Routine Eye Health Exams

Routine eye health exams are an important part of a person's overall well-being. Eye health exams should be part of your annual complete physical and booked alongside visits to both your family physician and dentist.

Routine eye health examinations by an optometrist are important for people who wear eyeglasses, contact lenses, or who have had laser eye surgery to ensure that their visual acuity is stable. Eye health exams are also important, however, for people who have various medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or arthritis. All of these medical conditions can directly impact your overall eye health and may put you at increased risk of developing certain eye care conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. People with a family history of eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, or cataracts should also schedule an annual eye health examination by an optometrist. Early detection of these conditions by your eye doctor allows them to provide better treatment options and produces better visual outcomes.

The risk of developing eye conditions does increase with age, making annual eye health examinations more crucial. 

In our 40’s presbyopia(loss of focusing) sets in, and people find themselves transitioning into the world of reading glasses, bifocals or progressive lenses. 

In our 50-60 we often see the onset of cataracts or other age-related or lifestyle-related illnesses such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes. 

In our 70’s we start to see the beginning of macular degeneration. It is important to remember that these conditions are simply more prevalent with age, but can occur at any stage of our life.

As a child, annual eye health exams are required to determine how our eyes are developing along with determining any visual problems that may hold a child back in school. Children live in an increasingly visual world, and the ability to see clearly is vital to a child's academic success.

High Blood Pressure and Your Eyes!

Having high blood pressure or hypertension (HTN) can have a serious impact on a persons overall well being along with the overall health of their eyes. It is estimated that approximately 22% of Canadians have hight blood pressure, but that only about half actually receive treatment for it. High blood pressure is considered to be a silent killer, as it often has no symptoms at all.

Elevated blood pressure is defined as having a systolic pressure of greater than 140mmHg or a diastolic pressure of more than 90mmHg. In the vast majority of people, there is no specific cause for their elevated blood pressure, but studies show that high blood pressure is more common in African Americans than in Caucasians and more common in the elderly. High blood pressure is also more likely to develop in people suffering from obesity or diabetes.

If blood pressure is aloud to remain elevated for any length of time, it can start to impact your health

The heart may become larger or weaker, which may lead to heart failure. Heart failure is when the heart cannot pump enough blood throughout the body

Aneurysms can form in blood vessels. Aneurysms are abnormal bulges or ballooning of an artery wall. Common locations are the brain, legs, stomach and spleen

Blood vessels in the kidneys can start to narrow, leading to kidney failure

Blood vessels can start to narrow throughout the body, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, or kidney failure.

In men, high blood pressure can also cause erectile dysfunction

Blood vessels in the eyes can burst or bleed, which can lead to vision changes or blindness.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS:

• No symptoms
• Headaches or Morning Headaches
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Dizziness
• Nose Bleeds
• Chest Pain
• Flushed or Pale Skin
• Nausea/Vomiting

EYE SYMPTOMS:

• Papilloedema (swelling of the optic nerve- can cause pain with eye movements or loss of colour vision)
• Blurred Vision
• Double Vision

TREATMENTS:

• Lifestyle 
• Lose Weigh
• Quit Smoking
• Eat a healthy diet
• Reduce Salt intake
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Medications

**There are numerous types of high blood pressure medications on the market today. Only your family physician and yourself can determine the best type of medication for you.

For more information on High Blood Pressure or Hypertension, please visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation. If you are concerned that High Blood Pressure may be affecting your vision, please see your optometrist. Your optometrist has the knowledge and skill to work along with your family physician when managing your blood pressure. 

Smoking is a Real Problem

Smoking always seems to get a bad rap for causing numerous medical problems, and probably for good reason. Smoking has been linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease, two conditions that can directly impact your overall health not to mention your overall ocular health. Most people don’t realize that your eyes require more blood than your heart to survive, and are directly impacted by heart disease.

Smoking has been shown to increase one's risk of developing glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), and cataracts. In fact, studies show that individuals who smoke are five times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss amongst North Americans.

Studies by the Canadian government show that approximately 15-22% of Canadians age 15 and older smoke on a regular basis. A small non-scientific analysis of our clinic revealed that about 32% of our patients were regular smokers.  This means that our patient base is nearly two times more likely to develop severe eye disease like macular degeneration.

We firmly urge all of our patients to look closely at their lifestyle choices and re-evaluate the long-term consequences. If you’ve determined that it is now time to quit, please talk to your family physician about ways to help kick the habit.

Book Your Next Eye Exam with Stonewire Optometry
Kingsway Mall | Edmonton | Alberta