Benefits of Eye Yoga

Our fast-paced life calls for a little bit of exercise to improve our health. Hours of full-body workouts at the gym often make us neglect our eye health and the prolonged use of digital displays could be doing more damage to our eyes than we imagine.

Today, Yoga is being practiced by people the world over and an exercise that was once practiced by a few is now gravitating towards becoming a fitness mantra. Regular practice of yoga helps in maintaining good health and improves the functioning of the organs. But did you know Yoga poses include exercises for your eyes as well? These are exercises that you could do right at your desk without having to move around and only requires a few minutes from your busy routine.

These 5 easy-to-do exercises can bring you so much comfort in the mid-afternoons when your
eyes feel sore and gritty:

1. Palming
   The energy created from rubbing your palms vigorously and placing them on your eyes
   brings some much needed comfort to your tired eyes. Regular practice will gradually
   reduce your dark circles.
2. Rotate Your Eyes
   Follow your breath while rotating your eyes. Sitting in a peaceful place, rotating your
   eyes while breathing in a rhythmic pattern will restore balance in your eye muscles.
3. Figure of Eight
   Imagining a giant figure 8 on the floor and tracing it both clockwise and anti-clockwise
   will improve your eye’s flexibility and control the physical movements of your eyes.
4. Stretch Your Eyes
   Diagonally moving your eyes right and left while focusing on what you see will keep your
   eye muscles strong and active.
5. Blinking
   Blinking 10-15 times and repeating the exercise 3 times can relieve you of dry eyes and
   nourish your eyes. This exercise in particular is important since we often forget to blink
   enough when we’re focused on digital screens.

Make a conscious effort to improve your eye health this Yoga Day, as doing the 5 exercises
mentioned above, will help improve your concentration, relieve you from an eye strain, calm
your mind, provide you comfort from dry eyes and lesser the chances of eye diseases.
Furthermore, paying a yearly visit to an Ophthalmologist will help you to discover and improve your eye conditions. If you are looking for a trusted eye doctor in Fresno, book an appointment with Insight Vision today.

How Often To Get Eye Exam?

According to recent reports by the CDC, approximately 14 million Americans aged 12 years and older have self-reported visual impairment defined as distance visual acuity of 20/50 or worse. That’s not all! Out of the estimated 61 million adults in the United States classified as being at high risk for serious vision loss, only half of them actually visited an ophthalmologist in the past 12 months! The reports also pointed out that more than 11 million Americans could have improved their vision with refractive correction had they visited an eye doctor on time!

Did You Know?

• Approximately 11% of Americans aged 20 years and older with diabetes had some form of visual impairment. Among those without diabetes, 5.9% had some form of Visual Impairment (VI).
• 3.4 million Americans aged 40 years and older are either blind or visually impaired.
• 1,600,000 Americans aged 50 years and older have age related macular degeneration.
• 5.3 million people aged 18 years and older have diabetic retinopathy.
• 20.5 million people have cataracts among Americans aged 40 years and older.
• 2.2 million people have glaucoma among Americans aged 40 years and older.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/

This only goes to show the importance of undergoing comprehensive eye exams regularly and how essential they are when it comes to preventing vision related problems! During a comprehensive eye exam, your ophthalmologist will not only check your eyes to determine if you need eyeglasses or contacts, but will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together and evaluate the condition of your eyes as per your age to test their overall health.

Such comprehensive eye exams include a number of tests and procedures to help your eye doctor examine and evaluate the health of your eyes and your vision quality. There are a variety of tests that can be performed to help your eye doctor make the right analysis. Tests range from simple ones, like reading an eye chart, to complex tests, such as using a high-powered lens to examine the health of the tissues inside your eyes.

Frequency of Eye Exams

While the frequency of undergoing eye-exams depends on an individual’s personal health, you must schedule an eye-exam every one to three years. Take a look at the recommended frequency levels of eye exams among children and adults of various age groups:

• Eye Exams for Children

  While most kids have their first eye exam around the time they start school or start to face vision problems, ophthalmologists recommend getting your babies eye checked after they’ve crossed the 6month mark, so if there are any persisting vision problems, they can be corrected well in time. This of course is highly dependent on the child’s personal health condition and vision problems. If the child’s eyes are in top shape, the ophthalmologist will automatically recommend a larger interval between all follow-up eye exams.

• Eye Exams for Adults

  In case of adults, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends an annual eye exam for any adult who wears eyeglasses or contacts. If not, you can extend the interval up to 2-3 years. Adults suffering with conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure are required to undergo eye exams more frequently as such conditions are capable of seriously affecting your vision. After crossing the 40-year mark, it is best to get your eyes checked every 2-3 years to check for age related eye problems like presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Here is a table outlining the preferred frequency of eye exams as you age:

While these are the recommended frequencies for eye exams, it is best to visit your eye doctor and get a first-hand opinion on how to plan your eye exams. Your ophthalmologist will also be able to better guide you about the type of eye exams available, their costs and other details related to health conditions which require regular eye-checkups. For those of you located in and around Fresno can contact Insight Vision Centre to learn more about the importance of eye-exams and ascertain what eye exam frequency works best for you!

6 Eye Relaxation Exercises That Actually Work to Improve Your Vision

With every passing year, the number of people suffering from vision problems is increasing exponentially due to different reasons that range from loss of flexibility of distance vision to aging vision. While the culprit is partly aging, a major reason is modern, sedentary lifestyle. Constant working on computers, binge-watching TV series, use of fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and lack of exercising – all of these habits exert additional strain on your eyes and cause blurry vision. So break your poor vision habits and start exercising for overall health because that will not only help you stay fit but also keep a number of eye diseases away.

Whether you want to prevent your eyesight from getting worse or don’t want to wear glasses in near future, following these 6 eye exercises will dramatically improve your vision:

1. Blink Your Eyes More Often
   Continued exposure to the TV screen and prolonged use of computer lead to dry eyes and dry eyes cause headaches, eye strain and blurry vision. When the eyes are absorbed in the screen, the blink rate drops from 20bpm to 6-8bpm. So the next time you feel the strain, start blinking and it will lubricate the eyes while refreshing your brain to process new visual data more efficiently.
2. Palm for Relaxed Vision
   This is a highly effective eye relaxation technique that you can use every time your eyes feel tired and worn. All you need to do is cup your hands over the socket of your eyes to create gentle pressure.
   Keep your eyes closed and stare into the dark space while staying focused on the distance. Hold the pressure till you see all the residual tones fade to black. This exercise will work to reset your vision, lubricate your eyes and allow your eyes to rest and relax. Do this exercise for at least 30 seconds and relieve the stress around your eyes.
3. Trace an Eight
   This eye exercise will increase the flexibility of your eye muscles and improve your vision. Visualize a gigantic 8 almost 10 feet away from you and turn it on its side. Now sketch it with your eyes slowly for a few minutes – first clockwise and then anticlockwise. Be perseverant with this and it will help maintain clear vision.
4. Roll Your Eyes
   Roll your eyes to the right and then slowly shift your gaze to the left. Keep doing the same thing but in opposite directions. Then move your gaze in different directions by looking from right to left and then up and down. You can also draw geometric figures with your gaze. Repeat the process for five to ten times.
5. Follow the 20-20-20 rule
   To keep your eyes from getting tired at work, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and focus on something that is located at least 20 feet away from you. This exercise helps prevent digital eye strain and eye damage in the long run.
6. Focus on Objects Near and Far
   People with glasses often get lethargic at gazing and this is a major reason they fail to maintain healthy vision. To do this exercise you need to take off your glasses and hold one of your thumbs close up and the other at your arm’s length. Start by focusing on your thumb held close up, followed by the one that’s at your arm’s length, then focus on something that is sitting across the room and finally on an object that is really far away like across the road. While you do this exercise make sure, all the four points are situated along the same line of sight so the change in focus in subtle. Spend 2 seconds on every object and try to obtain a clear image of every item.

Doing these eye exercises for several minutes every day will strengthen your eye muscles and improve your vision naturally but the best way to be really sure that your eyes stay healthy, is to visit an ophthalmologist regularly. Book an appointment with an ophthalmologist in Fresno today to find eye diseases early on and prevent long-term vision problems.

Are Women At Greater Risk of Age-Related Eye Health Problems?

It’s crucial to take care of your eyes at any point in life, but more so as you get older. It’s common knowledge that men and women are prone to developing common eye disorders and diseases with advancing age. However, research shows that the latter group may be at higher risk.

Let’s look at how age affects your eyes, how to maintain healthy vision for women, and why regularly visiting an ophthalmologist in Fresno (or your local area) is so important.

Women and Eye Health: What the Research Says

According to a study by Prevent Blindness, AMD or age-related macular degeneration is more common among women than men, as are glaucoma and cataracts. There are also more cases of visual impairment or blindness in American women over the age of 40 than men in the same age group.

However, women generally seem to be unaware of the threat:

• Fewer than 10% of women in America know that they are at a higher risk of developing vision loss than men.
• A whopping 86% of them believe the risk of permanent vision loss is equal for both men and women.
• In addition, 5% of women believe the risk is higher for men than it is for women.

Top 5 Reasons for Early Vision Loss in Women

Here’s why women could develop low vision earlier than men:

• Longevity – According to the statistics, women usually have a longer lifespan than men. Many eye diseases, including AMD, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy, are related to advancing age.
• Hormones – Women experience serious hormonal fluctuations more frequently than men, especially during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Hormonal changes have been linked to dry eye and other vision problems.
• Lifestyle – Eye health is affected by lifestyle choices such as obesity, nutrition, exercise and smoking. While these factors are not limited to women, obesity and poor diets are on the rise among the adult female population.
• Socio-Economic Factors – Early detection and treatment of eye problems is often key to preventing vision loss, but various social or economic factors affect access to quality eye health care for women.
• Medication – Women generally take more prescription and non-prescription drugs than men. Many of these can lead to vision changes, e.g. birth control pills and medication for hormone replacement.

Precautions and Tips to Prevent Eye Conditions

Here are some eye care tips to help you maintain better vision and eye health:

• Eye Tests – Visit an ophthalmologist for regular checkups, especially during pregnancy. Get a full dilated eye exam if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and are pregnant or planning a baby.
• Quit Smoking – Smoking seriously damages your health, and it can double the risk of AMD. It also makes you more prone to developing cataracts, which can only be corrected with eye surgery.
• Use Protection – Eye protection, that is. Sunglasses with 100% UV protection and wide-brimmed hats can reduce sun damage, but also use protective eyewear while swimming, using tools or playing sports.
• Cosmetic Safety – Make sure your face, hands and brushes are clean while applying eye makeup, and don’t ever share makeup or use expired products. Also ensure your hands are clean while putting in or removing contact lenses.
• Healthy Food & Exercise – Eat a balanced diet with plenty of antioxidant and Omega-3 rich foods for healthy eyes. Regular exercise will also help you maintain eye health and reduce the risk of diabetes-related vision loss.

We want you to enjoy healthy vision all your life, so follow our tips above and make an appointment with InSight Vision Center for a dilated eye exam today!

Eyes: A Crucial Window to Your Physical Health

Did you know that your eye health is a crucial indicator of your overall health? Ophthalmologists can through a comprehensive eye examination reveal a lot more about your physical health than just vision problems. Read here to know how.

• Cloudy Eye
  Cloudy eyes are symptoms of cataracts which causes clouding of the lens inside the eye. This condition can be corrected with a cataract surgery. Generally, older people develop cataracts. However, if young people develop cataracts it may be an indication of either diabetes, tumors or any side effects of certain medications.
• Blurred Vision
  Blurred or unclear vision may be a sign of diabetes. If it isn’t controlled well, it may further result in diabetic retinopathy – a condition in which tiny blood vessels in your eyes leak certain fluids and blood.
• Abnormal Blood Vessels in Retina
  If you suffer from high blood pressure, the minute blood vessels in the retina twist and kink. In a condition called as A-V nicking, the retinal veins develop dents in their normal shape. This indicates a high risk of a deadly stroke.
• Sudden Instances of Blurry Vision
  Abrupt loss of vision may be a sign of irregular blood flow to your eye or your brain. Even if your vision goes back to normal quickly, it might still be a warning sign of the initial phase of a migraine or a stroke. Immediate medical attention is advisable in such cases so as to prevent any serious damage to your health.
• Yellowish Eyes
  Yellowish eyes and skin are indicative of jaundice. This means you may have liver problems caused by increased levels of bilirubin produced by your liver when it is damaged or inflamed. Chronic alcohol abuse, infection, cancer, improper dietary habits are some of the common reasons for liver damage.
• Night Blindness
  If you are experiencing difficulty in seeing in low light like at night, you may be suffering from night blindness. It may be indicative of cataracts or poor vision which may be corrected with the help of prescription glasses. It may also indicate a deficiency of Vitamin A in your body. Add superfoods that are rich in Vitamin A to your diet such as carrots, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, etc.
• Dry Eyes
  Various factors are responsible for causing dry eyes – hormonal changes, environment or the amount of time you spend staring at digital screens. If you spend hours staring at your laptop, smartphone or any other kind of digital screens, your eyes are at a greater risk of developing digital eye strain. Your eyes become dry, irritated and red if you don’t blink for a long time. Certain forms of arthritis are also linked with dry eyes.
• White Spots on Cornea
  Those who wear contact lenses are at a greater risk of developing corneal ulcers. White spots on the cornea are one of the most prominent symptoms. As a contact lens wearer, your risk of developing white spots on your cornea increases if you often sleep with your contacts on. Ask our vision experts about Lasik eye surgery. It is an almost painless vision correction surgery which will help you see your best without the hassles of prescription glasses or contact lenses.

Your eye doctor can help you determine more about your physical well-being than just the right set of prescription glasses or contacts. Most symptoms which affect your eyes and physical health may be visible to you, but there are some which can only be identified by an eye doctor. In a nutshell, your eyes reveal a lot about your overall physical well being. Hence, it is crucial that you get your eyes checked periodically.

We at InSight Vision Center in Fresno, CA are more than happy to help you with any eye health-related problems or queries. Give us a call to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive eye check up today.

All You Need to Know About the Dry Eye Syndrome

A majority of us are guilty of ignoring sore and irritated eyes. While the ‘staying fit’ wave has engulfed most of us, eye health remains the most neglected aspect of our physical fitness. Sore, painful and red eyes may all be indicators of a more serious problem other than mere eye strain. They may be indicators of the Dry Eye Syndrome.

Dry eye syndrome is a condition whereby the tear ducts don’t produce enough tears to retain the normal level of lubrication. This eye health issue is related to dehydration because the eyes lose their ability to make tears. An adequate and consistent layer of tears on the surface of eyes is vital for the normal functioning of your eyes. If neglected for long, this may turn into a chronic syndrome.

Let’s understand the various symptoms, treatment options and how you can prevent this eye health issue with the help of some simple yet effective tips.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

• Sore Eyes
• Pain and irritation in the eyes
• Burning or a constant urge to scratch
• Redness
• Light sensitivity
• Watery eyes
• Blurred vision
• Problems in wearing contact lenses

Treatment Options

Here are some of the dry eye treatments which your eye doctor might prescribe:

• Use of OTC artificial tear solutions can help manage mild cases of dehydrated eyes. Choose preservative-free solutions as they contain minimal additives which can irritate your eyes. It is however the least effective of all the dry eye treatments and you may need to supplement it with additional options to completely treat dehydrated eyes.
• Conserving tears is another treatment option which can help reduce the symptoms of dry eyes. The tear ducts are blocked temporarily or permanently depending on the severity of your case to retain the available tears in the eyes for a longer period thus reducing the dryness in your eyes.
• You may also be prescribed eye drops which boost tear production.
• If you are suffering from ocular surface inflammation, your ophthalmologist might prescribe ointments, warm compress, eye drops, eyelid cleaners or lid massage which helps reduce the inflammation.

Tips for Prevention

Here are some simple yet effective tips to help prevent your eyes from drying out.

• The simplest solution is to drink plenty of water. This will avoid dehydration and in turn keep your eyes from drying out.
• Make a conscious effort to blink more frequently. This is crucial especially for those who work with digital screens. Blinking less results in or worsens the dry eye syndrome.
• Take frequent breaks while working on digital screens for long hours. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 seconds look away from your screen and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will help protect your eyes from digital strain.
• Always wear good quality sunglasses when stepping out in the sun. This will protect your eyes from dry winds and harmful UV rays. Give preference to the wrap-style frames as these will give maximum protection against wind, dust and any other irritants which may cause or make the dry eye syndrome worse.
• In terms of nutrition, you can add fish such as salmon and sardines to your diet. The nutrients in fish oil can help relieve dry eyes.
• Make it a point to clean your eyelids when you wash your face before going to bed. You can use a warm compress or pre-moistened eyelid wipes available in the market to clean away the bacteria that may cause meibomian gland problems which leads to the dry eye syndrome.
• Those who wear contact lenses need to be more careful as it may be difficult to gauge whether the dry eye condition is causing contact lens discomfort or the lenses are causing dry eyes. So, if you are wearing contacts and experience dry eyes, its best to discontinue wearing them while your eye treatment is in progress. You can also ask your eye doctor for Lasik eye surgery. It’s an almost painless vision correction surgery which helps you see your best.

If you too are experiencing blurred vision or other symptoms of dry eye since long now, get in touch with us at InSight Vision Center in Fresno, CA, today. Our team of professionals will help you with every query and vision related problem you might have.

10 Changes You Must Make in Your Routine for Great Eye Health

Your organs tend to get weaker and lose their functionality as you age, and eyesight is no exception to this rule. As you grow older and your eyesight weakens, it becomes susceptible to infections, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degenerative eye diseases. Though we’re aware of this fact, what we don’t realize is that our habits also affect our eye health significantly.

Here are 10 simple changes you must make in your daily routine if you want to improve your eye health:

1. Eat These Foods for Better Eye Health


A balanced diet is essential for good eye health. These 5 diet tips can help keep your eyes healthy:

• Make sure you are consuming enough of fiber and whole grains. These foods give you the goodness of vitamin E, niacin and zinc. All these nutrients help you fight cataracts and AMD.
• Include fresh fruits and dark green vegetables in your diet. They are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, which can help reduce free radical damage and fight the effects of dry eyes.
• It’s essential to stay hydrated to avoid dry eyes, which may cause problems like cataracts and vision problems.
• Omega-3 fatty acids are good for eye health as they help prevent dry eyes, macular degeneration, and even cataracts. Cold-water fish like salmon, or tuna, and vegetarian supplements with black currant seed oil or flaxseed oil are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
• High sodium can increase the risk of dry eyes and cataracts, so keep the salt in your food to a minimum.
2. Keep Your Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Glucose Levels in Check


Heart disorders and cardio-vascular diseases greatly increase the risk of low vision because your heart health affects the blood vessels in your eyes, resulting in retinopathy.

To protect your eyes from the irreversible damage caused by increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, it is important that you take your prescribed medicines on time and follow the recommended precautionary measures that control your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

3. Wear Protective Eye Wear


Whether you are stepping out in the sun, sitting in front of the computer screen, going for a swim or playing contact sports – wearing appropriate protective eyewear is crucial. Choose good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays. UV rays can cause problems like cataracts, cornea burns, and even cancer of the eyelid.

Also, protective and appropriate eye gear is recommended for swimmers and those who are actively involved in sports such as basketball, baseball etc., to avoid eye infections, low vision, and injury.

4. Quit Smoking


The ill effects of smoking are well known. But did you know that smoking can be detrimental to your eye health? If you smoke, you are at a greater risk of developing eye diseases like cataracts or macular degeneration.

Besides, smoking also builds up plaque in your bloodstream and weakens arteries, which not only increases the risk of a heart attack but also damages your retina and may result in low vision.

5. Limit Exposure to Digital Screens


From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, our eyes are exposed to digital screens for long hours. This puts excessive strain on your eyes and causes blurry vision, dry eyes and headaches. Over a period of time, your eye health gradually deteriorates, resulting in low vision.

To avoid these ill effects caused by digital eye strain, you should work on limiting the period you spend staring at digital screens and give your eyes some rest at regular intervals. You can follow a helpful technique called the 20-20-20 rule where every 20 minutes you need to focus at something that is at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. This rule will not only protect your eyes from the adverse effects of digital strain but also help you prevent low vision in the long-term.

6. Get Regular Eye Exams


Regular eye checkups are of utmost importance. This will help your ophthalmologist diagnose eye diseases and related problems such as myopia and cataract at the initial phase itself. Early detection helps the doctor prescribe timely and appropriate treatment for healthy eyes. Also, regular eye exams can help your eye doctor identify early signs of eye diseases like glaucoma that otherwise have no visible symptoms.

7. Get Adequate Sleep


A good night’s sleep can do a world of good to your eye health. Those who stay up late, often complain of eye pain the next day. This is because the muscles of your eyes also need adequate relaxation. Adequate sleep helps release the stress of your eye muscles. So, ensure that you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

8. Maintain Proper Eye Hygiene


Eye hygiene becomes more crucial for those who wear contacts and eye makeup. Always ensure that you clean your hands and your contact lenses with appropriate solution to protect your eyes. You should never sleep with your contacts or eye makeup on. Also, never use expired cosmetics.

Avoid rubbing your eyes as they can transfer diseases from your hands to your eyes, and leave you more vulnerable to eye infections.

9. Avoid Poor Lighting


Underlighted settings can cause immense strain on your eyes and lead to dryness and irritation in your eyes. Make sure you have ample of light when you are reading or working on a computer screen for long durations.

10. Exercise Regularly for Eye Health


Almost every one of us is well versed with the benefits of exercising regularly. It promotes overall physical as well as mental health. However, few of us know that regular exercise does wonders for the vision also. Exercising daily for only half an hour boosts blood and oxygen flow to your entire body including the eyes which in turn improves eye health and protects your eyes from low vision and eye diseases.

In order to keep your eye health at its best, watch out for any changes in vision as you get older. If you’re experiencing blurriness, double vision, loss of night vision, eye pain, headaches or other discomforts, see an ophthalmologist at the earliest.

Our vision experts at InSight Vision Center in Fresno, CA will help you learn more about what you can do to maintain healthy eyes.

6 Essential Eye Health Tips for Protecting Your Child’s Vision

A healthy vision is essential for the development of every child. A weak vision or eye problems will affect a child’s learning ability and personality, in addition to changing his/her ability to tackle school work. The next time you take your child for a health check-up, make sure you include eye tests too.

Here are a few common eye problems in children:

Amblyopia

Also known as ‘lazy eye,’ amblyopia is poor vision in an eye that appears to be normal. Crossed eyes and different refractive errors between both eyes cause amblyopia. It should ideally be treated before the age of 8, after which it can cause irreversible visual loss in the affected eye.

Strabismus

Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object. If detected early, the vision can be restored by patching the properly aligned eye, forcing the misaligned eye to work. It can be corrected through surgery or specially designed glasses too.

Refractive errors

When the shape of the eye doesn’t refract the light properly, images will appear blurred. Refractive errors can also cause amblyopia. Common refractive errors include:

• Nearsightedness: Also called myopia, nearsightedness is poor distance vision when you can’t see things that are at a distance.
• Farsightedness: When you have trouble seeing close objects, it’s called farsightedness or hyperopia.
• Astigmatism: This causes an imperfect curvature of the front surface of the eye, which makes the objects appear either ‘stretched’ or ‘shrunk.’

Prevention is better than cure, so it’s best to catch problems when they are in their nascent stage and prevent eye problems before they happen. Here are a few essential tips for helping your child develop and maintain healthy vision:

Watch for Warning Signs

A child may not recognize eye problems, so look out for signs of vision impairment. Visit an eye doctor if your child is squinting, rubbing eyes excessively, closing one eye, or tilting their head while reading or watching TV, sitting too close to electronic screens or holding books closer than usual, etc.

Encourage Proper Eye Care

Help your little one develop good eye care habits at a young age. Teach them to wash their hands often and avoid touching or rubbing their eyes. Wearing protective eyewear, especially while playing sports, working with tools, and swimming, is another good habit.

Avoid Digital Eye Strain

Children have started using digital screens as much as adults. Digital eye strain can cause a plethora of eye problems. Try and delay your child’s exposure to digital screens or keep them restricted to educational purposes. Try and limit the use of digital screens, especially at night.

Schedule Regular Eye Exams

You should take your child to see an eye doctor regularly even if they don’t seem to have eye problems or their school conducts vision screenings. In most cases, symptoms of eye disease or vision problems don’t become apparent right away, and school eye tests may not be thorough.

Upgrade Their Diet

Ensure that your kid is eating a balanced diet. Nutrition is crucial for eye health, especially vitamins A, C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids.
A balanced diet boosts vision development, as well as preventing obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, which can affect eye health.

Send Them Outdoors

Playing outdoors instead of being stuck to the TV or computer can help your child’s vision in more than one way. First, it reduces near point stress and digital eye strain. Second, exposure to differing proximities and colors in natural light helps kids develop and exercise their visual senses.
Just make sure they wear sunglasses with 99-100% UV protection outside since excessive UV exposure can lead to eye damage.

Get Protective Eye Wear

Sports are fun, but they can also expose your child to all manner of injuries, especially eye injury. Please encourage them to wear protective goggles or helmet-mounted face shields during contact sports, as well as swimming goggles to protect against chlorine and germs when they’re in the pool. If your child has other hobbies such as wood shop, get the right eyewear to keep them safe.

Encourage Proper Rest – Your child may spend most of their time hitting the books or working on the computer when the school year gets underway, but they need proper rest too. For healthy eyes, please encourage them to sleep well, step outdoors for fresh air and exercise, take frequent breaks while reading and using digital screens, and blink often. If their eyes get enough rest, there’s a lower risk of eye strain, dry eye, blurred vision, headaches, backaches, and more.

Can LASIK Surgery Help Children with Vision Problems?

Many parents wonder whether LASIK eye surgery is safe for children and whether it offers any benefits for developing eyes. Eye surgery should only be performed after your child turns 18, especially elective vision correction procedures such as LASIK.

Mostly this is because a child’s vision may change as they grow, countering the effects of laser eye surgery. In severe cases of vision deterioration, however, LASIK surgery could help your child enjoy clear eyesight and normal development. An experienced eye doctor can help you determine if this is the right choice.

If you want to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for your child or a consultation for LASIK in Fresno, contact Insight Vision Center today!

Celebrate Diabetes Awareness Month the Right Way – Get Your Eyes Checked Today

Why is Diabetes Awareness Necessary?

Did you know diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States?
According to the 2017 Diabetes Statistics Report released by the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), there are about 30.3 million people with diabetes that equals to almost 9.4% of the US population. The numbers for pre-diabetes indicate that 84.1 million adults (33.9% of the adult U.S. population) have pre-diabetes, including 23.1 million adults aged 65 years or older.

Why Is It So Important To Detect Diabetes Early?

It is important to treat diabetes as soon as possible, because if it is left untreated, diabetes can result in a host of other problems, one of those being permanent blindness. It increases the risk of contracting other eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma as well. When detected in time, with the help of appropriate treatment and care, the risk of vision loss and other related diseases can be reduced by almost 95%.

Why Eye Exams Are Important For People Suffering from Diabetes?

Many a times, underlying health conditions are often detected through eye exams, thus making regular eye exams extremely important. One of the most common misconceptions about eye exams is that your eye doctor is only testing your sight. However, that isn't always the case. An eye exam allows the doctor to assess your eyes and identify irregularities. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, it becomes all the more important to get routine eye exams as it can reduce your chances of facing vision-related problems in the future.

What Type of Eye Exam Should I Undergo?

You must get a comprehensive eye exam, where the doctor not only tests your sight, but also checks your eyes for abnormalities such as retina fluid or blood drops. This type of eye exam is done using a high-powered microscope to examine the tiny structures inside your eyes, which also include a closer look at your blood vessels, optic nerves, and other complex eye structures to check for damage due to diseases like diabetes. By analyzing these sections of your eye, your eye doctor will then be able to gauge the overall health of your eyes and provide additional consultation options depending on the results.

How often should I have my eyes examined?

While it is advisable to get your eyes checked every two years, you may need to increase the frequency depending on your personal medical history. For instance, people over 40 are particularly susceptible to developing eye conditions such as glaucoma. Apart from regular eye check-ups, you must also make it a point to visit your eye doctor if you face any vision-related problems.

Take Action Now

So, this November, as a part of National Diabetes Month, the eye doctors at Insight Vision Center in Fresno, California urge you to make a pledge to get regular eye exams and encourage your friends and families as well, so we can all work together and help raise awareness against diabetes. By encouraging people to get regular eye exams, not only will you help them protect their vision, but also help increase awareness about the disease and its impact. If you want to schedule a comprehensive eye check-up for you and your family, simply call us on +559-449- 5050 to book an appointment right away!

How to Protect Your Vision if You Have Diabetes

According to a study conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three people with diabetes, who are older than age 40 already, have some signs of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes. Studies also found that patients with diabetes are also twice as likely to develop Glaucoma and cataracts. This happens because elevated sugar levels in your body lead to a higher amount of blood glucose, thus putting your eye at risk. If you are suffering from diabetes, then you must take a look at the following methods and protect yourself and your vision from the ill-effects of this disease:

1. Control Your Blood Sugar
   A spike in blood sugar can affect the shape of your eye’s lens, causing blurry vision, and once the blood sugar level stabilizes, it goes back to normal. However, you must be vary of such rises in blood sugar levels as it can damage the blood vessels in your eyes. You can keep a check on your blood sugar levels by taking the A1C every 3-4 months to determine how well-controlled your diabetes has been during that period.
2. Maintain Your Blood Pressure
   If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, there is also a high chance of suffering from high blood pressure. High blood pressure is also harmful too your eyes, as a rise in blood pressure around your eyes can also cause blood vessel damage. In fact, the combination of high blood pressure and the presence of high blood sugar can seriously affect your vision. So, take all the necessary precautions to keep your blood pressure in check to avoid any long-term damage to your vision.
3. Change Your Lifestyle
   With diabetes comes the need to control your diet and regulate the kind of foods you eat. And considering the risk diabetes puts to your health, a lifestyle change is required. In order to contain the effects of diabetes on your body and your eyes, follow a nutrient rich diet regime that can provide you with all the necessary vitamins and supplements to keep your health at its best. And to further the benefits of your diet, be sure to complement it with some simple exercises. This will automatically boost your cardiovascular health, thus ensuring your blood vessels are well-protected.
4. Schedule Comprehensive Dilated Exams Annually
   Scheduling regular comprehensive dilated eye exams is the most important thing you can do to protect your vision against diabetic eye diseases. Since many eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy have no visible signs in its early stages, such eye examinations work as important tools for disease prevention and control. During the exam, your eye doctor will carefully examine the retina and optic nerve of your eye for signs of damage. And by carrying out this exercise regularly, your ophthalmologist will be able to immediately identify signs of damage, allowing him to begin treatment accordingly.

   Apart from this, you can also make a note of your vision on a daily basis. This way if you notice anything out of the ordinary, you can quickly schedule an eye exam and receive the necessary help. If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you will have some vision abnormalities as the medication you are taking affects the glucose levels in your body, thus impacting your vision. However, if you are facing prolonged bouts of blurred vision, it might be a signal for help. Vision issues faced during your diabetes treatment can be contained by ensuring regular check-ups and eye exams.

   If you have been facing any vision related side-effects, call InSight Vision Center Fresno, CA on +559-449-5050 to contact our team of professionals and schedule your eye exam today!