Kadrmas Eye Care New England
  • Doctors
    • Eddie Kadrmas, MD
    • Richard Strecker, MD
    • Daniel J. Townsend, MD
    • Aimee Gray, OD
    • Ashley Sousa, OD
  • Patients
    • CV-19 Statement
    • Eye Conditions >
      • Cataracts
      • Common Eye Problems >
        • Allergies
        • Amblyopia
        • Astigmatism
        • Blepharitis
        • Chalazion / Stye
        • Conjunctivitis
        • Corneal Abrasion
        • Floaters & Flashes
        • Hyperopia / Farsightedness
        • Myopia / Nearsightedness
        • Presbyopia
        • Strabismus
      • Corneal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Corneal Ulcers
        • Fuchs’ Dystrophy
        • Herpes Zoster / Shingles
        • Keratitis
        • Keratoconus
        • Pterygium
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Eyelid Diseases & Disorders >
        • Dermatochalasis
        • Ectropion
        • Entropion
        • Eyelid Lesion
        • Ptosis
        • Tear Duct Obstruction
        • Tumor
      • Eye Trauma / Injury >
        • Blunt Trauma
        • Chemical Injury
        • Penetrating / Perforating Injury
      • Glaucoma >
        • Open Angle Glaucoma >
          • iStent
        • Narrow Angle Glaucoma
        • Neovascular Glaucoma
        • Inflammatory Glaucoma
      • Macular Diseases & Disorders >
        • Macular Degeneration
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
      • Neurological Eye Diseases >
        • Blepharospasm
        • Double Vision
        • Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
        • Stroke / Visual Field Defect
        • Temporal Arteritis
      • Retinal Diseases & Disorders >
        • Retinal Tears & Detachments
        • Retinal Vascular Diseases
      • Uveitis & Iritis
    • Resources >
      • Eye Health & Care Blog
      • Retina Digest
    • Videos >
      • Eye Anatomy
      • Cataract
      • Laser Cataract Surgery
      • Children's Vision
      • Common Eye Problems
      • Corneal Conditions
      • Diabetic Eye Disease
      • Dry Eye Syndrome
      • Glaucoma
      • Laser & Refractive Eye Surgery
      • LASIK Over 45
      • LASIK Under 45
      • Macular Degeneration
      • Plastic Eye Surgery
      • Retinal Conditions
      • Refractive Errors
      • Routine Eye Exams
    • Forms & Policies >
      • New Patient Forms
      • HIPAA Policy
      • Referral Forms
    • Financial Information
  • Services
    • Routine Eye Exams >
      • Children
      • Adults
    • Hearing Therapy
    • Specialized Eye Exams >
      • Dilated Eye Exam / Slit Lamp Examination
      • Fluorescein Angiogram
      • Indocyanine Green Angiogram
      • Nerve Fiber Analysis
      • Optical Coherence Tomography
      • Refraction
      • Tonometry
      • Visual Acuity Testing
      • Visual Field Testing
    • Medical, Injection & Surgical / Laser Eye Care
    • Contact Lenses >
      • Contact Lens Types
      • Contact Lens Care & Safety
    • Refractive Eye Surgery >
      • LASIK Eye Surgery
      • PRK
      • Clear Lens Extraction
      • Implantable Collamer Lenses
    • Oculoplastic Surgery & Cosmetic Procedures >
      • Blepharoplasty
      • BOTOX®
      • Restylane®
  • Locations
    • Plymouth
    • Wareham
    • Mashpee
    • Surgery Centers
  • About
    • News
    • Affiliations
    • Patient Reviews
  • Careers
  • Contact
To Schedule Your Eye Appointment, Please Call 1-508-746-8600

Patient Resources - Eye Health & Care Blog

Can Your Weight Affect Your Risk of Vision Problems?

1/1/2021

 
Picture
We know that maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for overall well-being. Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, but did you know that carrying excess weight can also increase your chances of developing certain vision problems? Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight should be a priority. 

How can being overweight increase your risk of eye diseases?

Obesity has greatly increased in the United States in the last 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate in the United States is about 42 percent.

The risks of obesity include problems with vision. Research in the journal Survey of Ophthalmology indicates that obesity is associated with an increased risk of certain eye conditions. But the strength of the link is still not completely known.

Still, researchers do know that being overweight may increase your risk of eye problems for a few reasons. For example, being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Having diabetes increases your risk of certain eye diseases. Obesity is also associated with an increased risk of having a stroke, which can damage vision. 
​

Eye diseases linked to obesity 

Researchers have found a connection between certain eye diseases and obesity. Although more studies are needed to confirm a definitive connection, being obese appears to increase your risk of the following:

Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina that develops due to chronically high blood-sugar levels. Obesity is one of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.

Floppy eyelid syndrome: This condition involves increased laxity of the eyelids that leads to malposition. It can cause redness, irritation, and in severe cases, corneal ulcers. According to research in ISRN Ophthalmology, the majority of people that develop floppy eye syndrome are overweight.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): AMD involves damage to the macula, which affects central vision.  According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, being overweight is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. 
​

Ways to maintain a healthy weight 

Losing weight can be challenging, but it is not impossible. To increase your chances of success, consider the following suggestions:

Talk with your doctor: The best place to start a weight loss plan is with your doctor. Your doctor can rule out any medical conditions contributing to weight issues and provide guidelines on diet and exercise.

Track your food: It’s common to be unaware of how much you are eating and underestimate your calories. Most of us grab a bite here or there without realizing how much we eat. Consider using an app to record everything you eat.

Avoid excess sugar, fried, and processed foods: Foods high in sugar, along with processed foods or fried foods, are never a good choice when trying to get to a healthy weight. Swap out foods with empty calories for fresh veggies, fruits, and lean protein.

Find an approach that works for you: There are different types of weight loss programs, such as low carb, intermittent fasting, and the Paleo Diet. But not all programs work for everyone.  Consider your lifestyle and goals. A plan that you can stick with for the long run is your best bet.

Exercise regularly: Consider adding some form of strength training. Adding more lean muscle can give your metabolism a boost, which means increased calories burnt. 

Get enough sleep: Sleep also plays a role in weight loss. If you don’t get enough sleep, it can affect hormone levels, fatigue, and choices that all may add up to weight gain. Aim for between seven and eight hours of sleep a night.

By getting to and maintaining a healthy weight, you can improve your overall health and also reduce your risk of certain eye problems.

If you would like to talk about whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call us at 508-746-8600. 


Comments are closed.

    EYE HEALTH BLOG


    CLICK HERE to sign up for our eye health / care newsletter and have it delivered automatically to your inbox each month!

    Categories

    All
    AMD
    Astigmatism
    Cataract
    Children's Eye Health
    Color Blindness
    Conjunctivitis
    Contact Lens
    Cornea
    Cosmetic Eye Surgery
    Covid 19
    Diabetic Eye Disease
    Driving
    Dry Eyes
    Eye Allergies
    Eye Cancer
    Eye Exam
    Eye Health & Safety
    Eye Infections
    Eye Strain
    Glaucoma
    Injuries
    Low Vision
    Lupus
    Macula
    Myasthenia Gravis
    Organ Donation
    Retina
    Retinopathy
    Scleritis
    Senior Eye Health
    Sports
    Stroke
    Stye
    Uvea
    Vision Correction
    Vision Loss
    Women's Eye Health

    RSS Feed


    Picture

Kadrmas Eye Care New England

55 Commerce Way, Plymouth, MA 02360
14 Tobey Road, Wareham, MA 02571
133 Falmouth Road (Rt 28), Mashpee, MA 02649
Phone Number:
​1-508-746-8600

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 
8 AM - 4:30 PM 
© 2015-2021 Kadrmas Eye Care New England • All Rights Reserved
KadrmasEyeCare.com Privacy Policy • Disclaimer of Medical Liability
Proudly powered by Weebly
Design by DivTag Templates