Cancer is not common in the eyes but it is not unheard of. Over my career I have found cancer in the eyes of several patients. Usually, there is no pain or other advanced warning signs of this, but it is found in a routine examination. Tumors in the head, behind the eyes, can manifest themselves by disturbing the optic nerves and/or the field of vision. I have found several cases of brain tumors that manifest themselves in an eye examination. While we cannot predict or prevent eye and brain tumors that affect the eyes, routine annual dilated eye examinations are recommended to detect any of these conditions in their earliest stages.
How can diabetes affect the eyes?
In an acute blood sugar rise the patient can become much more near-sighted overnight. I have seen patients go from 20/20 to 20/200 in one day. These episodes usually resolve in a few weeks when the blood sugar is stabilized with medication or insulin shots prescribed by the family doctor.
A more permanent problem occurs with long term blood sugar control problems…it is called retinopathy, or bleeding in the tiny vessels in the back of the eyes. It is therefore important if you’re diabetic or even pre-diabetic to have your eyes dilated and checked every year. Early detection can allow your eye doctor to counsel you regarding your eyes and sometimes refer you to a retinal specialist for preventive treatment. Of course, the best way to care for your eyes when you have diabetes is to control your diabetes. Taking your medication or insulin shots regularly and faithfully will pay big dividends in the long run.
Scott D. Peterson, OD
Is glaucoma common in Ogden, Utah?
Having been in practice for nearly 39 years, I can tell you that glaucoma is very common in Ogden, Utah, just as it is anywhere there are people over 55 years of age. It is usually age related and runs in some families. About a third of my typical day at the office is spent following and treating patients with glaucoma. It is painless to the patient and so you may have it and not know it until it is advanced. So, if you are over 55, and especially if you have a family history of glaucoma, you should have your eyes dilated professionally checked on an annual basis.
Learn more about Glaucoma and how it affects eye sight.
Scott D. Peterson, O.D.
Do Eye Vitamins Help?
There are a myriad of vitamins on the shelf of your favorite store and online. Many claim to cure all your ills and none that I know of actually do that. But, there are eye vitamins that I am convinced can help you in certain situations.
Macular Degeneration: in the dry kind of Macular Degeneration, vitamins rich in Lutein, Zeaxanthin and a few other ingredients have proven effective in slowing the progression of the disease. They must be quality vitamins that are absorbable, as in the “Physicians Recommended Nutriceuticals” (PRN) brand.
Dry eyes: there are similar branded vitamins that help some patients with dry eye problems. They contain special Omega 3 ingredients and other supplemts to help the body produce more natural tears.
Diabetes: there is a special vitamin that helps to strengthen the integrity of the blood vessels in the body to help prevent problems related to diabetic retinopathy, which is bleeding in the retina of the eyes.
If you have further questions about these model day nutraceuticals, please contact our office.
Learn more about dry eyes here.
Dr. Peterson
The silent thief of sight
Have you ever had someone sneak up on you from behind and scare you? As a kid, I hated it when people would do that to me. I came to realize the importance of peripheral (or side) vision. There is a disease that can affect people over age 40 that slowly destroys your side vision. It is called glaucoma. Glaucoma is usually a slow, painless loss of side vision due to damage to the optic nerves in your eyes caused usually by too much pressure in your eyes. What is too much pressure? The front chamber of the eye is filled with fluid much like water and it is produced and drained by the eye at an equal rate. As we age, the drain system breaks down causing a rise in pressure as the fluid production continues in spite of the failure of the drain. You don’t feel this at all and it can happen slowly and silently until you have lost significant side vision. The only way to know if you have this is to have your eyes professionally examined by an eye doctor using the latest in technology equipment. If you are over 40 and haven’t had your eyes check in over a year or two (even though you feel that you see fine), you should visit your eye doctor to see if you have glaucoma. This is especially true if you have a parent or other family member who have had trouble with glaucoma. Don’t let the silent thief of sight sneak up on you.
Make an appointment with one of our eye doctors today.
Scott D. Peterson, O.D.
When should children get their first eye exam?
In general, starting kindergarten (or about age 5) is an ideal time to have your child’s eyes checked by a professional. They are old enough to sit still so the doctor can check them and if they do have any vision problems, you want to find out before they start school. In my opinion, the most critical time to find and treat most common children’s eye problems is between ages 5 and 8. If there is a lazy eye (amblyopia), it can be found and treated more effectively before age 8.
There are exceptions to this age 5 rule. If you observe a crossed eye on your child or squinting by your child (on an ongoing basis) that lasts more than a week or so, you should have them see an eye doctor, no matter what age they are.
I was a child that needed glasses beginning at age 8 and what a difference that made in my life. Instead of a blur of green, I saw individual leaves on trees for the first time! Getting glasses not only improved my vision, but increased my confidence in and appreciation for the world around me. This is what motivated me to become a Doctor of Optometry, I wanted to help children see better and hopefully change their life. This is still today one of my favorite things about my profession, working with children and their vision problems.
Scott D. Peterson, OD
There is something in my eye!
Every now and then, we will get something stuck in our eye. It doesn’t have to be very big to be very uncomfortable. A mote can feel much like a beam!
The first thing to do is remove your contact lens from the eye if you have one on. Then you should head to a sink where you can rinse your eye with warm water or eye rinse solution (a soft contact lens rinse solution also works). If, after rinsing for one to 2 minutes, the foreign body feels like it is still in the eye or the eye feels scratched and still causes pain, contact your eye doctor. Most eye doctors can be reached after hours by calling their office. With the proper treatment, the eye is the fastest healing part of your body and it will return to normal quite quickly.
Please call our office if you have additional questions. 801-621-2883
Scott D. Peterson, OD
Great news for 40+ year olds!!
VUITY™ Now FDA-approved
As we age, it becomes harder to see things up close. But now there’s VUITY™.
The first and only prescription eye drop to treat age-related Blurry Near Vision (presbyopia) in adults.
I have begun prescribing this drop for some of my patients, so far all of them have reported improvement in their near vision. There can be some minor side effects on your long range vision, but these will vary from person-to person.
Call our office for more information or visit Vuity.com
Scott D. Peterson, OD