34 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • AUGUST 3, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Starting the conversation on conversations:
Preparing for your next eye doctor visit
Good conversations are critical in any
doctor-patient relationship, including the
one you have with your eye care professional.
Knowing what to ask, and which
changes and symptoms to discuss, can
help make the most of your time with your
eye doctor. What’s more, good communication
not only helps your eye doctor take
care of your eyes, it may help him or her
spot signs of other health conditions that
fi rst manifest with eye symptoms.
“Most people see their eye doctors just
once a year for a routine eye exam,” says
Dr. Neda Shamie, of Advanced Vision
Care, in Los Angeles, California. “You
can begin to prepare for that conversation
with your eye care professional by
making yourself aware of any symptoms
or eye-related changes in your routine
before your visit. Don’t dismiss shift s in
eye health to a natural consequence of
aging, or assume issues are minor or temporary
and will go away on their own.”
Dr. Shamie suggests patients start keeping
a mental log in the weeks leading up to
their appointment so they can accurately
share symptoms with their doctor, including
those that might be a result of the
common, but oft en overlooked, condition
Chronic Dry Eye. For example, you might
note if your eyes are red in the morning
versus the aft ernoon, or if the contact
lenses you used to wear all day are now
only comfortable for a few hours at a time.
Be open in discussing all symptoms or
changes in your eyes or vision with your
eye doctor, even if you don’t think there is
an underlying condition. Patient-doctor
dialogue oft en helps lead to diagnosis, and
your eye care professional can help you
understand what is considered normal
as well as identify any chronic conditions
that might benefi t from treatment. For
example, Chronic Dry Eye is a disease that
tends to occur somewhat more frequently
in women than in men, and is associated
more with advanced age, contact lens
wear, certain medications, other medical
conditions or environmental factors.
“Th e conversation you have with your
eye doctor is just as important as the
physical eye exam, as it may quite literally
reveal more than meets the eye,” Dr.
Shamie says. “Th e more engaged you are
as a patient during that conversation, the
more comfortable your eye doctor will be
in putting together a customized treatment
plan that works for you.”
Dr. Shamie suggests some helpful questions
that can help guide your conversation:
• Does this diagnosis address the core of
your problem?
• Is there an underlying cause for your
condition?
• What will help your condition or make
it worse?
• Which lifestyle changes can you make?
Also consider taking the brief Dry Eye
quiz on Restasis.com prior to your visit
and discussing the results with your eye
doctor.
“As a patient, having a thorough conversation
with your eye doctor is essential
in receiving the right diagnosis, especially
when it comes to recognizing a
type of Chronic Dry Eye. Many people
may not realize they have a type
of Chronic Dry Eye and assume their
issues are routine or short-lived, when
in actuality, they could be something
more,” Dr. Shamie says. “Talking to your
doctor about what you’re experiencing
and treatment options like RESTASIS
MULTIDOSE(TM) (cyclosporine ophthalmic
emulsion) 0.05% - which helps
increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce
tears, which may be reduced by
infl ammation due to Chronic Dry Eye -
are key parts of the conversation.”
Approved Use
RESTASIS(R) (cyclosporine ophthalmic
emulsion) 0.05% and RESTASIS
MULTIDOSE(TM) help increase your
eyes’ natural ability to produce tears,
which may be reduced by infl ammation
due to Chronic Dry Eye. RESTASIS(R)
and RESTASIS MULTIDOSE(TM) did
not increase tear production in patients
using anti-infl ammatory eye drops or tear
duct plugs.
Important Safety
Information
Do not use RESTASIS(R) and
RESTASIS MULTIDOSE(TM)
Ophthalmic Emulsion if you are allergic
to any of the ingredients. Be careful
not to touch the container tip to your eye
or other surfaces, to help avoid eye injury
and contamination. RESTASIS(R) and
RESTASIS MULTIDOSE(TM) should
not be used while wearing contact lenses.
If contact lenses are worn, they should
be removed prior to use of RESTASIS(R)
and RESTASIS MULTIDOSE(TM) and
may be reinserted aft er 15 minutes.
Th e most common side eff ect is a temporary
burning sensation. Other side
eff ects include eye redness, discharge,
watery eyes, eye pain, foreign body sensation,
itching, stinging, and blurred vision.
You are encouraged to report negative
side eff ects of prescription drugs to the
FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or
call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Product Information
for RESTASIS(R) and RESTASIS
MULTIDOSE(TM).
To learn more about RESTASIS
MULTIDOSE(TM), the fi rst and only
FDA-approved, preservative-free, prescription
eye drop in the U.S. to be available
in a multidose bottle, visit www.
restasis.com.
Courtesy BPT