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Pop Quiz: Maintaining optimal optical health

| Understanding the causes of low vision and taking precautions as you age | EYESIGHT is a precious thing, and unfortunately there are many threats to optimal optical health. One common eye problem is low vision, and it affects seniors the most. Low vision, in its simplest terms, is any vision loss that interferes with…
Celebrating Black History Month with a look at local African-Americans in medicine

ALEX ALEXANDER Registered Nurse Bartow Regional Medical Center As a black registered nurse from North Carolina, 56-year-old Alex Alexander has had his run-ins with prejudice. But he’s learned to remember who he is, treat others like his brothers and sisters, forgive, and … not believe everything he hears. “You earn things by your merit and…
Heart disease warnings for women

| Don’t believe you’re not at risk; do believe you can improve your odds | WOMEN HAVE A MEASURE of built-in protection against heart disease — as long as their ovaries are producing estrogen. Although estrogen may delay the onset of heart disease until the sixties or seventies, women’s risk eventually is the same as…

Diagnosed With Astigmatism? You’ve Got Options

by TINCY THOMAS, O.D. You were told that you have astigmatism—a seemingly scary term! Luckily, it’s not usually a cause for concern. What is astigmatism? Astigmatism is a condition that causes blurry vision, much like nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). However, with astigmatism, your cornea or lens inside the eye may be irregularly shaped, similar…
Protect Your Vision With Multiple Pairs of Glasses

by Julia King, O.D. Nowadays, when we use our eyes for so many different activities, one pair of eyeglasses is rarely sufficient. Multiple pairs of eyeglasses provide different levels of correction or features to enhance your vision for varying daily activities. Most people have an everyday pair of glasses that they use on a regular…
Do You Have the Symptoms of Mesenteric Artery Disease?

Mesenteric artery disease is an uncommon but potentially serious condition that affects the blood vessels that supply your bowels. There are three main arteries that supply your bowels: celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery. The bowels comprise the segment of the gut that extends from the diaphragm to the anus. The blood…