10 Questions with Dr. Thurmond

Clayton Family Eye Care in Clayton, Georgia was first the practice of Robert Thurmond, OD. Today, the practice is in the hands of his son Steve Thurmond, OD. Dr. Thurmond has been an optometrist for going on five decades. He has a dedicated patient base and he now has cared for the vision of the grandparent, parent and children in many families. He is very knowledgable and a clear choice when we had vision related questions. You can count on the fact that you will get a thorough eye exam and you’ll be assisted in selecting the perfect pair of glasses or contacts. If you know Steve Thurmond you can also count on the fact that he will be cruising through Clayton to his office in an awesome sports car... Excellent taste in cars and excellent care for his patients… that’s Dr. Thurmond!

GML: What is the #1 most important thing a patient can do to care for their eyes? Dr Thurmond: Eye protection and eye hygiene are often overlooked. I see a lot of people every year who did not think to put on the safety glasses and were injured. We should lubricate our eyes after we have been out in dust or pollen and wash around the eyes, especially at the lashes. A comprehensive assessment of the visual system is a good way to make a plan for your eye-care future.

GML: Are there supplements that help eye health? Do you recommend them? Dr. Thurmond: No supplements have been shown by scientific evidence to improve eye health. The AREDS study by the National Institutes of Health has suggested that certain vitamins can slow down progression of age related macular edema, the entire study is available on www.nih.org. Having said all that, I am in favor of using topical lube drops and antioxidant supplements can help overall health. That should all be coordinated through your Primary Care Provider.

GML: What is the greatest advancement in eyeglasses since you opened your practice? Dr. Thurmond: In the last 50 years that I have worked with glasses, they remain much the same in appearance. Improvements seen in frame materials and better methods of fabricating lenses have brought increased clarity. Computer designed lenses and laser cutting the lens molds creates better surfaces. We now have more choices in lens materials, filters and coatings.

GML: Explain astigmatism and how it affects a patient’s vision? Can it be fixed? Dr. Thurmond: Astigmatism is a refractive condition, it is not a disease. It means that the primary meridians in the eye do not focus at the same time. This can be caused by curvature of the cornea or the lens you were born with.

GML: How important is an annual eye exam? Are you checking more than vision? Dr. Thurmond: Annual exams are not absolutely necessary for everyone. Age and general health influence that decision. Quite a few health conditions can cause vision changes or changes within the eye and can be detected by the eye care professional. I have diagnosed diabetes, MS, pre stroke, reactions to medications and brain tumors.

GML: Are cataracts inevitable? Is this just a part of aging? Dr. Thurmond: Cataracts are very prevalent in aging populations due to exposure to UV light, environment, certain medical conditions and heredity.

GML: Are more children needing vision correction due to their exposure to electronic devices? Dr. Thurmond: There is a lot of discussion in modern professional literature about increased myopia from excessive near exposure to

electronic devices. We are careful to not overprescribe and increase the myopia.

GML: What is the most recent advancement in the contact lens? Dr. Thurmond: New types of contact lenses are introduced all the time. They do not work for everybody. When there are multiple mitigating factors there are often compromises. We have to find the lens that best suits your individual needs. In my opinion the best thing to enhance the CL experience is the disposable lenses. Frequent changes mean you throw away the lens before it becomes a problem.

GML: What about vision correction surgery, is it as popular as it once was? Dr. Thurmond: Vision correction surgery is still popular and it has become safer and more precise. Find the surgeon who is experienced and can offer more than one option for your unique needs and eye anatomy.

GML: Unrelated to vision, what are you driving these days? Dr. Thurmond: Red Corvette Stingray

Clayton Family Eye Care is located at 50 Earl Street in Clayton, Georgia. To schedule an appointment or for other questions please call 706-782-3535.