March 30 is National Doctor's Day, Get Your Eyes Checked in Carlsbad

Vision is our most prized sense. In fact, most people fear losing it more than any other primary sense. Vision loss can threaten your ability drive, work, and live independently. That’s why it’s so important to take care of your eyes and keep them healthy, and to know about the physicians that care for your eyes.

National Doctor's Day, observed March 30, is a great time to learn more about the role of ophthalmologists in helping you maintain a lifetime of healthy vision. As medical doctors and surgeons, ophthalmologists provide specialized eye care, and are the only eye care providers qualified to perform medical-based eye care and surgical procedures.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology encourages you to make eye care a part of your overall health-maintenance strategy. For example:

• Have Your Eyes Checked: At age 40 all adults should have a baseline eye disease screening, even if your vision seems perfect. If you’re age 65 or older, schedule an eye exam every 1-2 years, or as recommended by your ophthalmologist. Seniors in this age group may qualify for a free eye exam at www.eyecareamerica.org. 
• Get Plenty of Exercise: Our eyes need good blood circulation and oxygen intake, and both are stimulated by regular exercise. Being physically active also helps in maintaining weight in a normal range, which reduces the risk of diabetes anddiabetic retinopathy, which is a serious eye complication related to that disease.
• Don’t smoke: Avoiding smoking or quitting altogether is one of the best investments a person can make in their long-term health. Smoking increases the risks of a variety of diseases, including those that affect the eye such as cataracts and diabetic-related conditions.
• Understand the impact of other diseases on the eyes: The eyes are a complex organ.  They contain pigmented cells, a rich network of blood vessels, connective tissue, and the eye’s retina is actually a part of the brain. Diseases like diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, sickle cell disease, lupus, and many others can affect the eyes and threaten vision.  Your primary care physician may call upon your ophthalmologist to detect and manage these problems.

Click here for a list of Carlsbad-area Ophthalmologists.

Tell us who you think gives the best eye care in Carlsbad in the comments section below.

–American Academy of Ophthalmology Press Release