Download Here! - Yager Eye Institute

214 EAST MARKS STREET/ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32803
For
Drs. Swanson, Sowers, Lee & Yager, P.A.
A revolutionary new treatment
for evaporative dry eye
is now AVAILABLE!
Eyes
Spring 2012
With the LipiView® Ocular Surface
Interferometer, we can observe
the tear film using digital images.
Dr. Jack Yager is the first and only doctor in Florida, and one of a
select few in the country, to offer a revolutionary new treatment for dry
eye. Thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, it’s now possible to
effectively treat evaporative dry eye with a simple, in-office procedure.
The LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System from TearScience®, a
significant technological breakthrough, effectively relieves blocked
meibomian glands in the eyelid. Opening the blocked eyelid glands
allows the body to resume the natural production of lipids (oils) needed
for a healthy tear film.
With the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer, we can measure the
thickness of the tear film using digital images. A LipiView image of the tear
film can be captured during a noninvasive in-office exam that takes about five
minutes. Contact our office today to schedule a dry eye assessment.
And speaking of change and progress, you might have noticed our updated
logo—Yager Eye Institute—which is being introduced to distinguish and
promote our new dry eye treatment expertise. It is our goal that Yager Eye
Once evaporative dry eye is
Institute will swiftly be recognized throughout the South for excellence in the
treatment of chronic dry eye conditions. Note, too, that we will continue to carry the
identified, it can now be treated
tried-and-true, familiar brand of Swanson, Sowers, Lee & Yager, P.A., which holds
with a groundbreaking procedure.
a wealth of history and professional acclaim. Of course, Optical Illusions is our
upscale frames boutique that you have come to know well already. Please stop in and
visit our recently redecorated showroom—the “look” is new, and fresh frame styles are coming in every day!
Treatment of evaporative dry eye
Treatment of evaporative dry eye
involves opening the blocked eyelid
glands by applying a combination of
localized heat and pressure therapy.
Previous approaches, such as the
use of warm compresses, have been
inconvenient and of limited
effectiveness.
Treatment can be performed the
same day of your initial evaluation. The
procedure takes 12 minutes. In a clinical
study, 76 percent of patients reported
improvement of their symptoms within
two weeks.
If you or someone close to you is
experiencing a chronic dry eye condition,
please make an appointment to discuss
your situation with Dr. Yager.
Thank you for all your referrals. We appreciate them!
CONSIDERING CONTACTS
for the first time?
Some people enjoy the fashion statements that eyeglasses can make. Some
prefer glasses because they’re squeamish about inserting small pieces of plastic underneath
their eyelids. Others, however, are tired of accidentally bending them, having them knocked
off their face, scratching the lenses, and dealing with constantly having to clean them.
Most people can wear contact lenses. If you’ve grown weary of eyeglasses, here are a
few of the advantages of contact lens wear:
■ Eyesight is more natural; you see things as they are. There is nothing to block your
peripheral vision, and contacts don’t get dirty and smudged like eyeglasses do while wearing
them. There is less distortion (and a lower prescription) since contacts are positioned directly
on the eyeball, not a half-inch or more in front of the eyeball like eyeglasses.
■ Rain and snow have no effect on contacts, and running does not make contacts
bob up and down (like glasses). Ask a baseball player about wearing glasses in the
rain and what running can do to vision. You might get an earful.
■ Contacts don’t fog up with temperature changes.
■ If you accidentally sit on contacts, there generally is no harm. The same can’t be
said of eyeglasses.
■ Contacts aren’t noticed by young children. Hence, they won’t yank them off your face.
■ Contacts are great for playing sports (sports goggles offer additional protection). Don’t wear “regular” eyewear while
playing sports. Eyeglass frames and lenses knocked into the eye can cause serious injuries.
If you follow our instructions for care and use of contacts, you should have a good experience. If you’re thinking of
taking the plunge, “contact” our office for the help and expertise you need.
Benjamin Franklin…
father of the bifocal
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many vocations, including inventor.
If necessity is the mother of invention, irritation is its favorite aunt. Franklin grew weary
of the nuisance of switching from one pair of glasses to another depending on the
situation. Never one to sit idly by, he saw to it that lenses from two prescriptions were
grafted together, the upper for distance vision and the lower for reading, forming his
“double spectacle.”
The official announcement of the “double spectacle,” or bifocals, only occurred in 1785,
but it is likely that Franklin was wearing them as early as the 1760s. In the print archives
of the Library Company of Philadelphia, there is a political cartoon from 1764 that depicts
Franklin wearing an unusual pair of glasses. Many believe these were his bifocals.
There were some problems early on with these new glasses. The lenses were circular,
which meant that if/when the lenses rotated within the frame, it would cause an obvious
problem. There was no such problem with single-vision lenses. Opticians had a challenging time in grinding the seam edge perfectly and preventing the half lenses from falling
out of the frame. The seam formed by the two half lenses was a haven for dirt, which
formed a visible line.
The new benefits outweighed these annoyances. Thomas Jefferson was duly impressed
with these new spectacles. In a letter he noted he had “adopted Dr. Franklin’s plan of half
glasses of different focal distances with great advantage.” He suggested oval lenses to
prevent them from turning in the frame. Jefferson was a pretty sharp guy himself.
Benjamin Franklin was a practical and innovative man. Bifocal wearers everywhere
are grateful.
The dry eye/diabetes
CONNECTION
A recent study indicates that people with diabetes have
roughly a 50 percent chance of developing dry eye. What’s the
connection?
An increased glucose level in the tears due
Keeping diabetes
to diabetes changes their chemical composiunder control through
tion. Tears consist of three layers: an outer
exercise, proper diet,
layer of oil produced by the eyelids that
prevents evaporation of tears from the surface and medication is the
of the eye; a middle layer made mostly of
most effective way to
water; and an inner mucus layer that enables
ward off diabeticthe watery layer to adhere to the surface of
the eye. If any of these layers are impaired
related dry eyes.
(e.g., because of too much glucose), it will
likely cause symptoms of dry eye.
The lacrimal gland controls tear production. Diabetes can cause nerve
damage affecting the coordination between the eye surface nerves and
the lacrimal gland. This disruption interferes with the ability of the eye
surface nerves to sense dryness and signal the lacrimal gland to produce
tears to lubricate the eyes.
Diabetes can also cause inflammation of the lacrimal gland, which can
impede tear production.
The grittiness and stinging sensation experienced by those with dry eye
is caused by a decrease in or quicker evaporation rate of the watery
middle layer of the eye. Since our tears are made of a salty solution, this
results in a higher concentration of salt on the eye surface, which causes
the irritation.
Keeping diabetes under control through exercise, proper diet, and
medication is the most effective way to ward off diabetic-related dry eyes.
Please call our office if you have any questions about eye-related diabetes
conditions.
High blood pressure
and your VISION
The
eyes are
an excellent
ALERT system
A systemic disease is one that affects
many parts of the body. For instance, diabetes
can affect the kidneys, the cardiovascular system,
the nervous system, the eyes, and so forth.
The eyes are excellent early-warning indicators
for many systemic diseases. Here’s why. The eye
is composed of many different types of tissue,
making it vulnerable to a vast array of diseases
and providing valuable insight into a variety of
bodily systems.
For instance, eye movements and the health
of the optic nerve can be indicative of changes
in the central nervous system. In addition, an
optometrist can easily see inside the eye due to its
transparency and view the blood vessels directly
(it’s the only organ in the body for which this can
be done). The health of blood vessels in the eye is
often an excellent sample of what shape the
cardiovascular system is in elsewhere in the body.
The eyes may also be an area where cancer cells
from another part of the body wind up when
cancer has metastasized (spread).
An optometrist is sometimes the first person to
call attention to diseases that otherwise may go
undetected for a while longer. For many of these
diseases, time is of the essence.
Don’t delay in scheduling regular eye exams.
The health of your entire body may be affected,
not just your eyes.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is serious business. Like throwing a rock at
a beehive, nothing good can come of it.
When the eyes are affected by hypertension, a possible result is hypertensive retinopathy.
This condition is marked by damage to the blood vessels of the retina, which can lead to
serious vision impairment if it’s not treated in a timely fashion.
Oftentimes there are no symptoms of hypertensive retinopathy; it might only be
discovered by an eye exam (time for a checkup?). If there are any symptoms, they’re
likely to be blurred vision and headaches.
An optometrist can spot retinal blood vessel damage by using an ophthalmoscope,
an instrument that projects light to the back of the eye. The eyes are the only part of the
body where blood vessels can be observed directly. Signs of hypertensive retinopathy
include narrowing of blood vessels; fluid oozing from the blood vessels; spots on the
retina; swelling of the macula and optic nerve; and bleeding at the back of the eye.
The worst-case scenario is irreversible damage to the macula or optic nerve, which
means vision impairment. The best way to prevent/treat hypertensive retinopathy
is to get your blood pressure under control through a healthy diet, exercise, and
medication. We urge you to do this before there’s a problem with your eyes.
It’s a recipe for success.
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
LANCASTER, PA
PERMIT NO. 242
214 E. Marks Street
Orlando, FL 32803
In our continuing
effort to “Go Green,”
this will be our last
print newsletter. If you
have not yet done so,
please call us at 407-841-6220 to give
us your e-mail address so we can
continue to stay in touch with you.
© Copyright 2012. Newsletters, Ink. Corp. Printed in the U.S.A. www.NewslettersInk.com
Drs. Swanson, Sowers,
Lee & Yager
214 E. Marks Street
Orlando, FL 32803
Office Hours
Monday & Wednesday
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday
8:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Friday
8:00 a.m.-Noon
Appointment and Emergency
Phone:
(407) 841-6220
Web site:
www.yagereyeinstitute.com
E-mail:
[email protected]
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Vision’s role in falls
among the elderly
Various factors can increase the risk of falls
in senior citizens, notably vision. Vision provides
the nervous system with continually updated information on the body’s surroundings and the way the
body’s parts and movements adjust accordingly in
that environment. For example, stand on one leg.
Now, stand on one leg and close your eyes. Notice
the difference? (Hope you had something to grab
on to.)
If depth perception is impaired, the chance
of a fall rises dramatically. According to
research, those with good vision in both eyes
had the lowest rate of falls. Those with good vision
in one eye but substandard in the other have an elevated risk of
falling. Being able to accurately judge distances and evaluate the positions of objects
in our environment is key to avoiding falls…and the injuries and complications associated
with them.
Contrast sensitivity is important, too. An elderly person’s ability to clearly detect edges
enables them to avoid or better negotiate ground-level hazards such as curbs, steps,
pavement cracks, and so forth.
Those who wear multifocal glasses may have trouble with stability when walking in
unfamiliar territory because the lower lenses of their glasses blur their lower visual fields.
Single-vision lenses may be better for certain activities.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as corrective lenses or updated lens prescriptions.
There may be an underlying disease or condition of the eye that hasn’t been detected
because the person hasn’t been getting eye exams. Moving tripping hazards at home can
be of help, too, but it doesn’t get to the root of the problem.
Healthy vision plays a key role in lowering the incidence of falls among the elderly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to give our office a call.
The information included in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for personal, professional advice.
For your specific situation, please consult our office.