Diabetic Retinopathy: Why You Should Care

Don’t Have Diabetes? Arm Yourself with Information! Simple Steps Can Protect Your Health & Vision.

How Diabetes Affects Eyes
Prevent Blindness America has warn Americans of the potentially blinding effects of diabetic retinopathy. This disease is the leading cause of new blindness cases among adults aged 20-74. Up to 24,000 Americans

are blinded by diabetic retinopathy each year. The American Optometric Association predicts that by 2050, the number of Americans over 40 years old with diabetic retinopathy will triple to 16 million.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that allows the body to use blood sugar for energy. It is characterized by high levels of blood sugar, which can cause changes in the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that is necessary for good vision.
Testing Is Essential

The only way that diabetic retinopathy can be diagnosed is through a comprehensive eye exam. Diabetics are sometimes first diagnosed in an optometrist’s office when diabetic retinopathy is discovered.

Al learned that he was one of the 40 to 45 percent of diabetics who already have some degree of retinopathy at the time of their diabetes diagnosis.


Who Is at Risk?

All people with diabetes, including those with Type I (juvenile onset) and Type II (adult onset), are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop it. There is a genetic component to this disease, as well. If your grandmother had diabetic retinopathy, for example, your risk is higher.

Diabetic retinopathy can begin without any warning symptoms, which makes a yearly comprehensive eye exam even more critical for diabetics.

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Save Your Vision

In order to prevent vision loss, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of diabetic retinopathy are essential. The risk of blindness can be reduced by 90% with timely treatment and follow- up care. Vision that has already been lost, however, cannot be restored.
Protect Yourself

Prevention is the key to saving sight that might be lost due to late diagnosis.

It is also important to have your blood glucose level tested regularly to determine if you are one of the 54 million people between the ages of 40 and 74 who have pre-diabetes, which would put you at risk for developing Type II diabetes.

If you have diabetes, you can avoid eye problems by controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure levels and by obtaining regular comprehensive eye exams.

Your vision is priceless and it is important that you maintain your visual wellness by scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Drop into 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore for all your child’s eye care needs. We have a frame for every face and a price for any budget. We also have Independent Optometrists located on site who will be happy to examine your child’s vision. Walk-in’s are welcome but we ask that you come 15 minutes prior to your desired appointment time.

Make an appointment At 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore if you have any of the following symptoms:
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty reading
• Sudden loss of vision in one eye
• Seeing rings around lights
• Seeing dark spots or flashing lights

We Look Forward Seeing You!!

The Dry Eye Fact Sheet

Dry eye is a condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or have a poor quality of tears.

 

People with dry eyes may experience symptoms of irritated, gritty, scratchy, or burning eyes, a feeling of something in their eyes, excess watering, and blurred vision. 

 

Are you one of the many Americans who skip getting routine eye exams each year? Having a comprehensive eye examination on an annual basis is crucial to maintaining proper eye health and can find eye conditions such as glaucoma.  Routine eye exams also can also detect other underlying conditions.  Your optometrist will perform several tests during your eye exam that test and check your vision.  These tests are completely painless.

 

If you haven’t had an eye exam in the last year, make sure you drop into one of our convenient locations to make an appointment or you can contact 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore online.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Orange City 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore
1270 Saxon Blvd,
Orange City, FL 32763
Tel: 386-774-5000

Eye Safety

Eye injury is the leading cause of blindness for people 25 and under, yet most injuries can be prevented by taking some basic steps to ensure your safety, in all aspects of your life.

In the Home: Approximately 40% of all eye injuries occur at home. To help prevent injuries, avoid purchasing furniture and toys with sharp edges; if you have small children, consider padding or cushioning furniture and appliances, and put proper lighting in staircases and dark hallways to help avoid injuries.

Wear safety eyeglasses when working with lawn and gardening equipment, because mowing the lawn, using trimmers and other gardening equipment can throw up rocks and debris, which can get into the eyes.

Car Safety: Battery acid can seriously damage your eyes. To avoid injury from battery acid or other flying debris keep a pair of safety eyeglasses in the trunk of your car to use in emergencies or while performing any repairs or routine maintenance.

Sports: Always wear proper safety eyeglasses when playing sports such as racquetball, baseball, or any other sports and full helmets with face shields for playing hockey. While there are no satisfactory ways to prevent eye injury when boxing or other full-contact sports, wearing padded thumbless gloves may be beneficial and a better choice than professional boxing gloves or open hand gloves that have less padding.

Work: In order to be safe at work, review your workplace safety procedures, wear safety eyeglasses if suggested or required and make sure you know where the first-aid supplies are located and how to use them. It's also important to know the correct way to use the equipment and make sure the equipment is in proper working order.

The easiest way to prevent most injuries is to wear proper-fitting safety eyeglasses that are made specifically for the type of activity that you are engaged in.

"It only takes a few simple steps to avoid devastating eye injuries and your sight is worth the effort."
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There are hundreds of options when it comes to purchasing eyeglasses, sunglasses and contact lenses in Orlando. There are also thousands of options when it comes to finding the perfect frames for your face. As you know, our tagline is, “A Frame For Every Face and a Price For Any Budget”, so we think 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore is the perfect choice for all your vision care needs.

Five Common Eye Myths

The human eye is an amazing organ that most of us rely on every waking moment of the day.  From morning till night, our vision allows us to see beautiful Florida sunsets, our beloved family and much more.

This negligence can cause blindness or vision impairment in the long run.

Your vision is priceless and it is important that you maintain your visual wellness by scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Drop into 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore for all your child’s eye care needs. We have a frame for every face and a price for any budget. We also have Independent Optometrists located on site who will be happy to examine your child’s vision. Walk-in’s are welcome but we ask that you come 15 minutes prior to your desired appointment time.

The State of the World’s Eyesight

It’s important to stay up to date on eye health information, especially because some eye conditions like Glaucoma have no symptoms.  As an adult, you might ask yourself, “Why get an eye exam?” Getting an annual eye exam can easily be forgotten, especially with work, family and other obligations.  Make sure you set a reminder in your smartphone or pencil it in to your calendar to get a regular eye exam every year.

 

Your vision is priceless and it is important that you maintain your visual wellness by scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Drop into 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore for all your child’s eye care needs. We have a frame for every face and a price for any budget. We also have Independent Optometrists located on site who will be happy to examine your child’s vision. Walk-in’s are welcome but we ask that you come 15 minutes prior to your desired appointment time.

Protect Your Vision From 90-100% of UV Radiation

We are all very aware of the damaging effects sunlight has our skin, but what about our eyes?
The sun emits invisible, high energy rays called ultraviolet radiation (UV). This ultraviolet radiation serves no visual purpose and provides no benefit to the eyes; in fact, most Americans don’t recognize the important role of UV protection to prevent damage and visual impairment.

A recent American Eye-Q survey by the American Optometric Association’s stated only 47% of Americans believed UV protection is the most important factor when purchasing sunglasses. “Whether it’s a cloudy or sunny day, summer or winter, eyes, just like sun, need to be protected from the sun’s UV rays in order to decrease the risk of diseases and disorders” said Fraser Horn, O.D., a member of the AOA’s Sports Vision Council.

It’s long been known that UV radiation from the sun can harm eyes. Now Prevent Blindness America (PBA) is raising awareness about the link between depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer- which blocks some UV light from penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere- and cataracts that are caused by prolonged exposure to UV light.

Children’s eyes are also very susceptible to UV damage because the crystalline lenses in their eyes are more transparent to UV light than adults. With children receiving up to three times more sun exposure than adults, parents should be proactive in protecting their child’s vision from UV rays. When spending time outdoors it is important to not only apply UV blocking sunscreen to your skin but also around the eye area, and to wear sunglasses or contact lenses that offer adequate UV protection.

Read the original article published on Davisvision.com

Your vision is priceless and it is important that you maintain your visual wellness by scheduling a yearly comprehensive eye exam with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Drop into 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore for all your child’s eye care needs. We have a frame for every face and a price for any budget. We also have Independent Optometrists located on site who will be happy to examine your child’s vision. Walk-in’s are welcome but we ask that you come 15 minutes prior to your desired appointment time.

20/20 Eyeglass Superstore is Central Florida’s premier eyecare provider with three locations in Winter Park, Melbourne, and Orange City.  We are proud to feature thousands of frame styles, lenses from the leading manufacturers, and sunglasses from the brands you love and trust.

Kids and Computer Eye Strain

On average, teenagers spend approximately 10 – 15 hours a week online.

There has been a marked increase in the number of children diagnosed with myopia in the past 10 years, and it is suspected that Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is the cause. Children today spend more time working and playing on computers than any generation before.

20/20/20
Doctors recommend that every 20 minutes your kids should take a break from looking at their computer screen and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This is commonly referred to as the 20/20/20 rule. They should also take a 10-minute break every hour.

Position of the computer

To reduce eye strain, the ideal computer screen position is at a 10 to 15 degree angle below eye level, assuming your child is sitting straight up and looking straight ahead. Children often use computers set up for adult eye levels. Ideally, a child would have their own desk for their size and a dedicated computer set up specifically for their size; since this is not always practical, parents should try to find a computer screen with an adjustable height and make sure the screen is adjusted for each user.
Laptop computers generally sit in laps and can be too close to the eyes. Ideally a computer screen should sit 20-24 inches away from the eyes. Because children are smaller, the distance between their laps and their eyes is also shorter. Encourage children to use a desktop computer or put the laptop on the desk.

As technology permeates our children's lives and futures, we need to help them develop good habits today that will last a lifetime.

Eye Exams

The best way to help reduce computer eye strain is to make sure your child has the right prescription eyeglasses. Routine eye exams also can also detect other underlying conditions.  Your optometrist will perform several tests during your eye exam that test and check your vision.  These tests are completely painless.  Some procedures are a bit uncomfortable but they aren’t hard to deal with.  A proper eye exam will take approximately one hour.

Computer Glasses

Eyeglasses made for the correct viewing distance from a computer and with anti reflective coating will make viewing a computer screen easier on the eyes and help reduce eye fatigue.

Lower the lights

Dimmer lights are better for viewing bright computer screens. People often assume that a computer should be lit at the same lighting levels that one would use for reading books. This is not the case; computer screens are best seen in slightly darker surroundings.
If you haven’t had an eye exam in the last year, make sure you drop into one of our convenient locations to make an appointment or you can contact us online.  We look forward to seeing you soon!
Read the the original article on davisvision.com

Orange City 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore
1270 Saxon Blvd,
Orange City, FL 32763
Tel: 386-774-5000