MAX HEALTH

I Can
See
Clearly
Now
Here are some common eye issues
you may encounter in your life,
plus some conventional and nonconventional ways of correcting or
preventing these problems.
BY LINDA HEPLER, BSN, RN

The eyes have been said to be the window to the soul, and they are also the window through which
you view the world around you. But most of us take this important sensory organ for granted until something
happens. It could be as subtle as finding that you have to hold your book at arms length, or as drastic as
beginning to lose some of your vision. Here are some common eye conditions
and suggestions from eye docs for treating them:

Presbyopia
Somewhere around the age of 40, most people will notice
that close-up objects a book, the menu or computer
screen start to look blurry. This is an age related
condition called presbyopia, said Brian Francis, MD, MS, an
ophthalmologist who treats clients at the Doheny Eye Center
UCLA in California. According to Dr. Francis, presbyopia
occurs when the lens, the part of the eye that refracts light
and helps your eye to focus on objects at differing distances,
becomes stiff and loses its accommodative ability.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: The easy thing to do, said Dr.
Francis, is to get reading glasses. Readers, which can be
purchased inexpensively in a pharmacy or in the pharmacy
section in a department store, vary in power, from +1
diopter to +3.5. You simply try on the glasses from the
lowest power and progress to increasing powers until you
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12-15 inches away from your eyes.
If you already wear glasses for distance, youll need
to have your presbyopia corrected with bifocals, or with
progressive lenses, which combine correction for distance,
intermediate and near vision in one lens sans the telltale
16 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

APRIL 2015

line. You can also explore a popular technique called

monovision, which is achieved through either contact lenses
or LASIK surgery. Monovision involves correcting one eye
for close-up vision and one eye for distance vision; the brain
adjusts to the different corrections and uses the one that is
needed at any particular time.
Whatever approach youre interested in, said Dr. Francis,
Its important to know that there are other things that
cause blurred vision besides presbyopia. So best bet is to
start with a comprehensive eye exam before shopping for
those chic readers.
NOVEL APPROACHES: Researchers are experimenting
with various forms of presbyLASIK, which is laser surgery
performed on the cornea of the eye. This surgery, which
is not yet FDA-approved in the United States, designates
two or three visual zones (near, intermediate, distance) on
the corneal surface and then corrects the vision at each
separate zone.

Dry Eye Syndrome

Its estimated that some 5 million Americans suffer from

dry eye, a condition that is caused by

decreased tear secretion or increased
evaporation of tears, or both. The
symptoms of dry eye, which according
to Dr. Francis is related to aging and is
very common in menopausal women,
are chronic scratchiness, stinging and
burning of the eyes. The condition can
lead to infammation of the eye tissue
and blurred vision or visual changes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: For those with
a mild dry eye condition, environmental
modifcations, such as humidifying the
air, avoiding air vents and consciously
blinking more often, may be enough
to relieve symptoms. More serious
problems can be treated with a number
of over-the-counter eye drops designed
to lubricate the eyes, and Omega 3
fatty acids to reduce the infammation
associated with dry eye syndrome.
A prescription medication called
RESTASIS also increases natural tears
by reducing infammation. The most
severe cases may beneft from punctal
plugs, said Dr. Francis, which are
retention devices that block the eyes
drainage ducts and keep the tears in
place. Its a minor surgical procedure
that can be done in the doctors offce,
he explained. The plugs are either
made of dissolvable collagen for those
who want to try this option temporarily,
or silicone for a more permanent
solution.
NOVEL APPROACHES: A number of
eye centers throughout the country are
offering two treatments that work to
unblock the meibomian glands, which
are thought to produce oils that slow
the evaporation of tears. Lipifow
treatments provide a controlled
application of warmth and massage
via an eye piece placed over the eye
to help empty blocked oil glands. And
for more serious cases, Intense pulse
light treatment involves bursts of
light directed at the lower eyelids and
upper cheek areas to heat the glands,
allowing drainage of secretions.

Floaters

As we age, the thick gel-like substance

called vitreous, which is attached to
the retina in the back of the eyes,
crystalizes and liquefes, said Dr.
Francis. The tissue debris that was
once held frm in the vitreous gel

moves around within the liquefed

substance, casting shadows on the
retina, which result in the appearance
of moving dots, threadlike strands or
squiggly lines in your feld of vision,
especially when looking at a lightcolored object, like a sheet of paper.
Floaters occur more frequently in those
who are nearsighted or have diabetes
or in those who have had cataract
surgery.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Floaters
dont usually require treatment. While
they dont go away, they are typically
less noticeable over time. But if you
experience a sudden onset of foaters,
or if they worsen or are accompanied
by fashes (a sensation of light fashing
in the feld of vision), pain or vision
loss, you should see an eye doctor
immediately, because this could signify
a retinal tear or detachment, both of
which are serious and may lead to loss
of vision.
NOVEL APPROACHES: While most
people with foaters arent bothered too
much by the condition, some with large
or numerous foaters that interfere
with vision opt for a laser procedure
to break up the foaters, which many
eye docs consider largely ineffective.
Another option is foater only
vitrectomy (FOV), a surgical procedure
where parts of the vitreous are
removed. While FOV can be effective
for some people, many are troubled
after the procedure by remnants of
foaters, and the treatment has a high
risk of complications such as cataracts.
Research is currently underway to
develop a pharmacologic vitreolysis, or
drugs that can manipulate the gel state
of the vitreous and its attachment to
the retina.

Cataracts

Most people begin to develop

cataracts, which is the clouding of the
lens of the eye, by their early 60s,
if not sooner. Symptoms of cataract
development may include cloudy,
blurred or dimmed vision, diffculty
with night vision, sensitivity to light
and glare, and fading or yellowing of
colors.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Cataract
surgery, which replaces your cloudy

WHEN TO SEE THE

EYE DOCTOR
How often should you see the
eye doctor? Its good to begin
eye exams early on, according to
Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO of the
California Optometric Association
and principal optometrist at the UC
Davis Medical Center. Dr. Barnett
recommends a comprehensive eye
exam beginning at 6 months of
age, then periodic exams at age
3, before beginning elementary
school, and then annually thereafter.
While some eye doctors believe
that adults under age 30 are fne
with every other year exams, Dr.
Barnett believes that an annual
exam is a good opportunity to
check for ocular conditions such as
cataracts, glaucoma and macular
degeneration, as well as to spot
systemic diseases such as diabetes
and hypertension. Its important
to have a comprehensive dilated
eye exam to look at the health of
the eye, she explained. Some
eye conditions have no symptoms.
Glaucoma, unless your eye
pressure is very high, wouldnt be
symptomatic at all.
As for whether you should see an
optometrist or an ophthalmologist,
both types of eye doctors are
trained to diagnose and treat eye
diseases, said Dr. Barnett. But if
you are considering surgery, youll
need to see an ophthalmologist, as
optometrists dont perform surgery.

APRIL 2015

WWW.MAXSPORTSANDFITNESS.COM

17

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MS&F

MAKING LASIK SURGERY SAFER

An estimated 8 million people have turned to LASIK, a laser surgery that
removes a small amount of tissue from your cornea, to correct nearsightedness,
farsightedness and astigmatism. But not everyone is a good candidate for this
surgery, including those with rheumatoid arthritis, persistent dry eyes, glaucoma,
cataracts and diabetes. While its easy to rule out these health conditions, it has
been impossible in the past to rule out whether a LASIK candidate was a carrier
of a condition called Granular Corneal Dystrophy (GCD), a gene mutation that
makes you at high risk of experiencing diminished vision and eventual blindness
following LASIK surgery.
While many with the condition develop symptoms during infancy, progressing to
blindness by adolescence. In others, the disease develops more slowly, making
an appearance only later in life. For those without symptoms of the condition,
there is a new test developed by Avellino Lab that can be performed by an
ophthalmologist to rule out the two forms of the mutation (GCD1 and GCD2)
sparing those found to have the condition from undergoing a surgery that may
lead to blindness. The test is 100 percent sensitive and specific, claimed
Leonard Newman, MD, an ophthalmologist who performs LASIK eye surgery
in California. The newest test, which detects both type 1 and type 2 Granular
Corneal Dystrophy, is affordable, easy and safe, he added.
According to Avellino Lab, the test, called the Avellino DNA Dual Test, costs less
than $200 and involves a simple mouth swab to determine whether a person
carries either form of the gene mutation. Right now insurance companies dont
pay for this test, but most of my patients choose to have it done anyway, said
Dr. Newman. Even though the disease is quite rare, if you have the condition,
you want to know. Patients can take comfort knowing they wont run the risk of
blindness following surgery.