May is Healthy Vision Month

The following is from a press release from the National Institute of Health. I hope that we can spread the word about the importance of regular eye exams for everyone. I am really surprised that 9% of all Americans have never had their eyes examined.

The National Eye Institute (NEI)is encouraging community organizations and Americans to make vision health a priority. This year’s theme, “Your Eyes are the Windows to Your Health,” highlights the importance of scheduling an eye exam to maintain good quality eye health and preserve the sense of sight.

In a 2005 national survey conducted by NEI and the Lions Clubs International Foundation, 70 percent of adults reported that the loss of eyesight would have a great impact on their daily lives—a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. However, 26 percent reported they had not had an eye exam within the previous two years, and 9 percent reported never having had their eyes examined.

Unfortunately, an estimated 14 million Americans are visually impaired. In fact, the prevalence of myopia, or nearsightedness, was shown to have increased 66 percent in the past 30 years, according to a 2009 NEI study. Nearly 11 million Americans have refractive errors that can be detected during an eye examination and simply remedied with glasses or contact lenses, according to the NEI.

Click here for a Link to the NEI web-site.

Help with Glaucoma Medicine

I was reading an article from the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) that I thought would be good to share. Most of the time, glaucoma is treated with prescription eye drops and our biggest barrier is problems with the drops. The GRF shares some ideas on helping with drops and I want to share them with you. Enjoy....

-To help you remember to take your medications, schedule them around daily routines such as waking, mealtimes, and bedtime.

-Keep your medications in a visible place at home and carry them with you when you are away from home. Remember to keep all medications, including eye drops, out of the reach of children. Also, keep bottles out of direct sunlight.

-If you are putting in more than one drop or more than one type of eye drop, wait five minutes before putting the next drop in. This will keep the first drop from being washed out by the second before it has had time to work.

-If you forget to use your eye drops on schedule, put the drop in when you remember. Do not wait until the next scheduled time. Then get right back on your regular schedule.

-Tell your doctor or pharmacist if your medications are causing reactions, or if you are having any difficulty using them. It may be possible to change your medication program.

Here is a link to the Glaucoma Research Foundation website.