November is National Diabetes Month; here are some tips to stay healthy and keep the disease from stealing your vision

November is National Diabetes Month, and if you're one of more than 370,000 Kentuckians with the disease, in addition to watching your diet and keeping track of your blood sugar, it’s also important to have regular eye exams.

A comprehensive dilated eye exam can catch
diabetic eye disease early, before symptoms appear

Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age Americans, says a release from the National Institutes of Health.  Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of this disease, affects=ing more than 7 million Americans, a number that is expected to reach 11 million by the year 2030.

Since diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage, it is important to get regular dilated eye exams so it can be detected early, says the release. Fortunately with early detection and timely treatment, the risk of severe vision loss from the diabetic retinopathy can be reduced by 95 percent.

If you have diabetes, controlling the disease will reduce your risk of developing diabetic eye disease. It’s now a good time to remember these health tips too:

• Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. 
• Tell your doctor if you're feeling down or if your eyesight changes.
• Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  
• Take your medicine even when you feel Ok.
• Be active for 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week.
  
• Eat healthy foods like:
• fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats and poultry, dried peas or beans, lentils, and low-fat or skim milk and cheese
• whole grain foods such as whole wheat bread and crackers, oatmeal, brown rice, and cereals
• food prepared with little added fat, oil, salt, or sugar
• smaller servings of meat, fish, and poultry
• larger servings of fruits and vegetables. 

Click here to learn more about diabetic eye disease from the National Eye Institute. Click here to learn more about preventing and managing diabetes from the National Diabetes Education Program or here for additional tips on staying healthy with diabetes.

Get a prescription before buying decorative contact lenses for Halloween, optometrists recommend

Many people incorporate decorative contact lenses into their Halloween costumes, and not all of them are purchased legally. They can be found on the Internet, beauty salons, convenience stores and some national retailers.  The Kentucky Optometric Association recommends that you never buy lenses from these sources.

Wearing decorative contact lenses purchased illegally and without a prescription can lead to serious health issues and potentially damage your eyesight, the association said in a news release.

The Food and Drug Administration classifies all contact lenses as medical devices, whether they correct vision or not. When considering decorative contact lenses as part of your costume, the optometrists say you should obtain a prescription from a doctor, who can also teach you how to properly care for your eyes while wearing contacts.

“Even though these are non-corrective lenses, they still pose the same potential health and safety risks as other contact lenses,” said Dr. Bill Reynolds, an optometrist in Richmond and a trustee of the American Optometric Association. “When purchased over the counter, decorative contact lenses can put people at risk for bacterial infections, allergic reactions or even significant damage to the eye’s ability to function with the potential for irreversible sight loss.”

Clinics in 9 Appalachian counties will offer high-tech eye screenings to head off common ailment that blinds diabetics

Kentucky has one of the nation's highest rates of diabetes, but half the diabetics in rural Kentucky don't have annual eye exams – even though nearly 30 percent of diabetics over 40 have diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among diabetic adults.

To stem that threat, units of the University of Kentucky are using a three-year federal grant to bring diabetic eye screening to diabetics in nine Kentucky Appalachian counties. Diabetic retinopathy can be treated, or avoided altogether, if the disease is detected early enough.

While studies have found that 90 percent of diabetics consult their doctor about their disease, about half the diabetics in rural Kentucky do not have annual eye exams. The grant will make technologically advanced exams available at clinics in Bath, Carter, Elliott, Estill, Jackson, Madison, Menifee, Rockcastle and Rowan counties, sending digital images of the eyes to UK's Department of Ophthalmology.

The specialists will screen the images for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other retinal abnormalities that can lead to vision loss and blindness. They will also enter the results into the patient's electronic medical record, for reference by other health-care providers. Currently, only a fraction of the results of community-based eye exams are imported into such records.

The partnership between the UK ophthalmologists, the university's Kentucky TeleCare, and primary care centers where the screenings will be done, is called the Appalachian Eye Network. It will reach nine counties with a combined population of 206,000. All the counties have diabetes rates higher than the national average. The project is expected to screen 4,860 people over the three-year term of the grant.

"Our goal is to reach patients with diabetes and those with high risk factors for diabetes who do not get annual eye exams and help uncover potentially devastating eye disease so it can be treated before the patient loses their vision," said Rob Sprang, director of Kentucky TeleCare. "I believe we have the opportunity to save people’s vision and change lives."

Ensure children's eye safety during fall sports season

Children are back in school, playing sports, and parents can take precautions to ensure their children's eye safety as they compete.

Although many parents are unaware of the risks posed to their child's eye safety, about 40,000 eye injuries take place in the United States during sports or recreational activities each year, says Prevent Blindness America. Some sport-related eye injuries lead to vision loss, with almost one-third of them occurring in children between the ages of 5 and 14, says the Kentucky Optometric Association.

“Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in America, and most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related,” Benton optometrist Dr. Laurel Van Horn said in a KOA release. “The results of an eye injury can range from temporary to permanent vision loss, so it’s important that parents take the proper steps when their children play sports.”

Almost 90 percent of these injuries are preventable with proper use of eye protection on the playing field, says Van Horn. To prevent such injuries, the KOA provides the following tips for eye and vision safety while playing sports: Always wear protective eyewear, do not rely on street eyewear for protection, and refer to the American Society for Testing and Materials standards when shopping for protective eyewear. Click here to learn more or find an optometrist in your area.

Eye exams are now required for children ages 3 to 6 when first starting public school or preschool

Add eye exams to your back-to-school checklist, because state law now requires children aged 3 through 6 who are entering a public school or preschool program for the first time to have a vision exam.

“Studies show that vision problems are a major factor in limiting children’s abilities to learn and succeed,” said Dr. Tonia Batts, a Mayfield optometrist, said in a news release from the Kentucky Optometric Association. “Having children’s eyes examined is one of the most important things parents can do to support their children’s education and good health. . . . Many problems may not be obvious to them or their children’s teachers.”

Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent loss of sight from amblyopia, which most people call "lazy eye." Half of amblyopia cases are not diagnosed until after age 5, when it is difficult to correct, Batts said. Amblyopia the leading cause of vision loss in people under age 40, more than injuries or any other disease, but if detected early, is 100 percent treatable.

Batts said an eye examination is particularly important if your child loses place while reading; avoids close work; tends to rub his or her eyes; complains of frequent headaches; squints to use only one eye or consistently performs below academic potential.

Eye exams are covered by many private insurance plans, Medicaid and the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Plan. Private programs may also help families with eye exam expenses. The Kentucky Vision Project, sponsored by the Kentucky Optometric Association, has donated millions of dollars in vision care, says the group's news release. Sight for Students and the Lions Club have other programs that can help. To find an optometrist in your area, click here.

Eye doctors warn about danger from fireworks, even sparklers; optometrists provide safety tips

The Fourth of July goes hand in glove with firework displays. Most families protect parents and children against the dangers of fireworks, but thousands still visit the emergency room every year, many with eye injuries.

According to a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 9,600 people were treated for injuries due to fireworks in U.S. emergency rooms during 2011; it says 17 percent of those injuries were to the eyes, and about 45 percent of those eye injuries involve children age 15 or under. Most eye injuries were bruises, cuts and other diagnoses that included foreign objects in the eye, and one in six fireworks-related eye injuries result in permanent vision loss or blindness, says the American Academy of Opthalmology.

“Celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks is a great tradition, but safety needs to be the top priority,” Dr. Jon Shrewsbury, an optometrist in Beaver Dam, Ky., said in a Kentucky Optometric Association release.  “Children are especially vulnerable to injury from fireworks, particularly sparklers since they are handled at such close range.”

The innocent-looking sparkler can be very dangerous, especially to children, who are most likely to play with them. They heat up to 2,000 degrees or hotter, and are the primary cause of fireworks-related visits to emergency rooms. In addition to not allowing younger children to play with sparklers or fireworks and ensuring that older children are supervised by an adult when doing so, the KOA offers these tips to help protect and preserve eyesight during firework season:

· Discuss firework safety with children and teens prior to the Fourth of July holiday.
· Never leave them unsupervised near fireworks.
· Wear protective eyewear when lighting and handling fireworks of any kind.
· Store fireworks, matches and lighters in a secure place where children won’t find them.
· Be aware of your surroundings, and only light fireworks when family, friends and children are at a safe distance.

“If a firework-related eye injury does occur, always follow up with a full optometric eye exam,” Shrewsbury said. “An optometrist will help ensure that the injury heals correctly and will continue to monitor for future vision problems.” To find an optometrist in your area, click here.

Itchy, watery eyes? Some tips to relieve spring allergy symptoms

The sunshine and bright colors of spring are here, but so are seasonal allergies from pollen, dander, smog or mold that can often lead to itchy, watery eyes. Eye irritation is the body's immune response to allergens, so when pollen comes in contact with eyes, for example, the body releases histamine, causing eye redness, burning and itching.

The Kentucky Optometric Association says discomfort from itchy, swollen or water eyes can be reduced with simple steps, such as maintaining a healthy diet full of anti-oxidants like spinach, broccoli, carrot discomfort that boost the immune system in addition to taking fish oil supplements that help reduce redness and irritation.

Other tips from the KOA include using preservative-free lubricating eye drops or re-wetting eyes with contact solution if you wear contact lenses. Applying a cold compress to eyes can also relieve itching and redness by constricting the histamine-releasing blood vessels. And remember: Do not touch or rub eyes, and be sure to wash hands with soap and water.

A local eye doctor can examine eye allergy symptoms to ensure the cause is properly identified, said Dr. Max Downey, an optometrist in Campbellsville. Optometrists' treatment could range from eye drops to prescription medicines, said Downey.

In addition to discussing allergy relief with your optometrist, the KOA recommends adults have yearly eye exams at the minimum, depending on the severity of allergies.

Get those eyes examined, or a 'sneak thief' might steal your sight

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, so the Kentucky Optometric Association is emphasizing the need for an annual dilated eye exam.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S., but awareness surrounding the disease is relatively low, says the American Optometric Association. A poll taken for the AOA "found that 90 percent of Americans incorrectly believe glaucoma is preventable, and 72 percent mistakenly think glaucoma has early warning signs," KOA said in a news release. "Regular eye exams are the first line of defense for early detection of glaucoma."

The optometrists' group says more than half of Americans who have glaucoma remain undiagnosed, mainly because people don'y get regular eye exams. “Glaucoma is often referred to as ‘the sneak thief of sight’ because it can strike without pain or other symptoms,” said Dr. Ben Gaddie, a Louisville-area optometrist who is president of the international Optometric Glaucoma Society. “Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, so early detection and treatment are extremely important.”

Treatment for glaucoma includes eye drops and medicines to lower pressure in the eyeball. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery may reduce pressure. To find a optometrist in your area, through the KPA, go to www.kyeyes.org

Tips for staying safe this Halloween include avoiding decorative contact lenses

Though ghouls and goblins willbe out in full force, there will be other, unexpected dangers lurking on Halloween, some before kids even leave the house.

Though glowing, oddly-colored eyes might seem like the ultimate spooky touch to kids' costumes, officials with the Kentucky Optometric Association, along with the Food and Drug Administration, warn against using decorative, non-corrective contact lenses that are sold without a prescription from an eye doctor. (FDA photo)

"Consumers who purchase lenses without a prescription or without consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye's ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss," said Lisa Sanford Howard, an optometrist in Middlesboro. Risks involve conjunctivitis (pink eye), swelling, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to a poor lens fit.

In considering costumes, parents should make sure their children can see well through masks and walk without tripping on their costume, Kentucky State Police advise. While they're on the street, children should carry a flashlight or have reflective tape on their costumes to make them more visible.

"On Halloween evening, we're placing our children in probably some of the most dangerous traffic situations you could imagine," said KSP Lt. David Jude. "Our children are outside after dark, they walk along and cross unfamiliar streets, and they often wear dark colors, which are difficult for motorists to see."

When children get home with their haul, they should not eat treats until they have been checked by an adult. Parents should discard unwrapped or suspicious candy.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 41 million kids between ages 5 and 14 will go trick-or-treating this year.

Optometrists, ophthalmologists renew battle over optometrists' ability to perform medical procedures

Ophthalmologists renewed their fight yesterday against new rules "that would allow optometrists to perform more complex procedures that critics say will endanger patients," Mike Wynn of The Courier-Journal reports. The Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners held the hearing on regulations that would implement a law passed quickly by the General Assembly after a years-long lobbying effort by optometrists and their trade group's executive director, Darlene Eakin, left. (C-J photo by Pam Spaulding)

The law allows optometrists to do limited laser treatments, "injections of medicine and removal of benign lesions from eyelids," Wynn writes. The only other state that allows them to do so is Oklahoma, but critics say no problems have been reported in that state and have noted that only 41 Kentucky counties have ophthalmologists.

Ophthalmologists "charged that the rules are not stringent enough to ensure optometrists — who are not medically licensed — can perform the treatments without causing harm," Wynn writes. The rules would require optometrists who want to expand their practice to take classes on more than 20 medical topics, pass tests, get clinical experience and "demonstrate competency to a board-approved expert," Wynn notes. "Lexington ophthalmologist Ken Weaver said wording in the draft resembles 'vague ideas,' rather than medical standards, and could allow an optometrist to perform eye surgeries after a 16-hour course from an unqualified instructor." (Read more)

Watching 3-D movies may strain eyes but doesn't harm them and can help detect vision impairment, optometrists say

With summer blockbusters set to be released in the coming months, the Kentucky Optometric Association says watching 3-D movies is not harmful to eyes, but can cause eye strain and headaches.

To help with those conditions, the association recommends sitting farther back from the movie screen.

In some cases, some viewers won't be able to recognize 3-D pictures because they lack binocular vision. "Although this doesn't pose any problem viewing the screen, it serves as a vision screening that something is abnormal with the viewer's binocular vision," the association says in a news release used by the Journal-Enterprise of Providence.

"That means 3-D actually has a benefit," said Dr. Joe Ellis, an optometrist in Benton and president of the optometric association. "It can alert people to undetected vision disorders and eye diseases that, if caught early, are fully treatable."

Viewers might consider seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist if they get headaches while watching 3-D, if they feel nauseous or dizzy after viewing or if it is difficult for their eyes to adjust back to normal after viewing. (Read more)

New Kentucky optometry law prompting legislators in other states to consider same or similar changes

Now that Kentucky lawmakers have allowed optometrists to expand their scope of care, legislators in Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas may follow suit. They are looking at legislation that would allow optometrists to perform minor surgeries that were previously only allowed to be done by ophthalmologists, who are medical doctors.

Despite objections from several physician organizations — who say optometrists lack the medical training to perform the surgeries or deal with the complications — The Better Access to Quality Eye Care law was signed by Gov. Steve Beshear this winter. It lets optometrists perform a range of new procedures, including post-cataract surgery and two types of glaucoma surgery, reports Carolyne Krupa of American Medical News. The bill caused controversy partly because of the amount of campaign contributions, totaling almost $400,000, that optometrists made to all but one legislator and Beshear in the past two years.

Bills being considered in Nebraska and Texas would allow optometrists to "remove skin lesions from eyelids" and perform the same eye surgeries now permitted in Kentucky. The bills in Nebraska, Texas and South Carolina would also let optometrists make injections in the eyelid.

In 1998, Oklahoma because the first state to allow optometrists to perform some eye surgeries. Earlier this year, Kentucky became the second state nationwide. (Read more)

Senate quickly passes bill to allow optometrists to perform minor surgical procedures; ophthalmologists say that would be risky

"The Senate approved a bill Friday to allow optometrists to perform some surgical procedures on the eye and eyelid, brushing aside warnings from medical doctors who said optometrists are not qualified and could harm surgical patients," John Cheves reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Supporters of the bill said it would improve eye services in rural areas.

Prospects for Senate Bill 110 in the House are uncertain, but it passed the Senate 33-3 and optometrists have long been major financiers of legislators' campaigns. They have given almost $740,000 to state candidates since the Registry of Election Finance began keeping computerized records in 1997, and have won several legislative battles against ophthalmologists, medical doctors who specialize in eye matters.

The bill was filed Monday night and approved by the Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee the next day. "After ophthalmologists started calling, the Senate granted them a brief hearing Friday morning to air their complaints, although it did not stop the Senate vote," Cheves reports. Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, called the process a "kangaroo court" and said, "Just because we have a squeaky wheel doesn't mean we have to oil it immediately."

If the bill becomes law, optometrists could "remove lumps and bumps and use lasers to treat a few specified conditions, although they could not perform Lasik corrective surgery or any other procedure requiring general anesthesia," Cheves reports. "Optometrists told the committee that about two-thirds of Kentucky's counties don't have an ophthalmologist, especially in rural areas. . . . Oklahoma passed a similar law in 1998 with no serious problems, they added."

Oklahoma's law is the only one like it in the U.S., according to a commenter on the story, identified as "uk1234." Noting the bill language that would give the state Board of Optometric Examiners "sole authority to determine what constitutes the practice of optometry," the commenter wrote, "The fox will be in charge of the hen house." But a commenter named "taxus" replied, "If the training is adequate (long enough to be proficient) and the practitioner trainee is certified by a panel of peers in the licensing body, then it could prove to be a good idea for folks the 2/3 of the counties where these particular procedures are not now available." (Read more)