Fouad Melamed, OD Los Angeles Eye Doctor

Recent studies have some very positive news to report regarding diabetes and vision. Today’s diabetics can expect to have better vision than those people who were diagnosed in the late 1960’s. There have been significant strides made in finding optimal ways to control blood sugars and in treatment of diabetic eye disorders as they occur.

Each decade that has passed since 1970 has found fewer diabetic eye complications. This is strictly due to the increased diligence of keeping blood sugars at a lower level to prevent eye tissue damage and yearly eye exams to monitor even minute changes in the eye.

The decreased levels of diabetic eye complications are certainly great news for all those who have diabetes or those who will have the disease. If you have diabetes, the evidence is clear. Keeping your sugars under tight control is crucial as is keeping your yearly appointment to have your eyes examined.

In today’s busy world it is easy to let that eye appointment slip by. It can be a bit of a bother to find someone to drive you home after you have your eye dilated. However, the diabetic eye exam is so important in finding early diabetic changes in the eye. It is at this early stage in the progression of the disease that treatment can be the most effective.

New progressive treatments and therapies for diabetic eye complications are decreasing the number of diabetic eye visual impairments. Laser therapy and steroid injections are just two of the treatments that have helped to decrease visual loss from diabetic retinopathy.

So what can you expect at your yearly eye exam? Your eye care professional will check your visual acuity with the eye chart. Then there will be a general inspection of your eye to get a feel for the overall health of your eye. Some general questions will be asked about any vision problems, any eye discomfort you might be having. Your eyes will also be checked for glaucoma and cataracts.

Your eye care professional will then do the dilated exam. Drops will be placed in your eyes to dilate the iris or colored part of the eye. This will allow a thorough examination of the back of the eye. While cursory exams of the eyes are done before the dilating drops are inserted, it is this part of the exam that will really let your doctor check the health of your eye.

It is this part of the exam that is so important for not only diabetics but other patients as well. Your doctor will check for any damage or changes that are out of the ordinary.

After the dilated exam your eyes will be sensitive to light for several hours and focusing on objects will be very difficult initially. Be sure to bring sun glasses with you to your visit as well as someone to drive you home. The inconvenience of having your eyes dilated will last for a few hours as compared to the health benefits, which will last for your lifetime. This is one essential examination you can’t afford to miss.

THOSE WITH UNDIAGNOSED VISION PROBLEMS ARE LEFT IN A FLAT WORLD

3D movies took off a few years ago, but with the success of Avatar, 3D is the direction of future movie making (and movie viewing). But for some viewers this excitement has fallen flat and in many cases turned into a visual rollercoaster.

“I first noticed that I cannot see a 3D movie was 15 years ago when I was watching Michael Jackson’s Captain EO at Disneyland. Everybody was reaching up to grab things during the show, but I just thought everyone must be crazy!” a patient of Dr. Melamed explains, frustrated that she cannot watch 3D movies.

Research shows that a majority of the population will have difficulty experiencing 3D films due to poor binocular vision skills. About five percent of the population will not be able to experience 3D at all due to conditions like strabismus (eyeturn) or amblyopia (lazy eye). For these people, the images that others see jumping off the screen will simply look 2D. “This is because these viewers are actually just watching the film with one eye, where in 3-D movies, binocular vision (or the use of both eyes) is required.

The real dilemma, however, is when patients with certain vision conditions in binocular vision can experience headaches, dizziness, and nausea. These kinds of conditions can possibly be treated by an Optometrist either with binocular vision training or special types of lenses.

“Viewers who cannot see the 3D visual effects or notice symptoms such as headaches, nausea or dizziness should schedule an appointment with their optometrist for a comprehensive eye and vision exam,” continues Dr. Melamed. “The good news is that conditions such as strabismus and amblyopia are treatable, and with proper treatment, most people will be able to enjoy things like 3D movies as this form of entertainment spreads through the theaters.”

Dr. Fouad Melamed is the chief Optometrist at Melamed Eye Care located in West Hollywood, CA. www.melamedeyecare.com