Why It’s Important to Know Your Family’s Eye Health History
- Posted on: May 25 2021
Most people know to communicate to their doctors about a family history of cancer or heart disease, but many patients are less likely to discuss their parents’ and grandparents’ eye ailments with their eye doctors. Do not make that mistake! Dr. Gregory Pamel of Pamel Vision & Laser Group explains why family members should discuss eye health issues with one another.
Many Eye Diseases Are Genetic
Researchers are actively looking into which genes are responsible for debilitating eye conditions, but existing research can already confirm that you are at significantly increased odds of developing an eye disease that a family member had.
That is certainly true of two of the more commonly diagnosed and serious eye diseases: glaucoma and macular degeneration. If you have a brother or sister with glaucoma, your chance of having glaucoma is at 10 percent, and if you have a parent/sibling with macular degeneration, your odds are closer to 50 percent of having the same problem.
All sorts of eye diseases have known hereditary links, so you should share news of your conditions openly with your relatives and ask them to do the same.
Early Detection Is Key
While ophthalmologists will try to help you to stop or reverse the consequences of these eye diseases at any stage, they have the best shot at preserving your sight when they can treat the problems early.
Alert your doctor about your family history so that he or she knows to look extra carefully for potential conditions, as well as to continue monitoring for these problems in the years ahead. You may curse at the genes that give you this problem in the first place, but having that genetic advanced warning could also be your saving grace.
Do Not Wait for Symptoms
Knowing your family history is important, but it does not do you any good to sit on information about past afflictions. Waiting until something seems potentially wrong and then communicating your family history with the doctor is often too late.
That is because very few people pick up on the earliest signs of eye disease. The symptoms are either extremely subtle or your eye is good at compensating for the initial problems so you cannot perceive them. Therefore, use the information that is available to you to proactively get screened for conditions you may share with your family members
Make an Appointment
If you know that your family has a history of eye disease — or you cannot be sure — that is a strong reason to keep in contact with a doctor to keep on top of your eye health. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Pamel, call 212-355-2215.
Posted in: Eye Health
