Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

Being preemptive about your overall health is the best way to avert certain illnesses. The same applies to your eye health. A recently-released report states zeaxanthin and lutein could save your vision and your wallet in the long run. According to a report compiled by  Frost & Sullivan in 2013, the U.S. could gain an estimated $7.42 billion in cumulative net health care savings from 2013 to 2020 if older adults at risk for age-related eye health issues would start taking zeaxanthin and lutein eye vitamins. The updated 2017 study estimates that age-related eye health issues will affect approximately 20 million adults by 2020 in North America. The loss of vision in the center of the eye, the result of most age-related eye health issues, is currently incurable, and the costs of attempting to treat are huge. According to the initial findings released in 2013, it’s estimated that “five percent of all people over the age of 55 who suffer from age-related eye health issues will req

Many people don't realize how important proper contact lens maintenance really is. When you think about it, wearing contact lenses isn't natural. What you're actually doing is willingly placing foreign objects into your eyes which are some of the most sensitive parts of the body. You wouldn't normally allow something unsanitary into your body, yet people place dirty contact lenses into their eyes all the time! If that's what you do, you need to stop immediately. Then you need to either change your contact lens prescription to disposable lenses which require little or no maintenance, or you need to have your eye doctor remind you of the steps involved in proper contact lens maintenance. Following the eye doctor's recommendations is the key to success because contact lenses and cleaning products are not created equally. More often than not, contact lens maintenance involves using one of the commercially-available multi-purpose solutions that take care of

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), in partnership with Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB), has announced the recipients of the RPB/AMDF Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration , which provide seed money for high-risk/high-gain AMD research into both dry and wet forms of the disease. Each grantee will receive $300,000, payable across three years, pending a mid-point review. Sabine Fuhrmann, PhD , Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, will examine the potential of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells to regenerate in mature mammalian eyes. RPE cells support the healthy functioning of photoreceptor cells, while their degeneration leads to progressive, chronic AMD. By identifying and using small molecule and other novel regulators, Dr. Fuhrmann’s lab hopes to stimulate a previously discovered, intrinsic, regenerative response. Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD , Associate Professor, Unive

Eye care professionals have recently seen an increase in reports of asthenopia, or tired eyes, potentially in association with the increase of digital device use. Many patients may not associate this symptom with increased device usage. An article written in Review of Optometry explains that there’s confusion around “tired eyes” and digital devices that can be shown in the number of different terms used to refer to it: eye strain, computer vision syndrome, and digital eye strain. Symptoms Digital eye strain is a “diagnosis of exclusion” and is accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: Headaches Eye irritation Blurred vision Shoulder, neck, and back pain Fatigue Light sensitivity Tearing Dryness Trouble focusing Symptoms between patients vary and can change over time, adding to the confusion. However, article authors Dawn Meyer, OD, and Pete Kollbaum, OD, PhD, share to categorize the symptoms to help you better understand what patients a

Ever wonder if the amount of screen time your kids get is affecting their social skills? A study shows that it may. The Study A study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior  showed that increased screen time may actually affect pre-teens’ ability to read and interpret people’s nonverbal emotional and social cues. For the study , nearly 50 sixth-graders left all digital devices behind before going on a trip to a nature camp for 5 days. “The idea for this study came from looking at the way my older child and her friends’ older siblings were communicating,” said Yalda Uhls , the lead author of the study. “I’ve been at parties where the kids are all hanging out, but instead of looking at each other, they are staring at their phones.” The Results Once the kids arrived at the camp, they were given two tests to measure their ability to read nonverbal social cues. According to the Los Angeles Times , the kids were asked to assess the emotions portrayed in 48

Diabetic retinopathy is a vision-stealing effect of diabetes. What causes diabetes, and how can you prevent it? Can diabetic patients prevent this eye disease? What can you do to halt diabetic retinopathy? How can patients preserve their vision? Step 1: Don’t Get Diabetes Avoiding Type 1 Diabetes is a virtual impossibility. Doctors do not know why the immune system attacks the pancreas. The underlying cause is typically genetic, but a trigger also seems to be needed. Type 1 is usually diagnosed in childhood and represents less than 10% of diabetic cases. Type 2 Diabetes is avoidable in many cases. A sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and excess weight are important risk factors. Type 2 used to be called “adult-onset,” however, overweight children are also being diagnosed. Too many calories, excessive refined carbohydrates, and lack of exercise affect all age groups. Blood sugar levels become unstable: too high, too low, and fluctuating too much. This leads to insulin resistance. The bo

Firework injuries cause over 10,000 visits to the emergency room each year, according to data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  As families and communities make plans for a star-spangled Fourth of July, the Discovery Eye Foundation is shining a light on fireworks safety month. Fireworks are dangerous, and the month around July 4 th is the most dangerous time. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s most recent annual fireworks injury report (PDF) fireworks caused eight deaths and nearly 13,000 injuries in 2017. Two-thirds of the fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms happened between mid-June and mid-July. Fireworks may be advertised like toys around the Fourth of July. You may think you know how to handle them safely. But playing with fireworks can blind you or your loved ones. Leave fireworks to the professionals. The most recent Consumer Product Safety Commission report found that 14% of fireworks injuries involved eyes. In the mos