Interactive Medicine

Interactive Medicine, or How to Choose a Quality Doctor

You need to feel comfortable, important and included in your eye and general medical examination. No one knows your body better than you do. You already have insights into your deficiencies and healing techniques that have proven helpful in the past.

I am often asked how to select a physician in someone’s hometown. That is, as you probably have already found out, a difficult task. There really is no directory for holistic doctors. There are many competent and skilled ophthalmologists and optometrists, but you may have to convert yours into becoming a broad-minded physician. The current healthcare environment does not reward or subsidize listening and observing by its providers.

Therefore, it is a good idea to choose a doctor as you would for any other important decision. If people will interview pediatricians for their child, why won’t they interview doctors for themselves? Write down your thoughts and questions before presenting them. If you can’t get answers during the initial office visit, arrange a telephone call at a convenient time for you both, or have the physician fax his or her response to you.

Your doctor (and his technicians or office staff) should know your medications, supplements and diet. Some foods e.g. spinach – because of its vitamin K content, may interfere with blood thinners. Some supplements, e.g. ginkgo, kava kava or St. John’s Wort, may interact with certain medications. And most synthetic drugs have side effects. Inform your pharmacist what you are taking, as well.

Some physicians may cut corners to increase productivity at the expense of quality patient care.  But there are many who continue to provide excellent care despite the economic downturn. Make sure you are in control and selective when choosing your healthcare providers.

Quality living is made up of many components, such as lifestyle, sleep, harmony in daily activities, stretching and weight resistant exercise, etc. Teach your doctor about you by providing a list about yourself and about your questions.

There are always seductive new advances in eyecare, but you must be aware of your personal health and routine measures that apply to your total body health. Your doctor must become aware of your needs before prescribing medication, tests and even surgery.

This quest takes effort on your part, but will yield a lifetime of positive results. Therefore, seek interactive care.

The Eyes Have It

The eyes can tell all since they represent and are dependent upon the rest of the body. The eyes provide the information by the following:

▪         By the direction people look when they tell the truth or lie

▪         By the constriction or dilation of the pupil

▪         By the range of normal eye movements

▪         By the regularity of eye movements following the movements of a rotating drum (nystagmus)

▪         By the color of the conjunctiva

▪         By the size of the palpebral fissure (the aperture between the two lids)

▪         By the clarity of the crystalline lens. A cloudy lens is called a cataract; different kinds of cataracts may reflect different causes

▪         By the color of the iris

▪         By the appearance of the retinal blood vessels

▪         By the integrity of the macula, which is the center of the retina and provides the highest quality vision

▪         By the appearance and color of the optic nerve

▪         By the visual field which can indicate glaucoma, stroke or aneurysm

Your eyes are connected to your brain, heart, lungs, lymphatics , intestines and liver.

In fact, the liver stores vital nutrients, processes foods and removes toxins all of which is important for eye health. All of the vitamins and minerals for ocular health depend upon and are stored in the liver.  What you eat may very well determine how you see even though many other lifestyle factors are important.

Future research into nystagmus, caused by the rapid rotation of an object in front of the eyes, will determine location of any injury to the brain making for earlier diagnosis and treatment. The world of neuroscience is providing many revelations; and the eye is often the entry point.

Take care of your eyes says Dr. Lauren Chandler who detected an evil scheme through her own research and eye exams (in my new mystery thriller book “Lethal Hindsight.” ).  www.lethalhindsight.com

You Take The Lead

Conventional medical journals rarely support vitamin supplementation. Journals that feature pharmaceutical ads will have a negative article about vitamins, if any. Your doctor will usually echo the traditional mantra that a good diet and exercise is all you need.

Well folks, you have to be the judge. I don’t know what a good diet really is or the source of your vegetables, grains and farm-raised meat. We can’t be certain about our level of consumption of mercury from the sea, pesticides from the land and antibiotics and steroids from dairy and meat.

Therefore, you have to be the one to look at the data ,which is becoming increasingly available in non-specialty journals about the need for vitamin supplementation. Surely, you cannot get enough Vitamin E, Vitamin D and Omega 3 from the average diet. Some foods have supplements incorporated but usually at a low level.

So you need to be aware how your body feels, your mind thinks and your vision supports your daily life. Decide whether the addition or subtraction of vitamins plays a role. You may have to teach your doctor some new tricks. If we as physicians would learn to listen better we could learn a lot from your experiences.