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Diabetes | Hypertension | Glaucoma | NOA's community outreach pamphlets - FREE to members
The "Three Silent Killers" program is dedicated in partnership with Healthy People 2020 as a comprehensive educational tool used to promote healthy eye and vision care as a model to the public health agenda for the nation. The Healthy People 2020 objectives were created by a consortium of national organizations, including the National Optometric Association, and state agencies under the supervision of the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
The NOA's mission of "Advancing the Visual Health of Minority Populations" includes educating the public of diseases which cause blindness. Racial and ethnic minorities are prone to acquire higher rates of glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and high blood pressure-known as the "three silent killers." The "Three Silent Killers" program emphasizes the importance of prevention, education and health awareness of these diseases striking and robbing minority groups of their sight and possibly their lives.
Routine awareness and care are the keys to stopping these "killers." Scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with a local NOA Optometrist is a priority.
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5 Things You Should Know About Diabetic Eye Disease
In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms. A person may not notice vision changes until the disease is quite advanced. Blurred vision may occur when the macula swells from the leaking fluid (macular edema). If new vessels have grown on the surface of the retina, they can bleed into the eye, blocking vision.
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African Americans With Diabetes Can Prevent Vision Loss
Diabetic retinopathy affects 7.7 million Americans, and that number is projected to increase to more than 14.6 million people by 2030. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), more than 800,000 African Americans included in these statistics have diabetic retinopathy, and this number is projected to increase to approximately 1.2 million people by 2030.
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Educating Young Eyes Conference
NOA Board Members Speak in Seattle
Drs. Johnson-Brown and Jones spoke at the Educating Young Eyes Conference in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Johnson-Brown emphasized the importance of vision training in the children she screened at the Plano Center in Chicago.
At the Juvenile Detention Center where Dr. Jones screened children, his topic pertained to the problems of uncorrected vision in children and how that can cause psychosocial difficulties and may lead to juvenile delinquency. Washington and Illinois are two of the states that have passed the bill to test children at near point distances in schools. Many of the psychosocial problems of children are related to problems with their vision. This conference was the second annual Educating Young Eyes Conference.
Pictured: NOA Board members, Drs. Edward Larry Jones (center) and Stephanie Johnson-Brown (right) with
Superintendent of Schools, Erin Jones,(left)
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NOA's West Coast Social
Food and fun was had by all during the NOA's West Coast Social at the American Academy of Optometry's, annual meeting.
Dr. Edward Larry Jones, NOA Region 5 Trustee, put on a meet and greet during the Academy of Optometry in Anaheim, California on Veteran's Day, November 11th 2016. Approximately 40 students and faculty members were in attendance. The affair was catered by Georgia's Restaurant.
Attendees included: Dr. Philip Aitsebaomo, NOA President, Dr. Sherrol Reynolds, FAAO, NOA Vice-President, Dr. Parres Wright, NOA Director of Communications, Dr. Millicent Knight (brand new FAAO), Head of Professional Affairs, Johnson & Johnson Vistacon, and Peter Menziuso, President of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. Fayiz Mahgoub, NOSA President was also there representing the students. The
turnout was great and everyone enjoyed networking and socializing.
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What Patients Need to Know About Decorative Contacts
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Contact Lenses: No Prescription, No Way (EyeSmart - American Academy of Ophthalmology)
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Most people do not know the sight-stealing consequences behind obtaining decorative lenses including colored contacts and novelty or costume lenses without a prescription, is dangerous. Websites often advertise decorative contacts as if they were cosmetics, fashion accessories or toys, and their targets are often teens.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and its EyeSmart® public education program are warning parents and teens that purchasing any contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from a licensed eye care professional can cause serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to blindness.
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