>>> IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO
HAVE A CANDID CONVERSATION
WITH YOUR EYE DOCTOR, BUT
THIS DIALOGUE CAN MAKE THE
DIFFERENCE FOR BOTH OF YOU.
HERE TO START THE
CONVERSATION ON
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATIONS IS
OPHTHALMOLOGIST DR. NEDA
SHAMIE.
>> GOOD MORNING, ALEX.
>> I HAVE A FEELING I KNOW
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY,
BUT HOW IMPORTANT IS
COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR
DOCTOR?
>> ABSOLUTELY IT'S CRITICAL
TO CREATE THAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOUR DOCTOR SO YOU CAN
HAVE AN ADVOCATE IN THAT
DOCTOR.
IT'S NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE A
CONVERSATION THAT THE DOCTOR
CAN REALLY BE HOME IN ON
CONCERNS YOU MAY BE HAVING
WITH SYMPTOMS THAT COULD
THEN BE ASSOCIATED WITH A
DIAGNOSIS, AND IN TURN THE
DOCTOR CAN OFFER A
CUSTOMIZED TREATMENT PLAN TO
ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
YOU NEED TO START THAT
CONVERSATION TO START THAT
PROCESS.
>> THERE WAS A SURVEY
RECENTLY ABOUT THESE TYPES
OF CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT DID IT ACTUALLY SHOW?
>> THERE WAS A SURVEY ASKING
THAT EXACT QUESTION, WHETHER
OR NOT YOU SHARE CONCERNS
WITH YOUR EYE DOCTOR.
I WAS SAD TO SEE NEARLY HALF
OF THE RESPONDENTS ADMITTED
THEY'RE NOT SHARING THEIR
EYE CONCERNS WITH THEIR EYE
DR. AND THE REASONS THEY
GAVE WAS THEY THOUGHT MAYBE
THEIR EYE CONCERNS WERE NOT
SERIOUS ENOUGH, OR THAT IT
WOULD GO AWAY ON ITS OWN
WHICH IS WHY THEY WERE USING
OVER-THE-COUNTER DROPS TO
ADDRESS THEIR EYE PROBLEMS,
OR THAT AGING WAS IT.
IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCING
CHANGES IN YOUR EYE, IN YOUR
VISION, IN THE FEELING OF
YOUR EYE, IN THE SENSATION
THAT YOU HAVE, IF YOU'RE
HAVING REDNESS, IRRITATION,
SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT,
TEARING, INABILITY TO WEAR
CONTACT LENSES, THOSE ARE
ALL TELL-TALE SIGNS OF A
PROBLEM THAT'S OFTEN
UNDERDIAGNOSED AND IS LEFT
UNTREATED BECAUSE PATIENTS
ARE NOT COMING TO US WITH
THOSE SYMPTOMS.
THAT IS CHRONIC DRY-EYE
DISEASE, WHICH OCCURS IN 30
MILLION AMERICANS, AND ONLY
A SMALL FRACTION ARE GETTING
THE TREATMENT TO REALLY GET
TO THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM.
>> VERY GOOD POINT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NORMALIZE
IT, AND ALSO IMPORTANT TO BE
PREPARED.
SO WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE REALLY
THINK ABOUT -- HOW SHOULD
THEY PREPARE WHEN THEY GO IN
AND SEE THEIR DOCTOR?
>> THEY NEED TO CREATE A
MENTAL LOG OF THESE PROBLEMS
OR CONCERNS, IF THEY'RE
HAVING CHANGES FROM THE YEAR
PRIOR, MAYBE GO TO ONLINE
RESOURCES TO GET THE RIGHT
INFORMATION, ONLINE RESOURCE
FOR CHRONIC DRY-EYE DISEASE
IS RESTATIS.COM, AND THERE
IS A QUIZ.
UNLESS YOU START THAT
PROCESS AND YOU'RE YOUR OWN
HEALTH ADVOCATE, YOU MAY NOT
BE GIVEN THE RIGHT
TREATMENT.
FOR CHRONIC DRY-EYE DISEASE,
WHICH IS INFLAMMATORY, R
RESTASIS MULTI DOSE CAN HELP
YOU MAKE YOUR OWN TEARS AND
STOPS THE DISEASE IN
PROGRESS.
HOPEFULLY THE FOLLOWING YEAR
YOUR CONCERNS ARE EITHER
COMPLETELY EVOLVED OR AT
LEAST PREVENTED FROM GETTING
WORSE.
>> THE HIGHLIGHT THERE IS BE
YOUR OWN ADVOCATE.
DR. SHAMIE, WE WILL VISIT
THAT WEBSITE TO GET MORE
INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TODAY.