Dr. Grossman’s Blog

image via www.womenshealth.gov/

Americans of all ages are less healthy than people in Britain, according to an extensive new research project.

A study of health surveys of 40,000 U.S. residents and 70,000 individuals in the U.K. showed that Americans had more chronic diseases than their British counterparts.  Poor health was measured in rates of obesity, elevated cholesterol, heightened inflammation factors, diabetes, and asthma.  Source: MedlinePlus

Diabetes is said to affect almost 26 million Americans.  Nearly 30% of those people also have the related condition diabetic retinopathy.

It is possible to use natural approaches to control and prevent both diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.

March is the American Dietetic Association’s National Nutrition Month.

This year, the theme is “Eat Right with Color.”  That seems particularly fitting since seeing color is one of the things we value most about our eyes.  The colors of the foods we eat – we are specifically talking about fruits and vegetables here – are often indicative of the nutrients they will deliver.

Check out the ADA’s guide for what colors indicate what great health benefits.

What’s an optometrist’s favorite color?  Blue.

Bilberry (a cousin of the blueberry) is the ultimate eye food, mainly because it contains carotenoids, which are powerful antioxidants.  Getting your does of blue foods will help anyone concerned about Poor Night Vision, Glaucoma, Myopia , Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts , or  Computer Eye Syndrome.

Learn about how to prevent and treat diabetes naturally at our website.

Also, get the facts about the related condition, diabetic retinopathy.

Source:nei.nih.gov

The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control on diabetes are staggering.  The CDC now estimates that 26 million American has diabetes.

Their new report also estimates that one in three American adults is pre-diabetic (that means they have higher than normal blood sugar levels but they have not yet received a diabetes diagnosis).

According to the CDC’s press release:

In a study published last year, CDC projected that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body gradually loses its ability to use and produce insulin, accounts for 90 percent to 95 percent of diabetes cases. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes), a sedentary lifestyle, and race/ethnicity. Groups at higher risk for the disease are African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Source: CDC

The CDC’s diabetes fact sheet indicates that over 1/4 of people over 40 who have diabetes also have the potentially blinding diabetic retinopathy. Over 650,000 Americans have severely compromised vision due to diabetic retinopathy.

Learn more about how a healthy lifestyle and nutritional supplements can help you treat and control diabetes.

For more on the prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, click here.

image via www.co.pg.md.us

An article in the New York Times highlights how many Americans are not making it to their annual eye exams – even those who know they are at risk of developing or have already developed an eye disease.  A study by Lighthouse International shows that 86% of people with known eye conditions do not make it to the eye doctor each year.

The article goes on to say “Those at risk include people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease, as well as anyone who has been a smoker or has a family history of an eye disorder like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.”  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/health/21brody.html?_r=1&ref=health

Learn more about how to prevent eye disease naturally at www.naturaleyecare.com.

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In the formulas that I have created to support my patients’ and clients’ eye health I have included the herb ginseng because I know it helps improve heart and immune function.  It strengthens the immune system and is an excellent herb for overall health.  After all, the health of the eyes is inextricably connected to the health of the entire body.

A new study that appeared in The Cochrane Library revealed that some people may experience increased brain function when taking ginseng.  According to lead researcher JinSong Geng, M.D, “Ginseng appears to have some beneficial effects on cognition, behavior and quality of life.”  At the same time, the authors do not believe they have enough evidence to recommend people start taking the herb in therapeutic doses in hopes of improving brain health. Source: http://www.cfah.org/hbns/archives/getDocument.cfm?documentID=22336

We do know that it supports the health of the retina, however.  Diabetic Retinopathy, often a side effect of diabetes, can be helped by taking ginseng.

image via tclw.das.ohio.gov

It’s National Diabetes Awareness Month, and did you know that your eye doctor might be the one who can help to detect whether you have diabetes?

According to an article published in Kenttucky’s Journal Enterprise, “During a dilated exam, an optometrist will look at your retina for early signs of diabetic eye disease, such as leaking blood vessels, swelling and deposits on the retina.”   Dr. Randy Steele says,“Optometrists often serve as the first line of detection for diabetes, since the eye is the only place on the body that blood vessels can be seen without having to look through the skin.”

Learn more about how to prevent and treat diabetes naturally.

For more on the eye condition that often accompanies the disease, diabetic retinopathy, click here.

Image via www.ncagr.gov

In our practice we are great proponents of juicing and its many health benefits. One veggie that is in many of the recipes that we recommend for specific eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and eye floaters is the humble seeming beet.  We have known for a long time the beet helps to improve circulation and also purifies and builds up the blood.

New research finds that the nitrates found in beet juice both widen blood vessels and increase blood flow to the brain.

In a study of 14 people over age 70 published in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, the participants who ate a high-nitrate diet featuring beat juice showed increased blood flow to the white matter of the frontal lobes of their brains.  Dementia and other related conditions are most commonly associated with the degradation of that part of the brain.  Source: WebMD

For more information on juicing, please visit our website.

image by Robert Mobley

After being diagnosed with cancer, and particularly after having undergone cancer treatments, it is especially important for patients to receive good eye care.

One lasting side effect if radiation can be dry eye syndrome.  It is particularly important that any lubricating eye drops that patients use are free of preservatives.

Other complications include radiation induced retinopathy.  Patients are particularly susceptible to this condition if they had chemotherapy at the same time as they were receiving radiation treatments.  Retinopathy caused by radiation looks much like diabetic retinopathy and is treated in the same way.

Source: Optometry Times

Image courtesy of Vision2020.org

Today, Thursday, October 14 is World Sight Day.  Included on the World Health Organization’s official calendar, one of the main goals of this yearly occasion is to raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues.

Across the developing world, blindness is a huge issue.  Ninety percent of the world’s vision impaired people live in low income countries.  But so many eye problems – 80% according to World Sight Day organizers -  are preventable.  Vision2020 is dedicated to helping people across the globe.  Visit their site for details: http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm

My work is dedicated to helping you prevent eye conditions that could lead to serious visual impairment such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts.

Take some time on this World Sight Day to educate yourself on how diet, exercise, supplementation, and an evaluation of your lifestyle habits could help you preserve the precious gift of sight.  Visit our page on preventing eye disease.

Request free eye exercises and tips tailored to your eye condition.