Along with an increased risk of retinal holes, tears, and detachments, myopic (or near-sighted) people are now considered to be at a much higher risk for developing the most common type of glaucoma (primary open angle glaucoma). According to a review published online in the Journal of Ophthalmology: myopic patients  have a 90% increased risk. Patients with severe myopia are at an even higher risk of developing glaucoma.

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) damages peripheral vision via retinal deterioration secondary to increased intraocular pressure. POAG can cause debilitating vision loss and even legal blindness with absolutely NO symptoms whatsoever. On average patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma will become legally blind in 14 years if it is not detected and treated. Most cases of Glaucoma can be easily treated and managed by lowering intraocular pressure using prescription eye drops.

What does this new piece of information mean for you? It means: that even though everyone should have an annual eye exam,  it is even more important for anyone with a minus sign in front of their prescription to get examined each and every year.

For the full article please see: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161642011002508

Happy Easter to all who celebrate the day from the staff at Torrington Eyecare!

The dentist may not like Easter because of all the delicious treats and candy, but we think it can be a positive eye health day. This year instead of using normal market eggs, try using DHEA / Omega 3 fortified eggs from Naturegg or Eggland’s Best for your Easter egg hunt. Statistics show that comsuming just two Omega 3 fortified eggs a day can supply you with the daily FDA recommended amount of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Countless studies have shown that consuming DHEA / Omega 3 (in a triglyceride form) is a safe, effective, and natural treatment option for Dry Eye Syndrome as well a powerful inhibitor of macular degeneration.  

Since you are going to be making and eating all those eggs over the next couple days anyways, why not spend a couple of bucks extra and buy the ones that are going to be good for your eyes… Just don’t forget to eat the yolks, because that is where all the Omega 3 fatty acids and DHEA are located!

Our staff spent this past weekend at Vision expo east (the east coast’s largest convention for new fashion eyewear styles and designs). In addition to getting new products from our current lines, Coach, Joseph Abboud, Harley Davidson, Izod, Fossil, Catherine Deneuve, Guess, Candies and Nine West to name a few, we are also happy to introduce the following lines to our optical collection – Kate Spade, Rampage and Liz Claiborne.

At Torrington Eyecare we know that you not only want to see well through your glasses, but you want to look good while you do it, so we are committed to staying current on new brands and fashion trends in the optical industry.

There is no easier way to change your appearance then with a new pair of glasses, so stop in today to try on a few pairs from our new collections and see the difference that fashion eyewear can make!

According to a study published on March 14 in Archives of Ophthalmology online:  “Women who consume fish regularly — and the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids found in that meal choice — have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).”  In a study encompassing some 38,000 women who were followed for about 10 years, researchers found that women “who consumed the greatest amount of one or both omega-3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA) were found to have a 38 percent lower risk of developing AMD compared with those women who consumed the least.”

“What’s more, women who ate one or more servings of fatty fish per week — mainly canned tuna and dark-meat fish — were 42% less likely to be diagnosed with AMD compared with women who ate fish less than once a month.”

Full article can be found here: http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/archophthalmol.2011.34

Note that no Men were involved in this study.  The results do not necessarily mean that only women benefit from this decreased risk, it simply means the male gender was not studied.

Now that you have read the article, what does it mean to you? It means that there is significant evidence that Omega 3 fish oils should be a part of your daily diet, whether you eat fish or choose to supplement your intake.

If you chose to supplement, please know that not all “fish oils” are created equally… Some of the inexpensive fish oils found in supermarkets and wholesale clubs are not pure uncontaminated pelagic fish oils in a triglyceride format.

There are only few companies that make the world’s best omega 3 fish oil supplements, and none of them are found in discount stores, grocery stores, or wholesale clubs. Some are found in health food stores or online.  From my vast experience with many companies and their product I can tell you that fish oils from a health food store are hit or miss and some online vendors are a waste of time and money.

I have however found one company that stands above the rest (Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals aka PRN).  They offer the world’s purest pelagic fish oils in a triglyceride format in many of their products.  Their notable products which relate to this article are their Eye Omega Advantage , Mom’s Omega Advantage , Womens Omega Benefits , and Dry Eye Omega Benefits.

I have sent many patients to this company (most people have great success) and in turn they have provided us with a coupon code to offer our patients 10% off their purchases at their online webstore .  In order to receive this discount please place the following code TorEyeCare10 in the coupon box or doctors name at checkout.

We hope you love your Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals and even better yet love the way they make you feel and see!

Previous studies have shown that approximately 40% of all diagnosed diabetics have some sort of diabetic retinopathy, and that diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults ages 20 to 74.

More recent studies have been aimed at trying to determine which factors contribute to the inception and progression of retinopathy in patients with diabetes. A study published on January 8, 2011 in the journal of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice has shown that there is a significant correlation in sight threatening diabetic retinopathy to patients that have a glycosolated hemoglobin (HbA1c) above 8%.

As a reference, an HbA1c of 8.0 is the equivalent of an estimated average blood glucose of 180. So, what does this mean for you or someone you know that is diabetic? It means that one of the keys to preserving your vision is to maintain stable, healthy levels of glucose in your blood. The best way to do this is obviously with diet, moderation, and exercising daily. The second best way is to have routine eye exams.

Although adults should have a yearly eye exam, whether they are diabetic or not, it is of utmost importance that you have a dilated retinal exam at least every 12 months if you currently have or previously have had an HbA1c reading of 8.0 or higher.

The doctors at Torrington Eyecare are highly trained in the detection and management of diabetic retinopathy as well as other ocular and retinal diseases. If caught early, there are treatment options available for diabetic retinopathy.

If you are diabetic, we urge you to make an appointment if your last exam was more than 12 months ago.

Give our friendly staff a call at 860-482-4439 to schedule an appointment today. We look forward to seeing you!

Please note that our office will be closed on Wednesday Feb. 2, 2011 due to ice and snow. If you have an appointment scheduled for 2/2/2011, a staff member will call you to reschedule. Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Our office will reopen on Thursday Feb. 3rd, 2011.

Here’s to an early spring!

Please note that Torrington Eyecare will be closed until 11AM on January 27th due to snow. If you have an appointment this morning a member of our staff will contact you to reschedule. Sorry for any inconvenience, and we hope to see you soon.

If you are looking for an Ophthalmologist, aka an eye surgeon, in Torrington (or Litchfield county for that matter), you have come to the right place. Not only does Torrington Eyecare offer you the very best in Optometric care, we also have a highly skilled Ophthalmologist in our office.

Duane Austin, M.D. specializes in the surgical correction of ocular diseases. A proficient cataract surgeon, Dr. Austin has made a name for himself throughout the state of CT for being friendly, accommodating, and understanding when it comes to the anticipation that is associated with ocular surgeries. If you have a skin tag on your eyelid, need sutures around the eye, or need a cataract consult, Dr. Austin would love to see you!

Call our office at 860-482-4439 today to schedule an appointment with one of friendly optometrists or ophthalmologists today.

Happy New Year! This year instead of making the same old new year’s resolution (you know the one: lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking, etc.), think about your eyes… Your eyes are one of the most important and most neglected part of most people’s body.

If you are a contact lens wearer, make a resolution that you will take them out every night, change them on the FDA recommended replacement schedule, use only recommended disinfection solutions, change your case every 3 months, and make sure you have your annual eye exam. Let’s make 2011 the year that we see no contact lens related corneal ulcers in our office!

If you are using over the counter readers as your only type of vision correction (or someone who is), make a resolution to get your eyes (or theirs) examined, after all $10 reading glasses do not keep you from getting GLAUCOMA, MACULAR DEGENERATION, CATARACTS, or RETINAL HOLES and TEARS (all of which can have no symptoms whatsoever).

Even if you are good about making your annual eye exams, and have an updated pair of glasses, you can still make a healthy sight resolution by pledging to get yourself a pair of prescription sunglasses to protect their eyes from the damaging UV rays of the sun.

We only get one set of eyes, so whatever 2011 brings, be sure to make them a priority this year.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Buon Natale,  Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy new year to all! No matter how you say it or how you celebrate it,the Doctors and Staff at Torrington Eyecare would like to wish all of our present, past, and future patients a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

Reminder: As the end of the year grows near, some people may have additional flex spending dollars to use or lose before the end of the year. There is no better way to get some bang for your buck than a new pair of designer eyeglasses, an annual supply of contact lenses, or a new pair of prescription sunglasses. Treat yourself or someone you love to the gift of sight… For those last minute flex accounts, our office will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday this week in order to accommodate you!

See You SOON!