice them because the eyes and related neurons that provide information to the brain would adapt to their presence and not send a signal of recognition to the brain.

Generally, floaters cause no ill effects. But if you suddenly experience flashing lights and a shower of floaters, it could signal retinal detachment. In that case, give us an immediate call.

Many people are surprised to learn that how they eat can directly and seriously affect their eyesight. Believe it or not, your eating—and other lifestyle choices–may eventually cause you to go blind.

Current research suggests that weight gain from a high-calorie diet is linked to diabetes. There are over 25 million Americans with diabetes and another 79 million at risk; an increasing number are children. It kills more people than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults. Three major eye problems that diabetics develop are cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy. Cataracts can emerge at an earlier age in people with diabetes. Glaucoma, the buildup of fluid pressure in the eye, damages nerves and vessels in the eyes. Retinopathy results from damage to the small vessels. If retinopathy is not detected early or is not treated, blindness can result.

If you have diabetes, it is essential that you get a comprehensive dilated eye exam annually, perhaps even more frequently. Retinopathy can develop without apparent symptoms but you can greatly reduce your risk of blindness with early treatment and care. Even if you don’t have vision insurance, most major medical plans will cover an eye health exam to test for diabetic eye disease. Medicare will cover, at not charge, a screening exam for diabetic eye disease for diabetics, those with pre – diabetes, and certain individuals who are at greater risk for diabetes. ( Give us a call for more information)

To avoid developing diabetes in the first place, focus on positive lifestyle practices such as maintaining a healthy diet with a target weight and increasing your physical activity. Check with your employer, county health department or community center to see if there are programs available to support you.

Celebrate American Diabetes Month by committing to changes that will ensure good vision for life.

Now that the school year is underway, the great germ swap will be swinging into action.

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is a common childhood eye disease. It’s an inflammation or infection of the layer of tissue lining the inside of the eyelid known as the conjunctiva.

There are different forms of conjunctivitis–some viral, some bacterial. Some are the result of allergies, irritation, sexually transmitted diseases or a response to air contaminants.

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are infectious. Schools, with children in close quarters sharing supplies, are a prime source of spreading. Be on the lookout for any of these symptoms: a gritty feeling in the eyes, itching or burning, excessive tearing, discharge, swollen eyelids, pinkish cast in the white of the eye, or increased light sensitivity.

No matter how the condition was acquired, conjunctivitis can be diagnosed with a comprehensive eye examination. If you suspect your child has it, give us a call. We can evaluate the conjunctiva and surrounding tissues. Our examination can determine whether vision is affected and check to see if other tissues are affected.

Because treatment of conjunctivitis depends on its cause, accurate diagnosis is important. For instance, we often recommend antibiotic eye drops or ointment for bacterial conjunctivitis. Viral forms do not respond to antibiotics but we can suggest ways to relieve symptoms.

Practicing good hygiene will keep you from getting conjunctivitis in the first place.  Here are a few suggestions for your school-age children:

• Train them not to touch or rub their eyes unnecessarily
• Encourage them to wash their hands during breaks
• Discourage sharing of washcloths and towels
• Include packaged hand wipes in their lunch box

Dry eyes, double vision, sensitivity to light, puffy eyelids, eye pain or pressure, difficulty moving the eyes – all these are symptoms of Graves’ Disease. When the disease affects the eyes it is known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy.

An effective treatment for the condition has not been discovered although lubricant eye drops can relieve some symptoms. A recent study indicated that selenium improved quality of life and slowed progression of this autoimmune disorder.

This word sounds like more fun than it actually is.

When the connective tissue of the conjunctiva (the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid) thickens, it can cause a yellowish elevated spot on either side of the cornea. This is what’s known as a pinguecula (pin-GWAY-cue-luh).

The condition is benign and usually not treated. The most common causes of a pinguecula are over – exposure to sun, wind, and dust (which is another reason why wearing sunglasses is so important ). Sometimes artificial tears or steroid drops are used. Removal of a pinguecula is rare.

More simply put, it’s an eye infection caused by a one-celled animal, an amoeba.

Acanthamoeba are commonly found in water sources. If one of these pesky parasites infects the eye, it can cause an inflammation of the cornea.

About 90% of cases involve contact lens users. It was even associated with a contact lens solution which has now been removed from the market.

Follow good contact lens hygiene with these simple steps: never
” top – off ” or re – use contact lens solution, put fresh solution in the contact lens case on a daily basis, and replace the contact lens case every 3 months; even if looks clean it can harbor unsafe bacteria. And of course, always wash your hands thoroughly before inserting and removing your contacts lenses. Ask us for a refresher if you are unsure about what to do – and you should decrease your chances of infection.

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) occurs when the clear substance called the vitreous gel pulls away from the retina, where the nerve cells perceive light signals.

When vitreous detachment occurs, as it does during the aging process, matter can float in the gel causing an impression of mist or cobwebs. These are called floaters. Usually, they do no damage and become less noticeable after awhile.

As always, though, we encourage you to call if you have concerns about changes in your vision.

Did you know that 17 million Americans have diabetes and that one-third of them don’t even know it?

Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood, causing several problems including ones related to vision. But it is possible to have diabetes for quite some time without knowing it if it goes undetected and undiagnosed.

The danger, however, is that diabetes can cause vision impairment and blindness during that time. That’s why it’s important to identify the condition early. There are many therapies that allow diabetics to improve their health and decrease the risks of vision loss.

One of the ways diabetes is detected is during a comprehensive eye examination. By looking into your eyes and examining the blood vessels, we can see whether you have any vascular issues that relate to diabetes and hypertension.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, getting an annual eye examination is equally important. Knowing your condition, we can monitor your eyes for serious vision issues relating to diabetes and advise you on strategies for preserving your vision.

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people aged 20-74. Don’t become part of that statistic. If it’s been over a year since you’ve had a comprehensive eye examination, give us a call to schedule an appointment.

MIT’s Technology Review recently reported that a group of scientists have “created a three-dimensional, retina-like structure out of human embryonic stem cells.”

The method may one day lead to a renewable source of cells for retinal transplants. This could be good news for sufferers of age-related macular degeneration and other diseases of the retina as the process eliminates the problems associated with using human fetal tissue.

A key strategy of the work is to produce early-stage retinal cells in the hope that younger cells will be “more likely to integrate with existing tissue after transplantation,” according to Hans Keirstead, a cell biologist at the University of California, Irvine and lead author.

Scientists are working on several approaches to the transplant idea. One focuses on the early stages of degeneration, another on stem cells that are just about to become light-sensitive photoreceptors. Yet another is to use young tissue, not individual cells.

The good news for those who are concerned about getting age-related macular degeneration is that the emergence of these research interests worldwide, combined with rapid technological advances that make such “stuff of dreams” possible, may mean vastly improved eyesight for future generations.

Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness across the United States. Adults living with diabetes suffer eye-related afflictions including blindness at much higher rates than the rest of the population.

Mary Gaines, Director of the Diabetes Centers at Baptist Hospital and Middle Tennessee Medical Center, notes that for early detection of a debilitating eye disease patients with diabetes need an annual dilated examination.

If you know someone who suffers from diabetes, please encourage a call to schedule a complete eye examination
at our office.