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Showing posts from February, 2020

Common Vision Myths

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How much do you know about your eyes and vision? Maybe a lot less than you think because your “knowledge” may be just rumors. You can’t take care of your eyesight if you have basic facts about them wrong. Here are some myths and the reality from the American Academy of Opthalmology . Eating carrots helps your sight Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyesight, and carrots have high amounts of it. We need only a small amount of vitamin A to support our vision and it’s in a variety of foods, including, Dark, leafy greens Brightly colored vegetables Dairy Fish Vitamin A can help maintain good eyesight, but it won't improve your vision or prevent you from needing vision correction through eyeglasses or contact lenses. Eye exercises can improve your vision They won’t preserve your sight, make it better or eliminate the need for glasses. What you see is shaped by multiple factors that won’t significantly change through eye exercises. They may be helpful for convergence

Eye Health: Facts Most People Don’t Know

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Written by Dr. David Evans   Last modified on January 28, 2020 Test Your Knowledge of Eye Health A recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Academy of Ophthalmology revealed that Americans lack basic knowledge of eye health. The findings are deeply concerning to ophthalmologists and other eye care providers, as the number of people affected by eye diseases that can lead to blindness is on the rise. Some of the key findings: Fewer than 20 percent of respondents were able to identify the three major causes of blindness in the United States: glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease. Only 37 percent of respondents were aware that vision can be lost to eye diseases without symptoms. Just 47 percent of respondents were aware that the brain’s ability to adapt to vision loss can trick us into believing that our vision is fine. Unfortunately, these are not just statistics. Many people wait too long to see an ophthal

Patch with Microneedles Could Replace Eye Injections

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Instead of getting eye injections, patients with serious eye diseases may be eligible for a contact lens-type patch. 1 Injections are often recommended for eye diseases such as Wet (advanced) Age-Related Macular Degeneration, macular edema, and glaucoma. The new patch is inserted painlessly like a contact lens. It delivers tiny microneedles containing medication. The microneedles are made from natural materials and dissolve over time, gradually releasing medicine. Patients would be more likely to stick with a regimen that does not involve eye injections. Eye Injections: Stick a Needle in My Eye Patients generally dread eye injections. Injections must be performed in a doctor’s office. Eye injections can be painful, and they are inconvenient. They can introduce infection. And they can damage the eye. Avastin, Eylea, and Lucentis are injectable medications that discourage new blood vessel growth. These anti-VEGF medicines are useful for advanced Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retino

Cancers of the Eye: How They Can be Found, What You Can Do About Them

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Virtually every part of your body could become malignant (when cells reproduce beyond control, forming cancer tumors), including your eyes. Early detection of cancer may significantly increase your chances of successful treatment, so a regular eye exam may spot cancer before you realize it’s there. The eye has three parts. Different types of cancer can occur in each part: The eyeball (or globe) is filled with a jelly-like material (the vitreous humor) and has three main layers (sclera, uvea, and retina) The orbit (the tissues surrounding the eyeball) The adnexal (accessory) structures (eyelids and tear glands) Cancers impacting the eye are intraocular (within the eye) cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Cancers starting in the eye are primary intraocular. Secondary intraocular cancers begin in another part of the body and spread (or metastasize) to the eye. The ACS states that cancers of the eye are relatively rare. It estimates that in 2019 in the US

OUR EYES WORK LIKE CAMERA’S!

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The inner workings of the human eye are complex, but at the same time, fascinating. Have you wondered how exactly they do work or what are the major parts of the eyeball involved in creating vision? Let’s find out. These tiny cameras spend every day processing millions of pieces of information at lightning fast speeds, and turn them into the simple images we see almost instantly. In reality, this process is anything but simple. The eye has several distinct parts, each of which has specific responsibilities that work together like a machine. The eyeball is just like a camera. In fact, human eyes are part of a classification known as “camera-type eyes.” And just like a camera, it can’t function without the presence of light.  As light hits the eyes, it’s focused by the eye in a way similar to a camera lens. This process allows the images we see to appear clear and sharp rather than blurry. There are specific parts of the eye that make this focusing process possible. Each beam of ligh

Childhood Diabetes: The Rise of a New Epidemic in America

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Diabetes is  a detrimental health issue. From the eyes to the tips of the toes,  diabetes can affect just about every part of the body.  D iabetes  does not discriminate against a nyone ,  and  children  have become  its  latest victims .  T he number of young people  in the U.S.  inflicted with  prediabetes and  diabetes has grow n significantly over the last few years.   T his number is rising so quickly  that  health officials have begun calling it an epidemic. Prediabetes In the American Youth   Prediabetes   is defined as “ a condition in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. ”   With little to no symptoms, people usually don’t even know they have prediabetes  until it becomes diabetes and begins wreaking havoc on their health.  Though this is not  technically  a diagnosis, this identification should not be taken lightly.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70% of people with prediabetes wil