Edgewater Fitness Health Fair

We enjoyed our time at the health fair today. Met many nice folks and had a lot of opportunities to discuss the different aspects of eye health, vision, and surgery.

Radiesse - An Afternoon of Beauty

Dr. Chimene Richa, our oculoplastics specialist, will be demonstrating Radiesse at our River Hill office in Clarksville. She has scheduled two demonstrations, the first at 12:30 pm and the second at 6:00 pm. It's not too late to arrange an opportunity to learn more from Dr. Richa and watch as she skillfully applies this remarkable age-defying product to some of our patients.

Health & Wellness Fair

Just Announced: Get Movin' Edgewater Health Fair!

Dr. Spagnolo will be attending the Edgewater Fitness Club's February Health Fair. Stop by to say hello and to find out more about the latest in vision correction. He will also be providing educational brochures, pamphlets, and video presentations.

http://www.edgewaterfit.com/just-announced-get-movin-edgewater-health-fair

We hope to see you there.

Dry Eyes and Winter

Dry Eye Syndrome is common in winter because of cold, dry outdoor air and dry indoor heat. "Symptoms include pain, blurred vision, a scratchy or burning sensation, or even watery eyes as the eyes try to compensate for the dryness, explains Brad Spagnolo, M.D. a Corneal Specialist at Baltimore Washington Eye Center
Dry eye can occur at any age, but is more common among older adults, especially post-menopausal women. In some people, dry eye syndrome may be related to systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and collagen vascular diseases such as Lupus, certain medications such as diuretics for high blood pressure, antihistamines for allergies and beta blockers for hypertension or heart conditions

"Simple dry eye may require only some artificial tears and a furnace humidifier or room humidifier. today we have treatments for dry eye that include oral doxycycline to improve tear quality, punctal plugs [stoppers inserted into the tear duct], topical steroids or topical cyclosporine (Restasis)," said Dr. Spagnolo. For most people, dry eye is simply a nuisance, but for some, severe dry eye can make you vulnerable to corneal infections, which can permanently affect your vision" . If you are bothered by dry eyes please let us know so we can schedule a dry eye examination and consultation. http://www.bweyecenter.com/contact-us.html

Eyeglasses - UV protection

Research has shown that exposure to small amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation over a period of many years increases the chance of developing cataracts and age related macular degeneration (AMD). Also, the delicate skin of the eyelids are just as susceptible as the rest of our skin to the damaging effects of UV light. To provide adequate protection for your eyes, sunglasses should:

• block 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation (both harmful to human tissue)
  
• screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light
• be matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection
  
• have lenses that are gray for proper color recognition

It is important to remember that the darkness of the lens does not indicate its ability to shield your eyes from UV rays. Many sunglasses with light-colored tints, such as green, amber, red, and gray offer the same UV protection as very dark lenses. Some manufacturers’ labels say “UV absorption up to 400nm.” This is the same thing as 100% UV absorption.

Children should also wear sunglasses that indicate the UV protection level. When purchasing toy sunglasses be sure to look for the UV protection label.

Large, wraparound-style frames may provide more efficient UV protection because they cover the entire eye-socket. This is especially important when doing activities around or on water because much of the UV comes from light reflected off the water’s surface.

Sunglasses are most effective when worn with a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen.

Certain medications, such as antibiotics and birth control pills, as well as some cosmetics, may increase skin and eye sensitivity to UV in all skin types. Check the label and ask your doctor for more information.

Risk Factors for Corneal Infection- A New Study

A recent study in the Archives of Ophthalmology reveals several risk factors for corneal infections, also known as ulcerative keratitis. The study examined a year's worth of medical records from over a million patients and found that the incidence of ulcerative keratitis was almost double previous estimates in the medical literature. The study found that contact lens wearers and HIV+ individuals are at particulary high risk (about 9 times that of people without these risk factors) for corneal infections.

LASIK - Happy Patients

Nice morning seeing very happy laser vision patients. Most couldn't believe that just yesterday they were unable to drive without glasses and today they are driving without glasses for the first time in many years.

10 years post LASIK

Today it was nice to see one of our LASIK patients who has been enjoying her laser vision for 10 years now. She is 43 years old and still doing everything without glasses...even reading. Really makes our day.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Prevalence of Sight Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy Considerable

According to an article published Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on September 1, 2010, the rate of Diabetic Retinopathy may be 29% in adult diabetes pointing to a high prevalence of vision-threatening Diabetic Retinopathy http://www.bweyecenter.com/baltimore-diabetic-retinopathy.html in the United States. "We are working very hard to help diabetic patients preserve their eye health and vision", said Arturo Betancourt, M.D., Medical Director of Baltimore Washington Eye Center http://www.bweyecenter.com/baltimore-ophthalmologist-betancourt.html."In order for us to be effective in providing advanced diagnostic testing and the necessary management of Diabetic Retinopathy, we need patients to help by maintaining good dietary control and their overall health", relayed Brad Spagnolo, M.D., Director of Refractive Services of Baltimore Washington Eye Center http://www.bweyecenter.com/baltimore-ophthalmologist-spagnolo.html