Cigarette smoking increases risks for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Tobacco smoke is an irritant to the eyes that worsens dry eye syndrome, even when exposure is from second-hand smoke. It even increases the risk of serious vision loss in people who have other eye diseases.

The 36th annual Great American Smokeout is November 17. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, it is a day for smokers to give up cigarettes for a day and make a plan to quit permanently.

The inside of my right eye

Working at VSP, and also wearing glasses for more than ten years, I understand the importance of healthy vision. (I’m not going to lie, either; I love getting new glasses and can never seem to have enough.) Last week when I got my yearly eye check-up, I had the option to get a digital image of my eye in lieu of a dilated exam. I have to admit, I was curious to see what the inside of my eye looked like…just what was my eye doctor (Dr. Nakamura of Natomas Optometry) looking at in there?

At first glance, I was a little concerned with the red dot in the middle and white blob off to the side, but Dr. Nakamura explained to me that the red dot was actually the macula and the white spot was the optic nerve—both were supposed to be there. The macula is responsible for seeing things in detail and our “central vision” (as in not peripheral vision) while the optic nerve is what carries the visual information to the brain. (Quick clip: the eye is like a camera.)

I thought it was rather interesting to see my own eyes on the screen in front of me. What I liked most was how Dr. Nakamura could show me that my eyes were healthy by comparing my images to sample pictures with various eye or eye-related health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, and macular degeneration. I was happy to see my eyes didn’t have any of those problems.

P.S. I just got computer vision glasses for the first time, and I am really excited about them. I will write about what I think of them after I have used them a week or so.

Jessica Hein, member of VSP's Eye Health Management Team

Here’s a snippet from an eye opening article by Deepak Chopra, MD from his Weekly Health Tip: It’s Hard to See Through the Smoke

We all know that smoking causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, and multiple respiratory illnesses. Does anyone really need another reason to quit? Okay, here’s one: To save your vision. Surprised? In addition to the well-known, systemic illnesses that kill hundreds of thousands every year, smokers have a higher risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. The macula is the central visual field of the eye’s retina, the layer of tissue at the back of the eye that sends visual information to the brain. Everyone’s risk of macular degeneration increases with age, but smoking increases the risk of macular degeneration two- to three-fold compared with the risk for those who have never smoked. Smoking increases blood pressure in the eye’s small vessels and depresses antioxidant levels and immune reactions—all believed to be involved in macular degeneration. Heavy smokers also have a three-fold increase in their risk of developing cataracts, clouding over of the eye’s lens. Doctors believe the toxins in smoke cause damage to the proteins in the lens cells. People with cataracts have blurry, clouded vision and eventually must have their lenses removed or replaced.

A visit to your VSP eye doctor can check for signs of these diseases and help you get the care you need. Read the full article on TheVisualMD.com.

Damage at Fukushima power station; image by digitalglobe.com.

With the multi-layered disaster faced in Japan right now, it’s hard to look past the immediate needs and concerns to the future impacts of of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuculear reactor meltdowns.

There’s been much comparison of the dangers of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the disaster at Chernobyl, which happened a quarter of a century ago. While the situation in Japan appears to be less dire (although much is still unknown), scientists were able to learn much from the longterm effects of the Chernobyl meltdown that may come into play as the recent crisis unfolds.

Listening to NPR as I commuted home Monday night, I learned that a number of the Chernobyl emergency workers that were exposed to high doses of radiation developed cataracts. This connection was unknown prior to the Russian meltdown. There are mitigating factors for the Japanese: the exposure to radiation has thus far been relatively light, and there are treatments available to limit or slow the growth of cataracts.

To put it in perspective, an increased probability of developing cataracts in the future may be a minor concern to those struggling to make it through the crisis. But once the dust settles, long-term impacts will begin to reveal themselves.

Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness—I encourage any reader to stay attuned to the common warning signs:

• Painless blurring of vision
• Frequent prescription changes for corrective lenses
• Glare and haloes
• Colors looking dull and brownish
• Poor night vision
• Both sensitivity to light and finding lighting too dim

My heart goes out to the people of Japan as they fight to stay safe and cope with the loss of loved ones. I’m making a donation to the American Red Cross to help in any small way that I can. And as part of our commitment to the global community, VSP is helping double those dollars by matching up to $10,000 in employee contributions to relief funds.

Central Park

Rudy R. is an account manager with VSP

I had a friend visit from England a few weeks ago. She arrived the same day we got hit with a huge snowstorm. The next day as we were leaving to walk around Central Park to take pictures she was surprised to see that I reached for my sunglasses. She asked why I wear sunglasses in the winter. I said it may be winter and you may not see the sun but its still there and those ultraviolet rays are harmful. Snow is reflective and up to 85% of the sun UV rays are reflected upwards. The sun sits lower in the sky during winter which gives you more exposure. Research shows that the sun UV rays can contribute to varioues eye diseases related to aging like cataracts and macular degeneration. Its very important to protect your eyes so make sure you reach for your sunglasses even in the winter months.

Michael O. is Sr. Technical Writer for Eyefinity/OfficeMate

I love working in the eyecare industry because I am so deeply indebted to it.

Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that I have worn hard contact lenses since I was a month old. You see, I was born with cataracts, and after undergoing four corrective surgeries as an infant, I am now aphakic. For those of you who follow this blog but are not doctors, aphakia is the technical term for having the natural crystalline lenses in one’s eyes surgically removed. While contact lenses are still the standard method of optical correction, these days, a cataract patient’s natural lens may be surgically replaced by a synthetic intraocular lens (IOL). Thirty years ago, IOLs were far too risky and expensive, thereby making contact lenses my only option.

Many people take sight for granted. You have no idea how precious sight is until your contact lenses are accidentally thrown out on Christmas Eve, or you can’t drive because you dropped a contact down the drain. Work can be interrupted. Vacations can be ruined. The possibility of suddenly not being able to see, which probably doesn’t occur to many people, keeps me on my toes.

The miracles of modern medicine and advances in eyecare have afforded me the opportunity to live a normal life. Of course, normal to me involves cleaning and securely storing my contact lenses every night and fussing with reading glasses everywhere I go. These are small prices to pay, however, considering that in past eras, my sight couldn’t have been saved at all.

It pleases me to write documentation for a company that supports what I would consider to be a noble industry, and I am proud to work with optometrists and ophthalmologists who have helped improve the daily lives of millions of people like me.

Learn more about the importance of wearing sunglasses – even on cloudy, overcast days – on VSP’s Eyecare Discovery Center and The Vision Council’s Under the Sun Guide.

• Spinach
• Kale
• Peas
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Other leafy greens
• Orange peppers
• Corn
• Oranges
• Honeydew melon
• Egg yolks

Why is it so important to protect our eyes, you may ask? Dr. Ashton states it in simple logic:

“The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.”Though lutein and zeaxanthin are linked to eye health, there are still questions as to the best way to get obtain them. Supplements may not be the most effective method, as they may not have the same effect as naturally-occurring nutrients in fruits and vegetables, Dr. Ashton says. Also, at the present time, there are no specific guidelines for how much lutein is needed to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.

As a rule of thumb, Dr. Ashton advises that, “It’s probably best to eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables.”

View The Early Show segment below!

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Dr. Joel Kestenbaum is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY

Dr. Kestenbaum is back! Today his guest blog discusses colorblindness …

Color blindness is also known as color vision deficiency.  It is a condition in which certain colors cannot be differentiated.  It is most commonly an inherited condition, transmitted by the “X” chromosome. About 99 percent of color deficient individuals are red/green colorblind.  These people have a hard time distinguishing different hues of reds and greens.  About 8% of males and half of 1% of females are red/green colorblind.

Blue/yellow color deficiency is rarely inherited and as far as I am aware, there is no commonly available test for it.  Total color blindness, or seeing only shades of gray, is an extremely rare condition.

There is no treatment for color blindness but it can be very frustrating for people affected by it.  Think about all things that we do in life that require good color vision:  Coordinating your clothes, determining if a traffic light is red, yellow or green (especially in states whose lights are horizontal), coloring with crayons, technical wiring for electricians, telling rare from well-done with meats, seeing if a piece of litmus paper turns red or blue.  Commercial pilots must have normal color vision for their job.

Can you see the 2?

Certain diseases can also cause color deficiencies, either temporary or permanent.  Cataracts cloud vision and filter light away from the retina. When cataracts are surgically removed, most people will see rejuvenated colors.  Macular degeneration causes, in most cases, permanent color vision changes.  Diseases like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease or any diseases that cause optic neuritis (an inflammation of the optic nerve), can cause colors to appear paler.

The good news is that colorblindness is not deadly.  Eight to ten percent of us live with it every day and learn to compensate for this minor disability.  You can search many websites including here, here, and here for more information on color deficiency.

Happy Holidays to all.

Dr. Joel Kestenbaum
www.optixeyecare.com