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February 9, 2010

Advice to keep the doctor away

Meet four of Utah’s top doctors and find out how to stay out their waiting rooms.

(page 1 of 4)

Year after year, Utah boasts the nation’s highest birth rate, lowest death rate, and a top-5 ranking for “healthiest state” and longest life expectancy. Along the Wasatch Front, medical advancements, computer software technology and highly skilled doctors unite to bring Utahns the highest quality medical care—a major contribution to the state’s good health. Here, we introduce you to four of Utah’s top doctors in the fields of brain disease, cardiology, bone health and vision. And in an effort to keep the introductions strictly between you and these glossy pages, we have enlisted the advice of local health experts to help keep you healthy to keep the doctor away.

Vision

The human brain devotes one billion nerve cells to processing, storing and transmitting visual information. When any one of these cells malfunctions, the entire visual system is at risk. Research shows defects in 500 different genes may cause inherited eye disease. Even more, by the year 2020, the cumulative effect of aging is expected to lead to more than 40 million cases of eye disease. One of the most respected ophthalmologists in the nation, Dr. Randall Olson of the University of Utah’s John A. Moran Eye Center is not dismayed by these daunting statistics; he is motivated.

Professor, chair and director of the Moran Eye Center, Olson has a vision that no person with a blinding condition, eye disease or visual impairment should be without hope, understanding and treatment. As he works with his team at the University’s School of Medicine, his vision is helping to improve vision across the world. While blindness, diabetes-related blindness, cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, eye cancer and other eye-health problems are increasingly common as the U.S. population ages, medical technology is advancing at a rapid pace.

As the tall, stately doctor sits in a spare room of the state-of-the-art, 210,000-square-foot eye center, he describes a future of drastic improvements in cataract treatment. “The most common problem we see is the need for cataract surgery, and we are a world leader in the field,” Olson explains. While cataracts can only be removed surgically at present, he details a near future—thanks to Moran Eye Center—where a simple eye drop will do the job just as well. In addition, he describes a time “not too far from now” when cataract surgery will involve inserting an artificial lens that gives the patient refractive precision during a quick and simple procedure.

How to avoid the doctor To nourish the eyes, Integrative Health Counselor Kendra Shaila Fried of Wasatch Integrative Health has the following suggestions: ›› Our bodies need the proper amount of vitamins B, A, C and E, and the minerals selenium and zinc for eye health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources, especially yellow and yellow/orange ones, including yams, cantaloupes and certain varieties of peppers. Also include broccoli, raw cabbage, sunflower seeds and watercress. ›› Taking a multivitamin and mineral complex with selenium will not only supplement your diet but also destroy free radicals that can damage the eyes. ›› You can add vitamin A to your diet to destroy free radicals that damage the eyes. (Pregnant women should seek advice about how much to take.) Tips for eye health and safety (provided by Moran Eye Center) ›› Get a complete eye examination every year to detect disease and prevent vision impairment. ›› Wear wrap-around safety goggles made of polycarbonate material when using tools causing flying debris or chemicals that can splash or blow into your eyes. ›› Wear a wide-brimmed hat and/or sunglasses for 100 percent protection from ultraviolet light. ›› Protective eyewear is necessary to prevent the thousands of sports injuries each year that result in permanent vision loss. For baseball and lacrosse, wear a protective helmet with a polycarbonate facemask or wire shield. For soccer, use sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses and side shields. ›› Exercise your eyes: focus them on one spot for five seconds and then another area for five seconds, rest and repeat. - For eyelid exercise, place your finger over your eyebrow and pull up the skin. Now open and close your eye and hold for a count of six. This will restore the muscles in your eyelids. - If you suffer an eye injury, contact your eye doctor right away and follow the directions given to treat the injury.

 

 

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