Laser Vs Traditional Cataract Surgery

Laser Vs Traditional Cataract Surgery

What is a Cataract?

Breaking down the difference between Laser vs. Traditional Cataract Surgery starts with understanding Cataracts. Cataracts occur naturally as we age and a build-up of protein causes clouding in the lens. Cataracts are the most prevalent cause of eyesight disturbances. By age 65 more than 90% of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, worsening vision. In addition, cataracts can result from exposure to toxic substances, diseases such as diabetes, or arise after an eye injury. A cataract can develop in one or both eyes and fortunately can be treated with a common and safe surgery. 

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Exercise is good for your eye health

Exercise is good for your eye health

Exercise and eye health

We all know that exercise is beneficial but did you know that hitting the gym could actually be preserving your vision and eye health?

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, eye diseases are often times linked to other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even high cholesterol.  So, as we work out to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure we could be also lowering our risk for eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Studies have proven that people who exercise are less likely to develop serious eye disease than people who chose not to participate in physical activity.  One study in particular proved that people who exercised for 30 minutes were 25 percent less likely to develop glaucoma than those who were inactive.

A study performed in 2016 shows evidence of exercise lowering the risk for cataracts, so taking a brisk walk or jog around the park could significantly help lower the risks of age related cataracts.

People with glaucoma have greatly benefited from exercise.  In fact, research shows that participating in moderate physical exercise can actually lower your intraocular pressure (IOP) and improve blood flow to the retina and optic nerve.  This includes an activity as simple as a brisk walk around your neighborhood several times a week.

Eye diseases are on the rise

A study performed in 2016 shows that visual impairments and blindness is on the rise in the United States and around the world.  It is expected that by the year 2050 the number or people will visual problems will nearly double!  As these findings come to light we must do all we can do to protect and preserve out vision.

What can you do?

  1. Visit your eye doctor for regular eye exams.  From as young as 6 months of age is when one should start having their eyes checked and this should continue every year or two on average.  If you have a family history of eye diseases or impairments you may need to be seen more often.
  2. Make eating right and exercising a priority!  As we know diet and exercise are a great recipe for maintaining over all health and well being.

Start making exercise a priority for your overall health and well being and reap the benefits in more ways than one!  If you haven’t been in for an eye exam recently or are suffering from vision impairments call 480-994-1872 to make an appointment Today!

UV Protection: Protecting Your Eyes From UV Rays

UV Protection: Protecting Your Eyes From UV Rays

UV Protection: Protecting Your Eyes From UV Radiation. Summer means more time outdoors which is a great thing, but its important to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays!

How would you answer some of these questions?

  • Do you spend a great deal of time outdoors?
  • Do you spend time skiing, mountain climbing or at the beach?
  • Do you use a sunlamp or tanning parlor?
  • Do you live in the mountains or the U.S. Sunbelt?
  • Have you had cataract surgery in one or both eyes?
  • Do you take prescription or over-the-counter drugs that can increase your sensitivity to UV radiation? (If you are unsure, check with your optometrist, pharmacist or physician.)

If you can answer “yes” to one or more of the following questions, you could be at higher risk for harm to the eyes from UV radiation.

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Macular Degeneration. What You Need to Know

Macular Degeneration. What You Need to Know

Macular Degeneration, often referred to as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), is caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina. The retina’s central portion, known as the macula, is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye. It controls our ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail. Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry or wet. Wet Macular Degeneration refers to growth of new blood vessels in the macula, where they are not supposed to be. The dry form of Macular Degeneration is more common than the wet AMD. Eighty five to ninety percent of patients are diagnosed with dry AMD. Macular Degeneration by itself will not lead to total blindness. In almost all cases, some vision remains and few Macular Degeneration patients experience total visual loss

Signs and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

In its early stages, the condition may not have symptoms and may be unrecognized by the patient until it progresses or affects both eyes.

Symptoms include:

  • Dark, blurry areas in the center of vision
  • Diminished or changed color perception
  • Distorted vision in which straight lines appears wavy or blank.
Macular Degeneration Vision

Causes and Risk Factors

  • Aging: Approximately 10% of patients 66 to 74 years of age will have findings of Macular Degeneration. The prevalence increases to 30% in patients 75 to 85 years of age.
  • Smoking: Research shows that smoking doubles the risk of AMD.
  • Race: AMD is more common among Caucasians than among African-Americans or Hispanics/Latinos.
  • Genetics & Family history: The lifetime risk of developing late-stage Macular Degeneration is 50% for people who have a relative with the condition, versus 12% for people who do not have relatives with the condition.

How is it detected:

AMD can be detected in a routine eye exam. Your doctor may also ask you to look at an Amsler grid, a pattern of straight lines that resemble a checkerboard. See how an Amsler grid works by taking a Macular Degeneration Test.

Management

No surgical treatment is available for this condition; however, there are very effective treatments available for “wet” macular degeneration. The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health perform a large study, called AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study), found benefits with some vitamin supplements along with high doses of antioxidants. The follow up study, AREDS2, showed that the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin also have benefits. These combinations of supplements have been suggested by the National Eye Institute to slow progression of the disease, click here for more info on these supplements!

Although much progress has been made recently in Macular Degeneration treatment and research, there is still no cure for this disease. Change your lifestyle now, quit smoking, wear UV filtered sunglasses, start taking the proper supplements and schedule your annual eye exam with one of our physicians today!

References:
“What is Macular Degeneration?” Web Blog Post. American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
“Adult Macular Degeneration.” Web Blog Post. Macular Degeneration Foundation.
“The Amsler Grid.” Web Blog Post. Macular Degeneration Partnership. 2015
“Facts about Age-Related Macular Degeneration”. Web Blog Post. National Eye Institute. July 2013.

The Link Between Dry Eye Disease and Migraines

A new study finds that there is a link between dry eye disease and migraines. The study even found that patients who suffer from migraines are at a 20% higher risk of developing dry eye disease.

dry eye

Dry Eye Disease 

Dry eye is more common than we think and anywhere from 8% to 34% of adults may be affected by dry eye. It’s a disorder on the tear film of the eye’s surface that may result in symptoms of visual disturbance or discomfort and other issues that can be impairing one’s daily life. If you suffer from dry eye don’t worry, it is common and there is a solution that can help! Read more here on dry eye disease.

The Study 

A team of researches led by Dr. Richard Davis, an ophthalmologist at the University of North Carolina conducted a 10-year study of almost 73,000 people cared for at ophthalmology clinics in North Carolina. After years of research they found, after accounting for other factors and medications, people with migraines had a 20% higher risk of developing eye disease. 

Age and sex both play a risk in developing dry eye. In addition to migraines being more common in women, hormonal and age-related changes also make older females more sensitive to DED. Researchers found that men 65 and older, having migraines nearly doubles the odds, and women the same age had nearly 2.5 times the risk. 

The Link 

“Underlying inflammatory processes” at the cellular level play key roles in both migraines and dry eye disease, according to the report. Excessive dryness of the eye’s surface might trigger nerve pathways that result in a migraine or inflammatory changes in DED might stimulate similar events in neuromuscular tissue.  

The bottom line, physicians need to be aware that a patient with one of these conditions is at higher risk for the other. If you struggle with migraines it is best to make an appointment to be checked for dry eye disease. Call and make an appointment today 480-994-1872!

8 Things to Start Today to Protect Your Vision!

8 Things to Start Today to Protect Your Vision!

As we age so do our eyes, but there are a few things we can do along the way to help keep our eyes in good shape!

  1. Find the right Eye Doctor

First thing to start with is finding an Eye Doctor you can trust! Getting in for regular eye exams is key to maintaining good eye health. Many eye diseases are only detectible with an eye exam.

2. Have a dilated eye exam often!

Find out from your Eye Doctors how often you should be having a dilated eye exam. When the eyes are dilated it allows for more light to enter which gives Doctors the ability to check for eye diseases like Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

3. Get Exercising

Lots of studies show that exercise and movement can be very healthy for the eyes it can even lower your risk for certain eye diseases. Finding time to get moving is always the challenge so start small by adding in a few more steps to your day and getting up from your desk for a quick stretch!

4. Choose a Balanced Diet!

Eating healthy is the building blocks of good health, we all know this, but it actually is really beneficial to your eye health! Studies have shown that foods like leafy greens, fish, nuts and legumes, citrus foods are just a few foods that are good for your vision!

5. Know your Family History!

Family history can help to determine eye diseases that you can be more susepitble to. Diseases like Glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration often times run in families.

6. Always Wear Sunglasses

Even when it is cloudy you should still wear sunglasses to block harmful UV rays. Wearing sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation can protect your eyes and lower your risk for cataracts.

7. Keep an Eye on Health Conditions like Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Health conditions like diabetes can increase your risk for eye diseases such as Glaucoma. Work with your Doctor to help manage your condition.

8. Quit Smoking

Smoking increases your risk of eye diseases and is just bad for the body! Make a plan to quit it could just save your vision!

Taking care of your vision doesn’t have to be hard! With a few extra tips you can help to keep your eyes in tip top shape!

Where Do you Dispose of Your Old Contact Lenses?

Where Do you Dispose of Your Old Contact Lenses?

Could old contacts be contributing to micro-plastic waste?

What do you do with your old contact lenses? Scientists are hoping the answer isn’t flush them down the toilet or wash them down the sink.  

A new study shows that contact lenses could be contributing to micro-plastic waste that is creating pollution in our waters. 

These tiny pieces of plastic measuring no bigger than a sesame seed are considered micro-plastic waste.  The study has found that these small pollutants are ending up at the bottom of lakes and in our oceans which could be harming sea life.  

The idea to study the fate of contact lenses came when senior study author Rolf Halden, a professor and director of the Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, started to wonder whether there was existing research on what happened to contact lenses after use. There was none.

After finding no info on contact lens waste the professor decided to survey both contact lens wearers and non-wearers to find out how they were discarding lenses.  After surveying 139 individuals they found that roughly 15-20% of people were discarding them in the toilet or sink.  

Lead study author Charlie Rolsky, a doctoral student in biology at the same institution, said in a statement. “This is a pretty large number, considering roughly 45 million people in the U.S. alone wear contact lenses.”

After the lenses are flushed they end up in water treatment plants which are known to filter out waste, but since these filters are used for larger items contact lenses which can be flexible are slipping through the filters.  They also found that bacteria used to breakdown biological waste was ultimately breaking down the contacts into smaller pieces making them a contributor to micro-plastic waste.  

Moral of the story is when discarding contact lenses be sure to toss them in the waste basket instead of down the toilet or sink.  Taking this small step in how you dispose of your lenses could be helping the planet with micro-plastic waste. It could also be one small change that could help aquatic life along the way. 

More info on contact lens waste: https://www.livescience.com/63376-contact-lens-sewage-microplastics.html

5 Tips for Preventing Age-Related Macular Degeneration

5 Tips for Preventing Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Love Your Eyes: Ophthalmologists Remind Older Americans to Protect Themselves from Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Seniors are at heightened risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among older Americans. The disease damages central vision, limiting a person’s ability to read and recognize faces. Approximately 2.1 million Americans had AMD as of 2010. This number is expected to double to more than 5.4 million by 2050. Meanwhile, fewer people are aware of the disease compared to other eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.

To help raise awareness of age-related macular degeneration, the Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons, PC and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are reminding seniors that their eyes need love, too. There are steps they can take to take better care of their eyes and protect themselves from AMD-related blindness.

 

Here are five eye-loving tips from the Academy and the facts behind the advice:

 

  • Get regular comprehensive medical eye exams. AMD often has no early warning signs, so getting regular comprehensive eye exams is critical to diagnosing and treating AMD in its early stages. The Academy recommends that people over age 65 get an exam every one to two years, even if they have no signs or symptoms of eye problems.

 

  • Quit smoking. Numerous studies have shown smoking to increase the risk of developing AMD and the speed at which it progresses. If you smoke, you are twice as likely to develop macular degeneration compared with a nonsmoker.

 

  • Know your family’s eye health history. If you have a close relative with AMD, you have a 50 percent chance of developing the condition. Before you go in for your next eye exam, speak with your family about their eye health history. Sharing this information with your eye doctor may prompt him or her to recommend more frequent eye exams. The earlier AMD is caught, the better chances you may have of saving your vision.

 

  • Eat a diet rich in omega-3s and low in cholesterol and saturated fat. A number of studies have shown that people who had a reduced risk of AMD had diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish. In one study of patients who were at moderate risk for AMD progression, those who reported the highest omega-3 intake (not in the form of a supplement) were 30 percent less likely to develop advanced AMD after 12 years. In another study, an increased risk of AMD was found in individuals who had a higher intake of saturated fats and cholesterol and in those with a higher body mass index.

 

 

“There is still a worrying lack of awareness when it comes to AMD, despite it being the number one cause of blindness in seniors,” said Rahul N. Khurana, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Older Americans who are unaware of the disease may be putting themselves at risk by not taking early steps to care for their vision. The good news is that they protect their sight from AMD-related blindness by showing their eyes some TLC with regular eye exams and lifestyle changes.”

 

Age-related Macular Degeneration is a very serious eye disease and the proper steps should be taken to protect your vision. Make sure to be seen by an eye doctor often for a comprehensive eye exam!   To make an appointment call us at 480-994-1872 or visit our website to book online!

 

 

 

 

Understanding Covid-19 and How it Affects Your Eyes

New evidence suggests that the surface of the eye may be resistant to Covid-19 infection.

A study led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis experimented on 25 corneas of human donors and found that they proved to be resistant to Covid-19. 

covid-19 and your eyes

As were still learning about Covid-19, there have been many questions about how the virus spreads and different ways a person can get infected. While the general advice of being cautionary not to touch your mouth, nose or eyes circulates from the CDC, researchers are experimenting on how the virus is being transferred. 

The human corneas tested, which are the transparent dome that protects the iris and pupil, also were exposed to Zika virus, and herpes simplex virus. The experiment showed that there was no sign of COVID-19 replication, but the other 2 viruses were able to replicate. “The cornea and conjunctiva are known to have receptors for the novel coronavirus, but in our studies, we found that the virus did not replicate in the cornea” says author and senior ophthalmologist Rajendra S. Apte. The team isn’t entirely sure as how this is possible but infers that it is “likely regulated by a distinct antiviral pathway”. 

We may find in the future that eye coverings are unnecessary to protect against the virus. As these findings are only preliminary, health professionals shouldn’t assume otherwise and still wear protective eyewear. It is important that we still take the extra precautions to protect ourselves as we are still learning about the nature of the virus.

At Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons we are striving to make sure we are taking the right steps forward in protecting our patients and staff. We are following CDC guidelines at our practice and our Doctors as well as numerous staff members have already received their Covid-19 Vaccination. If you have any questions about the Covid-19 procedures at our office please call our front desk at 480-994-1872.

7 Myths About Sunglasses

Seven myths about sunglasses that could damage your vision

American Academy of Ophthalmology News|July 24, 2020

Did you know that too much sun on unprotected eyes increases the risk of eye disease? The good news is that prevention is simple: Wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. But there are a lot of common myths about sunglasses and eye health. That’s why the American Academy of Ophthalmology is working to debunk the myths and offer tips to promote smart eye health choices.

  • Myth #1: Sunglasses are only for sunny days. False. UV light gets through clouds and haze. Regardless of the season, sun exposure can increase the risk of developing cataractsgrowths on the eye and cancer. Sun reflecting off ice and snow can also lead to photokeratitis, a painful eye condition sometimes referred to as snow blindness.
  • Myth #2: Babies and children don’t need to wear sunglasses. False. Children are just as susceptible to the sun’s harmful rays as adults. Start them on healthy habits early.
  • Myth #3: Cheap sunglasses don’t offer protection. False. Sunglasses don’t have to cost a lot of money to provide adequate eye protection. Less expensive pairs marked as 100 percent UV-blocking can be just as effective as more expensive options. Labels can sometimes be confusing. Some indicate sunglasses offer 100 percent protection from UVA/UVB radiation, others offer 100 percent UV 400 protection. Both block 100 percent of the sun’s harmful radiation.
  • Myth #4: Size doesn’t matter. False. The more coverage sunglasses provide, the less sun damage inflicted on the eyes. Consider oversized sunglasses or wraparound-style glasses, which can help cut down on UV light entering the eye from the side. Wraparound glasses may also protect against dry eye due to the wind.
  • Myth #5: Polarized lenses offer more protection from the sun. False. Polarized lenses do not block more radiation; however, they can cut down on glare reflecting off cars, water or pavement, which can make activities such as driving or boating more enjoyable.
  • Myth #6: Darker lenses offer more protection from the sun. False. The darkness of the lens isn’t indicative of protection. Make sure the label on the lens says 100% UV-blocking.
  • Myth #7: Tinted lenses offer more protection from the sun. False. Amber, green and grey lenses do not block more of the sun’s harmful rays. However, tinted lenses do offer increased contrast for those who play sports, making a softball or a golf ball easier to see.

“Your eyes need protection from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays just like your skin,” said Dianna Seldomridge, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Sunglasses are your prescription for eye health. They are effective, inexpensive, and provide protection year-round.”

Stop by our optical boutique and try and on tons of designer shades!