MARCH 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 55
PRESS HEALTH
Setting sights on eye care
Our eyes allow us to see life in all
its natural wonder. What we see
serves as inspiration to awaken the
rest of our senses. As March is Eye
Health Awareness Month, consider
what the experts have to say on how
to keep those windows to the world
healthy.
Get routine checkups
For adults, annual exams are
critical for a proper evaluation
of eye health, says Dr. Matthew
Gorski, assistant professor of
ophthalmology at Donald and
Barbara Zucker School of Medicine
at Hofstra/Northwell in Great
Neck. A comprehensive eye exam
in which the eyes are dilated
explores the entire eye and its
surrounding structures, testing
vision and eye pressure.
“Cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy, macular degeneration,
floaters, dry eye syndrome, and
refractive error are common issues
that are diagnosed and routinely
managed with an ophthalmologist,”
says Dr. Gorski.
In addition to annual screenings
with their pediatrician, children
should also be periodically checked
by a pediatric ophthalmologist,
says Dr. Ketan Laud, retinal
surgeon for Ophthalmic
Consultants of Long Island (OCLI).
“The circuits between the brain
and the eyes are established by age
11,” so it is critical to identify any
weak connections early, explains
Dr. Laud.
A lazy eye or amblyopia in a child
could be corrected by therapy,
surgery, or a patching program in
which the stronger eye is covered
to force the weaker eye to work
harder. If caught early enough, this
condition may be corrected with
prescription lenses, he says.
Watch for warning signs
If you’re experiencing unusual
symptoms — a sudden onset of
flashing lights or floating spots,
sudden loss in vision, double vision,
headaches or increase in headaches
— follow up, says Dr. Cheryl Berger
Israeloff, a neuro visual optometrist
at the Neuro Visual Center of New
York in Garden City.
“It’s important to rule out an ocular
problem,” she says. “It doesn’t
have to be life threatening but if
someone is seeing flashes of light, it
can be vision threatening.”
Nearsightedness or farsightedness
could be corrected with glasses or
contacts, she adds.
Choose your eyewear wisely
Choosing between contact lenses
or glasses is truly “a lifestyle
choice,” says Dr. Richard G. Davis,
ophthalmologist and managing
partner at Precision Eye Care
(an OCLI Division) and medical
director at Island Eye Surgicenter
in Huntington.
Contacts come in handy during
“sports activities where having
the correction closer to the eye
aids in better visualization of fast
movements with less peripheral
distortion.” Having a backup pair
of eyeglasses is valuable if contacts
can’t be worn due to an irritation or
infection.
“Eyeglasses provide an element of
protection to the eyes not afforded
by contact lenses,” he says.
Avoid eye-related injuries
Wearing sunglasses to protect your
eyes from UVA and UVB light
helps prevent the development of
cataracts and age-related macular
degeneration, and decreases the
risk of eyelid skin cancers, says
Dr. Gorski. Use protective glasses
during activities such as gardening,
operating heavy tools or machinery,
fishing, or playing sports.
Prevent infection by “properly
cleaning or discarding contacts,
never sleeping or swimming in
contacts, and routinely seeing your
eye care specialist.”
And don’t smoke.
“Smoking has been linked to the
development of cataracts, agerelated
macular degeneration,
glaucoma, and dry eye syndrome
and can worsen thyroid-related eye
disease,” he warns.
Heart healthy = eye healthy
According to Dr. Laud, there isn’t
a strong link between diet and
eyesight, however, “you can always
be proactive,” especially if you
have a family history of macular
degeneration.
“Everybody should be eating a
heart-healthy diet,” the doctor
says. That means one that is low
fat and rich in fish and dark, leafy
vegetables that provide antioxidants
such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Your eyes help you to connect to
people, the environment and the
world. They are the windows into
your overall health and well-being.
Practice due diligence to achieve
a clear path of eye health and a
greater quality of life.
By MICHELLE GABRIELLE CENTAMORE
TAKE
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