Eye Care Blog

Nursing home residents are said to have 15 times more likely to suffer uncorrected vision errors. In contrast, similar older people living in ordinary communities are better cared for. The high rates of uncorrected visual errors such as myopia and hyperopia among nursing home residents are quite likely to cause depression in them. Study findings published in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology in 2007 revealed that depression in those people can be significantly reduced once their visual errors were corrected simply using eyeglasses. Actually these psychological benefits could be easily achieved.

After Kentucky and Missouri, Illinois began mandatory eye exams for children entering public schools in January 2008. Eye exams are crucial for common eye conditions detection such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, amblyopia and strabismus. Without early detection and treatments, these visual problems can greatly affect children’s academic performance. Public schools in Illinois now require children who entering kindergarten or first grade to submit proof that they have received a comprehensive eye exam.

A new device called VIP Virtual Perimetry is now available for visual field testing. This automated method of testing can help detect neurological damage from brain injuries or diseases such as glaucoma. The new device performs this task by identifying blind spots within the visual field. The most significant difference between this new device and conventional visual testing methods is that VIP Virtual Perimetry is automated. Conventional means of visual field testing require subjective response from the patients by hitting a button once there are flashes within different parts of a screen. When it comes to test subjects who are very young or old, conventional visual tests are flawed. In contrast, VIP Virtual Perimetry can automatically detect and measure the eye’s response to visual stimuli.

With the wide selection of lutein products, some people become skeptical about the effectiveness of these products in various forms. Some sellers make promising claims about their lutein products, but people with poor vision may wonder whether lutein will actually improve vision.

In fact, lutein products can only help patients with bad vision, which is exactly caused by a lutein deficiency. Lutein in the eyes can protect eye tissue from the damage caused by free radicals, which are highly reactive atoms. These free radicals in the eye act on other healthy atoms and damage them, because they require a supply of free electrons. Lutein can effectively fight against these radicals.

In either dry or wet form, age-related macular degeneration is the most common result of these reactive radicals, especially in elderly individuals. And lutein has been found to reverse macular degeneration by combating these radicals and thus improve overall eyesight.

Accounting for 80% of vision defects, dry form of AMD is usually caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels below the retina, which in turn results from reactive chemicals in the tissue. Fortunately, lutein supplements have proven to reverse this condition a lot.

In fact, lutein acts like a neutralizing agent and prevents harmful light rays from damaging the tissue in the macula, which is situated in the center of the retina. As a result, a deficiency of lutein can lead to eye tissue damage.

Lutein is actually only one of the 600 carotenoids in the nature and it is the only one present in the macula of the eye. This lucky carotenoid is available from all the green leafy vegetables consumed by ordinary people every day. A healthy way is to take lutein by eating a nutritious meal every day, including lots of fruits and vegetables.

However, some people have no time to maintain such a balanced diet but they also want to get enough lutein every day. Nutritional supplements are a good choice for those people. It is important to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions on the dosage of these supplements and the way they are administered.

reference

·Lutein and zeaxanthin for healthy eyes

The problem of poor eyesight can be fixed by a series of eye exercises. This is not impossible. You can image the ancient people who do not have eyeglasses and contact lenses still have 20/20 vision. The miracle is achieved by regular exercise.

There are two famous eye exercises to get better eye vision in an effective way.

The first is carried out by a chopstick and a pencil. Place the pencil and chopstick at an angle, have your eyes travel along the stick in a horizontal direction to the intersection, then up to the pencil in the vertical direction, then do the opposite action, that is to make your eyes travel from the vertical pencil to the horizontal chopstick. After one complete travel, put the pencil closer to your nose and repeat the above action. Do the action several times. This is a good way to encourage good vision.

The second is carried out by two chopsticks. Hold one chopstick straight about 4 inches away and the other chopstick straight at arm’s length. Focus on the far chopstick and gradually slide it closer until it looks as if the near chopstick is split into two while the far one in coming to you. Then transform your view from the far chopstick to the near one in front of you. In that case you can also see the far chopstick is separated into two. Practice the looking far and near action repeatedly until you can see each chopstick clearly and feel as if each one is framed by vertical “gates”. If the eye exercise is perfectly done, you can realize that you have good eyesight. Even if you can not finish the work well at once, after practicing for several times, your eye vision must be enhanced in the end.

Besides the above well-known two eye exercise, there are other eye exercises taking effect, too, such as playing tennis and cricket. Imagination is also beneficial to eyesight by the way of make full use of memory and imagination to make any mental picture.

We can see the world clearly by both of our two eyes, and one eye can not work well. So a right use of two eyes is very important. A lot of people use only one eye to see the world, resulting in the decay of the unused eye. We learn to see after birth. If eyes do not see very often, they may form the habit of laziness and inactivity. Therefore, we should use both eyes in a proper way to get better eyesight. Practice the exercise after a long period, you may find you can see the world better than before without help of eyeglasses.

Reference

·All about See-Clearly Eye Exercises

·Be careful of vision-improving eye exercise programs

Patients are filing through the doors of the new Penobscot Eye Care Facility in Brewer.

It features equipment to make frames right on site.

Optometrist Kathy Ward says sometimes they have eye wear ready to go before a patient’s appointment is over.

Ward says they wanted the new facility to be comfortable and convenient for patients.

“It’s a lot of advances over the old building. It is bigger, there’s more space. We have several more exam rooms and extra screening rooms for pre-diagnostic evaluations.”

Nickerson and O’Day of Brewer built the facility which, we’re told, was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

With a history of 2500 years, acupuncture has long been used to improve human health. Energy in the human body flows continuously through several channels or meridians. Many people may suffer pain or disorder in certain parts, the reason of which is actually certain blockage of meridians in these parts. Acupuncture aims at removing these blockages. Commonly known as “Qi”, acupuncture uses needles to prick on those problematic points, in order to facilitate better energy flow and ease pain.

Recent studies have provided scientific support for acupuncture treatment. Several MRI brain scans have found corresponding brain responses when certain parts of the body are stimulated by acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is painless and highly effective in treating vision problems. This traditionally Chinese treatment is always given to various parts including the foot, although its purpose is to improve eyesight.

According to Chinese acupuncture professionals, the impaired functioning of the liver is the major contributor to vision disorders. As a result, most acupuncture practitioners use needles to strengthen the liver and restore energy balance associated with the liver. In some cases, acupuncture treatment for eyesight may also focuses on the relieving of stress, depression and anxiety, because these factors are also reported to cause vision problems.

Besides visual disorders, acupuncture has also been taken to treat a lot of healthy conditions, promoting better health and preventing illness. Proven by plenty of scientific studies all over the world, acupuncture has been widely accepted by patients and recommended by many medical institutions. One of the most important advantages of acupuncture is that it can open blocked channels quickly and painlessly. A pity is that some people are afraid of being pricked with needles, which are actually very thin and quite safe.

Acupuncture treatment should be quite precise that one wrong needle may lead to major problems, so that the selection of a right therapist is quite critical. In addition, acupuncture therapists on the market have varying skills and knowledge. Patients should tell the therapist all their history of disorders before getting acupuncture sessions. An acupuncture session typically costs $60 to $120 and most patients need several sessions in total.

·Be careful of vision-improving eye exercise programs

·Bates Method: A Simple Way to Improve Your Eyesight

·A healthy way to improve your eyesight

As the society develops most of our works change to sit before computer tables and type plenty of words into computers. As a result, our eyes can’t bear so much pressure that they will surely become blurry one day if you don’t protect them well.

When coming to the time that our eyes are strained, eyelids become heavy, eye muscles spasms, we will regret for the less care on our eyes. However, protection is too late at that time. So we should do something in case our eye view becomes worse.

1. Foods supply the energy of the whole body, so it does to our eyes. The nutriments contained by most vegetables are the important factors of eye protection. Many yellow and orange vegetables are abundant with beta carotene. And some leafy greens, corn and red peppers are rich in lutein. They all play a very vital part in eye protection.
2. Once coming into the situation that we are so attracted by a book or a movie that we can’t help continuing to finish them in one breath regardless of our strained eyes. Yet, we aren’t aware with the potential threat to eyesight. A small break will absolutely relieve eye stresses and prevent eyes from disorders. So remember to take a rest after a long work. Closing eyes a few seconds or watching far-away objects for minutes is ok. Though this exercise is simple, many persons will forget. An effective way is to write REMEMBER TO REST in a large size on a paper and stick the paper to the top of your screen. When you notice it, you must take this business into mind and arrange the time reasonably.
3. In teenagers, our mother always told us not to read in the dark or else our eyes will become bad. It’s true. So the effect works on computer. The work environment affects your eyesight directly. Therefore make sure you are in the right circumstances when reading or working. Don’t let the light irradiate directly into your eyes and avoid working under twinkling light. Another thing that should be noticed is that you read at a proper distance of between 20 and 28 inches. Moreover, be certain that the height of book is as high as your eye level. Maybe some devices which are newly produced will help you to fix the book. Furthermore, increasing font size and contrast is beneficial to your eyes, too. Take them seriously and your eyes will be much healthier.
4. When you can’t see words clearly at a normal distance, go to see a doctor and get the right lenses for your eyeglasses. Check your eyes regularly to be sure your eyesight doesn’t develop.

We would not like to have a risk of suffering eye diseases, so what we need to protect our eyes by heart.(Personal Eye Care)

preschool children can be fine-tuning the vision when they master the complex hand-eye coordination. They can ride bicycles in right direction they want to go while dealing with pedal and steer. For some old preschoolers, they also play more sophisticated sports. Though preschool children who have already developed their vision during infant and toddle years, they are vulnerable to vision problems if they don’t correct some bad habits.

You should make sure whether your children have the following refractive errors. Your kids may be used to sit too close to the TV and sometimes they just close one eye to watch. Some children prefer reading at close range, which can also lead to nearsightedness. Behaviors like squinting and tilting the head to see better are warning signs. Excessive tearing and light sensitivity are warning signs as well. Encountered any of these above situations, it is essential to schedule an appointment with your eye care practitioner.

Vision problems such as farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism are very common in preschool children. Excessive farsightedness can lead to strabismus. For severe crossed eye, a surgery is needed. Some untreated strabismus may cause amblyopia and eventually blindness. Nearsightedness and astigmatism also require correction with glasses. They can both lead to blurry vision.

As children’s visual systems are flexible and elastic at the preschool stage, it is very necessary for children to take a complete eye exam before they enter school. Generally, children should receive an eye exam by the age of 6 months if they don’t have some vision problems or some refractive errors according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). If your kids require corrections for nearsightedness, farsightedness or strabismus, you’d better to arrange an exam every year. Annual prescription changes of eyeglasses or contact lenses are very common in children.

Another important aspect is that you should make sure if your children have received a comprehensive eye exam, not only screenings. Sometimes screenings are not administered by eye care practitioners and may not reflect your kids’ eye condition correctly.

After the eye exam of your kids, you also need to encourage them to wear eyeglasses in proper way. You should explain why they need to wear eyeglasses and give some specific example if necessary. When choosing frames, you should respect your kids’ choice. In addition to the better vision, you also need to pay attention to the comfort of frames. Since the result of eye exams may be influenced by physical condition, it is not wise to visit an eye doctor when your kid is tired or hungry.

Optometrist Dan Stein has worked in the city for eight years and said he likes what he sees.

“One of the things I like about the Downriver area is that it’s more of a family-based or friendly area,” he said. “I’ve worked and I still help a friend in Birmingham, and I’ll tell you, patients here are so much nicer.”

Stein has been an optometrist for 30 years.

In 2001, he became owner of what was formerly known as Blaize Eye Clinic, 3101 Biddle Ave. The clinic’s name later was changed to Wyandotte Optical.

Before owning his Wyandotte office, Stein worked several years for corporate clinics.

He said that over time the demanding workload became too much to handle.

“The real truth is that I had a heart attack,” he said. “Some clinics are more interested in numbers, and it produced so much stress on me that I couldn’t relax and enjoy my patients. My wife said: ‘That’s it. You can’t handle people above you telling you what to do.’”

Today, he believes he’s stronger than he’s ever been.

“I run and jog and I use my athletic equipment,” Stein said. “I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been.”

Stein waited two years until Dr. Albert Blaize was ready to retire before he assumed ownership.

“Not only did Dr. Blaize sell me the office, but he set me up with my wife,” he added.

Blaize’s name still can be found on the building, a tribute to the former eye doctor.

The office has four full-time employees and a part- time one. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment two Saturdays each month.

Specialties are quality eye care and contact lenses, and Stein estimated that 25 percent to 30 percent of his customers request contacts. The office schedules between 40 and 50 patients each week.

Stein had an uncle who was an optometrist.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t want to be an M.D.,” he said. “Being an optometrist was a logical choice for me.”

He graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in 1975.

Stein is certified in visual therapy and diagnostic testing of children, which allows him to test binocular vision and amblyopic and visual perception difficulties.

His experience in primary eye care includes treatment of minor injuries and infections, advanced contact lenses, fitting and computer vision syndrome, a temporary condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for long periods of time.

Children who are ready for kindergarten should have an eye exam, Stein said.

“Some states are passing a law that before children can enter school, they have to have an eye exam,” he said.

Stein suggests that contact lens wearers have their eyes checked annually.

“The contacts are resting on your eyes, so you want to make sure the cornea and eyes’ lids are healthy,” Stein said. “There’s (a) tendency for people to ignore symptoms, but they should come in to make sure their eyes are healthy.

“Eyeglass wearers typically have their eyes checked every two years unless they have a medical condition, like being diabetic. Between myself and some of the eye surgeons in the area, we monitor some people for macular degeneration.

“With everybody using computers, there’s a high incidence of dry eye and other computer-related symptoms.”

Although Stein does not treat macular degeneration, he said the population is growing older and there are a growing number of patients with macular degeneration, cataracts and dry eye symptoms.

“We try to treat the dry eye and refer our patients to the cataract specialists in the area,” he said.

Stein treats minor injuries and infections, but if there is someone with a major eye problem, he would examine the patient and refer them to a specialist.

Maintaining state-of-art equipment is important to Stein and his staff. He offers digital retinal photography.

“Today’s technology allows us to see more of the retina in more detail,” he said. “Using technology, we can find retinal diseases and other disorders a lot faster before they start causing major problems. I think today’s society demands that we stay on top with state-of-the-art technology. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and it’s kind of fun seeing new technology and using it.

“I have a lot more fun using the newer equipment to find glaucoma sooner, and it can save a person’s sight when we can get them the help they need.”

In the three decades Stein has worked in the eye care industry, he has noticed consumers are getting more health conscious and the profession is getting more technological.

“We’re offering better care than they ever had before,” he said.

Stein credits a personable and knowledgeable staff for the success of his business.

“We have one of the largest frame selections in the area, thanks to Pat Phanawong,” Stein said. “She works really hard on that.”

Phanawong, a Wyandotte resident, is an optician at the clinic with more than 20 years’ experience.

Stein said a large percentage of his patients are referred.

“I have a phenomenal staff,” Stein said. “They do a very good job of taking care of each patient like they are family. They are genuine. They do it because they want to, not because they have to. They are an extension of me. We want to make sure people get the care they need.”

Some people may be diagnosed with refractive errors after an eye exam, which means the eyes can not refract or focus light properly. The eye’s ability to focus light is decisive for one’s vision sharpness. Refractive eyeglasses, contact lenses as well as refractive surgeries can be used to correct a refractive error.

It is commonly known that light rays can be deflected, reflected, bent or absorbed by different objects. Light is essential for vision. Like the way that water or curved lens refracts light rays, certain eye structures such as cornea, crystalline lens, tear film and internal fluids can refract light rays into a precise point of focus, which is critical for sharp vision. The focus point should be centered on the retina, which lines the inside of the eye back. The light-sensitive cells in the eye back capture images and then transmit them through the eye’s optic nerve to the brain for interpretation. In this process, the eye’s pupil is responsible for controlling the amount of light that reaches the retina, by widening or constricting itself.

Both eye length and cornea curvature can affect the eye’s refractive ability. Myopia is always caused by too long eyes, which focus images in front of the retina, and farsightedness is caused by short eyes, which can never focus light on retina in time. Astigmatism is created by aspherical eyes, which bring irregular light refraction. All of these defects are called refractive errors. The new invented wavefront technology is used to detect poor contrast sensitivity caused by another refractive error: higher-order aberrations.

Eyeglasses, contacts with precise curvatures can intercept and refract light rays and provide a more accurate focus point on the retina. Refractive surgeries such as LASIK achieve the same effect by changing the corneal surface.

Vision health care has become a routine part of computer users’ lives. Surveys show nearly 50% of adult computer users with a college education are myopia in USA, and a child in America spend several hours on a computer while doing homework, surfing the internet, playing video games and talking online with little regard for eye health care. Definitely, vision health care is becoming more and more important to computer users.

Many vision health care doctors who specialize in children’s eye health care say sustain computer use puts kids at higher risk for childhood myopia. Some people have a misunderstand in vision health care that it is necessary to wear a special eye protection when working on the computer, but according to eye health care experts, computer screens do not emit enough harmful rays to cause eye damage.

Relieving eyestrains is one of the important vision health care measures to computer users. As eye health care experts often pointed out, computer users should look up and far away about every 15 minutes preferably out a window or across a room. Also, a people who always work on a computer is supposed to see the vision health care practitioners for regular eye health care and exams, for computer users can develop vision changes, an outdated prescription may cause lots of eyestrain.

In addition, proper computer glasses are also good for computer users’ vision health care; they are available for those who have trouble focusing on a screen. Of course, a person who has urgent questions regarding vision health care, it is better to call an eye health care practitioner for personal vision health care advice on the treatment of one’s own specific condition.