Connecticut Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month

Connecticut eye specialist, Leslie Doctor, M.D. emphasized the need for patients with diabetes to follow the recommended guidelines for diabetic eye exams in order to avoid diabetic vision loss and prevent the potentially blinding complications of diabetic retinopathy. “It is concerning and troublesome that a recent study found that more than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught and treated in time, yet there are a growing number-some 8,000 or more new cases of diabetic blindness each year,” stressed Dr. Leslie Doctor, a Fairfield County Ophthalmologist with offices in Norwalk, Westport & Wilton, CT.

The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

Patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease  by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising. 

The key to successful treatment of diabetic retinopathy is early detection and intervention. If you or someone you know suffers from Diabetes please make sure that they are getting regular eye exams to help preserve their eye health and vision. Feel free to call Doctor & Associates at 203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates for an appointment

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Cataract Surgery Results with Macular Degeneration



“Because there is a common risk factor for both cataracts and age related macular degeneration patients wonder about their cataract surgery results if they have macular degeneration,” noted Fairfield County Cataract Surgeon & Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. “The development of a cataract and the need for cataract surgery as well as the frequency and incidence of macular degeneration increase with age. So-it’s pretty common to have one, the other or both as we head through our 50’s, 60’s and 70’s,” she further explained. “The real question that challenges patients is whether to have cataract surgery-what their results might be-if they have macular degeneration.”

The general consensus among cataract surgeons is that with proper preoperative diagnostic testing, examination and consultation patients who have age related macular degeneration and who develop a cataract should be able to have cataract surgery after being counseled on what to expect with regard to overall vision improvements and lifestyle benefits. While macular degeneration is not a reason to completely avoid cataract surgery, realistic expectations must be established by and between you and your cataract surgeon. Further, the most current and widely accepted studies on AMD progression after cataract surgery found that there was no difference in the frequency of the disease among patients who had Cataract Surgery as compared to those who did not.

If you have any questions or concerns about cataracts, cataract surgery and macular degeneration please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center.

Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Connecticut Cornea Specialist on Halloween Contact Lenses

Connecticut Cornea Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. urged some eye health caution when considering adding decorative contact lenses to your Halloween costume. “Decorative contact lenses can seem like a pretty cool part of your Halloween costume-but your eyes and non prescription decorative contacts may not be a great combination,” said Dr. Leslie Doctor of Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County. “Without a proper contact lens fitting, changing your eye color from blue or green to some far out appearance or ghoulish look by using over-the-counter, decorative contact lenses can lead to serious vision-threatening problems.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration, all contact lenses are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. “Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses,” she further explained.

Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with fanciful, playful packaging in order to attract teens and young adults, especially girls. The problem is not that people use decorative, noncorrosive lenses-sometimes called Plano-or zero-powered lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.

The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer.

In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
 

The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye  problems from becoming a reality. If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please call Doctor & Associates at 203-227-4113.

If you have any questions or concerns about your eyes or would like to learn more about eye melanoma or eye cancers condition please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Halloween Contact Lenses in Connecticut

“As a an ophthalmologist who is also a corneal specialist, I am a bit cautious when it comes to using unprescribed decorative contact lenses as part of a Halloween costume,” stated Fairfield County Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. “It can be a real fun time when people turn their eyes from blue to some far out appearance or ghoulish look by using over-the-counter, decorative contact lenses that may enhance holiday fun, but this can also lead to serious vision-threatening problems,” Dr. Doctor remarked. According to the Food and Drug Administration, all contact lenses are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. “Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses.”

Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with fanciful, playful packaging in order to attract teens and young adults, especially girls. The problem is not that people use decorative, noncorrosive lenses-sometimes called Plano-or zero-powered lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.

The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer.

In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
 

The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye  problems from becoming a reality. If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please schedule an appointment at Doctor & Associates by calling 203-227-4113, visiting Doctor & Associates or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Norwalk Eye Doctor on Glaucoma Risk & Metabolic Syndrome

Norwalk Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. shared information about the risk of glaucoma when patients suffer from metabolic syndrome. “I am particularly diligent about watching for glaucoma in patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol and triglycerides and obesity as the current research suggests that they have elevated risks of developing open angle glaucoma,” remarked Dr. Leslie Doctor of Doctor & Associates with Fairfield County offices in Norwalk, Westport and Wilton, Connecticut.

Reporting in the publication Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, researchers suggested that the risk of developing open angle glaucoma (OAG) may be increased if you suffer from Metabolic Syndrome. “This is of particular concern as some one-fifth of the U.S. population has metabolic syndrome and both metabolic syndrome and open angle glaucoma increase in prevalence with age so that as the U.S. population ages, the disease burden of OAG may increase in the coming years," shared Dr. Doctor. The authors performed statistical analysis to determine patients' risk of developing OAG in conjunction with individual and combined types of metabolic syndrome. Data were adjusted for social and demographic factors, systemic medical conditions and other ocular diseases. The adjusted data showed that subjects with diabetes alone had a 35% increased risk of developing OAG, and those with hypertension alone had a 17% increased risk. Those with diabetes and hypertension combined had a 48% risk. Those with hyperlipidemia alone had a 5% decreased risk. Obese subjects had a 14% increased risk. Patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension combined had a 26% increased risk and the risk of developing OAG were higher in African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans than in Caucasians, the authors reported.

If you have any questions or concerns about glaucoma or suffer from metabolic syndrome including diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension or high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol and triglycerides or obesity please schedule an appointment at Doctor & Associates by calling 203-227-4113, visiting Doctor & Associates or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.

Norwalk Doctor on Eye Injury Prevention

“Understanding the potential for eye injury from common household activities would be beneficial for so many Norwalk area patients we see in the emergency room as well as in my practice,” commented Norwalk Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. ”Prevention of eye injuries and vision loss really begins with thinking about how to protect your eyes when you head out to mow the lawn, do that garage cleanup project or jump start the care on a cold day-think about wearing protective eyewear,” she advised.

As October has been designated Eye Injury Prevention Month by the American Academy of Ophthalmology here are some things to consider. Many household chemicals, such as cleaning fluids, detergents and ammonia, are extremely hazardous and can burn the eye's delicate tissues. When using chemicals, always read instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure spray nozzles point away from you and others before spraying. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after use.

Before using a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger, check for debris. Stones, twigs and other items can become dangerous projectiles shooting from the blades of a lawnmower, potentially injuring your eyes or those of innocent bystanders. Prevention is the first and most important step in avoiding serious eye injuries, so be sure to protect your eyes with appropriate protective eyewear.

If you have any questions or concerns or suffer an eye injury please feel free to call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates for an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.