Experts and Patients Advocate for Greater Glaucoma Awareness and Testing: The Silent Thief of Sight

The story of 43-year-old Shannon Davis underscores the urgency of regular eye check-ups. Glaucoma is responsible for irreversible vision loss by damaging the optic nerve, and it's the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Davis, diagnosed with advanced glaucoma, experienced significant vision loss, rendering him legally blind, and he could not work or drive. After various treatments and surgeries, Davis's glaucoma has stabilized over the past two years.

Ophthalmologist Dr. Noor Ali from Canberra, Australia, who oversees Davis's care, highlights that glaucoma often goes unnoticed until substantial vision loss occurs. Thus, emphasizing the crucial need for early detection screening.

What Causes Glaucoma?

“No symptoms, no headaches, nothing that was obvious,” says Davis in disbelief that this happened to him. In its early stages, glaucoma has no symptoms, hence the term ‘silent thief.’ Regular glaucoma screenings are your best defense, especially if you face certain risk factors such as:

·         Being extremely near-sighted

·         Genetic history of glaucoma

·         Adults over 40 years of age

·         Black Americans over 35

·         Underlying disease (such as diabetes)

·         Obesity

·         Poor overall health (inactive, deficient nutritional diet, etc.)

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

Every person is different, and glaucoma may show a few warning signs. However, generally when symptoms do appear, the condition is usually advanced. Typical symptoms include:

·         Pain in/behind one or both eyes

·         Chronic headaches

·         Progressive loss of peripheral vision

·         Increased need for brighter lighting for everyday tasks

·         Foggy or blurry vision

What Are My Options if I Have Glaucoma?

Allowing glaucoma to progress without proper treatment will result in vision loss or blindness. In some cases, eye drops or other medications may suffice. For advanced instances, glaucoma surgery is recommended. There are many different types of glaucoma surgery. Your ophthalmologist will explain the differences between each, and together, you can determine which procedure is best for your situation.

What Does Glaucoma Surgery Entail?

Glaucoma surgery aims to lower the eye's intraocular pressure (IOP), the primary modifiable risk factor, to prevent further damage to the optic nerve. By reducing the IOP, the surgery helps halt ongoing damage to the optic nerve, thus preserving vision. At Zen Eye Institute, our ophthalmologist, Dr. Charles Zenzen, conducts glaucoma surgery on an outpatient basis, eliminating the need for a hospital stay. This surgery may also be combined with cataract surgery. For more information, please contact our office.

 

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com

Comprehensive Eye Exams: Visual Acuity

 

Getting routine eye exams is vital to being proactive with your health management. During a comprehensive eye examination, your eye specialist will screen for prevalent eye conditions, evaluate the coordination of your eyes, and much more. Diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are often detected during eye exams.

At Zen Eye Institute, Our Comprehensive Eye Exam Includes Measuring Your Visual Acuity – But What Exactly Does This Entail?  

Visual acuity refers to the clarity or sharpness of vision. It measures how well an individual can discern the details and shapes of objects at a distance. Several tests measure visual acuity, but the Snellen chart test is the most common.

The Snellen chart displays letters of progressively smaller sizes, and the individual being tested is asked to read these letters from a specific distance, usually 20 feet. The results are often expressed as a fraction, such as 20/20. The top number refers to the distance from the chart, and the bottom number indicates the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could read the same line you correctly read.

For instance, if you have 20/40 vision, you need to be 20 feet away to read a letter that a person with normal eyesight could read from 40 feet away.

There are also visual acuity tests to measure near vision. These often involve reading from a card held about 14 inches away from the eyes.

It's essential to regularly test visual acuity because it can identify vision changes that might require corrective lenses or other treatments.

Other Components of a Comprehensive Eye Exam

Measuring your visual acuity is just one component of a comprehensive eye exam. We test to ensure that your eyes are properly working together, can track moving objects, access a full spectrum of colors, detect blind spots, and determine your perception of depth. We also measure the pressure in your eyes with a harmless puff of air to test for Glaucoma.

Other screening may include ophthalmoscopy, which examines the interior structures of the eye, such as your blood vessels, retina, and optic nerve, to diagnose and monitor a multitude of ocular and systemic conditions. Retinal imaging and screening slit lamp examinations are other tools ophthalmologists can use to help diagnose various eye conditions and diseases if symptoms suggest.

What Is a Phoropter?

A phoropter, or a refractor, is the large instrument placed in front of a patient's face during an eye examination. The phoropter allows the eye care specialist to determine the patient's eyeglass prescription, often referred to as "refraction." This tool has various lenses of different strengths that can be rotated into the patient's view, allowing the optometrist or ophthalmologist to determine the best lens power for each eye to provide the sharpest vision.

How Often Should I Get a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

Your eye doctor will typically advise you to undergo a comprehensive eye exam annually. However, if pre-existing conditions elevate your risk, you may be advised to have exams more regularly.

When did you last undergo a thorough eye check-up? Delay no further — contact Zen Eye Institute to book your eye evaluation.

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com

Sunlight Rx for Child Nearsightedness

The prescription for preventing myopia in children is easier than you might imagine: sunlight. This unbelievably simple tactic is the response to a growing public health crisis of nearsightedness. 

Over the past 30 years, nearsightedness in children has increased at an alarming rate. Estimates show that about 40 percent of kids ages six to 19 years old are nearsighted, and the rate is double in Asia. By 2050, half of the world’s population could be nearsighted if nothing is done to delay the rise. 

When the eye grows too long from front to back, nearsightedness arises, which gives people good vision close up, but terrible distance vision. Research has shown that severe myopia in children increases their risk of eye issues later in life. These blinding eye problems include retinal detachment, glaucoma, early cataracts, and myopic maculopathy. 

Genetics also plays a role in developing myopia, but the swift surge suggests that environmental factors might also be to blame. With an epidemic of children spending more time on their screens and less time outdoors, experts suggest this can put them at a higher risk of developing nearsightedness. 

Though it is unclear why sunlight helps protect against nearsightedness. One theory suggests that sunlight boosts dopamine levels in the eye, influencing its growth rate. Another theory suggests that prolonged close-up tasks, like reading or computer work without breaks, can promote abnormal eye growth.

Some options for slowing myopia in children include atropine eye drops and multifocal contact lenses. Both have been effectively studied and proven to slow the progression of nearsightedness. 

The most obvious option, of course, is to limit screen time and instead encourage at least one to two hours of outdoor time every day. 

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Treating Age-Related Eyesight Problems

 

Occurring naturally as we age, diminishing eyesight is often unavoidable. Routine eye checks are crucial in diagnosing weakening eyesight, but what are some major culprits? Continue reading to find out. 

Cataracts
One of the most common eye-related problems, cataracts, occurs when blurry vision or nighttime driving issues arise due to the loss of the eye’s natural clear lens. In time, most people develop cataracts, relative to age being the primary culprit. To remedy cataracts, surgery is often recommended. The procedure replaces clouded lenses with a clear, artificial lens, completely treating the issue. 

Macular Degeneration
In contrast, this is a less-common issue affecting seniors. As the retina ages, it thins and causes dry eyes, which affects vision. Macular degeneration is hereditary and can be passed down through generations. Moreover, smoking increases one’s risk of developing this ailment. Eye injections can treat the disease.

Presbyopia
Many aging adults suffer from this near-vision loss, which cannot be prevented. Presbyopia is usually exhibited by having trouble focusing on words up close. Treatment options are vast and include glasses, specialized contact lenses, laser vision correction, or prescription eye drops. 

Dry Eye
This ailment forms through time as the body ages; similar to how the skin dries out, the eyes also experience depleted moisture. Artificial tears, along with ointments or prescription eye drops, are a go-to remedy for dry eyes. Specific medications can also reduce eye inflammation and increase tear production.

Glaucoma
Glaucoma forms when high pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve, affecting your brain’s ability to recognize objects. Genetic predispositions can be a factor, and there is no indicator of developing glaucoma unless an eye doctor screens for it. Most types of glaucoma do not cause pain but can be treated with specialized eye drops to minimize long-term effects. 

An eye care professional can detect many of the diseases described above early on. Deteriorating vision sometimes signals other issues. Get your eyes checked at Zen Eye Institute sooner than later, as treatment options are best in the early stages. 

Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/