Thanksgiving: A Feast for the Eyes

Between Halloween and Thanksgiving, there are a lot of eye-healthy foods to choose from. Fall foods offer a wide variety of nutritious and delicious options. So when you’re planning out your Thanksgiving meal, make sure some of these are on your list:

• Cranberries: Among other berries and citrus fruits, the antioxidants and nutrients in cranberries can help prevent diabetes (thus decreasing the risk for diabetic retinopathy), cataracts, and macular degeneration. So be sure to whip up some cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving dinner.
• Pumpkins: It’s true, the pumpkin isn’t just good for carving jack-o-lanterns and making delicious pie. It’s also packed with Vitamin A, an essential nutrient for protecting your vision. It also helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration. The same goes for other delicious Thanksgiving foods like sweet potatoes and carrots. Serve up these orange veggies at the dinner table and your baby blues will thank you!
• Leafy greens: Yes, those dark green vegetables are extremely good for your vision. Spinach, kale, and even broccoli contain carotenoids that help protect your eyes from macular degeneration and also harmful UV rays. Prepare a tasty salad to kick off your meal and reap the benefits to your vision as well.

One of the best things about fall is the food, and an added bonus is the benefit to your eyes. So enjoy that delicious Thanksgiving feast guilt-free—after all, it’s good for you!

Sleeping with Contacts: Bad Idea?

One of the questions I get most frequently is, “Is it okay for me to sleep in my contact lenses?”

The answer to that question depends on several factors, including the types of contact lenses you wear and how your eyes tolerate contact lenses. If your lenses are FDA-approved for overnight use, it may be possible for you to wear them overnight. However, if you suffer from sensitivity with contacts or dry eyes, the reduced oxygen supply from sleeping in them could negate that option completely.

If your contact lenses aren’t FDA-approved for overnight use, then I’m not going to approve it, either. The consequences of wearing contacts overnight can lead to complications like dry, irritated eyes or even eye infections. Your eye health is of the utmost importance, and should be the number one priority when considering overnight wear.

The bottom line? Schedule an appointment with me, and I can evaluate whether you’re in the appropriate contact lenses for overnight wear and also monitor how your eyes respond to overnight lenses. This is the best way to ensure your eyes are healthy and safe.

How to Handle Puffy Eyes

Ah, puffy eyes, everyone’s favorite beauty ailment! Waking up with swollen red eyes is a frustration for many, but there are several causes and treatments for them. If you have a swollen eye, be sure to get in for an appointment. Whether it’s allergies or something more serious, I can help determine the cause and the best course of treatment. Here are a few examples.

• Allergies: One of the most common causes for swollen eyes, and also fairly simple to treat. Simple antihistamine eye drops or oral allergy medications can help relieve the symptoms, but it depends on the individual situation.
• Pinkeye (conjunctivitis): Another common cause, pinkeye can be treated with anti-viral eye drops or antibiotics.
• Contact lenses: Often, patients will come in with red, puffy eyes as a result of wearing their contacts. Usually it’s a result of not following the directions (wearing them too long, wearing them overnight), or not cleaning them properly. We can examine the possible reasons and determine a course of action from there.
• Other infections: Styes, blepharitis, ocular cellulitis, Graves’ disease…these can all cause swollen, red, puffy eyes. The treatments for these types of conditions vary, as some can be chronic or re-occurring.

Again, it’s important to get in for an exam so we can diagnose and treat the issue. While it may be something simple, I can still help you find some relief and rule out more serious infections. Give us a call today!

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Month

Diabetes is a disease that affects far more than just your kidneys. It can also cause serious repercussions to your vision. That’s why the month of November is dedicated to raising the awareness of diabetic eye diseases.
Here are some of the harmful eye diseases that can occur as a result of diabetes:

• Diabetic retinopathy. Damage to the blood vessels of the retina can affect both eyes and cause vision loss.
• Glaucoma. Glaucoma is the increase of fluid pressure inside the eye, leading to optic nerve damage and resulting in vision loss. A person with diabetes is twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
• Cataracts. A diabetic patient is at risk for developing cataracts (clouding of the eye lens) at a much younger age.

Another thing you may not know is that your optometrist is able to treat your diabetic eye diseases and will be an essential part of your professional care team if you are diagnosed with diabetes (we sometimes even help detect diabetes before other professionals through routine eye exams). So be sure you’re coming in for your annual exam and getting the care you need to prevent and treat diabetic eye diseases.