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Edmonton Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- Edmonton Journal
Beyond 20/20: Why an Alberta optometrist urges regular eye exams for overall health
Many serious eye conditions can develop with no symptoms until it's too late, said Dr. Cristy Franco Dr. Cristy Franco is the lead optometrist of the neuro-rehabilitative and pediatric Vision Therapy Clinic at Airdrie Family Eye Doctors. She emphasized the importance of vision care to overall health while speaking at an event hosted by the Alberta Association of Optometrists in Calgary on May 13, 2025. Noah Brennan/Postmedia May marks Vision Health Month, and one Calgary-area optometrist is on a mission to remind Albertans that protecting their vision means looking beyond just how clearly you can see. 'Vision is often overlooked,' said Dr. Cristy Franco, lead optometrist of the neuro-rehabilitative and pediatric Vision Therapy Clinic at Airdrie Family Eye Doctors. 'We don't think about it.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Speaking at an event hosted by the Alberta Association of Optometrists at Major Tom on Tuesday, Franco emphasized that eye exams play a critical role in not only vision care, but overall health. Many serious eye conditions can develop with no symptoms until it's too late, she said. Eye exams: a window into your health Routine eye exams are about much more than having perfect vision, Franco said. 'You might be able to see 20/20, but something might be happening inside your eye that you don't know,' she explained. 'But if we can treat it and catch it early enough, then up to 80 per cent of those conditions are preventable and treatable. 'One in seven Canadians will experience a serious eye health issue in their lifetime,' she said, yet many people delay or skip regular checkups. 'A routine eye exam is about part of your regular eye health, but also a part of your regular overall health,' she added. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Myth #1: 'I see perfectly — I don't need to see an optometrist.' According to Franco, perfect vision does not mean perfect eye health. 'There's a lot of things that are happening that have no signs or symptoms until it's far too late. And at that point, we have a much harder time treating it,' she said. She warned that some conditions develop quietly with no warning signs, and emphasized the importance of early detection made possible through routine exams to prevent and treat conditions. 'Getting in early preventative care, that's the number one thing that we can do,' she said. Myth #2: 'I'd know if my child had vision problems.' Franco warned that many children might have vision issues that go undetected because they don't know anything else. 'A child has never seen in another way, this is how their vision has always been,' she said. 'They don't know what to compare it to.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She noted that one in four school-aged children suffers from a vision issue, which can have broader impacts on a child's learning and development. Regular eye exams are key to catching these problems, she said. Myth #3: 'Vision loss is just part of getting older.' While a person's vision changes with age, Franco said diminished vision health doesn't have to be inevitable. With proper monitoring and timely treatment, many age-related conditions can be managed successfully. 'Although your vision is changing, (optometrists) are here to keep your vision excellent for you,' she said. 'Vision loss should not be a part of aging.' What can routine exams detect? Glaucoma Known as the 'silent thief of sight,' glaucoma can cause vision loss by damaging the optic nerve. 'You have no idea that there is anything going on with your vision until you have no peripheral vision left,' she said. And by the time it starts to impact your central vision, 'it is far too late,' she added. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Macular degeneration Patients with macular degeneration typically don't see symptoms when they are young, even as the disease starts to develop. But a routine eye exam to check the back of your eye will catch it. 'It might show up just as blurry vision. You might think, 'I need a new pair of glasses,'' she said. 'But what we need to be doing is something a lot more involved than that.' Diabetes Franco said diabetes can significantly impact eye health and show up in many different ways. 'It might look like really great vision one day and then the next day . . . things are blurry,' she said. For somebody else, it can impact the back of their eye without causing any symptoms. 'That's really serious,' she said. 'If it's impacting the back of their eye, that can lead to scarring, that can lead to long-term issues that we can't do anything about.' Screens This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With so many people glued to screens in daily life, eye strain and dry eye are on the rise. 'When you're on a device, you don't blink as often. And if you're not blinking as often, then you're not refreshing that tear film,' Franco said. Calgary's dry climate also doesn't help, she said, noting environment plays a big role in exacerbating dry eye disease. 'If you don't take that dry eye seriously, it can lead to scarring and permanent changes in your vision,' she added. 'If it progresses too far, we can't do anything about it at that point.' When should you book an exam? Franco recommends new parents take their child for their first eye exam between the ages of six and nine months, then again between the ages of two and five. Once children are school, she recommends annual appointments to stay on top of any vision concerns. For adults, she recommends seeing an optometrist every one to two years. 'But that really depends on what's going on with your eyes — whether or not you wear contact lenses and what your optometrist is monitoring for,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Once people reach 65, she emphasizes the importance of maintaining an annual exam to catch and treat issues. Routine eye exams are covered under Alberta Health Care for children under the age of 19, and for adults 65 and older. Emergency appointments or those deemed medically necessary are covered for Albertans of any age. Urgent eye issues? Skip the ER Franco said many people don't realize they can go straight to their optometrist for urgent eye problems, including pink eye, sudden vision changes or something stuck in the eye. 'You can actually go to your optometrist for those things,' she said. 'Many optometrists actually hold spots in their schedule every single day for emergency appointments . . . Then you're not having to wait hours in the emergency room. 'If anything is going wrong, don't wait,' she said. 'Call your optometrist and get yourself seen.' Cult of Hockey Politics Cult of Hockey Letters Local News
Calgary Herald
13-05-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Beyond 20/20: Alberta optometrist urges regular eye exams for overall health
May marks Vision Health Month, and one Calgary-area optometrist is on a mission to remind Albertans that protecting their vision means looking beyond just how clearly you can see. Article content Article content 'Vision is often overlooked,' said Dr. Cristy Franco, lead optometrist of the neuro-rehabilitative and pediatric Vision Therapy Clinic at Airdrie Family Eye Doctors. Article content 'We don't think about it.' Article content Article content Speaking at an event hosted by the Alberta Association of Optometrists at Major Tom on Tuesday, Franco emphasized that eye exams play a critical role in not only vision care, but overall health. Many serious eye conditions can develop with no symptoms until it's too late, she said. Article content Article content Routine eye exams are about much more than having perfect vision, Franco said. Article content 'You might be able to see 20/20, but something might be happening inside your eye that you don't know,' she explained. 'But if we can treat it and catch it early enough, then up to 80 per cent of those conditions are preventable and treatable. Article content 'One in seven Canadians will experience a serious eye health issue in their lifetime,' she said, yet many people delay or skip regular checkups. Article content 'A routine eye exam is about part of your regular eye health, but also a part of your regular overall health,' she added. Article content Debunking common myths Article content Article content According to Franco, perfect vision does not mean perfect eye health. Article content 'There's a lot of things that are happening that have no signs or symptoms until it's far too late. And at that point, we have a much harder time treating it,' she said. Article content She warned that some conditions develop quietly with no warning signs, and emphasized the importance of early detection made possible through routine exams to prevent and treat conditions. Article content 'Getting in early preventative care, that's the number one thing that we can do,' she said. Article content Franco warned that many children might have vision issues that go undetected because they don't know anything else. Article content 'A child has never seen in another way, this is how their vision has always been,' she said. 'They don't know what to compare it to.' Article content She noted that one in four school-aged children suffers from a vision issue, which can have broader impacts on a child's learning and development. Regular eye exams are key to catching these problems, she said.
Global News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan vow to oppose any efforts to separate Alberta from Canada
A growing number of First Nations leaders are voicing their concerns over calls for Alberta to separate from Canada — calls that have grown louder following the recent federal election. On Friday, following on the heels of several other First Nations who have expressed opposition to the idea, the Chiefs of four Calgary-area First Nations also issued a statement saying that 'any efforts to separate will be met with our full opposition.' While the Chiefs express some sympathy with the 'deep frustration echoing across Alberta and much of the Prairies,' saying as leaders 'we too often feel unheard,' they also insist that 'First Nations will not separate.' The Chiefs said that large swaths of Alberta are governed by 'sacred treaties' between First Nations and the 'Imperial Crown,' including treaties 6, 7 and 8, and those areas 'are held in trust by the Crown for the benefit of the Treaty First Nations, not as property of the provincial government.' Story continues below advertisement The statement adds that those treaties also predate Alberta's entry into Confederation in 1905. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The statement is endorsed by Chief Roy Whitney of the Tsuut'ina Nation, Chief Darcy Dixon of the Bearspaw Nation, Chief Aaron Young of the Chiniki Nation and Chief Clifford Poucette of the Goodstoney Nation. View image in full screen First Nations' Chiefs say that treaties that cover a large swath of Alberta pre-date the province's entry into Confederation and they are vowing that any efforts at Alberta separation 'will be met with their full opposition.' Global News Late Thursday, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, also issued a statement expressing its 'serious concern over Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's recent actions to facilitate a potential referendum on Alberta's future in Canada.' 'We are the first peoples of these lands and waters,' said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. 'Those that want to leave are free to do so but all the lands, waters, and resources are First Nations.' 'Any process of separation that fails to honour the true spirit and intent of our treaties would violate both constitutional and international law,' added Chief Cameron. Story continues below advertisement Following Monday's federal election, Smith's United Conservative Party government proposed legislation that would make it easier for citizens of Alberta to call for a vote to secede from Canada. Smith responded to claims she is stoking the fires of separation by saying she supports a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada. — with files from The Canadian Press
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Water experts on edge as another dry summer heats up in southern Alberta
Prominent hydrologists are sounding the alarm as another dry summer in southern Alberta — with the possibility of water restrictions — is coming into focus. Water levels are low. Really low. "The snowpacks in the mountain headwaters of the Bow River, the Oldman River, Red Deer River and North Saskatchewan River are generally extremely low, some of the lowest I've ever seen," John Pomeroy told CBC News in a Tuesday interview. Pomeroy is the director of the Global Water Futures program at the University of Saskatchewan. He said snowpack has a more critical role in water levels and river flow than most people understand. "Our most recent diagnosis using hydrological models suggests that the snowpack is about 80 per cent of the stream flow volume that Calgary sees," he said. "So it's extremely important. Most of those rains recharge soil moisture. It's a snowmelt that generates stream flow." That's the case except in freak weather incidents like the 2013 Calgary-area floods, he added. John Pomeroy is the director at the Global Water Futures program at the University of Saskatchewan. He says the snowpacks in the mountain headwaters are some of the lowest he's ever seen. (Google Meet) One of Pomeroy's University of Calgary's colleagues said there's a lot going on this year. "This snowpack has been low really all winter," Tricia Stadnyk told CBC News in an interview. "And although we've made up a little bit of ground, that pretty much puts us on par with some of the snowpacks that we had in 2024, last year. And just as a reminder, last year was essentially a record-breaking low for the amount of snow that we had accumulated." Stadnyk is a Canada Research Chair in hydrological modelling and professor in the Schulich School of Engineering. She said that in mid-central Alberta the "snow pillows" — devices for measuring the water content in snowpacks — are thirsty. "They're running at about a 75- to all the way up to 200-millimetre deficit in snow water equivalent. So that's a fair bit of moisture that we're lacking," Stadnyk explained. "And people also need to remember that we've had a very early warm period. We also had a midwinter warm back in January that many Calgarians enjoyed. But the consequence of that is that we lost a lot of our snowpack very early on." Tricia Stadnyk is a Canada Research Chair and professor in the Schulich School of Engineering in Calgary. She says the snowpack has been low all winter. (Google Meet) Calgarians had a surprise dump of snow a few days ago but that didn't change much, Pomeroy noted. "And even the most recent weekend snowfall, which was very welcomed — it was about 30-mm water equivalent — but we still have over 100 mm to catch up on in many of these headwater basins. So it wasn't enough to do it," he said. Above normal temperatures forecast in coming months could further complicate things, Pomeroy added. "So that early melt and a low snowpack, the culmination is really problematic for us. And if we get that, then we're going to have some tremendous water management challenges throughout southern Alberta." Pomeroy said it's important to connect weather changes overtime to their scientific causes. "We seem to be seeing more of this. And of course the temperatures are up and that's global heating and that's caused by greenhouse gas emissions. So we're reaping what we're sowing." For Stadnyk, meanwhile, it's time to think ahead. "So I think the main message is, all the data that we're looking at is showing us that we're actually in a more precarious position than we were this time last year," she said. "So water conservation needs to be top of mind."
CBC
15-04-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Water experts on edge as another dry summer heats up in southern Alberta
Social Sharing Prominent hydrologists are sounding the alarm as another dry summer in southern Alberta — with the possibility of water restrictions — is coming into focus. Water levels are low. Really low. "The snowpacks in the mountain headwaters of the Bow River, the Oldman River, Red Deer River and North Saskatchewan River are generally extremely low, some of the lowest I've ever seen," John Pomeroy told CBC News in a Tuesday interview. Pomeroy is the director of the Global Water Futures program at the University of Saskatchewan. He said snowpack has a more critical role in water levels and river flow than most people understand. "Our most recent diagnosis using hydrological models suggests that the snowpack is about 80 per cent of the stream flow volume that Calgary sees," he said. "So it's extremely important. Most of those rains recharge soil moisture. It's a snowmelt that generates stream flow." That's the case except in freak weather incidents like the 2013 Calgary-area floods, he added. One of Pomeroy's University of Calgary's colleagues said there's a lot going on this year. "This snowpack has been low really all winter," Tricia Stadnyk told CBC News in an interview. "And although we've made up a little bit of ground, that pretty much puts us on par with some of the snowpacks that we had in 2024, last year. And just as a reminder, last year was essentially a record-breaking low for the amount of snow that we had accumulated." Stadnyk is a Canada Research Chair in hydrological modelling and professor in the Schulich School of Engineering. She said that in mid-central Alberta the "snow pillows" — devices for measuring the water content in snowpacks — are thirsty. "They're running at about a 75- to all the way up to 200-millimetre deficit in snow water equivalent. So that's a fair bit of moisture that we're lacking," Stadnyk explained. "And people also need to remember that we've had a very early warm period. We also had a midwinter warm back in January that many Calgarians enjoyed. But the consequence of that is that we lost a lot of our snowpack very early on." Calgarians had a surprise dump of snow a few days ago but that didn't change much, Pomeroy noted. "And even the most recent weekend snowfall, which was very welcomed — it was about 30-mm water equivalent — but we still have over 100 mm to catch up on in many of these headwater basins. So it wasn't enough to do it," he said. Above normal temperatures forecast in coming months could further complicate things, Pomeroy added. "So that early melt and a low snowpack, the culmination is really problematic for us. And if we get that, then we're going to have some tremendous water management challenges throughout southern Alberta." Pomeroy said it's important to connect weather changes overtime to their scientific causes. "We seem to be seeing more of this. And of course the temperatures are up and that's global heating and that's caused by greenhouse gas emissions. So we're reaping what we're sowing." For Stadnyk, meanwhile, it's time to think ahead. "So I think the main message is, all the data that we're looking at is showing us that we're actually in a more precarious position than we were this time last year," she said.
