1:00 PM
Keshav Bhat
A neat video on Fox that describes problems an eye exams detects in children.....
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
news no parent wants to hear!
Optometrist finds no evidence computer use by children leads to myopia.Canada's Canwest News reports that the Internet abounds with articles allegedly written by eye-care professionals stating that many ophthalmologists believe increased computer use by children puts them at risk for early development of nearsightedness, or myopia. In fact, these same articles draw little or no difference between myopia, in which far vision is permanently diminished and must be corrected with lenses or laser surgery, and a temporary condition called computer vision syndrome (CVS). Optometrist Eric DesGroseilliers, O.D., of the Ottawa Optometric Clinic, pointed out that, in over 12 years of practice, during which he has examined the eyes of four to five children a day, he has been unable to attribute...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Medford (OR) Mail Tribune profiles Karen Barlow, a legally blind, independent businesswoman who teaches computer skills to the visually impaired in the Rogue Valley. Barlow's business, Barlow's Computer Training, has contracts with several organizations, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics.The Mail Tribune adds, Barlow is one of 50 vendors demonstrating adaptive technologies and other aids to employment at this week's "'Options for Success' conference.Sponsored by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the seminar's theme is "attitudes for success." Advocacy, referral, work-incentive programs and inspirational speeches fill the sessions, which began Tuesday morning.The goal is to improve the self-esteem and promotional...
Monday, October 20, 2008
26 percent of Americans have not seen eye-care specialist within past two years.
HealthDay reported that, according to a survey of 1,001 Americans age 18 and older commissioned by the American Optometric Association (AOA), 26 percent of Americans have not visited an eye doctor or eye-care specialist within the past two years, suggesting that many people aren't paying enough attention to their eye health. AOA expert James Kirchner, O.D., recommended a comprehensive eye exam for adults at least every two years. He emphasized that eye exams are even more important for people who already use corrective lenses,who might just assume they just need a different lens prescription, when they really have a more serious problem. With eye diseases and disorders, as with most health issues, early detection and treatment are often the keys to avoiding permanent problems. For example,...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Painkiller May Prevent Diabetes-Related Retinal Damage
The painkiller pentazocine may help prevent diabetes-related retinal damage that leads to vision loss, according to Medical College of Georgia researchers."The effects of this drug on retinal health are phenomenal," Dr. Sylvia Smith, a retinal cell biologist and co-director of the Vision Discovery Institute at MCG's School of Medicine, said in a college news release.For the study, she compared the retinas of diabetic mice treated with pentazocine and those that didn't receive the drug and found dramatic differences. The findings suggest that the drug and related compounds that bind with the sigma receptor in the eye may help treat the two leading causes of vision loss -- diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.The study was published in the September issue of the journal Investigative Ophthalmology...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Visual impairment may be more common in people with diabetes
UPI reports that, according to a study published in the Archives ofOphthalmology, visual impairment appears to be more common in people withdiabetes than in those without the disease. Researchers from the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention analyzed data from the National Health andNutrition Examination Surveys from 1999 to 2004, which included 1,237 adultswith diabetes...and 11,767 adults without the disease. The investigators foundthat people with diabetes were more likely to have uncorrectable visionimpairment than those withoutdiabetes.Tags: Diabetes, Vis...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Low anti oxidants and blue light exposure may lead to AMD
Med Page Today reported, Some cases of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may arise from a combination of low plasma levels of antioxidants and exposure to blue light from the sun, according to research in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology. Researchers studied 4,753 participants older than 65, who all provided blood samples, underwent fundus photography, and answered a dietary questionnaire. Sun exposure was estimated from participants' self-reported information about work, outdoor activities, use of hats, and eyewear (including contact lenses, glasses, and sunglasses). Complete data were available for 101 participants with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, 2,182 participants with early-stage age-related macular degeneration, and 2,117 controls.Medscape added...
Thursday, October 09, 2008
High Priority, Low Coverage
When asked what conditions would most affect their day-to-day living, a majority of Americans rated loss of eyesight as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Paying for vision coverage though has been another story with only 17% of employees offering any kind of vision insurance.A new report by The Vision Council, Vision Care: Focusing on the Workplace Benefit, examines consumer and business perspectives on vision care and trends in vision care coverage. According to the report, two-thirds of Americans say they would be more willing to get an eye exam if they had some coverage, yet only 17 percent of employers report offering vision insurance. Vision benefits lag behind health and dental benefits, with as many as 44 percent of employers offering dental coverage. "We know that in today's tough economy...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Crazy fashion accessory
First it was tattoos, then it was body piercing, but the latest fashion craze looks so painful it's literally eye-watering.A Dutch designer has come up with a bizarre fashion accessory – eye jewelery that hangs from wire attached to a contact lens. Eric Klarenbeek has created the eye jewellery that includes items like crystals or flowers. It hangs beneath the eye, and is fastened to the lens by medical wire. It makes the wearer look as if they are crying.I feel sad for the models who have to wear these....
Friday, October 03, 2008
Researchers to study depression in AMD patients
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. It gradually destroys sharp, central vision, which is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. In some cases, the disease advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, it progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyesMedical News Today reports that researchers at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University were recently awarded a $3.7 million grant from The National...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Apples Benefits for Health & Vision
In a food column in New Hampshire's Telegraph, dietitian Lynda Murray, R.D., writes about the positive effects eating apples may have on overall health.For example, through the quercetin found in their skin, apples have the unique ability to inhibit the production and release of histamine and other allergic or inflammatory agents. ... Eating an apple a day has been shown to reduce allergic symptoms 46 percent. In addition, the fruit's high flavonoid content...may help protect arteries from harmful plaque buildup. This helps keep cholesterol from oxidizing, and prevents platelets from clumping. Murray recommends that readers eat a diet rich in apples to run a lower incidence of heart disease and stroke. People diagnosed with elevated C-reactive...
