#25: Eye Give a Damn about Exercise & Ocular Health with Dr. Mike Cymbor

02/01/24 • 57 min

Michael Cymbor, OD, FAAO, radiates with a passion for optometry, especially when it comes to the connection between exercise, muscle mass, and ocular health. He discusses the research and how different types and intensities of exercise should be considered for different conditions. He knows each patient will have a different reaction to “you should exercise more,” so he makes sure to meet them where they are regarding their exercise routine. Dr. Cymbor truly enjoys mentoring optometry students, as well as tapping into his creative side, which led to the creation of hid video: “Night of the Living DEModex.”

Key Moments:

2:49 Dr. Cymbor’s path to a career in optometry

5:13 What brought Dr. Cymbor to State College, PA (“Happy Valley” ... home of Penn State University)

6:20 The story behind his video: “The Night of the Living Demodex”

11:46 Dr. Cymbor’s passion for glaucoma care and how it led to The Glaucoma Institute in partnership with his ophthalmologist partner

14:55 The types of optometrists who gravitate towards a glaucoma specialty

19:09 Current views on glaucoma research

21:08 Dry eye and ocular surface disease

27:30 Finding your sense of purpose

30:00 The value and importance of mentorship

33:10 Exercise and ocular health

38:09 How muscle mass impacts blood sugar levels

41:29 Exercise and eye pressure as it relates to glaucoma

44:05 Research into exercise and stress management

48:10 “Meeting patients where they are” regarding exercise

51:55 The Pickleball effect

54:00 The importance of earlier intervention to improve outcomes

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Key Moments:

2:49 Dr. Cymbor’s path to a career in optometry

5:13 What brought Dr. Cymbor to State College, PA (“Happy Valley” ... home of Penn State University)

6:20 The story behind his video: “The Night of the Living Demodex”

11:46 Dr. Cymbor’s passion for glaucoma care and how it led to The Glaucoma Institute in partnership with his ophthalmologist partner

14:55 The types of optometrists who gravitate towards a glaucoma specialty

19:09 Current views on glaucoma research

21:08 Dry eye and ocular surface disease

27:30 Finding your sense of purpose

30:00 The value and importance of mentorship

33:10 Exercise and ocular health

38:09 How muscle mass impacts blood sugar levels

41:29 Exercise and eye pressure as it relates to glaucoma

44:05 Research into exercise and stress management

48:10 “Meeting patients where they are” regarding exercise

51:55 The Pickleball effect

54:00 The importance of earlier intervention to improve outcomes

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Previous Episode

#24: Eye Give a Damn about AMD & Diabetic Retinopathy with Dr. Jeffry Gerson

Jeffry Gerson always knew he wanted to be in the medical field, but having an aversion to blood and finding a positive role model led him to pursue optometry. Today, he practices at a collaborative OD/MD practice and is a prolific lecturer and writer who enjoys encouraging young people to explore optometry. He also partners with industry to help advise on new products and technologies, treatment protocols, and patient care. Over the years, he has developed a clear passion for the retina, especially caring for patients with age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. When it comes to patient education, Dr. Gerson is most excited about finding disease early so that he can start the conversation with his patients to put them on the right path. He and his wife also prioritize volunteering and giving back to their community, from going on missions and providing free eye exams to co-chairing a charity event that focuses on helping people with addiction.

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Next Episode

#26: Eye Give a Damn about Overcoming Obstacles with Dr. Cecelia Koetting

When it comes to overcoming obstacles, Dr. Cecelia Koetting likes to tackle them head on. In her mid-thirties while training for a marathon, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer right before the world shut down for COVID. Luckily, her attitude has always been to never ask “why me?” but to find a path forward and roll with it. Her experience battling cancer led her to try to connect with each patient on a more human level. As for optometry and patient care, if Dr. Cecelia Koetting doesn’t have an answer to a question, she dives in to figure it out. This often leads to the creation of her CE lectures, including those on hormone replacement therapy and limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). This has also led to her current pursuit of a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and biostatistics which she hopes will allow her to find opportunities to further improve the profession of optometry.

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.