4 tips to help patients eat for healthy vision

March 25, 2016
Recent survey shows 9 in 10 adult Internet users prefer insight from health professionals over any other source.

Excerpted from the March 2015 edition of AOA Focus

According to AOA's American Eye-Q® survey, only 1% of people know that spinach is the best food for eye health. March 26 is National Spinach Day—an opportune time to educate patients about nutrition and ocular health. Use these tips in the exam room.

  1. Make the connection.
    "It can be difficult to bring up the topic of diet and nutrition in the office, especially since many patients do not make the connection between diet and ocular health," says Diane Russo, O.D., AOA Health Promotions Committee member. "I often start the conversation by linking their diet to overall health. I explain that the eyes are a part of the body and are affected by how well you take care of the body. It seems to 'click' for many patients by approaching the topic this way."

  2. Don't be afraid to ask.
    "I always ask about patients' weekly consumption of plant foods—especially dark green, leafy vegetables—letting them know that increased variety of plant foods is associated with lower risk of both diabetes and heart disease. I also like to ask about consumption of refined carbohydrates and added sugars, as these have been linked directly to diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and cataracts," says A. Paul Chous, O.D., optometric representative to the National Diabetes Education Program of the National Institutes of Health.

  3. Cover the essentials.
    "We cover AREDS [Age-Related Eye Disease Study, sponsored by the National Eye Institute] and make specific recommendations for that patient's particular needs, keeping in mind their current medication list and medical history. I always make sure to communicate my findings and recommendations with the patient's primary care physician," says Brad Lane, O.D., AOA Health Promotions Committee member.

  4. The '.com' effect.
    A 2014 Pew Research Center survey found 7 in 10 adult Internet users search online for information about a range of health issues, but 9 in 10 prefer insight from health professionals over any other source. "With all the information readily available online, it is very important that patients have information based on reliable studies," Dr. Lane says.

Educate your patients about the impact of diet and nutrition on eye health with materials from AOA Marketplace.

Related News

New year; new you: A low-cost treatment option for certain eye diseases? Exercise

Need even more motivation to keep to your exercise resolution this New Year? Early evidence suggests exercise could help prevent some eye diseases.

3 tips for an eye-healthy Thanksgiving feast

Conscious menu choices could offer the family healthy options not only beneficial for eye health, but also for overall health.

Doctors of optometry and camp health professionals offer tips for a safe summer

About 14 million children and adults attend camps annually in the U.S. What can parents do to help keep their campers happy? Camp health professionals and doctors of optometry advise.

;