National media elevates eye care’s role

A recent New York Times article on how heart-healthy habits impact whole-body health included a nugget that might have surprised the general public: your heart’s wellbeing has implications for your vision and eye health. 

This is old news for doctors of optometry. But it’s an important example of how eye health in the news can raise awareness of the link between vision health and overall wellbeing, a connection that isn’t well understood by the public. 

Comprehensive eye care with a doctor of optometry is crucial to overall wellness 

The New York Times article highlights four ways heart-healthy habits benefit the whole body—with the preservation of vision being a critical benefit. But what the article doesn’t point out is that eye health and comprehensive eye exams also are key when it comes to each of these benefits.  

• Protecting your brain. An eye exam can detect so much more than eye-related disease—including masses in the brain. 
• Maintaining mobility as you age. A decline in vision—and its subsequent impact on mobility—can contribute significantly to falls among adults 65 and older, whether it is from a decrease in visual acuity, visual fields, depth perception or contrast sensitivity, per a policy statement by the American Public Health Association. With early detection through a comprehensive eye exam, doctors of optometry can diagnose and treat these conditions and maximize patients' visual function. 
• Increasing chances of a healthy pregnancy. Many moms-to-be are not aware that pregnancy brings an increase in hormones that may cause changes in vision, including dry eyes, puffiness around the eyes and light sensitivity. While the majority of vision changes during pregnancy are mild and temporary, the occasional vision blurriness and light sensitivity could also be indications of two very dangerous conditions: preeclampsia, brought on by high blood pressure, and gestational diabetes. That’s why pregnant women should maintain their regularly scheduled visits for an in-person, comprehensive eye exam that can detect any potential issues that may have no obvious warning signs.  

Through a comprehensive eye exam, doctors of optometry can identify early warning signs and manifestations of more than 270 systemic and chronic diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and cancers. In fact, getting a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to visualize blood vessels deep inside the eye—which are a snapshot of vessel health throughout the body—for issues without an x-ray, CT scan or invasive surgery. 

“Symptoms of eye disease are often a sign of systemic disease, thus an important ‘red flag’ to patients,” Dr. Glazier says. “As most vision loss can be prevented if care is sought promptly upon noticing changes, many health conditions related to these changes can also be addressed quicker, resulting in more effective treatment.” 

Doctors of optometry—who are more accessible to the general public than many other health care providers—can use eye exams to educate patients about how their eye health is part of their overall health and wellbeing, Dr. Glazier says. “I use this opportunity to educate them about the relationship between eye health and general health,” he says, “so they know they get more out of an eye exam than a glasses and contact lens prescription.” 

Learn more: Vision and Your Quality of Life 

AOA raises public awareness of eye and vision health 

AOA's multi-year awareness campaign, Eye Deserve More, asserts that every American deserves comprehensive, in-person care from an AOA doctor of optometry as an integral part of their overall health and wellbeing. 

And in July, AOA President Jacquie M. Bowen, O.D., reached more than 18.5 million Americans through a media blitz about the importance of back-to-school eye exams. 

“High-profile coverage of compelling health information helps both ODs and patients in the sense that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,’” Dr. Glazier says.