Fear of Vision Loss

On a daily basis, my patients, especially those 60 years and older, worry and wonder whether they will be able to see well, or see at all, throughout the rest of their remaining lives.

Yesterday in my office, two patients openly cried, for different reasons.

A man who hadn't seen an eye doctor for several years came in unable to see the Big 'E' on the visual acuity chart with either eye. Despite his severe visual handicap, he continued to profess that he could see to drive. But midway through the exam, he broke down crying, and asking me would he ever get his sight back. He knew he had been remiss in ignoring his symptoms. In another country with national health insurance, he would have sought care much earlier. Unfortunately, many diseases of the eye - especially glaucoma and those involving the retina - can cause irreversible blindness if ignored.

Shortly afterwards, a patient who had been blind in her right eye on Monday and had cataract surgery on Tuesday, was also crying. But for different reasons. She was experiencing the unbridled joy and freedom at recovering vision that she believed would never return. "It is a miracle!" she exclaimed between sobs. 

What can you do today to assure YOUR vision continues throughout your lifetime?

1. See your eye doctor every year (more frequently if you have an eye disease) not just for an eyeglass prescription update, but for a complete ophthalmologic or optometric exam. 
2. Keep your eyes safe by wearing proper eye protection when doing dangerous tasks, such as hammering or drilling
3. Limit your UV radiation exposure by wearing sunglasses.
4. Take a VisiVite Premium AREDS 2 formula if you have macular degeneration, or one of VisiVite's Healthy Vision Formulas if you have healthy retinas. Good retinal nutrition is especially important if you have a family history of vision loss.