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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…

Warning! Certain Eye Drops Could Cause More Harm Than Good!

Bill Corkins, O.D. When the FDA approves eye drops, the drops are required to have a preservative added. Most people think a preservative makes the eye drops last longer, which it does not. If I am instilling an eye drop in my eye and I accidentally touch the tip of the bottle to my eyelashes,…
Common Causes of Mesenteric Ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia patients are typically older and present with severe pain in the tummy, which is out of proportion to the examination. The patient subjectively describes pain in the tummy that is very severe but there is minimal tenderness elicited on physical examination. Other features will be elevated white blood cell count and acidosis…
Seeing Red? We Aren’t Talking About Love!

by ANISA PATAIL, O.D. February is here, and Valentine’s Day is around the corner! We see red hearts everywhere as a sign for the holiday, but let’s talk about what red eyes are a sign for. There are several conditions that can cause this very common finding. Depending on the symptoms you’re experiencing, and the…