If you’re like me then you spend an awful lot of time at your computer.  In fact, I spend so much time on mine that I’ve made a special harness for my laptop that attaches directly to my arm.  Not really.  But I do spend about 9 hours a day on it at work and then I check my email at night, do research on it in the evenings, read on it, social network, etc.  And the thing is, most people do the exact same thing.  But what is this doing to our eyes? Well, nearsightedness is up 66 percent since the 1970s, for one thing.

Researchers compared the eyesight information of more than 4,400 people tested in 1971 and 1972.  They also took eyesight data of those tested between 1999 and 2004.  The results were shocking.  A massive 66 percent increase in nearsightedness.  Although nearsightedness is poorly understood, it is clear that the increase in computer use, the increase in TV watching, texting, etc. are clearly the leading causes of this eye condition.

So what’s the solution? First of all, GET OUTSIDE MORE! Take 5 minute breaks at work and don’t just sit there surfing the net, GO OUTSIDE and look around.  In fact, for every 20 minutes you spend at your computer, you should be looking 20 feet into the distance for 20 seconds.  With just this small change, you could be saving yourself thousands of dollars in Eye Exams, glasses, etc.  So, get out there and smell the roses.

Nearsightedness

It seems like we’re getting an awful lot of snowfall in Delaware this Winter.  We haven’t had many major snowstorms, besides that one just before Christmas, but we seem to be getting a little bit of snowfall every week.  This can create more problems than just a dirty car.  It can also affect your eyesight.  Especially, when you’re young and spend a lot of time playing in this white, fluffy snow.  That’s why when I came across this press release on PR Newswire I thought I’d pass it along to all of you.

CONCORD, Mass., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ — Each winter, parents pull out the outer coats, hats, scarves, gloves and boots to properly protect their children from the cold, but what about protecting their children’s eyes from the sun? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), sunglasses are not just for sunny summer days, but are also needed during the winter season when reflections from snow, water, sand or pavement can intensify UV rays to extremely high levels. In addition, the sun’s rays pass right through haze and thin clouds, making sunglasses a necessity during the early afternoon sun, when UV radiation is strongest, and a must when participating in winter sports, particularly at high altitudes. When taking the kids in the car or the stroller, heading out to the bus stop or to sled or build a snowman don’t forget the shades.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that children’s eyes are at increased risk for permanent damage from sunlight until they are at least 10 years old, because their eyes are highly sensitive and still developing. Furthermore, 90% of total lifetime damage from the sun’s harmful rays occurs by age 18.

The Real Kids Shades line of protective infants’ and children’s sunglasses provides 100% UV-A and UV-B ray protection, as recommended by Prevent Blindness America. Real Kids Shades are safe, lead-free and made of impact-resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate frames and lenses, a material hailed by Prevent Blindness America as “the first choice for children’s eyewear.”

“Recognizing that children’s eyes are at special risk from the harmful effects of UV rays since their eyes are still developing and are more vulnerable to sun damage, we developed Real Kids Shades to provide serious sun protection in comfortable, kid-friendly and stylish designs,” says Lisa Medora, VP Product Development, Real Kids Shades.

“Real Kids Shades were developed to be both durable to withstand kids’ lifestyles and great-looking, so that kids will want to wear them,” added David Scheinberg, CEO, Real Kids Shades.

The Real Kids Shades are designed for all children 12 and under in a wide assortment of polycarbonate shatterproof frames and lenses with adjustable neoprene bands, rubber flex or metallic frames. Several of the styles can be fitted with prescription lenses. Retail prices start at $14.99 to $19.99. For more information and store location, visit www.realkidshades.com.

Real Kids Shades

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak is located in North Eastern Tanzania.  It is a beautiful sight to see. It has been written about in countless books and articles.  Most notably, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, by Ernest Hemingway.  These praises have lead many people to try and climb this beast.  Many have tried and most have failed.  There is one person in particular that recently succeeded in conquering this African Goliath.  That’s not the most impressive thing about this story though.  What makes it even more amazing is that the 31 year old Kev Lowther climbed the mountain and lost his vision part way up the mountain, but managed to make it to the summit.  Kev was climbing to raise money for a charity called Macmillan Cancer Support.

When asked about the climb, Kev told one newspaper, “The hardest part was dealing with the exhaustion and altitude sickness. At one point I even lost my eyesight and one guy told me I was staggering about like someone who had just been kicked out of the pub at closing time!”

I’m sure we can all agree that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is hard enough, to do it without your sight is something all together spectacular.  We applaud Kev for his incredible feat.

Mount Kilimanjaro

The below is taken in part from an article from Eyecare Business Magazine:

Several vision organizations recently released studies related to kid’s vision and eyecare, revealing some interesting statistics. For instance, according to a national survey by VSP (Vision Care and Prevent Blindness America) released in August: One in Four 6-11 year-olds wears prescription glasses. Almost two-thirds of children under age 6 have never had an eye exam by an eye doctor.

Low Eye Q?: The American Optometric Association’s survey found that: One in four children in the U.S. has an undetected vision problem. 58 Percent of children do not receive their first eye exam until the age of three or older. 88 Percent of the survey respondents did not realize that one in four kids has a visual impairment.

Missed Opportunities: New research by the National Committee on Vision and Health revealed: One-quarter of school age children suffer from vision problems that could have been addressed or eliminated if proper eye assessment programs and follow-up care had taken place when they started school.  In One-third of children with vision problems, screenings missed finding vision conditions.

The Vision-Learning Link: More than one in five 12 to 17 year-olds have difficulty seeing the classroom chalkboard, although 45 percent in this age group wear some type of prescription eyewear. Studies indicate 60 percent of children identified as “problem learners” actually suffer from undetected vision problems and in some cases have been inaccurately diagnosed with ADHD.

UV Exposure: The average child receives three times the annual UV exposure of an adult. The lens of the eye of a child under age 10 allows more than six times the amount of UV radiation than an adult eye.

Child Eyecare

The importance of an Eye Exam has been proven time and time again.  However, we often neglect Eye Exams for our Children, thinking they are young and don’t need one.  We sometimes think that it is only the older generation that needs Eye Exams on a regular basis.  This is not so.  There are many vision problems which could affect your children if not taken care of early.  These vision problems could lead to learning disabilities, trouble paying attention in class, headaches and much more.

Many children suffer from inhibited learning due to eye conditions, which can be corrected easily with a visit to the optician.  Simon Eye Associates is encouraging parents to schedule appointments for the Holiday break in response to the statistic that up to 86 per cent of school-aged children have never had a thorough eye exam.  In fact, many patients who come in to Simon Eye Associates, having been previously diagnosed with learning impairments, but in reality all that needed correcting was poor eyesight or visual skills.  If your student struggled through the first half of this school year, now is the time to bring them for a complete eye exam. The problem may not be learning-related; it may be solved simply by getting corrective vision wear.  New imaging technology is being used to diagnose eye problems early and therefore maximise the effectiveness of treatment.

Child Studying

As a continuing effort to help our patients stay informed and educated about their eye care, Simon Eye Associates puts together a Tip of the Month.  This month, it’s How to Protect Your Eyes from Corneal Abrasions.  First off, what is a Cornea? The Cornea is that tissue, which resides at the front of the eye.  It helps focus light coming into the eyes.  This tissue, since it’s at the front of the eye, is easily susceptible to cuts, scratches and damage from debris.  In order to avoid such problems, which could negatively affect your eyes, or eyesight, we recommend the following tips:

1.  Remember to keep your fingernails clipped short and to clean them often.  Many eye infections and injuries stem from someone accidentally sticking themselves with their fingernail.

2. If you wear contact lenses, remember to keep them clean.  The importance of keeping contact lenses clean has been covered in previous Simon Eye blogs.  Along with keeping your contact lenses clean, make sure you are very careful when putting them in.  Also, it is important to never sleep with your contact lenses in all night.

3.  If you work in a profession that involves machines, sawdust, metal, or wood, you should always wear eye protection.

It is very easy to protect your eyes, you just need to exercise a little caution and take the appropriate actions.

The Cornea

The below comes from an article written by Alice Grebot for the Daily Mail.

The first artificial lens implant to treat cataracts was carried out in London just over 60 years ago. Pioneered by ophthalmic surgeon Sir Harold Ridley, it was a concept that would go on to save the sight of millions. Now, a groundbreaking new type of lens has been developed that can be adjusted to give a patient perfect vision after it has been inserted into the eye. Made from a unique material, the lens has the ability to change shape when a certain strength of laser light is shone on to it, meaning it can be tailored to an individual patient’s needs - whether they have cataracts or are long or short-sighted, or have astigmatism, for example. This is a condition that causes blurred vision due to the front of the eye not being a regular shape. Surgery using the innovative light-adjustable lens (LAL), developed by a US company and a Nobel prize-winning scientist, has been carried out on the first patients in the UK in the past few weeks by consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Bobby Qureshi.

‘You can virtually promise people who have cataract surgery that they will have perfect vision, whereas before that hasn’t been possible,’ says Mr Qureshi. ‘What’s more exciting is that some people may even achieve “super vision”, which is better than 20/20 (normal vision). ‘Every eye has microscopic imperfections that can limit vision. With this lens, we can correct these and potentially give people high-definition vision.’ He says: ‘This is an incredible operation. It is probably the biggest breakthrough in cataract surgery for decades. I feel so fortunate to be pioneering it in the UK. This has raised the bar of cataract surgery to a whole new level.’

A cataract is the clouding of the lens, the part of the eye that helps focus light on to the retina to form an image. As the lens ages, it starts to turn yellow and cloudy. Light is unable to pass through to the retina and vision becomes blurred. Left untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness. About a third of people in the UK over 65 have cataracts in one or both eyes. Typically, treatment is a replacement lens implant but perfect vision could not be guaranteed - until now. Mr Qureshi, who specialises in cataract surgery and lens implants, explains: ‘Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide. We do around 300,000 in Britain each year on the NHS alone. ‘Traditionally, it involves the insertion of monofocal lenses - these improve distance vision but have only a single focus, so patients will still need glasses for reading and the majority have some residual long sight, short sight or astigmatism, which means glasses are required.

Eye surgeon Bobby Qureshi adjusts the lens of Gill Balfour, one of the first to have the treatment

Ten years ago, multifocal implants came along, offering patients better vision for both near and distance. But many are still left with residual astigmatism and require laser eye surgery, or still need to use glasses. Part of the reason for this is that due to their design multifocal lenses can cause lights to glare at night. They also don’t correct intermediate vision very well. The difference with the LAL is that for the first time we can put a lens into the eye and change the strength of it from outside the eye via a computer. Mr Qureshi says the LAL will also help anyone with presbyopia (age-related long-sightedness) - something that begins around the age of 40 and affects everyone at some point. The procedure can remove the need for glasses altogether.

‘Potentially, anyone over 40 who wears glasses could have total freedom from them with this operation and possibly sharper vision than could ever have been achieved before,’ says Mr Qureshi. The key with the LAL is the unique materials called ‘macromers’ embedded in the make-up of the lens. When UV light of a specific wavelength is shone into the eye, they group together, producing a swelling that changes the lens curvature. In other words, the lens can be reshaped precisely for each patient’s needs. So far, 1,000 patients have been operated on worldwide and the first cases in the UK were done three weeks ago by Mr Qureshi, who works at the private London Eye Hospital.

He performs the procedure - which is carried out under local anaesthetic and takes ten to 15 minutes - by making a 2mm incision in the eye. Through this, the cloudy lens is fragmented using high-frequency ultrasound and is removed through a fine tube. The LAL is rolled up and inserted through the same incision. It unfolds once inside the eye. Mr Qureshi says: ‘In just a couple of hours, patients should notice an improvement in their vision - often even better than it was before their eye problems.

How the made to measure lens works

1. The 15-minute procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic. A 2mm incision is made in the eye. Through this, the cloudy lens is fragmented using high-frequency ultrasound. This is then removed through a fine tube.

2. The light-adjustable lens (LAL) is rolled up and inserted through the same incision. It unfolds once inside the eye.

‘But certainly by the time I see patients a few days later, their vision is already at 90 per cent.’ The next step is the adjustment, which is done ten days to a fortnight after the lens implant. Once Mr Qureshi has evaluated the patient’s vision, he or she will be seated with their chin resting on a support, much like during a normal eye test. A sophisticated computer then shines beams of UV light into the eye and on to the lens for about 90 seconds, changing its shape. A few days later, the patient returns for any finetuning, after which, using further beams of light, the LAL is ‘locked in’ to position.

Mr Qureshi says the procedure does not carry significantly more risks than traditional cataract surgery. But because the light can make a patient’s eyes susceptible to UV light until the LAL is locked in, they must wear protective glasses. They must also use anti-inflammatory and antibiotic eye drops for four to six weeks. The hope is that the operation will eventually be available on the NHS. In the meantime, it costs about £3,000 privately. Part-time nurse Gill Balfour, 61, from Epsom, Surrey, was one of the first in the UK to have the LAL. For the past ten years she has been wearing glasses or contact lenses to correct presbyopia. ‘Mr Qureshi explained all about the LAL and I did my own research. I was really excited about having it done,’ she says.

Gill opted for blended vision rather than a multifocal lens and had a predominantly distance lens implanted in her left eye about three weeks ago. It has now been locked in. Next week, she will have a predominantly near lens inserted into her right eye. Gill says the vision in her left eye improved dramatically as soon as the lens was inserted. ‘I had to wear a protective patch overnight. But as soon as I removed it the following day, I could tell immediately that the vision in that eye was better. Everything was brighter. I suddenly saw the world in a different light. ‘Through the new lens, I realised that white looked really white, whereas through my right eye it was slightly yellow. ‘Through my left eye, I can now read the smallest line of letters on an eye chart, which is two lines better than normal vision. Before, without glasses or contacts, it would have been a complete blur.

‘The amazing thing is that these lenses will last for the rest of my life.’

Very few people in Delaware have heard of LASIK. Actually, that isn’t true, many have, but they often come here confused and wondering what it is. It’s actually very simple. Laser vision correction (LASIK) is a procedure that corrects for nearsightedness (inability to see objects in the distance) by using a Laser. LASIK is the most advanced eye procedure available and the procedure of choice for the correction of myopia (nearsightedness) and small amounts of hyperopia (farsightedness).  When most people hear the word laser, they think Star Wars. No, that’s not the kind of laser it is. In fact, we use a Wavefront Laser, which uses 3-dimensional measurements of how your eye processes to guide the laser in re-shaping the front part of the eye.

Why Should You Get It?

Many people who choose LASIK surgery have jobs that require good vision. With contact lenses or glasses, these people often find that their corrective lenses also get in the way of them performing their job functions at peak ability. Fire-fighters, police officers, athletes, and emergency service personnel all depend highly on good vision, but, at the same time, find that corrective lenses get in the way. When taking into consideration the cost of LASIK eye surgery, you should also take into consideration the positive effect that LASIK could have on your career.

Even is you don’t have a career which would benefit from LASIK, you should still weigh up your options. Are you a mom who has a very active lifestyle and just can’t seem to hang onto those eyeglasses? Do your contact lenses irritate your eyes and constantly fall out? There are many reasons people get LASIK eye surgery. You now have the information, the choice is yours.

Delaware LASIK Vision Correction

At Simon Eye Associates our patients are constantly asking us questions about how to choose Eyewear based on the clothes they wear, their body type, etc. To make it easier, we decided to post this article written by Eyewear Designer, Robert Marc.  Robert has been in the Fashion Eyewear business for many years, founding his own line in 1999.  Here’s what Robert had to say:

• Take your entire lifestyle into consideration. Don’t buy a casual style if you wear suits to work and dress up a lot for evenings.

• Pick a shape that contrasts with your face shape. If you have a round face, you don’t want a round frame. Try something more horizontal and angular.

• Look at scale and balance. Just as a size 10 wouldn’t buy a size 18 dress, a petite woman shouldn’t get an oversized frame.

• Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Experiment and try on a lot of glasses. You might surprise yourself and discover a new look.

• You don’t wear the same pair of shoes to go to the gym, work and a cocktail party. At minimum, you should have two or three pairs of glasses in your wardrobe.

Vera Bradley Sunglasses

At Simon Eye Associates we do a lot for one’s eyes and eyesight.  But we would prefer our patients take extra steps in preventing the problems they come to use to solve.  Recently, we have been gathering data for our readers on ways and means to do just that.  When we stumbled across this article, first published in Optometry Today, we knew we had found something of great benefit to you, our patient.  Enjoy!

To mark National Eye Week (November 9-15), the sight care charity has joined forces with healthcare provider, Simplyhealth to alert the public about the eye health risks associated with certain lifestyle choices. Together they are highlighting the effects that obesity, smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and excessive alcohol consumption can have on a person’s eyesight.

Although smoking has been identified as a key element in the development of age-related macular degeneration, just 9.7% of the 13 million smokers in Britain are aware of this link, whist 92.2% and 87.7% are aware of its association with lung cancer and heart disease respectively.

Furthermore, although a small amount of red wine has been found to be beneficial for the eyes, too much alcohol will interfere with the liver. If the liver is damaged, the production of glutathione – which prevents cell damage that leads to cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy – is reduced.

Around 30 minutes of exercise five-times a week is also encouraged by the Trust. Regular exercise increases the oxygen supply to the retina and optic nerve, as well as lowering the pressure which builds up in the eye.

Iain Anderson, chairman of The Eyecare Trust, said: “There is growing evidence that lifestyle factors play a significant role in determining the long-term health of our eyes. Making the right lifestyle choices from the start can help preserve your vision. However, it’s never too late to make changes, as in some instances vision that is already in decline can be restored by following a healthy diet, taking regular exercise and generally cutting down on the things that we know are bad for us like cigarettes and alcohol.”

Squash the Bad Lifestyle Habits