May is Vision Health Month! Helping Eyes, Changing Lives

Did you know that 1 in 7 Canadians will develop a serious eye disease in their lifetime? Every 12 minutes, a Canadian develops a problem with their vision. There are more than 836,000 Canadians who have significant loss of vision. Everyone is born with only a pair of eyes and they work together to give you the maximum depth of perception. Losing vision, or one eye affects your balance, affects visual clarity, brightness, and ability to see vivid colours. We require the sensory system to enjoy life and maximize our experience with the surrounding environment. Vision is extremely important to achieve our quality of life.

Vision Health Month raises awareness about the importance of vision and ways to protect our ocular visual health. The visual system constitutes of eyes and brain working together, like a team, to interpret and understand light sensation. Vision Health Month encourages everyone to have their eyes examined regularly. Vision problems often arise from eye-related health conditions which can sometimes be avoided. Common conditions include cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age related macular degeneration (AMD).

· Glaucoma is a group of diseases characterized by increased intraocular pressure, resulting in the damage the optic nerve and retinal nerve fivers, usually affecting peripheral vision. If severe, can lead to vision loss.

· Cataract is a pathologic condition where the crystalline lens of the eye becomes opaque or cloudy, preventing clear vision. Most cataracts develop slowly and do not disturb your eyesight early on. But with time, will eventually interfere with your vision. Usually caused by excessive ultra violet (UV) exposure from the sun.

· Diabetic retinopathy, the most common form of diabetic eye disease, is caused by diabetes damaging blood vessels within the retina.

· Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease which causes the deterioration of the macular – location of the most concentrated rods and cones, resulting in a loss of sharp central vision.

Exposure to the sun’s rays can lead to long term visual health problems, which may be irreversible, like cancer. Sun damage is linked to the 2nd most common ocular problems in Canada: age related macular degeneration and cataracts. People can protect their eyes from harmful UVA & UVB rays by wearing sunglasses. Click here to check out quality sunglasses.

We must begin protecting vision. Approximately 75% of vision loss is preventable. Many eye related conditions can be reduced or eliminated by regular comprehensive eye examinations. If a problem is discovered early, steps can be taken to prevent visual loss or damage. Click here to book your appointment. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also promote healthy eyes. Healthy lifestyle practices include exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet and stop smoking. Begin taking care of your eyes now! It is never too late. Contact us on how we can assist you.

**During this month, the CNIB declare May 24th as “Shades of Fun Day”. This is an event in which Canadians are encouraged to wear their best pair of shades (sunglasses) in support for Vision Health Month. Take a photo of your sunglasses and tag us @gordonwood.optical We would love to see how you are protecting your eyes and how you are caring for your eyes!