How the eyes reflect overall health

The June 4 Woman of Wellness (WOW) program featured an ophthalmologist and an optometrist from Inland Eye Specialists as the guest speakers. First, Fallbrook Healthcare administrator Vi Dupre encouraged the ladies in attendance to "reinvest in yourself to be all you can be and bring your friends [to WOW]."

Duncan Johnson, M.D., spoke on "Cataracts and Lifestyle Lenses." "Everyone gets cataracts if they live long enough," Johnson said. As the crystalline lens behind the pupil of the eye ages, it stiffens. The eye loses focus and color vision, gradually getting cloudy. The stiffness (presbyopia) causes people to need reading glasses in their 40's and 50's while the cloudiness can only be treated by removing the lens and replacing it.

Johnson explained the reasons for different eye conditions. Myopia, near-sightedness, is caused by the eyeball being two long (oval shaped) causing the focus to be in front of the retina instead of on it. Hyperopia or far-sightedness, is caused by a shortness with the focus aimed behind the retina. Astigmatism is the result of football shaped eyes with several focal points that cause fuzzy vision.

These problems can be fixed with cataract surgery. While the cloudy lenses have usually been replaced with standard intraocular lenses that only allow for vision correction at one distance (either far or near), new lifestyle lenses have been developed that allow for correction in both directions.

Multifocal intraocular lenses provide both excellent near and

distance vision, Johnson said. A comprehensive eye exam is required to determine if someone is a good candidate for using those lenses. Unfortunately they are not covered by Medi-cal.

Special lenses have also been developed to treat astigmatism, toric intraocular lenses. As with standard lenses, these ones only correct for either far or near distance, not both.

Cataract surgery takes only 10 minutes and is typically done on the worst eye first, then on the other eye one to two weeks later. The outpatient surgery requires a tiny suture-less incision and no patch afterward. Many patients do not need to wear glasses at all after surgery.

According to Abby Brotherton, O.D., there is little or no work to be done after the procedure. For her presentation, "The Eyes Have It," she talked about the myths and facts of eyes, through her favorite questions asked by patients.

A question many of her patients ask Brotherton is about the often repeated "one or two, which is better?" "People get worked up" over that question she said. She explains to them that she knows about where their vision correction is at but is "trying to get to the point where there is no difference (between the two lenses)." If there is no difference, that's the perfect lens.

One myth she has come across is that astigmatism is a disease. It is not. Astigmatism is the (football) shape of the eye one is born with and lenses can correct the problem.

Next, she explained why it is a good idea to sit down with an optician to order glasses. The optician needs to know what a person does with their eyes (activities, work, hobbies, etc.) to figure out what type of lenses are needed. Some people need reading glasses, other bifocals, or progressive lenses.

Brotherton also told how the health of one's eyes reflects problems in other parts of the body. The condition of the blood vessels in the eye as well as the optic nerve can indicate high blood pressure, diabetes and other illnesses.

Questions from the audience of about 100 women covered the visual field test (helps diagnose glaucoma and brain tumors), what causes flashes (hardened gel in the eye breaking off the retina), ocular migraines (zigzag, sparkly light), floaters (small pieces of the gel that throw shadows), macular degeneration (distortion caused by waste buildup in the eye).

It was a very informative talk that explained a lot about the

eyes. The next WOW program, on July 2, will be on fall

prevention, presented by Rancho Family Medical Practice. For more information, call (760) 731-9187.