Cataract Awareness Month an Opportunity to Focus on Vision Care and Ocular Health

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Carlsbad ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Tracy

The first and most important step in preserving your vision and overall ocular health is to schedule a comprehensive annual eye exam. This is especially important for patients over 40, as some conditions are naturally precipitated by aging.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 28, 2014

Every year, cataracts affect over 22 million Americans over the age of 40 and are considered the leading cause of blindness in the world. Characterized by the clouding and darkening of the eye’s natural lens behind the iris, cataracts are estimated to affect an additional 30 million Americans by the year 2020, mostly due to an aging population. Cataracts are just one of the many conditions that can affect the eye. Each year, Dr. Michael Tracy of Carlsbad Eye Care screens patients for a number of vision problems, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

“The first and most important step in preserving your vision and overall ocular health is to schedule a comprehensive annual eye exam. This is especially important for patients over 40, as some conditions are naturally precipitated by aging,” advises Dr. Tracy.

Patients with underlying health conditions that can lead to vision problems, such as diabetes, need to be especially diligent in maintaining yearly eye exams to protect their eye health. Additionally, patients with genetic predispositions to certain ocular diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration should inform their ophthalmologist of their family history and receive thorough eye exams every year.

In addition to performing LASIK and PRK eye surgery to correct common refractive conditions like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism, Dr. Tracy also treats patients for various ocular conditions like dry eye syndrome, blepharitis, chalazion, and glaucoma.

“Because every patient is different and every eye is unique, it’s important for patients to be as accurate and as detailed about their family history and other health conditions as possible,” says Dr. Tracy. “This helps the doctor to understand the individual patient’s risk factors and provides ophthalmologists with an idea of what the best treatment options may be.”

Scheduling yearly eye exams is the best way to maintain visual acuity and general ocular health, especially as patients start to advance in age.

Dr. Michael Tracy is a board-certified ophthalmologist. He completed his residency training in ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. After completing a fellowship in Corneal and Refractive Surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Dr. Tracy served as a medical director at TLC Laser Eye Centers. Dr. Tracy specializes in LASIK and PRK surgery at his private practice at Carlsbad Eye Care.

To contact Carlsbad Eye Care, please visit http://carlsbad-eye-care.com/ or call (760) 603-9910.

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