NIH Radio
Healthy Vision Month in May
Brief Description:
During Healthy Vision Month, health experts are encouraging people and organizations around the world to recognize the value of the sense of sight and make vision health a priority.
Transcript:
Balintfy: May is Healthy Vision Month.
Bishop: Healthy Vision Month is a national observance that raises awareness of eye health.
Balintfy: And the importance of a comprehensive dilated eye exam, says Dr. Rachel Bishop, an ophthalmologist at the National Institutes of Health.
Bishop: The comprehensive dilated eye exam allows the doctor to see all the structures of the eye.
Balintfy: The best way to detect vision problems at the earliest, most treatable stages, is through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. This simple, painless procedure allows an eye care professional to examine the eye and gain a more complete look at any changes in eye health. Dr. Bishop says it is not just to check whether someone needs glasses or not.
Bishop: For the most common eye diseases, there are no early warning signs. So without a dilated eye exam, the doctor would not be able to tell if a person had the early changes from glaucoma, or diabetes, or macular degeneration for example.
Balintfy: An estimated 14 million Americans are currently visually impaired, and this number continues to grow as the population ages. Of adults aged 40 and older, more than 4 million currently have diabetic retinopathy, more than 2 million have glaucoma, and more than 1.75 million have age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Bishop says whole body health can help with eye health, and it shows in a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
Bishop: The body is made up of common tissues throughout. And I think there’s every reason to believe that what would keep the heart and the blood vessels healthy will keep the structures of the eye healthy. And there’s some evidence to suggest that already.
Balintfy: To get more information about Healthy Vision Month and resources for raising eye health awareness, including e-cards, educational handouts, and teaching tools, visit www.nei.nih.gov/hvm. This is Joe Balintfy, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
About This Audio Report
Date: 5/12/2011
Reporter: Joe Balintfy
Sound Bite: Dr. Rachel Bishop
Topic: vision, healthy vision, healthy vision month, eye exam, comprehensive dilated eye exam, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age related macular degeneration
Institute(s):
NEI
Additional Info: Healthy Vision Month, May 2011
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