Proper eye health starts with routine exams and recognizing issues before symptoms arise.

It would seem obvious that having good vision is imperative for our daily routines and living a high quality of life, yet too often proper eye health is an afterthought. With an aging population leading to an increase in vision loss and eye diseases, routine screenings have perhaps never been more important in helping identify issues early enough to improve one’s prognosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 93 million adults in the U.S. are at high risk for vision loss. Of those at risk, only half actually visited an eye doctor within the past year—a staggering statistic that those in the field would like to see change. That change starts with educating the public about the false impression that if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms, their vision is doing just fine.

“A very common misconception is that if one’s vision feels fine, their eyes must be healthy. In fact, many retinal diseases cause no symptoms until late stages,” says Dr. Nisarg P. Joshi, a vitreoretinal specialist with the Florida Retina Institute.

Dr. Van Mattison, an optometrist with Macali Eye Clinic, advises that yearly eye exams are crucial to evaluate not only vision changes but also your overall health.

“Comprehensive eye exams, both dilated and with retinal photography, can help in detecting health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more,” Dr. Mattison explains. “It can even help your primary care physician to understand that numbers that may be normal for others may not be normal for you.”

Letting your eye doctor know about both your family and your own medical histories is also vital during a routine eye exam, and could provide key information that would allow them to recognize signs of disease before a patient becomes symptomatic.

“The eyes give us a lot of information about the body in general,” says Remagin ophthalmologist Dr. Keshini Parbhu. “There are manifestations of a lot of autoimmune diseases that happen in the eyes, so it’s important to disclose all of your medical problems, as well as medications, because when we do see some changes, it can help us with our diagnosis.”

Dr. Gonzalo A. Ortiz, a retina specialist with Central Florida Retina, encourages patients to ask their doctor if they are able to see the back of their eye clearly, including the retina and macula. This will ensure that the exam included dilated fundoscopy—a diagnostic imaging procedure—which can be critical for evaluating the retina.

“Many diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic macular edema begin in the macula, and you won’t know unless it’s visualized in detail,” says Dr. Ortiz. “By the time vision is affected, damage is often already advanced and sometimes irreversible.”

Another concerning trend is when patients are told their eye issues require injections or surgery, and they delay the necessary care out of fear or perhaps misinformation they heard from friends or saw on a Google search.

“That delay often means the difference between maintaining good vision and facing permanent loss. It is best to discuss any concerns and questions with your doctor so they can provide answers that are personalized to you,” says Dr. Joshi.

In addition to regular screenings, lifestyle changes like staying well-hydrated, getting the recommended amount of sleep and eating a healthy diet can go a long way to boosting one’s eye health

“These things can help decrease risk of eye disease, decrease the risk of macular degeneration, slow the progression of cataracts, improve your metabolism and improve the overall health of our bodies,” says Dr. Mattison.

Another thing to be cognizant about is blood glucose levels, according to Dr. Ortiz.

“Patients should work closely with their primary care providers and endocrinologist to optimize their blood glucose levels,” he says. “Poor blood glucose control can lead to diabetic retinopathy, macular edema and eventual vision loss.”

Of course, it’s not just the aging population who suffers from eye health issues. With today’s youth spending a large portion of their day in front of screens doing schoolwork, playing video games and consuming social media content, the risk for pediatric issues is also growing.

“I have been in practice for about 17 years and when I started, dry eyes were something that we saw in people that were 60 years and older; now, we are seeing it with younger and younger age groups,” says Dr. Parbhu.

“More children are becoming near-sighted and increasing their prescriptions more rapidly. Fortunately, eye care physicians are able to prescribe specialty contact lenses and eye drops that can help slow down these changes,” adds Dr. Mattison.

Because vision is such an important part of childhood development, the CDC recommends parents ensure that their children also eat a balanced diet, limit screen exposure, get enough sleep, spend time playing outdoors, wear protective eyewear and sunglasses, and, of course, get regular eye exams.

Thankfully, recent developments in the world of eye health are making a noticeable impact. Dr. Joshi points out that new gene therapy treatments are emerging that seem promising.

“There are continuing advancements for treatment of wet macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. With newer treatments that are stronger and last longer, we are able to decrease the treatment burden for patients,” he says.

Dr. Ortiz also points to the introduction of complement inhibitors for dry AMD/geographic atrophy and says, “New drugs targeting the complement system are now approved that slow the progression of the atrophic (dry) form of AMD. These reduce the rate of atrophy growth, which is important since dry AMD was historically very hard to treat.”

Another exciting advancement making waves in the industry is the usage of light adjustable lens implants for cataract surgery. This breakthrough uses light to change the power of the intraocular lens, and can be adjusted to best suit each patient’s vision. It’s especially effective for those who have had previous refractive procedures like LASIK or PRK, as it can otherwise be difficult for surgeons to know how powerful of a lens implant may be needed.

“[With the light adjustable lens implant], the patient gets to experience the lens implant power, and if they feel like they need any adjustments, that can be done before it’s locked in,” says Dr. Parbhu.

While cutting-edge technology will continue to improve patient outcomes, the best defense for proper eye health is to be proactive with your care. Schedule routine eye exams and have consistent discussions with your provider to stay ahead of issues before symptoms arise.

Eye Health Specialists
Local leaders in the field

Ophthamology 

Central Florida Retina
Multiple locations
(800) 255-7188
CentralFloridaRetina.com

Eye Specialists of Mid-Florida
Multiple locations
(352) 394-8705
EyesFL.com

Florida Retina Institute
Multiple locations
(877) 357-3846
FloridaRetinaInstitute.com

Remagin
Windermere
(407) 704-3937
Remagin.com

Optometry

Macali Eye Clinic
Winter Garden
(407) 656-3755
MacaliEye.com