If you haven’t seen an eye care professional in a while, suggests Doctor Ruth Williams, now may be a good time to do so.

(NAPSI)—When ophthalmologist Ruth Williams, MD, opened her office after shutting down early in 2020 due to the pandemic, she was surprised to see how many people had developed serious eye problems in just a few months.

Preventive care is especially important in eye care because many common eye diseases can rob you of your good vision before you notice signs of trouble.

“Far too often, we witness the consequences of patients entering the ophthalmologist’s office too late to avoid severe vision loss,” said Dr. Williams, a glaucoma specialist at the Wheaton Eye Clinic in the Chicago suburbs. “Protecting vision is such a high value thing.”

The good news is ophthalmologists—medical and surgical physicians trained to recognize all the potential threats to vision—have figured out how to safely practice medicine in the era of COVID. Dr. Williams says most eye doctors hope not to shutter their offices again.

EyeCare America Can Help

If the cost of an eye exam is a concern, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America program may be able to help. This national public service program provides eyecare through thousands of volunteer ophthalmologists for eligible seniors 65 and older, and those at increased risk for eye disease, mostly at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. As one EyeCare America patient said, “Because of your program, my vision will be saved. The doctor was professional, and the diagnosis was spot on. EyeCare America is a beautiful thing!”

Who Should See an Ophthalmologist?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends all adults have a comprehensive eye exam by age 40, and every year or two after age 65.

Other reasons to see an ophthalmologist include:

1. If you are experiencing new symptoms, including blurry, wavy or blank spots in your field of vision.
2. If you injure your eye, even if it seems minor. Damage to the eye is not always obvious and may require treatment.
3. If you get eye injections for an existing eye disease and have not done so during COVID-19, you should contact your ophthalmologist now.
4. If you’ve put off surgery, such as cataract surgery, during COVID-19, you should contact your ophthalmologist.

Safety Procedures During COVID

Ophthalmologists have taken many steps to create a safe environment during the pandemic. Your ophthalmologist is probably ready for you. Here is what you should expect to see:

• The clinic is likely to restrict the number of people who enter. If you don’t need someone to be there with you, don’t bring anyone to your appointment.
• The clinic may ask you to wait outside or in your car, instead of in the normal waiting room.
• Expect to see hand sanitizer when you enter the building and in the waiting room and exam rooms.
• Expect to be asked to wear a mask.
• Chairs will be spaced out to accommodate social distancing.
• Cleaning will occur more frequently throughout the clinic.
• As usual, exam rooms and equipment will be thoroughly cleaned after every patient exits.
• Expect to be asked a series of questions to determine your risk profile.
• Expect someone will take your temperature.
• Your ophthalmologist may use a special plastic breath shield on the slit lamp machine they use to look into your eyes.
• Your eyecare professionals may ask you to wait to speak until after your eye exam is complete. Then they can talk with you and answer questions when they can be a safe distance from you.

Learn More

For more information regarding EyeCare America and to see if you or someone you care for qualify, visit www.aao.org/eyecare-america.

(NAPSI)—Dreadful as the pandemic has been, for some people it has meant a positive health change. Three in 10 Americans made a major change to their diet during this time, according to new research.

As with most changes, the big question always lingers—will the changes last?

The study suggests they may well. Seven in 10 of those respondents said their new diet has lasted longer because they did it during the ongoing pan¬demic, versus if they made the change at another time.

What the Study Showed

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Herbalife Nutrition, the survey looked at specific changes respondents made. Of Americans surveyed, 47% started eating more plant-based foods, while 54% started eating more fruits and vegetables—and 43% made an effort to eat less meat.

Results also found that a third of American respondents cut out or ate less sugar, and 39% cut down on the number of treats they ate.

Why the Choice to Change Now? 

For many respondents, it was because they had extra time on their hands. In fact, fifty-three percent said they had more time to research healthier foods, while 51% said they had time to cook more and learn new recipes.

In addition, 40% said they were away from such negative influences as office snacks, while 37% wanted to use this time to make a positive change.

A third made the change to accommodate their loved ones. For nearly one in four the cost of meat was the cause, and for another quarter, it was on the advice of a healthcare professional.

“There is never a bad time to make a positive change in your lifestyle, especially when those changes lead to lasting, healthy results,” said Dr. Kent Bradley, Chief Health and Nutrition Officer, Herbalife Nutrition. “During this pan¬demic it appears more individuals are choosing quality nutrient-dense sources like those found in a plant-based diet.”

When asked about their current diets, 75% said they eat meat while 18% identified as “flexitarians,” and the rest were vegan or vegetarian.

Yet plant-based diets might be on the rise: 61% of respondents said they’d like to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet, but they aren’t sure where to begin. The survey also found 40% of American respondents are more open-minded about plant-based foods and “meatless meat” options during the pandemic. In a similar survey conducted last year, half of respondents were more open-minded about plant-based foods and “meatless meat” and 70 percent believed meatless meat would continue to grow in popularity.

Bradley added, “I commend all those who are empowering themselves in the midst of this pandemic and have found a way to create new healthy habits.”

Veterans and their families can get help at home to make daily living easier.

(NAPSI)—The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have launched an emergency respite care fund for the family caregivers of wounded, ill, and injured veterans. The program, Respite Relief for Military and Veteran Caregivers, will provide non-medical, no-cost, professional home care to veteran caregivers who are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. CareLinx, a nationwide professional home care network,  helped launch the fund with a donation of $1 million worth of services. Wounded Warrior Project then contributed an additional $1 million to expand the program. The Foundation expects to provide 75,000 hours of care to more than 3,000 veteran caregivers.

“The lack of affordable, convenient, professional respite care has always taken a significant toll on the emotional and physical well-being of veteran caregivers,” said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “Now, due to the increased health risks and limitations created by the pandemic, we are seeing a spike in the need for short-term relief.”

Even as states re-open, some of the most critically wounded or ill veterans and their caregivers will have a long journey back to the pre-pandemic world. These veterans often have vulnerable immune systems that require their caregivers to take every precaution against exposure. By asking family and friends to keep their distance, they are losing a vital source of daily support.

“We are grateful to CareLinx and Wounded Warrior Project for helping us respond to this urgent need,” Schwab continued. “We hope other organizations also step up, so we can ensure every veteran caregiver suffering during COVID-19 receives the help they need.”

The program is rolling out in select regions and will expand nationwide over time. Eligible caregivers can request services that include companionship, grocery shopping, cooking, mobility assistance, transportation, bathing, and other activities of daily living. AARP and Bob Woodruff Foundation have also joined as key collaborators for this effort to help spread the word to military and veteran caregivers.

To learn more and apply, visit www.hiddenheroes.org/respite.

Fast-acting treatments may help make migraines less of a headache for many.

(NAPSI)—Contrary to popular belief, migraine is not just a bad headache. It’s a serious, often incapacitating, neurological disease. In addition to serious pain, migraine can also cause nausea or vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light, sounds and smell. Nearly 40 million people in the United States live with this debilitating health problem, but since not every migraine sufferer experiences migraine in the same way, finding the right treatment approach can be challenging. In fact, finding a fast-acting, easy-to-use treatment that does not aggravate migraine symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, can feel like an uphill battle.

Starting a dialogue with your healthcare provider is the first step in finding a migraine treatment that works for you. Here are some questions that might help set you on the right path to finding migraine relief.

There are so many migraine treatments available. How do I know which one is right for me?

Treatment choices for acute migraine should be based on headache severity, migraine frequency, associated symptoms and any underlying conditions.5 It’s important to let your healthcare provider know if your migraine causes nausea or vomiting as it may interfere with taking an oral medication. There are several different categories of acute treatments for migraines, two of the most common being analgesics and triptans. Analgesics are considered nonspecific migraine medications as they work on pain symptoms in general, while triptans are one type of migraine medication that specifically targets migraine. Triptans are the main class of drug used for the acute treatment of migraine and tend to work well if administered early in the course of a migraine attack.

How do I know if my migraine medication is working successfully?

A good way to tell if your acute medication is working is to ask yourself these questions:5,6

•Are you pain-free within two hours?
•Are you functioning normally in 3-4 hours?
•Does your migraine respond to treatment consistently at least 50% of the time?
•Are you always able to swallow or keep down your acute medication?

If you answered “no” to one or more of these questions, then you and your healthcare provider may want to reassess your treatment plan.

I experience nausea with my migraine so taking an oral medicine is difficult. I need a medicine that works fast—what are some of my options?

You’re not alone. Sometimes an oral medication is sub-optimal, particularly for patients that experience migraine with nausea or vomiting. Surveys have revealed that as many as 90% of migraine sufferers experience these symptoms, and many find it more difficult to take and thus absorb oral medication.9 Patients who can’t take oral medication should consider asking their healthcare provider for an alternative treatment. One option for such patients is Tosymra® (sumatriptan nasal spray) 10 mg, a fast-acting, ready-to-use nasal spray with mist-like administration that allows patients to get relief quickly while avoiding the gastrointestinal tract.10 Tosymra works as quickly as an injection and can provide migraine pain relief in as few as 10 minutes for some patients (13% vs. 5% for placebo; 57% of patients had pain relief at 2 hours vs. 21% for placebo).10 Tosymra is available by prescription and is used to treat acute migraine headaches with or without aura in adults. Tosymra is not for everyone. Do not use Tosymra if you have heart problems, narrowing of blood vessels (peripheral vascular disease), or uncontrolled high blood pressure. These are not all the reasons you should not take Tosymra.

With the many treatment options available for the acute treatment of migraine, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about which treatment is right for you.

For more information about acute migraine and Tosymra, including a link to full prescribing and patient information, visit www.mytosymra.com or talk to your healthcare provider.

(NAPSI)—Nasal congestion is nothing to sneeze at. It affects roughly 20 percent of the population and is associated with reduced quality of life, difficulty sleeping, reduced daytime performance, and increased need for healthcare. In addition to the physical misery, it is estimated the annual financial impact of chronic congestion is more than $5 to $10 billion. Fortunately, scientists are coming up with new and better ways to deal with the problem.

New Device

That’s good news since, until recently, most of the current treatments for nasal congestion and season allergies were drugs that must be regularly ingested in the form of nasal sprays (decongestants or steroids), pills (decongestants or antihistamines) or uncomfortable nasal irrigators. Each of these has its own side effects and risks. In addition, current treatments provide only partial or temporary relief. Fortunately, there’s a new patented device that uses a combination of acoustic vibrations, and gentle, resistant pressure to help open nasal breathing and relieve nasal congestion, naturally—in as little as three minutes.

Called SinuSonic, it consists of a fully disposable medical-grade silicone nosepiece on a resin body. A flutter valve on top creates gentle, self-guided oscillating expiratory resistance.

A recent study published in the prestigious International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology (IFAR)—the official journal of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA)—found the relief from chronic nasal congestion can be life changing. Eighty percent of participants enjoyed a clinically relevant improvement.

Doctor’s Opinion

“We were excited to see measurable positive changes in both objective nasal airflow as well as patient-reported symptom scores and quality of life,” said Dr. Rodney Schlosser, an internationally known sinus specialist and one of the lead researchers on the study. “Our initial results demonstrate that SinuSonic is a safe and effective treatment alternative to conventional pharmacologic and surgical treatment for these patients.”

Learn More

To see the device in action or purchase online, go to www.SinuSonic.com.