The science of optometry involves helping individuals bring the world into focus. In addition to healthy eye care, you also positively influence people regarding healthy lifestyle choices. Many patients come in for an annual exam. In some instances, the patient sees you more often than his/her primary care physician. This provides an ideal opportunity to monitor the growth and development of your patients, and to recognize appropriate points for intervention. One such area is folic acid education.

Eye problems associated with folic acid deficiency, though rare in the United States, may be severe, including:

• retinal hemorrhages; 
• damage to the optic nerve;
• loss of visual acuity;
• defects in peripheral vision; or
• visual field loss. 

Folic acid in the general population benefits the overall health of the individual, and may help prevent NTDs in babies.  These are great reasons to counsel your patients about folic acid.

Research shows that patients are willing to listen to their health care providers regarding preventive issues. This gives you a distinct advantage during your consultation to recommend behaviors that will optimize your patient’s health. Consider a study published,  in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on providers’ influence on patients’ preventive measures. It found that patient preconceptions of a provider’s overall preventive practice approach may influence whether patients engage in recommended preventive practices, particularly for lifestyle factors [64].

As an optometrist, you are a respected information source for your patients, and provide them with the information to maintain health and prevent disease.  Some of your patients may not have health insurance to cover regular checkups, and you may be the only health care provider they encounter on a regular basis. Determining a system of approaching your patients about folic acid, and making the discussion a habit during your appointments, will allow you to be a key player in counseling patients on NTDs and other conditions associated with insufficient folic acid.