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.