The Doctor's Doctor - Dr. Mandel

Why Your Family Eye Health Is Important

Before undergoing treatment for vision correction or an eye condition, your eye doctor will ask about your family eye health. But why is this? Bay Area Lasik surgeon and corneal specialist Mark Mandel, M.D., of Optima Eye explains the importance of your family eye health.

Many Eye Diseases and Conditions are Hereditary

A growing amount of scientific evidence suggests that eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration are genetically influenced. This means individuals with a family history of these eye conditions have a higher risk of developing eye problems themselves. If your family has a history of eye problems, your eye doctor can recommend healthy lifestyle habits that can lower your risk including eating a diet rich in eye-friendly nutrients and exercise. Knowing your family’s eye health history can also help correct and treat eye conditions in their early stages. Learn about your family eye health history and share it with your eye doctor during your exam or consultation.

Research also suggests that refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism can, in some cases, be hereditary. For this reason, it is important for young children to have their eyes checked regularly. Not doing so can lead to undetected vision problems that may affect a child’s success in school.

Eye Health Is Connected to Overall Health

During a routine eye exam or consultation, your eye doctor will also ask you about your and your family’s overall health. This may include questions about whether you smoke and if you or someone in your family has diabetes or heart disease. Diabetics have an increased chance of developing vision problems and eye conditions including cataracts and macular degeneration. Smoking also increases your risk of developing cataracts and other eye conditions. To maintain good eye health, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle including eating right, exercising regularly, protecting your eyes from the sun and quitting (or not starting) smoking.

Schedule a Consultation with Optima Eye

If you experience blurry vision caused by a refractive error, schedule an appointment with Optima Eye to learn more about LASIK surgery. Or if you have vision problems due to cataracts, schedule an appointment to learn more about cataract surgery. Please call Optima Eye at 877-210-2020 ext. 3.

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