Dr. Neda Gioia didn’t intend for her practice opening to coincide with the 2020 new year, but it’s fitting. Because she has a vision... a 2020 vision. 20/20 is the benchmark for visual acuity and her mission is to raise the bar for how eye care is delivered, starting this year.
Most people don’t realize how many medical problems can be diagnosed from a simple eye exam, yet more and more research is coming out to support this. In fact, The American Heart Association recently published an article explaining that heart disease can be predicted by the health of the blood vessels in the retina. This is a huge opportunity to get ahead of cardiovascular disease and actually prevent it!
The medical community have a habit of waiting for problems to occur before taking an active role in health. Dr. Gioia wants to turn that on its head. “I have an opportunity to identify so many chronic health conditions early just by looking into someone’s eyes. That gives us the ability to stop so many disease processes in their tracks. It’s preventative medicine in its purest form.”
Eye exams shouldn’t be just about the eye. It’s a window into an individual’s overall health. You have to look at the whole picture. Diagnosing some of these disorders early allows the doctor to manage the patient’s health with non-traditional methods possibly avoiding the need for pharmacologic intervention altogether. These methods may include dietary and lifestyle changes paired with nutritional supplements under the supervision of a provider trained in functional and integrative healthcare. That is why Integrative Vision was born. It’s a place where traditional eye care is supported by alternative practices to deliver whole body wellness.
This is a very unconventional way to practice optometry but Dr. Gioia is not a conventional optometrist. She has developed protocols to treat these disease processes and her goal is to make this the new standard of care. She believes that every time a physician makes contact with a patient, that is an opportunity to improve a life. It’s a chance to reduce suffering and empower patients to take control of their health and bridge the gap in today’s healthcare. A chance to live their best self. That is “The 2020 Vision.”
Dr. Neda Gioia is a licensed optometrist and with certification through Functional Medicine University and a current CNS candidate. She is a fellow of the Ocular Wellness Society and has been featured in Review of Optometry and Women in Optometry. She is the owner and founder of Integrative Vision, LLC. In Shrewsbury, NJ. Currently accepting new adult and pediatric patients. Call 732.389.2792 for more information or to schedule an appointment.