INTRODUCING:

Dr. Michelle Solomon

Dr. Michelle Solomon, a Richmond native, grew up in Midlothian, VA. She received an undergraduate degree from James Madison University with a B.S. in Health Sciences and a Biology minor. She completed her doctoral studies at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) in Chicago. In her time at ICO she was involved in several organizations which included the American Optometric Student Association, National Optometric Student Association, Contact Lens Society, Tomb and Key Honor Society (a society based on high academic achievement), Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society, and the Virginia Optometric Association.

Dr. Solomon is dedicated to providing the best care possible to her patients. She is up to date with the latest developments in technology and advancements within the realm of Optometry. She is a current member of the following organizations:

-          American Optometric Association

-          Virginia Optometric Association

-          Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society

-          Tomb and Key Honor Society

In her spare time Dr. Solomon enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.  Just ask her about her trip to Hawaii this summer!

*** A Note from Dr. Paull ***

We are very excited to have Dr. Solomon as the new owner of the practice.  There will be a transition during the month of September, and the 'official' name change will take place on October 1st, 2012.  Dr. Amanda Paull will still be working at the office 1 day per week, as it has grown to be a 6-day per week practice.  Thank you to all the wonderful patients who have helped it grow over its years in practice, and we look forward to growing in the future with Dr. Solomon!  Dr. Paull will still be providing eye  care in nursing homes from Virginia Beach to Richmond, but she and her family have moved to Williamsburg, which means that the practice will now be in the capable hands of Dr. Solomon.  Please welcome her at your next eye exam!

The Eye is the Window to Your Body's Health

Rick C. learned that paying close attention to vision can actually not only indicate your eye’s health but it can be an indicator of your overall body health as well.  He came to our office because about a week ago he got some debris in his left eye, and after rubbing his eye, he noticed his vision was blurry only in his left eye.  He thought it would get better, so he waited about a week and it was still very blurry.  Additionally, he saw a small pink band in the center of his vision.  Hoping it was just a scratch on his eye, he wasn’t prepared to find out what the actual diagnosis was for his loss of vision in the left eye. 

Rick's normal right eye

Rick's left eye, showing some small blood spots at the edges of the swollen optic nerve (yellow circle)

Dr. Paull reviewed his retinal photos and immediately noticed small blood hemorrhages and a swollen optic nerve in his left eye only.  This would explain the pink spot – it was actually some blood floating in his eye that his brain interpreted as a spot in his vision!  Rick was only able to see 20/100, although at his exam the year before he had been able to see 20/20. After additional tests by a neuro-ophthalmologist the next day, Rick was diagnosed with “ischemic optic neuropathy”, which is essentially a stroke to the eye.  This occurs when the blood supply to the optic nerve is suddenly decreased and the eye loses vision.   The nerve started to swell, and this burst some of the blood vessels in the eye.  Rick started medication that helps supply blood again to his left eye and improve the possibility of regaining some vision.

Rick was very thankful that although he suffered a ‘stroke of the eye’, he did not suffer a stroke to another part of the brain or something worse, such as an infection or blood disease.  Although Rick is only 65 years old, he is making sure to carefully monitor his blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and overall health.  Most bodily conditions can actually affect the small blood vessels in the eye, which is why the eye is the ‘window’ in to the body’s health!  Yearly eye exams are recommended to help not only check your vision, but your overall health as well.

E-Readers and Eyestrain

Channel 8's Medical Minute with Dr. Paull

Check out the video clip of Dr. Paull explaining the secret to decreasing eyestrain. Make sure you know the 20/20 rule of taking a break every 20 minutes for 20 seconds!

Help others see, and save money!

Donate your old pair of glasses or sunglasses to the Lions Club, and receive $5 off any self pay fees at our office!

The Lions Club has a special program for donating eyeglasses to needy people throughout the world. When Dr. Paull was in optometry school, she participated in a missions trip to Belize where over 12,000 pairs of Lions club glasses were lugged to hundreds of needy people in the rural areas of Belize. Each pair of glasses was carefully cleaned by a volunteer, and the exact prescription was measured. Volunteer doctors measured the patients' prescriptions and checked for eye disease, and then glasses are given to patients who were sometimes able to see clearly for the first time in their life! To date, the Lions Club has helped over 100 million people with eye care services throughout the world.

Do not let your glasses gather dust in your house! Bring them in to our office and we will thank you by taking $5 off any self-pay fees (not applicable towards insurance copays, limit is 2 per patient). And don't forget those old sunglasses! We will accept non-prescription sunglasses as well, giving you an excuse to update your style!

A Recipe for 20/20

Did you know that eating healthy can help boost your vision as well? Your eye's health is dependent on your overall health, and if your overall health is good - your eyes will function better and you will have clearer vision. Many common antioxidants and nutrients have been proven to help prevent cataract as well as macular degeneration. For example, vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein and zeaxanthin, have all been proven to help fight eye diseases. Foods that contain these nutrients include all colorful fruits and vegetables, salmon, walnuts and spinach. Interestingly, we have one patient in our practice, J.B., who was found to have small spots in the back of her eye due to a degeneration of her retina that could potentially lead to macular degeneration and blindness. She started taking vitamins that contained the antioxidants needed for the eye, and when she returned a year later, the spots had diminished! Eating healthy can help save your sight. For more information on nutrients and the eye, please visit: http://www.allaboutvision.com/nutrition/nutrition_summary.htm.
Feeling hungry? Enjoy a delicious recipe that contains foods that help support eye health:

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
2 TBS Seasame Seeds
1 TBS Poppy Seeds
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS Minced Onion
10 Ounces Fresh Spinach
1 Quart Fresh Strawberries
1/4 Walnuts
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, wisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for 1 hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before service.
**Add salmon to this salad for an omega-3 boost!

Retinal photo of the year

TOP PHOTO: the retina of the right eye of our patient, D.C. Note the white area where the retina has detached.

BOTTOM PHOTO: the retina of the left eye of our patient, D.C. Note the normal, red retina throughout the photo.

Our patient, D.C, sure must be glad that he has a 'spare tire' when it comes to eyes. When he was in his late teens, he obtained a basketball injury to his right eye. The injury caused the retina to detach from the back of his eye, so he is unable to see normally in that eye. Interestingly, a small part of the retina remained attached to the eye in the top part of the eye, so now he can actually see things that are below him only (the top part of the eye sees the bottom of our visual field). The injury also caused a traumatic cataract in his right eye, so there is less light entering that eye as well.
The beautiful retinal photos above show the retinal detachment in our special patient's eyes. He can still see normally out of his left eye, so you would never know from looking at him that he had one eye that was essentially blind. Aren't you glad God gave us two eyes?!