Age related macular degeneration is fairly common in people age 50 or older, or with preexisting risk factors (such as smoking, race, or family history) and is characterized as being “wet” or “dry.” Though both cause vision loss, neither lead to complete blindness. We’ll discuss the characteristics of both below:

Dry macular degeneration is the more common version, occurring in 90% of people with the disorder, and causes vision loss in the center of the field of vision. It is a chronic disorder caused by the deterioration of the macula, which is in the center of the retina. Having a blurry or blind spot in the center of your vision can cause difficulties driving, sewing, reading, or recognizing faces.

Wet macular degeneration is swelling caused by leaking blood vessels in the back of the eye. It often starts as dry macular degeneration, though there is no understanding of why it devolves into wet degeneration. There are some varied treatment options to slow down the progression of wet macular degeneration, and your eye doctor will discuss them with you.

It is important to understand that annual, comprehensive eye exams are critical to diagnosing and monitoring the advancement of macular degeneration. Dilation, while unpleasant for most people, is necessary for your optometrist to identify the warning symptoms of this disease and is a small price to pay for keeping your eyes healthy.

If you are experiencing any abnormal vision symptoms, visit our downtown Olympia optometrist at VUE, or our Tumwater Optometrist at Tumwater Eye Center and get up to date on your annual eye exam. Remember, prevention is much easier than treatment!

20% of Americans smoke cigarettes. Smoking can affect your health in many ways, but one aspect that many people overlook is that smoking can impact the health of your eyes. For instance, there is strong evidence that pipe smoke increases the risk of cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) – twenty-seven studies examining the association between smoking and the development of cataracts reported that smokers are 3 times more likely to develop nuclear cataracts.

A second study, performed on lab rats, showed that endotoxin, a chemical found in tobacco smoke, caused an inflammatory response and acute uveitis. Uveitis is the inflammation of the middle section of the eye, the uvea. This study suggests that humans exposed to tobacco smoke, whether first-hand or secondhand, could experience an increase in the incidence of uveitis as well.

Finally, smoking has long been known to be a risk factor in the development of age related macular degeneration, or the deterioration of vision with age. Research estimates that smokers have a three times higher risk of developing this eye disorder than nonsmokers. Many studies suggest that smoking actually causes age related macular degeneration instead of just being a risk factor – and the more someone smokes, the more likely they are to develop it.

If you’re a smoker, you need to be extra vigilant about your eye care. VUE is an Olympia eye clinic in the heart of downtown offering comprehensive eye care and a boutique selection of eyewear. Give us a call and schedule an appointment with our optometrist, Dr. Douglas Jeske.

Spring is coming to Olympia, WA! But with spring comes allergies for many people, and eye allergies can be disruptive to your daily life. If you have sneezing, sniffing, and congestion you probably have sought out a medication to treat those symptoms, but have you treated your eye symptoms?

Eye allergies, also called ocular allergies or allergic conjunctivitis, affect up to 20% of Americans. Symptoms can include redness, itchiness, burning, and watering of the eyes, and swollen eyelids. Though the symptoms are often annoying, they usually pose little threat to your eyesight.

There are two types of eye allergies: seasonal and perennial. Seasonal allergies usually occur from early spring, through summer, and into autumn and are caused by allergens in the air such as pollen or mold spores. Someone who is experiencing perennial allergies is experiencing symptoms throughout the year. Usually perennial allergies are caused by environmental factors such as dust mites or animal dander.

If you are experiencing symptoms of eye allergies or would like more information on eye care, please contact our Olympia eye doctor, Dr. Douglas Jeske. Our optometrists offer comprehensive eye care while providing a boutique selection of eyewear and contacts to choose from.

The newest technology in optics brings with it a new product from PixelOptics integrates smartphone technology into eyeglasses. “emPower” glasses adjust the focus based on distance, and the wearer can change prescriptions by quickly touching or swiping the temple. The glasses can also toggle automatically for variable-distance activities, such as golf.

The emPower glasses cater particularly to the over-40 crowd, the age at which most people start to experience presbyopia (the inability to focus on near objects). Their visual interface is toggled when the wearer “activates the visual zone by tapping the temple of the frame and or can swipe the frame to activate the mini accelerometer that senses the zone when the wearer tilts his or her head.”

What do you think? Does technology have a place on your eyes?

If you’re over 40 and haven’t received an eye exam recently, give us a call and set up an appointment with our downtown Olympia eye doctor, Dr. Jeske. VUE offers eye care to patients in the Olympia area, and Tumwater Eye Center provides optic care to the Tumwater community.

The diagnosis of “astigmatism” can be a bit intimidating.  Some think it is a rare and serious disease with debilitating effects.  The word does sound a bit daunting.  Let’s clear up the murky ideas surrounding astigmatism.

You must know that astigmatism is an extremely common vision condition.  Almost everyone has some measure of it.  This vision condition results in blurry vision because of either an irregular shaped cornea or irregular shaped lens inside the eye.  The cornea and the lens focus light entering your eye so if they are not perfectly shaped, your view on the world is out of focus.  Astigmatism is thought to be hereditary, changing as we develop and grow.  It can worsen or improve over time.

The best news is that a comprehensive eye exam at Tumwater Eye Center or VUE will determine if astigmatism is present.  You’ll be given a prescription for glasses or contacts to compensate for the distortion produced by your astigmatism and voila!  You’ll be seeing clearly.

For more information on astigmatism and it’s treatment or to set up an appointment with our licensed eye doctors in Olympia or Tumwater, contact us today.

Source:  http://www.aoa.org/x4698.xml

Photo:  flickr image, My Eye, by GaelG

“The eyes are the window to our soul” is an ancient phrase.  Now research is indicating that the aging of our eyes may be the cause for a number of other ailments that occur with age.  Our eyes may be the window to our health as well.

A facsinating article from the New York Times describes the research by Dr. Martin Mainster and Dr Patricia Turner of the University of Kansas School of Medicine which discusses the link between aging eyes, circadian rhythm, and health.

Here’s a descriptive excerpt from the article:  ”The gradual yellowing of the lens and the narrowing of the pupil that occur with age disturb the body’s circadian rhythm, contributing to a range of health problems, these studies suggest. As the eyes age, less and less sunlight gets through the lens to reach key cells in the retina that regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal clock.”

Just as the clarity of window glass affects light transmission, so does the lens of our eye. This body of research is indicating the importance of continued exposure to full-spectrum (particularly blue light) and full intensity of light to stave off aging processes.

Our conclusion…many people from the northwest have figured out what research is now uncovering.  Sunshine can be the cure to what ails you!