Caution: Kids & Laundry Detergent Pods

 

Kids are curious! Laundry packets or laundry pods are often brightly colored, and kids may mistake them for toys or candy. If a laundry packet is popped, the detergent can severely burn the cornea, eyelids and skin around the eyes. Chemical burns to the eyes can result in lifelong decreased vision or total blindness. If children swallow laundry packets, the poisoning can be fatal. Unfortunately laundry pod detergent eye injury has increased over the past several years according to researchers reporting in JAMA Ophthalmology. Recent data suggest there has been greater than a 30 fold increase in these injuries among kids. The message is clear-if you use laundry pods, make sure you know the risks. Store them safely and keep them out of the hands of children.

If you or a child experiences an alkali chemical eye burn, please immediately rinse with cold water and attempt to get as much of the detergent out of the eyes as possible. Then, take them to the emergency room immediately and have them call our office at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are conveniently located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

About Plaquenil, Your Retina & Side Effects

 

Plaquenil is a medication that was originally used to prevent or treat malaria, a serious but rare disease caused by bites from infected mosquitoes. It turns out that this drug is helpful in treating inflammatory diseases such as certain types of inflammatory disease. Inflammatory disease occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own healthy tissue. Some diseases treated with Plaquenil include:

• Lupus, which causes fever, rashes, skin problems, and other symptoms.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis, a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints of your hands and feet.
• Sjorgren’s Syndrome, which causes dry eyes and dry mouth.

Plaquenil lowers your immune system’s ability to cause inflammation. This can help control symptoms like rashes, skin and mouth sores and joint pain. However, Plaquenil has side effects that can affect your eyes. A rare side effect of Plaquenil is damage to the eye's retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Using Plaquenil for a long period of time may harm the retina, causing serious vision loss. People with retinal damage from Plaquenil are not aware at first that they are losing vision. Unfortunately, once they lose a severe amount of vision loss, it is permanent.

If you take Plaquenil, it is very important to see an eye doctor who can examine your retina and provide any other testing and imaging, to check your retina for problems before serious damage occurs. Please schedule an eye exam with eye doctors at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are conveniently located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.           

About Diabetes & Diabetic Eye Disease

 

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin effectively to control blood sugar (glucose) levels. Too much glucose in the blood for a long time can cause damage in many parts of the body. Diabetes can damage the heart, kidneys and blood vessels. It damages small blood vessels in the eye as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that about 90% of vision loss from diabetes can be prevented. BUT-Early detection of diabetic eye disease is the key! People with diabetes should get critical, annual eye exams even before they have signs of vision loss. Studies show that sixty percent of diabetics are not getting the exams their doctors recommend.

What Is Diabetic Eye Disease?

Diabetic eye disease is a term for several eye problems that can all result from diabetes. Diabetic eye disease includes: 

• diabetic retinopathy,
• diabetic macular edema,
• cataract, and
• glaucoma.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is when blood vessels in the retina swell, leak or close off completely. Abnormal new blood vessels can also grow on the surface of the retina.

People who have diabetes or poor blood sugar control are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. The risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases the longer you have diabetes.

Diabetic Macular Edema

Macular edema happens when fluid builds up on the retina and causes swelling and blurry vision. Diabetes can cause macular edema. Diabetic macular edema can lead to permanent vision loss.

Diabetes and Cataracts

Excess blood sugar from diabetes can causes cataracts. You may need cataract surgery to remove lenses that are clouded by the effects of diabetes. Maintaining good control of your blood sugar helps prevent permanent clouding of the lens and surgery.

Diabetes and Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause damage to your eye's optic nerve. This damage leads to irreversible loss of vision. Having diabetes doubles your chance of getting glaucoma.

Other Eye Problems Can Be Related to Diabetes!

Diabetes can cause vision problems even if you do not have a form of diabetic eye disease.

If your blood sugar levels change quickly, it can affect the shape of your eye’s lens, causing blurry vision. Your vision goes back to normal after your blood sugar stabilizes. Have your blood sugar controlled before getting your eyeglasses prescription checked. This ensures you receive the correct prescription.

Cataract Prevention in the Produce Aisle!

 

Did you know that regularly enjoying a piece of fruit and a side of vegetables can help prevent vision loss from cataracts? Many Americans don’t eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits. Most of us know that these foods are important for avoiding heart disease, stroke and cancer but don’t associate diet with cataract prevention. Studies from the United States, Japan and Sweden show that a diet rich in foods with substances called antioxidants may reduce your risk of developing cataracts. Antioxidants protect our cells from damage caused by molecules called free radicals. That damage is called oxidation. Free radicals in our bodies may come from:

• the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays,
• tobacco smoke,
• pollution, and
• the body’s normal process of using energy.

Oxidation can lead to cataracts by causing changes to fats and proteins in the eye’s lens, making the lens cloudy. Antioxidants help slow down or prevent free radical damage. Antioxidants include vitamins C and E, certain substances in plants called flavonoids, and some minerals like selenium.

While you can take antioxidant supplements in the form of daily pills or capsules, these beneficial vitamins and minerals are best when they come from a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Loading up in the produce aisle and on your plate with fresh veggies and delicious fruits, knowing you are doing your eyes a favor!

A daily diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help prevent cataract formation. If you or someone you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are conveniently located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.          

Nine Signs Children May Need an Eye Exam

 

Back-to-school shopping lists might include school supplies, new clothes, and even a haircut, but does it include an eye exam? It really should! Comprehensive eye exams can detect a variety of eye conditions that, left untreated in a child, could result in partial or complete loss of vision later in life. Common conditions include astigmatism and nearsightedness. Conditions such as amblyopia can cause serious problems if not addressed early in life. A screening at a pediatrician’s office is a great way to get referred for a vision or eye problem suspected in a child, but even a screening can miss eye problems that would be found during a full dilated eye exam. Here are nine signs children may need an eye exam:

·       Complaining of headaches: When children overly strain their eyes to focus, this causes headaches over extended periods of time

·       Becoming fatigued after reading: Eye fatigue is when eyes are burning, itching, or tired. It might be difficult to notice these symptoms in a child, but if a child is falling behind in reading comprehension or shies away from reading activities, this might be the culprit

·       Poor sports performance: If a child’s visual processing seems slower than it should, this might be a sign there is a vision issue at play. A child with an untreated vision problem might perform poorly in sports due to clumsiness, poor hand-eye coordination, inability to focus or skewed depth perception

·       Squinting or closing one eye: Squinting does not damage eyes, but it might be a sign that a child needs glasses. By squinting, a child is subconsciously attempting to make the pupil smaller, therefore letting in less light. This technique enhances a child’s focus that might be potentially blurry

·       Blinking or rubbing eyes: If a child rubs his/her eyes while trying to concentrate on an activity, particularly reading, or while being active, it could mean the child has a vision problem

·       Poor reading ability and comprehension: Good vision is essential for students of all ages to reach their full academic potential. If a child seems disinterested in reading, is sidetracked easily, does not understand material read, or reads the same sentence multiple times, it might be time to schedule an eye exam

·       Poor school performance: It is important for parents to remember that children do not have a concept of poor vision, so they might not always tell you when they cannot read something their teacher writes on the blackboard. As a result, his/her grades can suffer

·       Holding electronic devices or books too close to eyes: It is a myth that sitting too close to electronic devices can hurt your eyes, but if a child is sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close to his/her face, it might be a sign of a vision problem. Leaning closely in to read text or see images on the television might often mean a child is living with nearsightedness

·       Loss of place while reading: Using a finger to track the words can be typical behavior for a child who is learning to read, but pay attention to this behavior. He or she should eventually be able to focus on the words without losing place

If you or someone you know has a child who might have an eye problem please schedule an eye exam at Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are conveniently located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.