Issue Date: May 4, 2008
Save your sight
A doctor who specializes in eye care is an ophthalmologist.
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One of my colleagues recently attended a gala benefiting the Foundation Fighting Blindness. It was appropriately called "Dining in the Dark." The dinner was served completely in the dark, and the servers were all blind or visually impaired. It didn't take long for diners to appreciate how precious the gift of sight really is.
Preserving our eye health is crucial. Here are some tips:
Get an exam. See an eye doctor on a regular basis, particularly as you get older. Age-related diseases like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration can be detected by an eye doctor long before they're a problem. With early detection, there are more treatment options and better outcomes.
Help yourself. Control blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. Stop smoking. Stay active and eat dark green leafy vegetables, which contain eye-healthy nutrients. Wear sunglasses that block 99% of UV rays to help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
For those with impaired vision, all is not lost. Depending on the illness you have, medicine may help. And, in special visual rehabilitation training, instructors help sight-impaired people learn to function in their environment. This ranges from simple steps (using magnification and appropriate lighting) to in-depth evaluations of the home.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president of the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas, writes HealthSmart every week.
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