Eyes Can See Clearly Now
“You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off you, “croons that old 70’s ditty.
Clearly, our eyesight is one of our most important senses — 80% of what we perceive comes through our sense of sight.
Eye health experts affirm that the health of our eyes is critical to overall happiness and wellbeing, saying that our eyes capture and interpret more than one million pulse signals per millisecond and transmit them to the brain.
Yes, our eyes are truly amazing organs, as mentioned by recent studies.
“Your eyes, like other organs of your body, are subject to stress and injury and can lose their full potential if not properly taken care of. It is important to maintain the health of your eyes even as you grow older. Healthy eyes are a critical component in learning and experiencing growth and development,” says Dennis Gierhard, Ph.D., head of EyePromise. An eye health company based in Chesterfield, Missouri.
“Leading a healthy lifestyle of exercise and proper nutrition can help keep your eyes functioning properly well into your later years. Most people don’t start thinking about eye health until they experience some change in their eyesight. Your eyes are like all other organs in your body, in that they change as you grow older. Keeping them healthy when you are in your 20’s and 30’s will prepare you well for when the transition of your eyes begins,” contends the EyePromise team.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) shares fast facts on common eye disorders:
* An estimated 93 million adults in the United States are at high risk for serious vision loss, but only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months.
* Approximately 12 million people 40 years and over in the United States have vision impairment, including 1 million who are blind, 3 million who have vision impairment after correction, and 8 million who have vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error.
* As of 2012, 4.2 million Americans aged 40 years and older suffer from uncorrectable vision impairment, out of which 1.02 million are blind; this number is predicted to more than double by 2050 to 8.96 million due to the increasing epidemics of diabetes and other chronic diseases and our rapidly aging U.S. population.
* Approximately 6.8% of children younger than 18 years in the United States have a diagnosed eye and vision condition. Nearly 3 percent of children younger than 18 years are blind or visually impaired, defined as having trouble seeing even when wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Vision loss, clearly, causes a substantial social and economic toll for millions worldwide: which can inevitably include disability and suffering, productivity loss, and diminished quality of life.
Recent statistics also show that the annual economic impact of major vision problems among the adult population 40 years and older is more than $145 billion.
With these astounding statistics, CDCP maintains that vision disability is one of the top ten disabilities among adults 18 years and older, and is considered as one of the most prevalent disabling conditions among children. These experts affirm that early detection and timely treatment of eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy have been found to be efficacious and cost-effective.
Based on a recent National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey, the majority of the respondents consider that the loss of their eyesight would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day life. However, less than 11% knew that there are no early warning signs of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
The studies also showed that more than half of adult Americans who did not seek eye care are due to lack of awareness or costs; which is often exacerbated by lack of adequate health insurance. Further, it showed that 90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable.
For its part, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that some 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries daily, which require medical treatment. Safety experts and eye doctors maintain that correct eye protection is imperative in lessening the severity and even preventing 90% of these eye injuries.
Over at Summerville in Charleston, South Carolina, the Low country Eye Specialists team composed of Dr. Jay Thompson, Dr. Phelan Piehota, and Dr. Thomas Mather suggest that regular visits to the eye doctor is preventative maintenance for the rest of your body.
They pointed out that with the eyes as the windows to our body, they are the only place where your blood vessels can be viewed in their national state without a surgical procedure. The eye health specialist’s team explained that with this visual inspection of the blood supply, they can spot health conditions and vision problems simply by taking a glance into our eyes.
They added that good vision contributes to improved athletic ability, better driving skills, improved learning and comprehension, and better quality of life. Eye exams as preventive eye health care, early detection can prevent diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, brain tumors, glaucoma and macular degeneration, cataracts, and other various blood diseases — making it an imperative activity to visit your eye doctors for optimum health.
Healthy brain function needs healthy eyesight, they further explained.
With the brain as our most vital organ, this allows us to live complex lives. “Considering that your optic nerve connects your eyes and your brain, a healthy co-dependent relationship is necessary. By keeping your eyes healthy, you keep your brain healthy – improving your overall quality of life!”
The Low country Eye Specialists’ ophthalmologists team also pointed out that although their practice is located in the Summerville area, their patients come from all over — such as North Charleston, Monks Corner, Goose Creek, Ladson, Johns Island, James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, Daniel Island and even as far out as Agenda, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Beaufort, and Hilton Head due to the team’s exceptional care.
The Charleston ophthalmologists have an open invitation for patients with eye health concerns.
“Has your vision recently declined to the point where it is affecting the quality of your life? Are you wondering if anything can be done to regain your sign and improve your vision? You are not alone!”
“In fact, it is more common than you may think. We hear these same questions every day and have helped countless people live happier, more fulfilling lives. Having an experienced expert that has helped many patients with the same types of issues you have is so important. ”