The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition January February 2015

www.theconnectionsnj.com Health and Wellness PAGE 58 Choice Dermatology LLC 12 Ridge Street, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 • (908) 766-SKIN (7546) www.ChoiceDermatology.com Choice Dermatology offers excellent care in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. Our office focuses on quality treatment, timely service, and personalized one-on-one care with the dermatologist during the entire visit. • Diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the skin, hair and nails • Microscopic interpretation of skin biopsies • Surgical excision of benign and malignant skin lesions • Cosmetic services including BOTOX injection, dermal fillers for deep wrinkles, and chemical peels. New Patients Welcome Marc Meulener, MD, PhD Now Accepting AmeriHealth • BlueCross BlueShield • Aetna Oxford • UnitedHealthcare • Medicare CALL AND GET AN APPOINTMENT WITHIN 48 HOURS. Now offering Laser Hair Removal, Laser VeinTreatment & Laser Removal of Brown Spots WHAT’S YOUR “EYE”Q? COMMON MYTHS ABOUT YOUR VISION By: Lawrence V. Najarian, M.D. Bedminster Eye and Laser Center, P.A. There are many common beliefs associat- ed with eye health, many of which have no scientific basis. Here are a few you may have heard and thought to be true. Think again! When it comes to your eyes, don’t believe everything you’ve heard! Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes. Your mother may have warned you that you would ruin your eyes forever if you sat too close to the television or watched it too long. Unfortunately for mom, that’s not true. Watching television or staring at a computer for long periods, won’t physically harm your eyes. They may feel more tired, but you can remedy that by giving your eyes a rest. Your vision will get worse if you read in the dark. Reading in dim light may be harder, but it doesn’t damage your eyes. For cen- turies, people read and worked by can- dlelight or gas lamps that offered far less illumination than the electric lighting we have today. Proper light will prevent eye fatigue and make reading easier, though. Wearing glasses makes your eyes dependent on them. Eyeglasses correct impaired vision. Wearing glasses more often allows you to see clearly, but your glasses don’t change your eyes and make your eyes dependent on your eyeglasses. You just become accustomed to seeing things more clearly. Similarly, wearing glasses with the wrong prescription won’t ruin your eyes. You just won’t see as clearly as you would with the proper prescription. Only boys are color blind. Color blindness, also known as color deficiency, typically occurs when a per- son cannot distinguish between certain colors, usually between greens and reds, and occasionally blues. While males are much more likely to develop color blind- ness, females can also have the problem. Eating carrots will make your eyesight sharper. Carrots contain vitamin A, a nutrient important to your eyes. However, a bal- anced diet can contain many foods that offer similar benefits. Eating an abun- dance of carrots won’t help you see bet- ter unless you suffer from vitamin A defi- ciency, which is rare in the U.S. Medical marijuana helps treat glaucoma. The idea that marijuana can be helpful in treating glaucoma dates to the 1970s, when studies conducted then showed that smoking marijuana lowered the intraocular pressure (IOP) of people with glaucoma. As a result of this research, additional studies were conducted exam- ining whether marijuana or its active ingredient, THC, could be used to keep IOP lowered. This research was support- ed by the National Eye Institute, a divi- sion of the federal National Institutes of Health. The research found that when marijuana is smoked or when a form of its active ingredient is taken as a pill or by injec- tion, it does lower IOP, but only for a short period of time – about three or four hours. While marijuana can temporarily lower IOP, it’s not recommended for treating glaucoma. Prescription medication and surgical treatments have been tested and proven as effective treatments for the condition. On June 27, 2014, the Ameri- can Academy of Ophthalmology reiterat- ed its position that it does not recom- mend marijuana or other cannabis prod- ucts for the treatment of glaucoma. The eye care team at Bedminster Eye and Laser Center can develop a glaucoma treatment option that is best for you. Lawrence V. Najarian, M.D. is a board- certified ophthalmologist and founder of Bedminster Eye and Laser Center, P.A., which has served the Bedminster commu- nity and beyond for more than 25 years. Dr. Najarian recently received a Gold Doc Award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. This national award is given to doctors who demonstrate “exemplary skill, sensitivity and compassion” toward patients. Dr. Najarian has been a faculty member of both New York University (where he was recently honored with a volunteer service award) and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary for the past 25 years. Now also accepting Aetna