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Watch Dr. Puja Koirala on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act with hosts Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde to learn more about the importance of regular eye exams.
Puja Koirala, O.D., knows how to educate people on the importance of regular eye exams. As an optometrist at South Florida Regional Eye Associates inside America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses in Oakland Park, Florida, she shares her expert know-how with patients every day.
So, when she was referred to the producers of The Balancing Act, a morning talk show on Lifetime that’s hosted by talk show legend Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde, Dr. Koirala was excited about the opportunity. But she also had some jitters about her first-ever television appearance.
The topic of the segment? Why everyone — kids and adults alike — should have a regular eye exam and why. We asked Dr. Koirala for her behind-the-scenes report about her TV appearance and her thoughts on the important health message she shared. Her responses were slightly edited for length and clarity.
America’s Best: How were you chosen for The Balancing Act?
Dr. Koirala: One of my colleagues mentioned that America’s Best was looking for someone to appear on The Balancing Act. They were looking for an eye doctor who also happened to be a mother — which I am. My son is 5 years old. The idea was to have someone who could talk about vision, as well as the necessity of getting affordable eye care for your children.
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AB: What were your first thoughts when you learned you’d be on the show?
Dr. K: I was very nervous! Even though I’m used to talking to people, it’s a little different when there’s a camera facing me.
This was my first time on a TV show, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. But the atmosphere in the studio was great. As soon as I walked in, my fears just vanished. Everyone made me feel so comfortable — from Milo, the makeup artist, to the camera people, to Montel and Olga.
AB: What happened once the cameras started rolling?
Dr. K: At first, I didn’t know how the process worked. I thought I was supposed to look at the camera, but instead I was supposed to look at Montel and Olga. And then I didn’t even notice the cameras. That made it comfortable. It was just like a normal conversation.
AB: How did you decide what to talk about?
Dr. K: Ahead of the show, we worked with the producers on some topics that the hosts wanted to cover — like the importance of eye exams.
We wanted to talk about how eye exams can be used not only to help fit a person for glasses or contacts but also to diagnose certain eye diseases like glaucoma or other preexisting health conditions, like multiple sclerosis.
AB: That’s right, Montel has multiple sclerosis. He mentioned in the segment that the results of his eye exam helped the doctors diagnose him. That really speaks to the importance of regular eye exams.
Dr. K: It’s true, eye exams are so important. Eye exams can reveal some preexisting health conditions for adults.
AB: In Montel’s case, vision problems were the first sign of his multiple sclerosis. He would periodically lose vision in one eye — it would come and go for several weeks at a time. And his vision gradually got worse. What is the takeaway from Montel’s experience?
Dr. K: Regular eye exams help you be more proactive, not only in terms of your vision care but also your health in general. If we see bleeding or deposits in the retina, for example, that can be an indication you may have diabetes.
Eye exams can also help determine if kids are nearsighted or farsighted, because most kids don’t tell their parents that they can’t see the board or they get headaches when they do their homework.
AB: You also talked about the importance of wearing sunglasses.
Dr. K: We wanted to talk about UV protection, and we had some sunglasses available for the hosts to try on. I explained that the UV protection in sunglasses is like sunblock for the eyes. The sun’s glare isn’t just uncomfortable, overtime the sun can harm your eyes.
For example, if you don’t wear proper UV protection, a condition known as cataracts can progress a lot faster. I also talked about the benefits of an anti-reflective coating in regular glasses, which can help reduce glare.
AB: You also had a lot of fun trying on different styles with the hosts.
Dr. K: Yes! America’s Best provides stylish, affordable eye care to everybody. And if you need any type of glasses — prescription glasses, sunglasses, readers — you can get two pairs and an eye exam starting at $79.95.
AB: What was it like talking eye care with Montel and Olga?
Dr. K: It was nice. Montel helped me, too, during the segment. He gave me pointers about how to sit so my blazer didn’t get creased. And he told me he loved the color. He was like, “I’m going to get a suit in that color, too!” We were all laughing.
I was able to take a picture with him and Olga after the segment, which was nice of them to do, because they’re booked back-to-back all day.
Press play to watch Dr. Koirala’s full segment on The Balancing Act: