UV damage doesn’t end when summer does

by Dr. Riaz Ahmed, past-president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists

During a recent ski trip to Banff, I was surprised to witness the number of people on the mountain without any type of protective eyewear. While most skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers on the mountain had the proper gear to protect their head, body, hands and feet, they fell short on protecting one of their bodies’ most valuable assets – their eyes.

I was reminded that many people think that protecting their eyes from the sun is only necessary when it’s warm outside. During the summer months, the mental checklist for sun protection includes sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. However, it’s easy to forget to take these same protective measures once the snow starts to fall.

The danger in this situation is ultraviolet (UV) radiation — invisible rays of energy emitted from the sun 365 days a year. There are two main types of UV rays that reach the earth’s surface, known as UVA and UVB, both of which can have damaging effects on eyes and skin. When eyes absorb too much UV light, it can lead to serious eye conditions such as cataracts, retinal damage, growths on the front of the eye and eye cancers, especially on the delicate skin surrounding the eyes. People with lighter coloured eyes and skin are even more at risk for damage as they have less of the protective pigment that helps absorb these rays.

Unfortunately, many simply don’t understand the long-term damage UV rays can have. According to the Canadian National Institute For the Blind (CNIB), only nine per cent of Canadians are aware that sun can cause permanent harm to their eyes. While UV rays are undoubtedly stronger during the spring and summer months, people shouldn’t ignore these harmful effects as soon as fall arrives. Those who are keen to get on the mountain after the first snow fall should be particularly mindful since UV exposure increases on reflective surfaces, such as snow.

There are several proactive measures you can take to ensure your eyes remain in good health. The first step is to be cautious year-round while exposing your eyes to the sun. Wearing proper protective gear is important, which includes UV-blocking sunglasses with wrap-around frames to keep the sun out from the sides, and broad-brimmed hats.

Second, maintain regular visits with your optometrist who will assess your individual eye health and discuss the best options for protecting your eyes year-round. The Alberta Association of Optometrists recommends that adults have an eye exam every one to two years, and at least annually for those over 65 depending on the presence of eye disease. Children should have their first eye exam at six months, again at age three, and every year while they are in school.

Comprehensive eye exams with a doctor of optometry can also reveal insight about your overall health. These visits not only allow an optometrist to detect eye diseases, but also uncover serious health conditions which often have early warning signs present in the eye.

For example, optometrists often identify nevi (similar to skin moles or freckles) in the pigmented layer at the back of the eye. If exposed to UV rays over a lifetime, these can develop into a rare form of cancer called choroidal melanoma, which can be deadly if not treated. Also, as mentioned earlier, the eyelid area is one of the areas of the body where skin cancer is first diagnosed. The most common form is invasive lesions called basal cell carcinomas that grow deep into the surrounding tissue.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned about the eyes is this: good vision and good eye health are often unrelated. You may have 20/20 vision but you may also have risk factors for UV related eye disease. For this reason, it’s important to remember eye protection year-round.

Whether you’re skiing on top of a mountain or sitting on a beach chair on your well-deserved winter vacation, remember to protect your most precious sense against the harmful effects of UV rays.

Five eye health approved foods for your holiday feast

It’s officially the holiday season! In just over a week many of us will be sitting down at our dining room tables and feasting on traditional holiday dishes, but you might be surprised to learn that several of your favourite dishes are also good for your eye health.

We’ve compiled a list of five foods that you can feel a little less guilty overindulging on this holiday season knowing that you’re doing your eyes a favour.

Here are five eye health approved choices:

1. Turkey: It wouldn’t be a holiday feast without a little turkey on our plate. Turkey is rich in zinc and vitamins B3 (niacin), which can protect your eyes against cataracts. Better yet, turkey is great for leftovers which can keep the source of eye-healthy vitamins coming for days.
2. Carrots: Don’t bypass the carrot dish at the table this year! Carrots are filled with the important antioxidant, beta-carotene which can reduce the risk of cataracts and protect the surface of the eye.
3. Sweet Potatoes: Who could say not to sweet potatoes? Like carrots, bright orange vegetables are always a good idea to overindulge on. The Vitamin A and C found in sweet potatoes can help improve your night vision, and can also help the body form and maintain the collagen found in the eyes cornea.
4. Salad: Between all the turkey and stuffing on your plate, make sure to leave room for salad. All types of leafy greens are packed with antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help lower the risk of developing macular degeneration.
5. Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts: Load your plates with these two B’s without a second thought. Both broccoli and brussel sprouts have Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Lutein, which relate to strengthening eyesight and can help prevent retinal damage.

Maintaining a healthy diet is only one important factor to maintain healthy eyes. To ensure your eyes are reaching their fullest potential, make sure to book regular eye examinations with one of our Doctors of Optometry.

Vision problems can mean bigger problems for the body

A patient recently sat in my examination room perplexed. He was 30 years old and had recently experienced a sudden decline in his ability to see from a distance. Otherwise, he told me he felt completely fine and reported no other symptoms.

I sent the patient to the hospital for further testing, because drastic vision changes in a short period of time, at that age, can often be a sign of diabetes. The tests revealed that his blood sugar level was dangerously high at 35 (a normal blood sugar level is between five and seven). It was confirmed—the patient had diabetes.

After 40 years of being an optometrist, I am still surprised at the number of people who do not know that a vision problem, can mean bigger problems in the body. I am often shocked when a patient has an exam for a vision change that happened months, or even years prior, that was never addressed.

Unfortunately, these situations are not unusual. Optometrists regularly detect hidden health problems that affect the entire body, and not just the eyes. In fact, diabetes is one of the diseases we often help uncover through a regular comprehensive eye exam.

Statistics show that 33 per cent of Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes and many of them do not know it. Through the years, I have sent many patients for medical exams following annual eye exams because of signs of diabetes.

Diabetes is a timely disease to use as an example, since it is Diabetes Awareness Month. Across Canada, people are learning about prevention, detecting and managing the disease. If you have diabetes, make sure that you are letting your optometrist exam the back of your eye. If you have noticed a change in your vision or are experiencing other vision problems, get an eye exam. You never know what your eyes are trying to tell you about your overall health and your optometrist can help with the interpretation.

Some people are aware that diabetes can cause blindness and vision problems, though I have found that people do not understand why there is a link between eyes and the disease. This lack of understanding can be detrimental. If you know that changes in your vision were a way that your body tells you that there is a bigger issue to deal with you would most likely go in for an eye exam.

The body is a complex system, but this brief explanation may help with understanding the link. Diabetes is primarily a vascular disease, effecting the blood vessels. One of the most vascular tissues in the body can be found behind the eye. It’s called the choroid, which is a swamp of blood vessels that provides the energy for the retina to see with. These vessels are important to the eye, but are also very susceptible to impacts from diabetes given their vascular nature.

Because the vessels in the eye that are prone to diabetes impact are at the back of the eye, there are sometimes no visible symptoms indicating an issue. In a comprehensive eye exam your optometrist will look at the back of the eye and identify any damage.

Dr. Barry Thienes is a doctor of optometry with more than 40 years of experience in eye disease management and primary clinical eye care. He is also the president of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.