Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

Your Eyes And Your Job Your eyes and vision are very resilient but they can only take so much. Whether it’s eye strain due to hours in front of a computer monitor, poor lighting or working with toxic substances, just like other parts of your body, your eyes may be injured at work. Vision is critical to most jobs. Try to find one where sight isn’t required. The American Federation of the Blind estimated in 2010 that 75% of the estimated four million adults in the country who are completely or partially blind are unemployed. Eye strain, fatigue and dry eyes are frequent issues for those of us who routinely work at a computer monitor. It can be more taxing than reading printed text. This “digital” eye strain can result from several issues, including, Screen glare, Bad lighting, Poor posture, Looking at the monitor at the wrong distance and/or angle, and, Uncorrected vision problems. We blink less if we use a computer monitor compared to reading a printed text. This c

ReNeuron , a cellular therapy developer in the UK, has reported vision improvements in the treated eyes of the first three retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients in the Phase II part of the Phase I/II clinical trial for its proprietary human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC). The Phase I portion of the trial, completed last year, primarily assessed safety in subjects with minimal remaining vision. Phase II patients in the ReNeuron study have more baseline vision and thus have have more potential for visual improvement. The Phase II patients read an average of three additional lines (five letters per line) on a standardized eye chart after receiving the emerging treatment, compared to an average loss of one letter in their untreated eyes. The results demonstrate objective improvement in visual acuity compared with the baseline vision in their treated eyes, and compared to their untreated eyes. The patients have also reported subjective improvements in vision. The trial is being conducted at

Age-related eye health concerns are an increasing problem in the US. With an aging population, the number of patients coming through eye care practices that have a risk for or have developed age-related eye health concerns continues to grow. According to the National Eye Institute, the number of Americans suffering from these concerns will have grown to 3.66 million, almost a 60% increase from 2010. That number is projected to increase to just under 5.5 million by 2050. A Growing Risk While the number of identified cases of age-related eye health concerns increases, the number of people with a higher risk also grows. There are both modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for developing age-related eye health concerns, with some being more concerning than others. Age is the primary risk factor, increasing risk from 2% at ages 50-59 to 30% at age 75+. Family history is another heavy-impact risk factor, tripling the patient’s risk of developing vision issues. The Opportunity for Posi

If you mishandle your eyeglasses they may need to be fixed or replaced. If you need to buy new prescription glasses it may not be cheap but it’s easy to do. Mishandling your contact lenses may result in serious infections in your eyes, which are irreplaceable. It’s not unusual for there to be some minor irritation when first using contact lenses. Serious eye infections are very rare but if one occurs it may be very harmful and quick acting. These infections are often caused by users who either don’t know proper handling techniques, make mistakes or they choose not to bother with precautions. Click Here for 10 Do's and Don'ts of Wearing Contact Lenses Eye infections and corneal ulcers can develop very quickly and be very severe. You won’t know the seriousness of a problem when you are wearing contact lenses unless you’re in physical pain or are suffering vision loss. If you think something is wrong you need to contact our office so we can diagnose the problem and address it.

How many times have we heard: “This field has been thoroughly studied, and we know all there is to know; there is no reason to continue investigating, because there is nothing more to find out on the subject”? This has been the attitude of some researchers with respect to the importance of mitochondria and diseases. For more than 50 years, we have known that mitochondria, which are the “batteries” of the cell, are critical for energy production. But many believed they did not have other major roles in the health of the cell, so when it came to developing drugs against diseases, mitochondria were overlooked. That idea has now been turned on its head. Mitochondria Led by Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF) Research Director Dr. Cristina Kenney , the Mitochondria Research Group believed that, to really discover something new, you have to look in novel areas. This group has done just that. Using the transmitochondrial cybrid model, which are cell lines with identical nuclei, but with each lin

Oral Steroids and Cataracts About 22 million Americans have cataracts , a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. The biggest risk factor is age. It’s one of the most common eye conditions for Americans older than 40. About half of those 80 and older have, or have had, cataracts. But age isn’t the only factor in developing cataracts.   If you have a cataract seeing through cloudy lenses can be like looking through a fogged-up window or piece of wax paper. Cataracts can make it harder to read, see a computer screen clearly or drive a car safely (especially at night). Symptoms include, Blurred or dim vision, Night vision problems, Sensitivity to light and glare, The need for more light to read, Appearance of "halos" around lights, Quickly deteriorating vision, Fading or yellowing of colors, and, Double vision in a single eye. The cloudiness impacting your sight may start with a small part of the eye's lens so you may not be consci

Each patient type requires different communication styles. Pediatric patients can be some of the most challenging to really connect with. Susan Lake, OD, shared some of her tips on how she better communicates with her child patients. How Are Pediatric Patients Different? Dr. Lake knows that when it comes to children, they need a different approach than adult patients. They’re not veterans to going to the eye doctor; they could be a little scared, unsure of what to expect. Their comprehension is often lower than an adult patient, but beating around the bush doesn’t sit well with them. Adults may be impressed with fancy lingo, but children are usually unphased. How Dr. Lake Connects with Her Younger Patients Don’t lie. Being honest is the best approach. Dr. Lake was told early in her career, “ will smell your lies every time; just be honest with them.” Talk to them, not their parents. The children are your patients, not their parents. Talking to them makes them feel like an importa

For young children, extended screen time can have a negative, lasting impact. The time span between birth and age 3 is dubbed “the critical period” in the medical community due to the changes happening in the brain. Too much screen time during this age range can leave their still-developing brains permanently damaged.  How Screen Time Affects Young Children’s Brains Children between birth and age 3 are developing the “ permanent foundation upon which all later brain function is built. ” The brain at this age range grows quickly and is incredibly sensitive to the surrounding environment and needs specific stimuli to develop normally. If young children spend too much time in front of screens while not getting enough “real-life” stimuli, development can become stunted. Think back to the days when you were read a story as a child. You’d have to rely on your own imagination to picture the princess in the castle or the dragon flying in the air. You would have to make a mental effort in o

Image courtesy of cdc.gov Glaucoma is an eye disease typically associated with high intraocular pressure, but managing glaucoma is more than decreasing eye pressure. Some cases of glaucoma have normal or low intraocular pressure. Natural approaches to glaucoma care, in addition to standard ophthalmology, can help reduce vision loss. The purpose of treatment is to slow down the damage. What are the symptoms of glaucoma? What causes it? How is glaucoma detected? What is the prognosis? How can decreasing intraocular pressure help? And how can you try to reduce vision loss? Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve. Peripheral or side vision gradually decreases. This disease can lead to total blindness if left untreated. Most glaucoma patients are seniors. Glaucoma tends to run in families. In the US, African Americans over the age of 40 are at a higher risk. So are seniors over age 60, especially Mexican Americans. Unfortunately, glaucoma symptoms are subtle until si

The genetic eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa is the target of gene-editing research on human embryos by Dr. Dietrich Elgi at Columbia University. National Public Radio reported on this research 1 shortly after a Chinese scientist announced he had created the world’s first two gene-edited babies. 2 Both scientists use the CRISPR tool to genetically modify human embryos. However, the experiments at Columbia are for research purposes only. These embryos are destroyed within one day for study.   Creating genetically modified human babies is illegal worldwide. The edited genes will be passed down to future generations. Genetic modifications could have dangerous or even lethal side effects. Also, “designer babies” would start a competition to build ideal humans, modified for non-medical reasons such as strength or intelligence. Scientific research is subject to ethics oversight. The Chinese genetic researcher, He Jiankui, acted independently and without approval. He believed that engi

With the possible physical and mental impact of screens, you may be thinking that the best option is to cut them out of the picture altogether. Knowing that’s NEVER going to happen, here are some helpful tips to share with patients concerned with the effects of excessive screen time. Moderation A term probably overused when it comes to lifestyle modifications, but undoubtedly important when it comes to time spent on digital devices. Setting limitations can be difficult, especially if children, teens, adults, etc. are used to freely scrolling on their devices without restriction. Beginning a schedule for screen time is best when implemented young, think 3-5 years old. The most important limit to set might be the limit before bed. Sleep is so important to overall health, and screens have been linked to less and worse sleep. Turning off the devices 2 hours before bed can have a positive impact on the amount and the quality of sleep patients get. For older children and teens with t

N-Acetyl-Carnosine eyedrops have been shown to stabilize, protect against, and even improve cataracts. Carnosine, found in muscle and brain tissue, is a dipeptide composed of the amino acids beta-alanine and histidine. Researchers have studied carnosine in its various forms for decades. Its positive effects on cataracts are being revealed by numerous studies.   Carnosine’s Many Effects You may have heard of carnosine’s ability to prevent the formation of advanced glycated end products. Glycation is protein crosslinks that appears to cause premature ageing. Carnosine competes with proteins for the binding sites they would occupy on sugar molecules. 1 This makes carosine the best glycation preventative currently recognized in the world of nutrition research. Carnosine has been found to significantly extend the life span of cultured cells and fruit flies. It inhibits the toxic effects of the protein that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. And it also protects against