Choices for Your Eye Health & Vision

Making Good Choices for Your Eye Health & Vision
A little bit of knowledge can go a long way in helping you make good choices for preserving your eye health and vision throughout your life. Did you know that some 37 million adults in the United States alone have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma-all of which can cause visual impairment or blindness! We know-and want to share the information with you-from recent studies that tell us that making healthy choices and getting regular eye exams can help reduce a person’s risk of vision loss.

About Healthy Choices for Preventing Vision Loss & Eye Problems
Live a healthy lifestyle. Eating a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking can lower your risk of eye disease. Foods that boost eye health include dark green leafy greens, cold water fish and citrus fruits. A diet rich in vitamin C can cut the risk of cataract progression by nearly almost 30%. We know for certain that smoking doubles the risk of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, is linked to cataracts, and worsens dry eye. If you smoke-STOP! If you don’t smoke, DON’T START!

Know your family history. Certain eye diseases can be inherited or may have a strong predisposition among family members. If you have a close relative with macular degeneration, you have a 50 percent chance of developing the condition. In addition, a family history of glaucoma increases your chances of developing the condition by four to nine times. So talk to your family members about what eye conditions they have. It can help you and your eye doctor evaluate whether you may be at higher risk.

Get a dilated eye exam. Many eye diseases may have no symptoms in their early stages. A dilated eye exam is the best way to detect eye diseases so they can be treated as soon as possible to help prevent vision loss. All adults should have a baseline comprehensive dilated eye exam by the time they turn 40. This is when age-related eye changes often begin to occur. People who are 65 and older should get an eye exam every one to two years. Those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure or known eye diseases may need to go earlier and more often at the recommendation of their eye doctor.

Wear sunglasses. Over time, exposure to UV rays from the sun can increase your risk of cataracts, certain cancers and growths in or around the eyes. When choosing sunglasses, pick ones that block out at least 99 percent of UV rays. A wide-brimmed hat offers great additional protection as well.

Use protective eyewear to prevent injuries. Roughly a third of all emergency room visits for eye-related issues stem from traumatic eye injuries, according to a recent study in the journal Ophthalmology. To help prevent these injuries, wear the right protective eyewear when doing activities that could cause eye injuries, such as home repair, garden work and sports.

If you or someone you know needs to schedule an eye exam please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center, Google+ or www.facebook.com/alabamaeyeandcataractcenter.

India’s LASIK Experience at Michelson Laser Vision

“I had been thinking for a very long time about having LASIK surgery done but kept putting it off instead of really looking further into it.  A supervisor of mine many years ago had researched extensively many different doctors and decided on Dr. Michelson as the one who would perform his surgery.  I kept Dr. Michelson's name tucked away in my memory and said to myself that if I ever seriously entertained the idea of having LASIK, I would go to his office.  I decided to give Michelson Laser Vision a call and was able to go in for a visit a few days later.  Margaret, one of the staff members there, was very friendly and helped me feel right at home.  She did a lot of the testing, let me watch a video about the procedure, and then walked me through what to expect beforehand and afterwards. Dr. Michelson's daughter, Jennifer Michelson, M.D., who has a lot of experience in this field and has performed many LASIK procedures, was the one who did my surgery. She did an excellent job and the actual procedure only took about a minute. I was in and out of their office in about an hour. The next day I had 20/15 vision in an eye that before I could barely make out huge letters with and was able to drive with no problem whatsoever.  I can't begin to express how life-changing this procedure was for me, for anyone who is considering having this procedure done I would have to say to them don't wait, just go for it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”- India C.

If you or some you know is tired of the hassle of glasses or contact lenses for seeing at distance and would like to find out if LASIK might be a good vision correction option, please call Michelson Laser Vision, Inc. in Birmingham at 205-969-8100, visit Michelson Laser Vision, Google+ or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine eye doctors and eye specialists.