Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the measures used to determine obesity. It is a ratio of a person’s height and weight. While it is not the only measure use to diagnose obesity, it along with increased waist size can be a very useful predictor of risk for many serious medical conditions that can cause morbidity, blindness and possible death. Calculate your BMI online.

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 indicates you are overweight. A BMI between 30 and 39.9 indicates obesity whereas a BMI above 40 indicates morbid obesity. A waist size greater than 40 in men and 35 in women also indicates obesity.

Individuals with an elevated BMI are at increased for: Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Attack, Stroke, Sleep Apnea and Cancer. An elevated BMI increases the risk for heart attack by 70%, and there is a 4000% greater chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Some studies show that patients with a BMI over 40 who cannot lose weight through diet or exercise should be counseled on bariatric weight loss surgery.

So what does all of this have to do with your eyes?

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. An estimated 21 million people have diabetes and 40% of people ages 40-74 are pre-diabetic. Diabetic retinopathy afflicts 4.1 million people. Elevated blood sugars damage the internal lining of the blood vessels which cause damage and eventually closure of the vessels with resultant tissue death. This occurs all throughout the body. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of this process, which causes retinal damage, possibly leading to blindness. Most diabetics can prevent diabetic retinopathy with good blood sugar control, diet and exercise. One of the tests your doctor will perform is a blood test called a hemoglobin A1c, which is an estimate of your blood sugar over the past 3 months. A value of less than 6.5% significantly reduces the risk of retinopathy and vision loss. Your physician can develop a treatment strategy to safely reduce you blood sugar to attain these levels if possible.

It is important for diabetic patients to have an annual eye exam to determine if diabetic retinopathy is present, as early detection can lead to treatments that can help slow down the progression of the retinal disease. Along with a thorough eye examination we can utilize our state of the art technologies of: digital retinal photography, and ocular coherence tomography to detect early changes that may be occurring. Our eye doctors will send a report to your physician describing if any diabetic retinopathy is present and refer you to a retinologist is any treatment is necessary.

If you have an elevated BMI please see your medical doctor. They can counsel you on your options of diet, exercise, and surgery to reduce your BMI and improve your overall health and risk of diseases. If you are diabetic please make sure you have an annual eye examination to determine if any treatment is necessary to prevent serious vision loss.

Dr. Bob Hammond
Optometrist
Johnson Optometric Associates

The warehouse and construction sites aren’t the only places that people experience eye damage. The burden of staring at a computer screen for hours on end for days at a time won’t cause permanent eye damage but can cause extreme discomfort, dryness of the eye, and headaches. It’s just as important to take the proper steps for maintaining good eye health while working in an office as it is in the factory. Workers that encounter these symptoms are often considered to be suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome.

What Causes Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)?

Human beings naturally blink approximately 18 times a minute. Research studies show, however, that we blink half that amount while using computers and other digital media (such as tablets and smart phones). This is true whether we are at work or play. The rise of mobile technology more than doubles the risk for CVS, as now portable and mobile device use in the home is a staple of society. Prolonged reading, writing, and strenuous “near work” are also causes of eye strain.

How Do You Prevent Computer Vision Syndrome at work?

• Sit approximately two feet from the computer screen and adjust the screen so that your eye gaze is slightly downward.
• Minimize glare from the screen as much as possible by using proper lighting in your work area; invest in a screen filter if necessary.
• Stick a Post-It note that says “BLINK!” on your computer screen as a reminder to yourself to keep your eyes lubricated naturally.
• Set the alarm on your phone at 20 minutes internals. Take that time to shift your eyes away from your computer screen and look at an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds.
• Use eye drops to refresh your eyes if you notice they feel dry.
• Consider increasing the font size you use on your computer.

Other Things To Avoid To Steer Clear Of Computer Vision Syndrome: 

• Sleep Deprivation – A lack of sleep is a sure-fire way to cause eye irritation. During sleep our eyes get a long period of time to rest and they are replenished by vital nutrients. Especially for contact lens wearers, ongoing eye irritation may lead to swelling and infection.
• Improper Contact Lens Use – It is imperative that you use and care for your contact lenses properly when using a computer or digital screen often. This helps to avoid eye irritation and a myriad of other vision problems.

If you have never had a problem with your vision due to prolonged computer or digital screen use at work, now is a perfect time to take steps toward making sure that you never experience it. If you are experiencing discomfort, irritation, or headaches at work, it may be worth putting some of these tips into practice. After doing so, if the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome persist, consult your local Johnson Optometric Associates eye doctor. Make an appointment for your next annual comprehensive eye exam today. We look forward to seeing you.

Voted best optometric practice in southwest Wake County, the eye doctors and optical staff of Johnson Optometric Associates are proud to provide quality eye care and comprehensive eye exams to Fuquay-Varina, Garner and surrounding NC communities.

Watch this video to SEE what makes Johnson Optometric the best eye care practice in North Carolina! For even more wacky music videos, subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/JohnsonEye

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Eye injuries in the workplace are extremely common. They are far more common than you may realize. Hopefully these little known facts may drive you to take extra precaution concerning eye safety while at work.

1. Every day, over 2,000 workers are treated for eye injuries in the United States. That amounts to more than 43 eye injuries per second in just the USA!
2. Men are 81% more likely to encounter an occupational eye injury than women.
3. 70% of all workplace facial injuries involve one or both eyes.
4. The five industries with the most workplace eye injuries are: manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, the services industry, construction, and mining.
5. 26% of eye injuries are due to exposure to harmful substances at work.
6. Approximately $300 million are lost each year due to medical bills and compensation for eye related injuries.
7. 90% of eye injuries are deemed highly preventable.
8. Nearly 40% of work-related eye injuries happen in offices, healthcare facilities, labs, and like environments.
9. 10-20% of all workplace eye injuries will result in temporary or permanent vision loss.
10. The average time off work for an eye injury is 2 days.

If you encounter a workplace eye injury, be sure to follow the appropriate steps to treat eye injuries based on your industry. Guidelines and policy for eye safety should be easily accessible. If that information is not readily available, bring it to the attention of your manager or supervisor. If irritation or inflammation persists after you’ve taken the proper steps, seek immediate medical attention. Be sure to ask your local Johnson Optometric Associates eye doctor about workplace eye safety at your next visit for a comprehensive eye exam.

Want clear, 20/20 vision but apprehensive about LASIK? A new technology on the market allows you to enjoy the benefits of clear vision throughout the day without contact lenses or eyewear!

Orthokeratology is referred to as “Ortho K” or “CRT” which stands for “Corneal Refractive Therapy”, and is a great option for patients with nearsightedness (myopia). Clear vision is achieved by gently reshaping the front surface of the cornea. This is accomplished using special oxygen permeable contact lenses, which are worn while you sleep. Each morning you remove the contact lenses and have clear vision throughout the day, without the hassle of contacts or glasses. Each night the contact lenses are inserted prior to going to bed. Do not worry, vision is also clear with the lenses in. With the eyes open, Ortho-K lenses are typically less comfortable than soft contact lenses, but this is not as noticeable when the eyes are closed.

Once your eye doctor determines the correct lenses for your eyes, it can take up to 2 weeks to reach the full effect of the lenses. However, this is maintained as long as the patient continues to wear the lenses on a nightly basis. The visual acuity goal is 20/20, and a majority of patients reach 20/20 by the 2-week mark.

This technology provides an excellent non-surgical alternative to LASIK. A patient’s prescription tends to vary year to year until around age 21. LASIK is usually not performed until patients are out of their “teens”, because LASIK is a permanent procedure. However, young children can be fit with Ortho-K lenses assuming they are responsible to handle the lenses properly. Although, Ortho-K has been shown to slow myopia progression in children, if progression does occur, a simple lens change is all that is needed to correct the change in vision. Upon discontinuing overnight wear, the cornea will return to its original shape within a few days. This makes Ortho-K a great option for young teenagers not wanting to worry with contacts or glasses during the day. Because of the reversibility of Ortho-K, LASIK is still an option for these patients later in life.

Another group of patients who should consider Ortho-K include people working in dusty or dirty environments. Bacteria and dust particles can attach to soft contact lenses and cause infections and/or discomfort while at work. Ortho-K eliminates this risk because the lenses are only worn while sleeping.

If you are frustrated with your current contact lenses or apprehensive about LASIK, contact your eye doctor at Johnson Optometric for further information about Ortho-K.

Dr. Barrett Martin,
Optometrist, Johnson Optometric Associates
Serving Fuquay-Varina, NC and Garner, NC

First things first: Seek medical attention as soon as possible following an eye injury, especially if you experience blurred vision, eye pain, impairment or loss of vision and/or peripheral vision.

Whether at work, school, or home there should always be a first aid kit and easily accessible emergency procedure that can and should be taken until medical assistance is available. When you go back to work or school make sure you know where this important information is. If you can’t locate it, bring it to the attention of your manager, supervisor or teacher for your safety and the safety of everyone else.

Here are a few vital “to do’s” in the case of an eye injury:

If you get debris, dirt or particles in your eye:

• Be sure not to rub the eyes.
• Try your best to let your tears wash the speck out of your eye. If that doesn’t work, irrigate the eye with eye drops.
• Try to lift and pull the upper eyelid outward and down over the lower eyelid to remove the particle physically.
• If you are not able to remove the particle or you are unable to wash the debris free, close the eye, bandage it lightly and seek medical care immediately.

If you receive a blow to your eye:

• To reduce pain and swelling, locate a cold compress and, without pressure, apply it on the eye as quickly as possible. In lieu of a compress, crushed ice in a plastic bag can be used instead.
• Seek immediate medical care in cases of severe pain, double vision, reduced vision, or vision loss.

If you receive a cut or puncture to your eye or eyelid:

• Absolutely DO NOT wash the eye.
• Under no circumstances should you attempt to remove an object that has become stuck in your eye.
• As best you can, cover the injured eye with something firm to shield it from further injury.
• Seek immediate medical attention.

If you get chemicals in your eye:

• Immediately place the eye under a faucet or shower and flush the eye with water for at least 15 minutes. If necessary use a garden hose, bottled water, or pour water into the eye from a clean container.
• If you are contact lens wearer, do not remove the lenses. Begin flushing the eye immediately. You may lose a lens but you’ll potentially be saving an eye.
• Absolutely DO NOT try to neutralize the chemical with any other substance.
• Do not fix a bandage on the eye.
• After flushing, seek immediate medical attention.

If you do encounter an eye injury, these steps will be helpful in preventing harmful or permanent damage to your eye. Again, guidelines and policy for eye safety should be easily accessible. If that information is not readily available, bring it to the attention of your manager, supervisor or teacher. After you’ve taken the proper steps in regard to your type of eye injury, seek immediate medical attention. Be sure to ask your local Johnson Optometric Associates eye doctor about workplace eye safety at your next visit for a comprehensive eye exam.

Although at the current time there is no cure for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), there are steps that can be taken to lessen the risk of developing the condition.  Some of these things you should be doing anyway. Perhaps knowing that you’re not only enhancing your vision health but also taking steps to avoid AMD will help drive impactful lifestyle changes.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The Journal of Nutrition reports an association between high omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels and a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in older men and women. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in foods such as salmon, trout, tuna and sardines. Here’s a little more information on omega-3 fatty acids.

Don’t Smoke or At Least Smoke Less

Research shows that smoking increases the risk of developing Age-related Macular Degeneration. There is nothing good that can come from smoking! That’s nothing new though. Most people don’t know however, that the risk is dose dependent, meaning that the more you smoke the higher your risk for developing AMD and the faster the condition progresses once you have it.

AMD Loves Inactivity

Reports say that individuals with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 are 2.5 times more likely to develop Age-related Macular Degeneration. Along with counteracting obesity, regular physical activity and staying at a healthy weight improves blood flow to the eyes.

Eat Green

Eat plenty of dark, leafy green vegetables, such as raw spinach. A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who consumed vegetables rich in carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin had a 43% lower risk of developing AMD than those who ate far less of these foods. Try and up your intake by eating a half of a cup of raw spinach three times a week (it’s also really good in fruit shakes/smoothies).

Get Regular Eye Exams

Age-related Macular Degeneration is no different than any other condition in that the earlier a person is aware of their condition the better off they are. AMD is most commonly diagnosed by a comprehensive eye exam. So make sure to schedule your annual eye exam with your local Johnson Optometric Associates eye doctor for you and your family members today!

We look forward to serving you at one of our great locations in Fuquay-Varina and Garner, NC.

Andrew May, OD
Johnson Optometric Associates

In our continued quest to provide our patients with the best in eye care and service, we are proud to announce that we are now an approved provider of the NC Vision Discount Plan and that starting in March we will also be open on Saturdays! These changes come to our business in a time when our patients need them most.

With changes in healthcare, many residents in North Carolina are experiencing financial pressure and changes with their insurance plan and coverage. At Johnson Optometric Associates, we don’t want such changes or pressure to inhibit one’s ability to come in for a routine eye exam or to obtain much-needed eyewear, whether that is new prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, or both. For this reason we are pleased to now be an approved provider of the NC Vision Discount Plan.

NC Vision, a third party vision discount provider, is comprised of quality independent optometrists and retail eye care locations across the state of North Carolina. Offering two plans, an individual plan and a group plan, NC Vision provides substantial discounts to North Carolina residents that either do not have vision insurance or that are under-covered by their insurance.  Approved providers of the plan are established independent optometrists that have a commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality eye care and patient services. We are honored to be considered providers of the plan and to extend this plan to our local communities.

We are also happy to announce that Johnson Optometric Associates is extending its service hours to include Saturdays! With today’s fast paced world, we recognize the need for increased availability.  Staring Saturday, March 1^st, we will now be open most Saturdays in our Fuquay-Varina office from 8 am to 1 pm, by appointment. We invite you to make an eye exam appointment with us and enjoy convenient Saturday service!

Johnson Optometric Associates
Serving Fuquay-Varina, NC  and Garner, NC

“My last doctor said I could not wear contact lenses because of my prescription.”

While there are other reasons a patient may not be a good contact lens candidate, too much astigmatism or too high of a prescription is no longer one of them.

Scleral contact lenses were first introduced by a German glassblower in 1887, and now they are back and better than ever. These specialty contact lenses get their name from the way they fit on the eye. The sclera is the “white part of the eye”, and these lenses rest on the sclera and allow the lens to vault over the cornea. The cornea is the clear tissue in the front center portion of your eye. The cornea lies between the contact lens and the iris, which is the “colored part of the eye”. If the cornea has an abnormal shape, this causes astigmatism. Furthermore, a patient with corneal disease or a corneal scar will also have a high amount of astigmatism.

Soft contact lenses do not work for these patients because the soft lens will simply conform to the abnormal shape of the cornea. However, a scleral lens is made of a more firm material that maintains its own shape and does not conform to the irregular shape of the cornea. The scleral lens becomes the smooth “normal” shape the eye needs in order to properly focus light.

I know what you are thinking…”Scleral lenses are probably very uncomfortable?!” No, not at all! People that have tried “hard” contact lenses in the past may have reported discomfort; however the lenses they are referring to are small lenses that rest on the cornea alone. Every time one blinks the eyelids bump against the edges of those small corneal lenses. This causes one to think they have something in their eye.  Sclera lenses are different.

The illustration to the left is a cross section of a scleral lens. Note the abnormal ‘cone’ shape of the cornea, which is characteristic of keratoconus. You can imagine the visual distortion caused by the cornea in the absence of a scleral contact lens.

Scleral lenses are larger, and once the patient gets them on the eye the edges are tucked underneath the eyelids. Therefore, scleral lenses are similar in comfort to soft contact lenses. If you have been told your prescription is too high or you have too much astigmatism to wear contacts, ask your eye doctor about scleral contact lenses.

Dr. Martin
Optometrist
Johnson Optometric Associates
Serving Fuquay-Varina and Garner, NC