Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance is Critical

Being compliant with the schedule and level of necessary testing for diabetic eye disease, problems and retinopathy is critical for preventing vision loss. Yet, many people are simply not in compliance with the recommendations. Minimizing the risk of vision loss from diabetic eye disease requires that patients do their part and keep a strict schedule with their eye doctor’s recommendations for diabetic eye exams and testing.

Research on Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance Factors
Researchers reporting in Ophthalmology, studied and identified variables that predict adherence with annual eye examinations using the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey (CADEES), a new questionnaire designed to measure health beliefs related to diabetic retinopathy and annual eye examinations. A number of factors seemed to influence diabetic patient compliance with annual eye exams. These include:

a) whether patients believed that their insurance would pay for the eye exam, 

b) how difficult it was to get an appointment for an eye exam, 

c) whether patients had been effectively counseled and prioritized the importance of getting an eye exam and 

d) whether patients had been told that they had diabetic retinopathy.

The researchers also found that the clinicians played a key role in eye exam compliance. Compliance was improved if they counseled newly diagnosed patients more diligently and more carefully counseled those with poorly controlled blood sugar by stressing the importance of annual eye examinations and discussing and helping patients remove perceived barriers and misconceptions.

If you or someone you know has diabetes they need to have regular annual dilated eye exams to prevent vision loss from diabetic eye diseases and problems. Please share this information with anyone you know who is diabetic and ask them to call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a significant cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Although diabetic laser treatment has been the standard treatment for DME for nearly 3o years, there is now important information and data that suggests that better results and vision outcomes can be achieved with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor injections such as Lucentis® and Eylea® injections.

Research on Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment
According to a report in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in which a thorough analysis of published studies performed on Diabetic Maculopathy from between January 1, 1985 and July 31, 2013 was reviewed, the number of patients with DME gaining an improvement of seeing an additional 10-15 letters on the eye chart was at least 2 times greater for those patients treated with the VEGF inhibitor injections as compared to being treated with laser treatments. Thus, the researchers concluded that VEGF injections such as Lucentis® and Eylea® are superior to laser photocoagulation for treatment of moderate to severe visual impairment caused by DME.

If you or someone you know has diabetes and is concerned about their risk of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) or Diabetic Retinopathy, it is critical that they have regular dilated eye exams. Please call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Exams: What to Know

The best way to prevent vision loss from diabetes and diabetic eye problems and disease is to to have regular dilated eye exams as often as your doctor recommends. In addition, you should know that he eye examinations for diabetic retinopathy need to be thorough and when necessary include advanced testing such as retinal photography, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in order to really document how the retina and it’s blood vessels are functioning. Depending on your particular risk factors, the severity and the risk of progression of each patient’s diabetic retinopathy we will advise them of the frequency and intervals for their exams. But, patients with diabetes need to know that it is terribly important to keep their appointments.

Vision loss from diabetes and especially catastrophic vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with early detection, diagnosis and treatment. If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams by calling us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Diabetic Eye Problems Continue to Increase

Diabetic eye problems associated with diabetic eye disease including diabetic retinopathy continue to be a leading cause of vision loss and new cases of blindness according to Prevent Blindness America. According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes affects more than 26 million people in the United States. The Prevent Blindness America Vision Problems in the U.S. report identified that there are more than 8 million people ages 40 and older who have diabetic retinopathy which has resulted in diabetes actually being the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age. Although there is no cure for diabetic eye disease, annual eye exams for diabetes patients are essential to help slow the progression of the disease. The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. This month, November, in recognition of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

Managing Risk Factors for Diabetic Eye Problems
In addition to having regular eye examinations and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising. Maintaining a healthy weight level and Body Mass Index (BMI) and avoiding being overweight or obese are also great ways to help control diabetes and prevent diabetic eye problems.

If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams by calling us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Diabetes Risk Reduced by Eating Fruits

It is well known that by making certain dietary changes such as limiting starch, carbohydrate and sugar intake as well as by reducing weight and total calorie consumption it is often possible to avoid the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes New research shares information about how eating certain types of whole fruit may also help reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Research on Eating Fruit & Diabetes
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health noted that eating certain whole fruits may reduce the risk for Type 2 Diabetes, even though fruit juice consumption may actually increase the risk for diabetes. Investigators combined data from 3 studies: the Nurses' Health Study of more than 66,000 patients, the Nurses' Health Study II of more than 85,000 patients and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study with over 36,000 patients. The participants in all 3 studies completed questionnaires assessing health and lifestyle factors, including diet, every 2 years. The researchers excluded participants with a baseline diagnosis of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, as well as those who had missing data for fruit or fruit juice consumption or an extremely high or low caloric intake, and those who had an unclear date of diabetes diagnosis.
The analysis was adjusted for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors for diabetes. The researchers concluded that every 3 servings of fruit per week were associated with a lower risk for Type 2 Diabetes. When the researchers looked at individual types of fruit in a multivariate analysis, adjusted for the same factors, they found that 3 servings per week of some fruits were more closely associated with reduced risk of diabetes especially blueberries, grapes and apples.

If you or someone you know has questions about diabetes, diabetic eye disease or needs to schedule a diabetic eye exam, please call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver. Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Proper Eye Protection Key to Safety

Using proper protective eyewear turns out to be the key to eye safety and avoiding eye injury both in the workplace and at home. Prevent Blindness America reports that 2.4 million eye injuries occur each year, with nearly 1 million resulting in some degree of vision loss. About 90 percent of these injuries are avoidable, when the right eye protection is worn, reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The most common eye injuries are:

• Cuts or scrapes from flying objects, such as metal and wood chips, that become embedded in the eye
• Burns from steam, infrared light or splashes of chemicals, grease or oil
• Infections from contaminated substances, such as splashes of blood or respiratory droplets or other products on fingers that are used to touch or rub the eyes

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires workers to use eye and face protection whenever there is a reasonable probability of injury that could be prevented with proper equipment, such as goggles, face shields or safety glasses. Even at home, the best way to avoid eye injury from household chores, activities and tasks is to wear proper protective eyewear. If you have questions or need assistance with protective eyewear selection or fitting please call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight , Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Tips for Halloween Decorative Contact Lenses

This Halloween do you think it would be cool to have Twilight Vampire Eyes? How about deep violet eyes to match your costume? Maybe you want to have your favorite sports team logo right on your eyes? You can actually accomplish these “looks” with decorative or fashion contact lenses that change your eye color but don’t correct vision. Decorative contact lenses really get very popular right around Halloween but require that you have a clear understanding of how to use them safely.

Facts & Tips for Halloween Contact Lens Eye Safety

• Decorative contact lenses are not cosmetics or “over the counter” merchandise. They are medical devices regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Places that advertise them as cosmetics or sell them without a prescription are breaking the law.
• They are not “one size fits all.” An eye doctor, either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, must measure each eye to properly fit the lenses and evaluate how your eye responds to contact lens wear. A poor fit can cause serious eye damage, including;

1. a scratched cornea
2. a corneal infection
3. pink eye conjunctivitis
4. decreased vision
5. blindness

• Places that sell decorative lenses without a prescription may give you few or no instructions on how to clean and care for your lenses. Failure to use the proper solution and care regimen to keep contact lenses clean and moist can lead to infections.

Where NOT to Buy Decorative Contact Lenses

• street vendors
• salons or beauty supply stores
• boutiques
• flea markets
• novelty stores
• Halloween stores
• record or video stores
• convenience stores
• beach shops
• Internet (unless the site requires a prescription)

These are not authorized distributors of contact lenses, which are prescription devices by federal law.

How to Buy Decorative Contact Lenses Safely. Get an eye exam from a licensed eye doctor, either an ophthalmologist or optometrist, even if you feel your vision is perfect to make sure your eyes are healthy enough to wear contacts. Get a valid prescription that includes the brand name, lens measurements, and an expiration date. But don’t expect your eye doctor to prescribe anime, or circle, lenses. These bigger-than-normal lenses that give the wearer a wide-eyed, doll-like look have not been approved by FDA. Buy the lenses from a seller that requires you to provide a prescription, whether you go in person or shop online. Follow directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye doctor for follow-up eye exams. See your eye doctor right away if you have signs of possible eye infection including:

• redness
• eye pain that doesn’t go away after a short time
• decrease in vision

The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye problems from becoming a reality. If you or someone you know wishes to learn more or be fit with any type of contact lenses-including decorative contacts, please call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver. 

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.