Running may decrease risk...

Running may decrease risk for cataracts, age-related macular degeneration
Researchers from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concluded that exercise could provide similar protective benefits for the eyes as it does for the heart and other systems. People who ran an average of two to four kilometers per day had a 19% decrease in their risk of AMD when compared with people who ran less than two kilometers per day and people who ran more than four kilometers per day had a 42-54% decrease in risk. A second study found that men who ran 64 or more kilometers a week had a 35% lower cataract risk than those who ran less than 16 kilometers per week.

B vitamins lower risk of age-related macular degeneration

Study indicates B vitamins lower risk of age-related macular degeneration in women
A study performed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital by collecting data from=2 0a cardiovascular disease trial involving more than 5,200 women over 40 who reported that they did not have AMD at the start of the study. These women had been randomly assigned to take either a daily combination of folic acid (B-6), and B-12 supplements or placebo. Over seven years 55 cases of AMD were confirmed in the vitamin group compared to 82 cases in the placebo group. In other words those who took supplements had a 41% lower risk of being diagnosed with AMD. The mechanism is still being researched but it is believed that B6 and B12 reduce the levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that contributes to plaque buildup.

Treatment for a Black Eye

The appropriate immediate treatment for a black eye is ice and rest. The ice will help to reduce the swelling by constricting blood vessels and decreasing fluid accumulation. Apply the ice or a cold compress to the eye for 15 minutes every hour for 24 hours. A medical=2 0evaluation by an eye doctor should be performed. A blow severe enough to cause a black eye can also cause a fracture of the skull surrounding the eye, called the orbit. Medical evaluation of a eye trauma should never be delayed, as serious eye conditions can worsen if not treated early.

Diet, exercise, and weight control may prevent some cancers

According to a report from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research eating a nutritious diet, being physically active and keeping body fat under control may prevent: 38% of breast cancers, 45 percent of colorectal cancers, 36 percent of lung cancers, 39 percent of pancreatic cancers, 47 percent of stomach cancers, 69 percent of esophageal cancers, 63% of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, or larynx, 70% of endometrial cancers, 24 percent of kidney cancers, 21% of gallbladder cancers, 15% of liver cancers and 11% of prostrate cancers.

Dilated Eye Exam

Dilation of the eyes is the most important part of a comprehensive eye exam, especially if it is the first time seeing that eye doctor. Dilation of the pupil enables the eye care practitioner a better look in the periphery of the eye/retina. There are some drops that do not last long but still enable the doctor to evaluate you for any retinal problems.

What is a stye??

A stye, or hordeolum, is a small bump that can appear on the outside or inside of eyelid which develops from an eyelash follicle or oil gland becoming clogged from excess oil, debris or bacteria. The usual complaint is watery eyes, with pain and tenderness and redness around the stye. Pain usually subsides if the stye ruptures and pus is drained. The treatment includes warm compresses, gentle massage and antibiotic ointment or drops.

Device would allow visually impaired to access Internet thru telephone voice commands

Audiopoint (automatic speech recognition software business in Rockville, MD) has developed a system that would enable the visually impaired to surf the web as quick as everyone else. The company developed the Voice Terminal Service (VTS) to fully access the Internet through voice commands via any type of telephone.

Top 4 Ways to Delay Cataracts

1) Don’t smoke- Researchers suspect that smoking may lead to cataracts
2) Limit sun exposure- Sun exposure speeds the development of cataracts, wearing sun lenses with a brimmed hat to block UV light will help.
3) Eating green leafy vegetables, fruit and other foods with antioxidants will help.
4) Control diabetes- studies suggest that people with diabetes are at risk for developing cataracts

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in U.S.

Glaucoma affects more than 3 million Americans, half of which may not even realize they have the disease. Those at highest risk for the condition include people over 60, African Americans 40 or older and people with a family history of glaucoma. Glaucoma happens when eye pressure leads to optic nerve damage and reduced peripheral vision.

Managing Your Diabetes

The first part of “managing” your diabetes is to accept the fact that glucose (sugar) is not “processed” safely by your body and that the buildup of the blood glucose can damage many parts of the body, including the eyes.

There are many different strategies for living with diabetes. Finding the right one for you involves experience, consultation with knowledgeable health care professionals and education. A good way to approach this is to regard yourself as a “work in progress”. You will change as medical knowledge advances, as you learn more, and as your body changes over time. Good diabetes management means preventing complications to the greatest extent possible while living your life to the fullest.

Diabetes currently affects more than 17 million Americans of which the American Diabetes Association estimates 5 million have not been diagnosed. One and one-half million (8.8%) have Type I diabetes (insulin dependant diabetes mellitus) and 90% of the diabetics are Type II (non-insulin dependent or adult onset diabetes) with the remainder getting diabetes as a result of a specific genetic defect, medications, tumors and other diseases. The incidence of diabetes has increased 44% over the last 10 years.

One point can’t be stressed enough; controlling the “ABC’s” is the key to diabetic management. “A” stands for HbA1c, “B” stands for blood pressure and “C” stands for cholesterol levels.

Diabetes is an endocrine (gland) disorder characterized by either a deficiency of endogenous (substances naturally produced by your own body) insulin, a loss of cellular response to insulin, or both, resulting in a state of chronic hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar or blood glucose). All cells within the body require a source of energy which generally speaking comes from the foods we eat. Once in the digestive tract sugar molecules are extracted from food and enter the blood stream after absorption by small intestine. To use blood sugar for energy requires that cells bring glucose “inside” of them for nourishment. The outer walls (cell membranes) must become permeable to blood glucose. Too much blood glucose can cause cell damage or death. This process is analogous to the architectural design of a bearing wall being cut in half, the foundation would collapse and diabetes is essentially the breakdown of the vasculature (blood vessels) supply. In this manner elevated blood glucose can have an effect on every organ and gland in the body and controlling that blood glucose is essential to ward off damage. The risk of diabetic complications increases the longer a person has had diabetes and the higher the average blood sugar levels are over time.

The single most important laboratory test for all diabetic patients is Hemoglobin A-1-c. This test averages the minute-by-minute changes in a person’s blood sugar levels over two to three months, and correlates very highly with the risk of diabetes complications. It is essentially the same as poking your finger and measuring your home blood glucose levels every minute of every day for at least two solid months and then averaging all of those readings. The test works by measuring the amount of blood glucose that is bound to hemoglobin molecules on the red blood cells circulating throughout the body. Because individual red blood cells normally last only 8-12 weeks the amount of glucose bound to old red blood cells shows the average blood glucose level over that period of time. Normal HbA1c values are 4-6% (equivalent to blood glucose average of 60-120mg/dl). An easy way to figure out what percentage equals what blood glucose level is to remember that an HbA1c of 6% equals a blood glucose average of 120/mg/dl and that every 1% change in HbA1c correlates with a 30mg/dl change in average blood glucose (7% equals 150, 5% equals 90, 9.5% equals 225mg/dl). Most diabetics should be 6.5% or less.

Elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can have a deleterious effect on the eye (cataracts, glaucoma, cornea, optic nerve disease (optic neuropathy), liver, kidney, heart and most of the glands and organs of the body. As mentioned earlier the key to reducing damage is to control the ABC’s:
1) HbA1c
2) Blood pressure
3) Cholesterol (blood lipids or fats)

Controlling your diabetes is not a job that you’ll have to do on your own. A team approach consisting of your primary care physician, endocrinologist, eye care provider, dentist, pharmacist, podiatrist, nutritionist and psychologist will be there to assist you. In order to keep yourself in good health, it is imperative that you have routine health care examinations with your team to prevent the negative effects of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Please feel free to contact me or my office if I might be able to assist you on this path to managing your diabetes and maintaining your good health.