May is UV Awareness Month so we want to make you aware of how bad ultraviolet rays can be for your eyes.  We will start with the most obvious complication first. There is skin around your eyes that is susceptible to the same UV damage as the rest of your skin – sunburn, premature aging (wrinkles), and even skin cancer.  I hope that none of you are putting sunscreen on your eyelids as they are not safe for being that close to your eyes. Next, UV rays can cause damage to the whites of your eyes in the form of yellowish growths called pinguecula. If it is bad enough, this can even grow onto your cornea (pterygium).  While these are usually just a cosmetic issue, they can become irritated and cause discomfort, impair your ability to wear contact lenses, or even mar your vision.  Once they start impairing your vision they will need to be removed surgically.  Next, you can get a “sunburn” of your cornea (solar keratitis) with prolonged UV exposure.  This is very painful and will last for several days before completely healing.  The next structure of the eye that is affected by UV rays is the lens.  Cumulative exposure to the sun’s rays will speed up the formation of cataracts which will degrade your vision considerably.  UV exposure is also believed to be a risk factor for age related macular degeneration (AMD).  AMD is a very serious condition that can lead to irreversible vision loss.  Lastly, prolonged UV exposure can lead to solar maculopathy – a condition that can cause decreased vision, blind spots, sensitivity to light, and headaches. These symptoms may clear up over several months or remain indefinitely.

These conditions can all be avoided by wearing good UV blocking sunglasses. To help make sure all of our patients are protected, we are offering a $25 gas card with every purchase of non-prescription sunglasses and a $50 gas card with every purchase of prescription sunwear.  Come by today and pick out your new pair of Maui Jims, Ray-Bans, Wiley-Xs, or any of our designer lines like Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and more.  And don’t forget about your kids. Studies show that up to 80% of the UV light that reaches the retina during our lifetimes occurs before the age of 18!

Dr. Bodkin and the staff just returned from 4 days attending classes and previewing new technology at SECO 2012 in Atlanta. Here are four things we are bringing back to the office with us to better serve you, our patients:

1. Acuvue 1-day Moist for Astigmatism contact lenses – Dr. Bodkin is a firm believer of daily disposable contact lenses as the healthiest and most comfortable (not to mention convenient) way to wear contact lenses. While there are several great 1-day lenses out there for near and far sightedness, this is the first lens that can be fit for a majority of astigmatic patients. These new lenses from Acuvue will open up the world of daily disposables to many more patients.
2. Genetic Testing for AMD – there is a new genetic test now available that can be done in our office to assess your genetic risk for developing wet macular degeneration.  The test is a simple cheek swab that gets sent to a partner lab. After about 4 weeks, the results come back and place you in one of 5 risk categories.  This information will be invaluable in determining proper treatment as well as frequency of visits needed to help preserve your vision. The best part about this test is that 99% of the time it is free to you!
3. New version of our electronic records is coming with patient portal – The latest version of our electronic health records software has several enhancements. Not only is the recording software more robust and user friendly, but they will be incorporating a new patient portal.  With this portal, you can log in at anytime to view your past diagnoses and treatment plans, request prescription refills, update your medication and health history, and even request an appointment. This will be a powerful new tool that you, our patient, can use to better interact with our office 24 hours a day.
4. ProDesign eyewear with screwless temples – Not only will we be bringing in the latest styles within our current frame lines but we will also be bringing in a completely new frame line called ProDesign.  ProDesign is a company based in Denmark that has been designing contemporary and colorful eyewear for quite a while now.  What has caught our attention the most is their new line of titanium frames that feature no screws.  These lightweight frames look great and are very durable.  Hopefully you made it to our Launch Party a couple of weeks ago and got look at the entire line.

If you have any questions about any of these four exciting new technologies we are bringing into our office, please do not hesitate to call us at 843-388-6200 or contact us electronically.

 

The springtime is here. That means it’s time check out all of the savings that will be in bloom at our next style show.  We will be featuring the complete line of Prodesign eyewear.  These fashion forward eyeglass frames use the latest in material technology to provide lightweight and durable eyewear while providing vibrant colors and one-of-a-kind designs.  We will be showcasing the entire Prodesign line on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 3-7 PM.  Come by and check out this extensive line of eyewear while enjoying complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.  If you find a pair that you like, then you will have the opportunity to pull your savings from our flower garden.  Savings will range from 20-60% off and one lucky person will win a free pair.

What: Spring Style Show featuring Prodesign Eyewear

When: Wednesday, April 11th from 3-7 PM

Where: The Vision Center at Seaside Farms

RSVP: Click here

Click the photo below to see a video of the Spring 2012 Collection

 

Feel free to share this with any friends or family members you think would like to come and check this out!

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Oscar Winner Judi Dench recently told the Daily Mirror that she has age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She says her vision has gotten so bad from this disease that she can no longer read scripts or see the person across the table with whom she is having dinner. So what is AMD and what are some of the risk factors and treatments? And what better time to talk about this than during AMD Awareness Month?

Simulated view with macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that can destroy your “straight-ahead” vision. It is the leading cause of blindness in the US with an estimated 10 million Americans who show evidence of the disease. The disease breaks down the macula - the light-sensitive portion of the retina that allows you to see fine detail. It blurs the straight-ahead vision required for activities such as reading or driving. There are two forms of AMD – dry and wet. The dry form, which is the most common, is believed to be caused by an age related thinning of the tissue as well as an accumulation of deposits within the retinal tissue.  In wet AMD, new blood vessel growth has occurred which then leaks blood and fluid into the retinal tissue resulting in blind spots.  Early symptoms may include blurred or decreased vision, distorted vision, or even blind spots.  These symptoms occur gradually and painlessly making early detection more difficult.

Retinal photo of wet AMD. (Courtesy of Ruston Eye Institute)

So, how is AMD detected? The best way to detect it is with a comprehensive eye exam. As part of the exam, your eye doctor will evaluate your macula looking for any signs of the disease. If any signs are present, you may be put through further testing to determine the extent of the damage. While there is no cure, there are several treatments that can be used to limit the progression and damage and in some cases regain some of your lost vision. For dry AMD, the main treatment is with vitamin supplements. With wet, the most common treatment involves monthly or bi-monthly ocular injections.

Are there risk factors for AMD? Age is obviously the biggest risk factor (Judy Dench is 77). Other risk factors include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and a family history of the disease. Caucasians and females are also at an increased risk of developing AMD. Therefore, maintaining overall good health is a great way to minimize your risk of developing AMD. Other ways to help minimize your risk include protecting your eyes from UV rays, quitting smoking, and eating green leafy vegetables like spinach and collards.

If you have any of these risk factors or have any questions about AMD or its treatments, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Bodkin to discuss any concerns you may have.

Hopefully you have never had this happen to you: It is Sunday morning and you notice your eye is crusty and you have to rub it to get it to open completely.  It felt a little weird last night before you went to bed but you figured it would get better after you slept.  You look at yourself in the mirror and your eye is very red and doesn’t feel that great either.  What do you do next?  You could call your primary care physician’s office, leave a message, and hope that someone calls you back before Monday morning.  You could swing by that new urgent care place you saw advertised on TV and hope they aren’t so busy that you spend half a day there and that the doctor you see actually knows something about eye care.  Maybe you could go to the emergency room and wait, and wait, and wait some more for the on-call physician to get there, and then pay the high emergency room co-pays associated with your insurance.  Or, and here is the best option, you could contact our office and have Dr. Bodkin contact you within a few minutes to discuss your issues and see what the best course of action is – come in and be seen, pick something up at the pharmacy, or wait until Monday and schedule a visit.  You may not have noticed, but at the top right of this page (and every page of our website) is a tab that says “Emergency Eyecare.”  Clicking that tab will bring you to a page where you can enter your name, email, phone number and a message about your problem.  Clicking “Submit” will generate an email and a text message sent directly to Dr. Bodkin’s cell phone.  It doesn’t get any easier than that, and we all want easy when we are dealing with a problem with our eyes.

Glaucoma is usually a painless, symptomless, gradual loss of your vision so there is no wonder it is often referred to as the silent thief of sight. Often as much as 40% of a person’s vision can be lost before they notice anything has happened.  Unfortunately, this loss of sight is permanent.  Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the US.  More than 2.2 million people have glaucoma in the US with only half of them knowing it.  The best way to detect glaucoma is with regular comprehensive eye examinations, especially if you are at greater risk of developing the disease.  Those at higher risk include:

-          People over the age of 60

-          African Americans

-          People with diabetes

-          Anyone with a family history of glaucoma

Early detection of the disease is critical to the success of treatment.  While there is no cure, early intervention can slow and even stop the progression of vision loss.  There are several treatment options, but the most common treatment is with eye drops - usually as few as once a day. 

If you or a loved one falls into one of the high-risk categories above and you have not had an eye exam in over a year, please call our office at 843-388-6200 to schedule your appointment or use our convenient online scheduler.

Now that we have begun a new year, it is time to think about those resolutions we always make.  But, instead of the normal lose weight, exercise more, make more money resolutions, let’s focus on things you should be doing to improve your eye health:

1)      Protect your eyes from UV exposure!  UV rays are very harmful to our eyes and may cause cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae & pterygia, solar maculopathy, and aging.  That means wearing sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays anytime you are outdoors during the day.  And yes that means on those overcast days as well. 

2)      Take better care of your contact lenses!  A recent report shows that more than 95% of contact lens wearers are non-compliant.  Anytime we don’t follow the doctor’s orders, we are increasing our risk for an adverse event associated with contact lenses.  These adverse events can range from mild dryness and discomfort to a very aggressive corneal ulcer that may leave you blinded.  Always discard of your lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor.  Always use the specific contact lens solution prescribed by your doctor.  Always wash your hands and clean your lenses appropriately.  Lastly, keep your cases clean and change them every 2-3 months.  Check out this video for proper contact lens hygiene.

3)      Eat more vegetables and fish!  Vegetables, especially the green leafy kind, contain many nutrients and antioxidants that help keep your eyes healthy and performing well.  Fish is another great food for the eyes.  Omega 3’s found in fish (and flax seed) help promote healthy eyes and good tear production.  (This one may also help out with those other resolutions you made.)

4)      Get your eye health checked annually!  This is probably the most important thing you can do for your eyes.  A comprehensive eye exam is the best way to check for signs of any kind of eye problem and determine the best course of action to combat those problems.  Many issues arise gradually and without symptoms. If you wait until they get bad enough, they will be harder to treat and may even result in permanent damage to the eyes.  Just because you feel you can see just fine, does not necessarily mean your eyes are healthy.

These are just 4 simple things we can do that will improve our overall eye health.  Let’s make 2012 the year for optimal eye health!

You have all been waiting and it is finally here - the emPower! Electronic Focusing Eyewear!  We are one of the first offices in the entire world to carry this revolutionary new eyewear.  With the emPower!, you control your glasses instead of your glasses controlling you.  With a simple touch of your finger or tilt of your head you can adjust the focusing power of emPower!  

To introduce this game-changing product, we are having a launch party on Wednesday, December 14th from 4-7 PM.  Come by and check out the emPower! for yourself and see what it is all about!  We will be giving a special discount of $300 off during this special event.  There will be wine and hors d'ouevres for your enjoyment.  Please RSVP to here or call 843-388-6200.

You can see our previous post for more information about how emPower! works as well as see some of the national press coverage they have received.

 This may be something that you don’t really think about – what is the waiting room like at my doctor’s office?  While we strive to keep our wait times as close to zero as possible, there will inevitably be times when someone will need to relax in our waiting area – usually as a patient who is dilating or a family member who is waiting.  If you have to wait, we want you to be as comfortable as possible.  That is why we take such pride in our waiting area.  First off, you will have your choice of a very plush chair or a comfortable couch – no small hard chairs here.  Second, we have complimentary (on-demand) coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from our Keurig machine.  Next, we have a 42 inch flat panel TV showing CNN, The Today Show, or a popular sporting event (we have even been known to put it on the Cartoon Network for our younger patients).  We also offer you the opportunity to use our in-office iPad2 to surf the web, check email, update your Facebook status, play games (like Angry Birds), or learn about the eye and eye diseases.  For those who have their own iPad or wi-fi enabled device, we also offer complimentary wi-fi for your enjoyment.  We also have the latest edition of the Post and Courier and Moultrie News as well as local history books for you to peruse.  So, as you can see, we try to make you as comfortable as possible and make you feel at home in our office while you wait.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.   Diabetes affects over 25 million Americans, 7 million of which may not even realize it.  Last year I discussed the serious complication of diabetic retinopathy which can lead to blindness.  But did you know that people with diabetes are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma and 60% more likely to develop cataracts.  Glaucoma can painlessly rob you of your sight over time if left uncontrolled.  Cataracts will cause blur and glare and will eventually need to be removed surgically.  These are just two more reasons why it is important for diabetics to have regular eye examinations.

This year we are having our Diabetes Awareness Day on Thursday, November 17^th from 9:00-5:30.  We will be offering complimentary diabetic eye screenings and well as offer counseling and education about diabetic eye diseases.  If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule a screening, please call us at 843-388-6200 or use our online scheduler (be sure to put Diabetes Awareness Day in the notes section).  Space is limited.