This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^TM campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Increase Women’s Risk for Cataracts?
Women who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be significantly more likely to have cataract surgery compared with women who never used HRT, says a recent study of more than 30,000 Swedish postmenopausal women. If this is confirmed by future research, cataract may be added to the list of potential health risks of HRT use.

In the study, cataract removal risk increased with the length of time women used HRT. Those who took more than one alcoholic drink per day while on HRT had almost double the risk of women who used neither HRT nor alcohol. Smoking did not have a significant effect in this study. Researchers adjusted the data for women’s exposure to birth control pills and other estrogen medicines, and for other reproductive and health factors. Earlier large studies on HRT and cataract risk in the United States, Australia and Europe had mixed results; importantly some of these studies included women who were premenopausal and so possibly protected by their body’s natural estrogen. The Swedish study’s population was unique in some ways that may have affected the results: for example, all women had equal access to care and nearly all had the same ethnic background. The study did not identify type of HRT, type of cataract, or measure exposure to sunlight (too much sun exposure is a cataract risk factor, although less likely to affect people living in northern Europe).

For more details, read the press release on this study.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^TM campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

Did You Know?

Alternating esotropia and accommodative esotropia is not the same thing. Esotropia means cross-eyed, a condition in which one or both of the eyes turn toward the nose. Alternating esotropia means that sometimes the right eye is straight while the left eye is deviated toward the nose, and at other times the left eye is straight while the right eye is deviated toward the nose. Accommodative esotropia means that both eyes turn toward the nose when a person attempts to focus the eyes on an object that is near to the face.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^TM campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

At what age can you start wearing contact lenses? My son is only 11 and wants to wear contacts; is there a specific age for contact wearers?

There are no firm lower age limits for contact lens fittings. The important criterion is how responsible the patient and the parent are. A motivated, clear-thinking 11-year-old could well become a successful contact lens wearer. Be aware, however, that there will probably be more frequent changes in the necessary power of the contact lenses in patients younger than 18 than in older patients. Therefore, regular follow-up visits to the Eye M.D. who fits the contact lenses are important.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^TM campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

• Eyes that appear wetter than normal,
• Tears rolling down the cheek during the day (often but not always a symptom) and
• Discharge from around the eyes, especially when the child first wakes up.

The problem will spontaneously resolve in the majority of children by the time the child is one year old. Antibiotic eye drops are often used when the discharge is copious and present throughout the day. If the problem does not resolve spontaneously, a surgery procedure is available to correct the problem.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart^TM campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

Who should I see to get my annual eye examination, an ophthalmologist or an optometrist?

An ophthalmologist is an Eye M.D., either a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). Eye M.D.s have finished at least four years of college, at least four years of medical school, and at least four years of additional postgraduate training after medical school. An optometrist has had college education and then an O.D. (doctor of optometry) degree granted after four years of study in an optometry college, but an optometrist has not attended a medical school nor has he or she received postgraduate medical training. (Be careful not to confuse the D.O. and O.D. degrees.) If you have no visual complaints and are in good general health, either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist could be a good choice. If you have medical problems, or if you are at risk for, suspect or have been told that you have an eye disease, examination by an ophthalmologist may be a better choice.

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

More than 24 million Americans have diabetes and the number is growing, but only half of them get an annual dilated eye exam. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, but 90 percent of vision loss can be prevented. November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding the public that an annual dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss in people with diabetes.

To promote awareness of the need for an annual diabetic eye exam, the Academy has launched EyeSmart EyeCommitted to encourage people to support the importance of an annual diabetic eye exam. The campaign, which is being promoted through social media channels, encourages people to pledge their support for the campaign. In addition, EyeSmart EyeCommitted will:

• Allow users to share the pledge and campaign information with friends and family;
• Feature important diabetic eye disease information and a new video that tells the compelling stories of two patients with diabetic retinopathy;
• Allow users to post the application onto their preferred social media sites; and,
• Allow users to post a digital “badge” to their social media pages telling friends that they are supporting the campaign.

For each pledge, the Academy will commit another $1 to its diabetic eye health education efforts.
Take the EyeSmart EyeCommitted pledge! Visit the campaign Web page and show your support for the importance of an annual diabetic eye exam.
You can also learn more about diabetes and your eyes at the EyeSmart Web site, which has new, in-depth information about diabetic eye disease.
This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

People who use both inhaled and oral steroids (corticosteroids) may be at increased risk for cataracts, according to a recent study. Many people with asthma rely on inhaled, and sometimes oral, steroids, as do people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study assessed the inhaled and/or oral steroid use and cataract status of more than 3,600 people, following them for up to ten years. Increased cataract risks were found only in patients who, at the start of the study had ever used inhaled steroids, had used oral steroids for at least one month, and had no cataracts. Although only a small number of patients met these criteria, nearly all of them—seven of 10—were found to have cataracts in follow-up exams. You should talk with your doctor if you are prescribed both oral and inhaled steroids because of the potential for increased cataract risk. More information on cataracts can be found at www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/cataracts

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).