OP

OPHTHALMOLOGY & OPHTHALMIC SURGERY

2112 F STREET NW

SUITE 802

WASHINGTON DC 20037

OFFICE 202 331-1754

FACSIMILE 202 331-1757

EMAIL: EVERYEYESHALL@MSN.COM

 

MAJOR CAUSES OF PREVENTIBLE BLINDNESS

Reginald D. Barnes Jr. MD

Ophthalmology

Endocrinology & Metabolism

SMOKING

  

The severe breathing problems, heart attacks, strokes,

 paralysis, premature aging, limb loss, cancers, grief, despair and death directly associated with smoking is well known to most persons.  The fact that it can blind you is not.  Smoking takes vision permanently by way of direct injury to the brain or to the microvasculature of the eyes retina.  It can happen at anytime without warning, even after you have put down the cigarette.  Further it amplifies the other two major blinding conditions, hypertension and diabetes.

  

  

Kicking the Smoking Habit 

It is worth it to quit smoking by all means necessary.  To quit smoking takes hard work and a lot of effort, but YOU CAN QUIT SMOKING!  It is not unusual to try two or three and sometimes more before finally being able to quit for good.  Each time you try to quit, you can learn about what helps.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these tips to help you quit:

  • Pick a day to stop smoking.

  • Keep telling your self why you want to quit.

  • Throw away your cigarettes, lighters and ash trays.

  • Drink water or suck on ice instead of smoking.

  • Eat a piece of fruit, a carrot or celery sticks instead of smoking

  • When you have the urge to smoke, take a walk.

 

Make a plan to stay of cigarettes:

  • Avoid places that make you want to smoke.

  • Ask your family and friends not to smoke around you.

  • At parties, try to be around friends who do not smoke.

  •  When someone offers you a cigarette, say, “No thank you. I don’t smoke.” You will soon see yourself as a nonsmoker.

  • Be kind to yourself.  If you smoke a cigarette, don’t give up.  Remind yourself of the reasons you want to quit.  Try again.

 

 Diabetes Mellitus 

Diabetes Mellitus is the number one cause of blindness among adults.  It is very poorly understood by the general public.  Even the “borderline type” is capable of ”ripping up” the entire body from the inside out.  It is a disease of which the body does not manage sugar, protein or fat well.  These are the fuels of the body.  If one were to attempt to equate the analogy of an automobile, it would be one that cannot handle gasoline well.  In stead of the fuel flowing into the tank and into the engine efficiently, it flows over the paint as well, the seats and the engine slowly corroding the entire automobile!  If a spark were to flash the entire care would burn up.

 

The same is similar when comparing this car to that of a person with diabetes.  It is particularly damaging to all of the microvasculature of the body including the eyes.

   

Everyone is at risk for diabetes, it does not discriminate.  One can ONLY determine for sure it is present by the careful evaluation by a health care professional.  Many persons fail to have “the Risk Factors”

 

 

It is worth it to control diabetes by all means necessary.  To control diabetes can take hard work, months and a lot of effort, it may require the help of numerous health care professionals, but DIABETES CAN BE CONTROLLED and brought near perfect control.

 

The following are facts and tips in regards to the management of diabetes:

  • For most adults, ”normal blood sugar” is between 70 and 110mg/dl

  • Borderline diabetes is a fasting blood sugar greater than 110mg/dl and is destructive if given enough time.

  • It is impossible to determine if ones medication, diet, effort and/or exercise is effective to control the diabetes without monitoring.  Hence monitor frequently.

  • Do not rely on your physician to monitor your blood sugar unless you can visit the office two to three times daily 7 days a week.

  • Often, in many patients, losing as little as 25 lbs, and/or maintaining a sensible consistent exercise program can diminish the need for medications as well as insulin shots.

  • Be kind to yourself; do not give up in the management of diabetes.

Hypertension

  

Hypertension effects one in four persons in the united states.  Hence you or someone you know may be hypertensive.  It is often referred to as the “Silent Killer”, but those are its lucky victims.  Most of its victims develop paralysis, heart attacks, kidney failure and/or blindness first.  Then, often months to years of hospitalization are required before dying.  There is nothing silent about this!

 

 

Below are some tips and facts in regards to hypertension:

  • Hypertension can be controlled, and occasionally it can take months working closely with a health care professional before blood pressure is normalized.

  • It is IMPOSSIBLE to determine if you have hypertension without first having your blood pressure checked.

  • It is IMPOSSIBLE to determine ones diet, medications and/or exercise are optimally controlling hypertension without regularly monitoring blood pressure.

  • For many patients, losing as little as 25 lbs and maintaining a sensible exercise program can reduce or eliminate the need to take antihypertensive medications.

  • Do not rely on your physician to monitor your blood pressure.

 

  

              

Return Home Page