Sea View Optometric Center Blog

At first glance, “color blindness” (more accurately described as “color vision deficiency”) is more of a quirky happenstance than a real problem. However, when one considers how many color cues we must pay attention to in order to successfully navigate our personal and professional lives, the inability to distinguish certain colors presents itself as no small matter. While it is very rare that a person does not see any color at all (achromatopsia), some people do not realize that they see colors incorrectly until they undergo an eye exam. The inability to distinguish colors is almost always hereditary, but color deficiency may also result from retinal disease or other eye disorders or be a side effect of certain medications.

There is no cure for inherited color deficiency. People learn to distinguish colors in other ways and/or may use tinted glasses.

In the first place, it is very necessary to point out that glaucoma does not often come with symptoms that are readily noticeable to those with eye disease. It is therefore essential to undergo regular comprehensive eye exams. If glaucoma is diagnosed, it is then important to exercise particular care while moving around because recent research indicates that people with glaucoma are at increased risk for falls. When researchers followed glaucoma patients for one year, they found that 44% of them fell at least once. Nearly one-third of those who fell were injured, although not seriously. It seems that the individuals studied had particular problems with vision loss that prevented them from seeing their feet. Extra caution is urged.

The real tragedy surrounding the vision loss that accompanies glaucoma is that it is entirely preventable with early diagnosis and treatment.

It was once thought that only one in 20 preschool children had a vision problem. Now, two large studies recently funded by the National Institutes of Health reveals that one in four preschoolers may have vision disorders such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, crossed eyes (strabismus), and “lazy eye” (amblyopia). While the first three on this list are refraction errors that can be simply treated with corrective lenses, strabismus and amblyopia can result in permanent vision loss if not treated early enough. Even refractive errors pose some adverse consequences if they are pronounced and impede learning. With all this in mind, parents have good reason to schedule a comprehensive eye exam early in their children’s lives.

Over time, nearsightedness (myopia) left uncorrected can lead to abnormal lengthening of the eye, which can lead to eye disease.

Seniors over the age of 65  who enroll for Medicare  are supposed to receive visual acuity screening (using the familiar Snellen “E” chart) as part of a preventive health check. The trouble with this screening tool is that a recent study says that visual acuity screening is hardly better than no screening at all when it comes to identifying eye problems. Instead, researchers suggest that it be replaced with a “dilated eye exam,” which they say would be more cost-effective. A dilated eye exam involves placing drops in the eyes that dilate (widen) the pupils so that the eye professional can get a better look at the eye’s inner structures. This type of eye exam is valuable at any age.

A dilated eye exam is useful in identifying optic nerve damage linked with glaucoma and retinal damage associated with diabetic retinopathy.