eye exam

When was your Last Eye Exam?

January 16, 2014 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

According to the United States Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, many Americans are skipping the eye doctor, optometrist or ophthalmologist. In a 2011 study involving over 11,500 adults, 35% admitted to avoiding the eye doctor because they felt they didn’t need professional eye care, while 39.8% cited cost or a lack of health insurance.

“The large proportion of persons aged 65 and over reporting no need as their main reason for not seeking care is of concern because this population has the highest prevalence of visual impairment,” the CDC report says. “A possible reason for this is that older adults might regard impairment as a normal part of aging.”

When was your Last Eye Exam?

It is important to have your eyes examined regularly, even if you believe you have healthy vision. A person with undiagnosed glaucoma can lose as much as 40% of their vision before even noticing any vision loss. Scary, isn’t it. What’s even scarier is that more than half of the 2.2 million Americans affected by glaucoma are unaware they even have the eye disease and once a person begins to lose their vision, the damage is irreversible. This is why the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that adults, ages 18-60, have their eyes examined every two years, while adults older than 60 have their eyes examined annually.

Schedule an Eye Exam at Anne Arundel Eye Center

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, cataracts and other eye diseases. Not only does AAEC offer a wide range of advanced procedures to improve and preserve your vision, but board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles is passionate about further educating patients and their families about the eye disease they are afflicted with.

“I treat my patients the way I want to be treated when I see a doctor,” said Dr. Boles.

If you have any questions about the Benefits of Eye Exams or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

CDC: Many Americans Are Skipping Eye Care WebMD

Are you skipping Eye Care? Many Americans are, according to the CDC

September 5, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Last week, we explained that non-refractive vision problems are on the rise in the United States. We also posed you a simple question; when was the last time you had an eye exam? If it has been a while, you are not alone. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey of 11,503 adults aged 40 or over with moderate-to-severe visual impairment, 39.8% skip eye care each year because of the cost or a lack of insurance, while 35% believe they don’t need professional eye care. 4.5%, meanwhile, said they could not get an appointment.

Of those who said they had not received eye care in the past year, those 65 and over (43.8%) were more likely to claim they had no need to go to an eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – than those 40-60 years old (32.9%)

Are you skipping Eye Care?

According to a 2007 survey of 1,000 adults conducted by the American Optometric Association (AOA), nearly half of all adults (47%) worry about vision loss. So why don’t more people seek regular eye care? It could be the difference between healthy vision and severe vision loss. Remember, just because you have not noticed any issues with your sight does not mean there aren’t any issues present. An individual with glaucoma can lose as much as 40% of their vision before even noticing any vision loss. Scary, isn’t it? This is why more than half of the 2.2 million Americans affected by glaucoma are unaware that they even have the eye disease.

The AOA recommends that adults, ages 18-60, have their eyes examined every two years, while adults older than 60 have their eyes examined annually. When was your last eye exam?

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, cataracts and other eye diseases. Board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at AAEC have helped preserve thousands of patients’ vision. We can help you too. We offer comprehensive ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care.

“I treat my patients the way I want to be treated when I see a doctor,” said Dr. Boles.

If you have any questions about Eye Care and wish to schedule an appointment with the Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Source:

CDC: Many Americans are skipping Eye Care WebMD

Nonrefractive Vision Problems on the rise; when was your last Eye Exam?

August 30, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

According to a study published last year in the Journal of American Medical Association, nonrefractive vision problems – those vision problems that cannot be treated with glasses or contacts – are on the rise, fueled by the diabetes and obesity epidemic. In fact, the number of nonrefractive vision problems increased by 21% (more than 700,000 people) between two survey periods: 1999 to 2002 and 2005 to 2008.

“The increasing diabetes prevalence in the U.S. is leading to more vision loss,” according to David S. Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH, the director of the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

Friedman and his fellow researchers analyzed data from a large national database in 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. The only risk factor that increased along with the prevalence of nonrefractive vision problems was diabetes.

“The number of people who have had diabetes for more than 10 years has more than doubled in the last six or seven years,” said Friedman.

If current diabetes rates continue, we will continue to see instances of nonrefractive vision problems increase, according to Friedman. Preventing diabetes and losing weight is the first step in preserving vision. The second step is regular eye exams.

When was your last Eye Exam?

Board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at the Anne Arundel Eye Center have helped preserve thousands of patients’ vision. Let us help you too! We offer comprehensive ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. The Anne Arundel Eye Center and its caring staff are dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

If you have any questions about Nonrefractive Vision Problems or wish to schedule an appointment with the Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact Dr. Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

Vision Problems rising rapidly in the U.S. WebMD

Prevent an Eye Emergency Around Chemicals and Construction by Wearing Goggles

November 17, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Eye injuries in the workplace are much more common than you may think. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports about 2,000 job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment every day. That is just in the United States, alone. And of those 2,000 occupational eye injuries, eye doctors believe that an incredible 90% could have been prevented with the use of proper eye protection. Because of this, the Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the use of protective eyewear – goggles, face shields, safety glasses, or full-face respirators – whenever there is a reasonable probability of eye injury.

Proper eye protection differs depending on the specific situation and eye hazards present.

• Safety glasses with side shields should be worn in situations where foreign objects – dust, dirt, sawdust, etc. – will be flying around.

• Goggles should be worn whenever you are working with chemicals

• Specially made safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets should be worn near hazardous radiation

If you have any questions about eyewear, consult your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist. They should be able to help you determine what type of eye protection you need. You should always wear appropriate eye protection wherever and whenever there is any sort of threat of eye injury, especially at work.

High-risk occupations for eye injuries include:

• Construction

• Manufacturing

• Carpentry

• Auto Repair

• Electrical Work

• Plumbing

• Welding

• Maintenance

If you experience any eye injury, even if it seems minor, call your eye doctor immediately to schedule an eye exam or have a friend or family member drive you to the emergency room. Eye injuries are serious and require prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today!

Led by Dr. Boles, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers comprehensive specialized ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well!

Sources:

Protecting Your Eyes at Work

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month :: Anne Arundel Eye Center

October 7, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

More than 1 million people suffer from eye injuries every year in the United States, most of which could have been avoided. For this reason, October was named Eye Injury Prevention Month. The hope is that organizations will help spread awareness and individuals will begin to take the necessary precautions – wearing protective eyewear – when performing tasks that have any likelihood of eye-related injury, injuries that could lead to more serious medical conditions like red eye, traumatic cataract or traumatic glaucoma. Such everyday activities include: mowing the lawn, using household chemicals, working on your car, etc.

Prevention is the most important step in protecting your eyes from injury. Upwards of 90% of all reported eye injuries could have been avoided if proper eyewear was utilized. Yet, according to a national survey by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, only 35 percent of respondents said they always wear protective eyewear when performing home repairs or maintenance; even fewer do so while playing sports.

So take the necessary precautions and wear protective eyewear when performing a task that has any likelihood of eye-related injury. However, if you still do experience an eye injury, even if it seems minor, call your eye doctor immediately to schedule an eye exam or visit the emergency room. Eye injuries are serious and require prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Eye Injury Facts:

Men are more likely to sustain an eye injury than women.
Each day, about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment, yet nearly half (44.7 percent) of all eye injuries occur in the home.
More than 40 percent of eye injuries reported were caused by projects and activities such as home repairs, yard work, cleaning and cooking.
More than a third (34.2 percent) of injuries in the home occurred in living areas such as the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living or family room.
More than 40 percent of eye injuries every year are related to sports or recreational activities.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well!

Sources:

Preventing Eye Injuries GetEyeSmart.org

Eye Safety Fact Sheet ModernEye.com

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month EyeBoston.com