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Getting routine eye exams is vital to being proactive with your health management. During a comprehensive eye examination, your eye specialist will screen for prevalent eye conditions, evaluate the coordination of your eyes, and much more. Diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are often detected during eye exams.

At Zen Eye Institute, Our Comprehensive Eye Exam Includes Measuring Your Visual Acuity – But What Exactly Does This Entail?  

Visual acuity refers to the clarity or sharpness of vision. It measures how well an individual can discern the details and shapes of objects at a distance. Several tests measure visual acuity, but the Snellen chart test is the most common.

The Snellen chart displays letters of progressively smaller sizes, and the individual being tested is asked to read these letters from a specific distance, usually 20 feet. The results are often expressed as a fraction, such as 20/20. The top number refers to the distance from the chart, and the bottom number indicates the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could read the same line you correctly read.

For instance, if you have 20/40 vision, you need to be 20 feet away to read a letter that a person with normal eyesight could read from 40 feet away.

There are also visual acuity tests to measure near vision. These often involve reading from a card held about 14 inches away from the eyes.

It’s essential to regularly test visual acuity because it can identify vision changes that might require corrective lenses or other treatments.

Other Components of a Comprehensive Eye Exam

Measuring your visual acuity is just one component of a comprehensive eye exam. We test to ensure that your eyes are properly working together, can track moving objects, access a full spectrum of colors, detect blind spots, and determine your perception of depth. We also measure the pressure in your eyes with a harmless puff of air to test for Glaucoma.

Other screening may include ophthalmoscopy, which examines the interior structures of the eye, such as your blood vessels, retina, and optic nerve, to diagnose and monitor a multitude of ocular and systemic conditions. Retinal imaging and screening slit lamp examinations are other tools ophthalmologists can use to help diagnose various eye conditions and diseases if symptoms suggest.

What Is a Phoropter?

A phoropter, or a refractor, is the large instrument placed in front of a patient’s face during an eye examination. The phoropter allows the eye care specialist to determine the patient’s eyeglass prescription, often referred to as “refraction.” This tool has various lenses of different strengths that can be rotated into the patient’s view, allowing the optometrist or ophthalmologist to determine the best lens power for each eye to provide the sharpest vision.

How Often Should I Get a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

Your eye doctor will typically advise you to undergo a comprehensive eye exam annually. However, if pre-existing conditions elevate your risk, you may be advised to have exams more regularly.

When did you last undergo a thorough eye check-up? Delay no further — contact Zen Eye Institute to book your eye evaluation.

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com

Occurring naturally as we age, diminishing eyesight is often unavoidable. Routine eye checks are crucial in diagnosing weakening eyesight, but what are some major culprits? Continue reading to find out. 

Cataracts
One of the most common eye-related problems, cataracts, occurs when blurry vision or nighttime driving issues arise due to the loss of the eye’s natural clear lens. In time, most people develop cataracts, relative to age being the primary culprit. To remedy cataracts, surgery is often recommended. The procedure replaces clouded lenses with a clear, artificial lens, completely treating the issue. 

Macular Degeneration
In contrast, this is a less-common issue affecting seniors. As the retina ages, it thins and causes dry eyes, which affects vision. Macular degeneration is hereditary and can be passed down through generations. Moreover, smoking increases one’s risk of developing this ailment. Eye injections can treat the disease.

Presbyopia
Many aging adults suffer from this near-vision loss, which cannot be prevented. Presbyopia is usually exhibited by having trouble focusing on words up close. Treatment options are vast and include glasses, specialized contact lenses, laser vision correction, or prescription eye drops. 

Dry Eye
This ailment forms through time as the body ages; similar to how the skin dries out, the eyes also experience depleted moisture. Artificial tears, along with ointments or prescription eye drops, are a go-to remedy for dry eyes. Specific medications can also reduce eye inflammation and increase tear production.

Glaucoma
Glaucoma forms when high pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve, affecting your brain’s ability to recognize objects. Genetic predispositions can be a factor, and there is no indicator of developing glaucoma unless an eye doctor screens for it. Most types of glaucoma do not cause pain but can be treated with specialized eye drops to minimize long-term effects. 

An eye care professional can detect many of the diseases described above early on. Deteriorating vision sometimes signals other issues. Get your eyes checked at Zen Eye Institute sooner than later, as treatment options are best in the early stages. 

Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

A severe form of macular degeneration called geographic atrophy is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in adults over 50. Geographic atrophy impacts 1 million people in the United States.

While macular degeneration is typically considered an incurable eye disease, and its origins are unknown, it has been determined that genetic and environmental factors can contribute to the development of the disease. 

Clinical trials are underway at Willis Eye/Mid Atlantic Retina for Syfovre, the first and only drug to treat this advanced form of macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, which can lead to blindness. While Syfovre has been proven to slow the progression of advanced macular degeneration, it will not reverse or cure the disease. 

Dr. Sunir Garg at Willis Eye said, “It’s a big deal for us because we went from not having anything to finally having something and that is a monumental achievement in our profession. It reduces the inflammation, and the inflammation is what is causing the damage. As time goes on, we can help them [patients] better protect their vision for a longer period of time.” 

Dr. Eleonora Lad, associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke University Medical Center, helped to oversee the clinical study of Syfovre. She said the new treatment is a “game changer” and “the beginning of a new treatment era for patients with geographic atrophy.” 

Macular degeneration experts such as Dr. Steven Schwartz of the UCLA Stein Eye Institute said the FDA’s approval is “very positive” for patients with unmet needs who need to preserve their vision. He said, “It’s particularly important while we continue to rapidly develop stem cell therapies that hold the promise for restoring vision already lost to this horrifying all-to-common cause of central blindness.” 

If you suffer from vision loss or need to schedule an exam to see an ophthalmologist, contact the doctors at Zen Eye Institute today.

Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

A new therapeutic method to treat glaucoma has recently been unveiled by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers. 

Glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease stemming from a damaged optic nerve, causes vision loss and blindness. In the United States, over 200,000 people suffer from glaucoma yearly, though there is no cure. 

The newly-published study was released in Communications Biology and outlined how researchers used neurons found in mitochondria as a steady source of energy, restoring homeostasis in the diseased neurons to protect the optic nerve cells. 

Arupratan Das, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and the principal investigator of the study said, “Age-related neurodegenerative disease, which includes glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the biggest global health problem. The fundamental mechanisms that we discovered can be used to protect neurons in glaucoma and be tested for other diseases. We have identified a critical step of the complex mitochondrial homeostasis process, which rejuvenates the dying neuron, similar to giving a lifeline to a dying person.”

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) from patients with and without glaucoma were used in the study, as well as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), which engineered human embryonic stem cells with glaucoma mutation. 

Researchers identified glaucomatous retinal ganglion cells suffering from mitochondrial deficiency (which leads to damage and degeneration) using Stem Cell Differentiated Retinal Ganglion Cells (hRGCs) of the optic nerve, electron microscopy, and metabolic analysis. Mitochondria are the tube-like structures in cells that produce adenosine triphosphate, the cell’s energy source. 

A pharmacological agent could reverse the process, which could enhance mitochondrial biogenesis. Researchers showed retinal ganglion cells as highly efficient in degrading negative mitochondria, producing more to regain homeostasis.

Das said, “Finding that retinal ganglion cells with glaucoma produce more adenosine triphosphate even with less mitochondria was astonishing. However, when triggered to produce more mitochondria, the adenosine triphosphate production load was distributed among more mitochondrion which restored the organelle physiology. It is similar to a situation where a heavy stone is carried by fewer people versus a greater number of people – each person will have less pain and injury, just like each mitochondrion will have less difficulty and damage.” 

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

A common symptom of diabetes is low blood sugar, which is now suspected of exacerbating diabetic eye disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have connected low blood sugar levels with a molecular pathway that is ignited in oxygen-starved eye cells. 

The new research was published in the January issue of Cell Reports and was conducted with both human and mouse eye cells grown in a low-sugar laboratory environment. 

Akrit Sodhi, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Ophthalmology at the Branna and Irving Sisenwein Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said, “Temporary episodes of low glucose happen once or twice a day in people with insulin-dependent diabetes and often among people newly diagnosed with the condition. Our results show that these periodic low glucose levels cause an increase in certain retinal cell proteins, resulting in an overgrowth of blood vessels and worsening diabetic eye disease.” 

The researchers discovered low glucose levels in human and mouse retinal cells resulted in a variety of molecular alterations that manifest as blood vessel overgrowth. Low glucose decreases retinal cells’ ability to break down glucose for energy. 

The most preventable cause of blindness in the United States is eye disease among people with diabetes. One-third of people with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy, marked by the overgrowth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina. Patients with diabetic retinopathy might be especially vulnerable to phases of low glucose, so keeping glucose levels steady is an imperative aspect of glucose control. 

The researchers continue to examine whether low glucose levels in diabetics might impact similar molecular pathways in other organs, such as the kidneys and brain. 

Thanks to this novel research, scientists are one step closer to developing new treatments for diabetic eye disease. 

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, has served the greater Grand Blanc area for over twenty years. Now operating under Dr. Charles Zenzen, we offer comprehensive medical and surgical eye care treating various conditions and diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, dry eyes, and more. For exceptional eye care at our state-of-the-art practice, call (810) 579-0202 to make an appointment today! 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com

Diagnosing Dry Eyes

Dry eyes can plague nearly every person at some point in their lives. Dry, dehydrated eyes can be even more apparent in the winter months when there is less humidity. Dry eyes can cause discomfort, a sensation of having something in your eyes, blurred vision, eye fatigue, sensitivity to light, trouble in wearing contact lenses, difficulty with nighttime driving, and conversely, can make your eyes watery.

There are various tests used to determine the cause of dry eyes, including:

• Comprehensive eye exam – overall health and history can help diagnose the cause.
• Disease markers – to look for specific eye diseases such as decreased lactoferrin.
• Schirmer tear or phenol red thread test – measures tear production.
• Quality of tears test – dyed eye drops help determine the surface condition of your eyes.
• Tear osmolarity test – measures the composition of particles and water in your eyes.

Treatment for Dry Eyes

Treatment for dry eyes can include implementing eye drops, sometimes called artificial tears. Treatments can reverse or manage dry eyes by improving tear makeup or function depending on the overall test results.

Sometimes, an underlying health condition can remediate the signs and symptoms of dry eyes, such as using a specific medication that causes dry eyes as a side effect.

Various treatments for dry eyes include: 

• Medicine to increase oil gland production.
• Eye drops to control cornea inflammation. 
• Artificial eye inserts that slowly dissolve and mimic tears
• Prescriptions (pills, gels, eye drops) to increase tear production. 
• Autologous blood serum drops.
• Nasal spray used explicitly for dry eyes.

If the above treatments do not help with dry eyes, a few medical interventions can help: 

• Plugging the tear ducts with tiny silicone (punctal) plugs to prevent tear loss. 
• Using special scleral contact lenses that protect the eye surface and trap moisture.
• Unblocking oil glands by using warm compresses. 
• Using hypochlorous acid spray to help keep eye pH normal and remove bacteria causing dry eye.

Do you suffer from dry eyes and need a solution ASAP? You’ve come to the right place; we can help determine the best treatment based on your symptoms. Contact us today!

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Rohr Eye & Laser Center is now Zen Eye Institute! We offer the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Cataracts can make vision appear blurry or misty, similar to peering through frosted glass. Occasionally, babies are born with cataracts or develop them at a young age. If a baby is born with a cataract, it is called a congenital cataract; if the infant develops a cataract within the first six months of life, it is known as an infantile cataract. Oftentimes, a cataract can form in one (unilateral) eye, and sometimes both eyes (bilateral) are affected. 

Children who are diagnosed with a “lazy eye,” or amblyopia, usually have a cataract in one eye. If the eye sends unfocused, blurry images to the brain, they will soon be ignored by the brain, which will favor the stronger eye. This results in an undeveloped visual pathway, making one eye more resilient than the other.

The different types of congenital cataracts vary; some affect vision while others do not. If a cataract is located on the edge of the lens, it will not affect vision as much as those on the center. If treated too late or goes untreated, dense cataracts can cause blindness.  

The treatment for infantile cataracts depends on whether it affects the child’s vision. If no visual issues are detected, treatment is unnecessary. However, if the cataract impairs their eyesight, surgery to remove the affected lens is recommended. Cataracts cannot grow back once they are removed. 

To ensure the child receives the best possible vision throughout their life, a lens will be implanted, and glasses and/or contact lenses will be required. Glasses and contact lenses help to replace the natural lens within the child’s eye by providing a fixed focus.  

With glasses and/or contact use, the child will be able to see as clearly as possible no matter the distance, which will be correctly presented to their developing brain. When it comes to a child’s visual development, clear images are vital. As the child grows, their eyes will change, which is common. 

Monitoring the child’s eye health following treatment for cataracts will ensure there are no surprises or issues that may develop in the future. Typically, ophthalmologists will schedule appointments as necessary.  

Early detection and treatment are the best solution for congenital or infantile cataracts. Regular eye checkups will ensure the child is outfitted with the correct strength of glasses and/or contacts. 

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Zen Eye Institute, formally Rohr Eye & Laser Center, offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help. Call us at 810-579-0202 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/