People’s respective lifestyle choices are entirely their own. Whether to eat junk food, to smoke, or to consume alcohol etc. It may not occur to us what the impact of our lifestyle choices will have on our health; including our eye health. Physicians understand the cause-and-effect relationship outlined in scientific research that can lead to certain types of eye diseases. It is up to them to effectively communicate these risks to their patients. For example, overweight or obese individuals are at higher risk for diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
One of the biggest challenges that eye doctors face in educating their patients is that patients’ primary care physicians overlooked the opportunity to pass on this pertinent, health-conscious information. Another challenge is that when patients complain of certain ailments, primary care physicians might prescribe medicines that disrupt eye health without making the patient fully aware of the risks. Some medications hinder the pressure inside the eye, rendering it susceptible to Glaucoma.
It’s not entirely a physician’s’ fault. We are constantly bombarded by television news, internet and print sources of contradictory information about our health, our medications, etc. Furthermore, the information is sometimes slanted by advertisers skewing the information even more. A good eye doctor will ask his or her patient for a complete medical history, medications, and lifestyle preferences. At that point, if there are any risk factors like carrying extra weight, special medications or smoking, your doctor will go over the risks associated with them.
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