I found this article by Alexa Kaczka extremely interesting.  This follows the pattern we’ve seen at Simon Eye Associates for years.  Someone has a visual issue, which they just learn to “live with” and they never get it checked out.  Often times they’ll come in when the problem is much more severe and could have been dealt with easily before.

Three-quarters of people who believe they have poor eyesight do not visit the optician to have their condition checked out, according to a new poll.  A survey carried out by Sight Care found that 75 per cent of people believe they have an issue with their eyesight which requires the attention of a professional but do not visit one, even though they suffer headaches as a result.  According to the poll, 45 percent of people would avoid wearing spectacles on a date and would instead opt for contact lenses or no optical aid, while 64 percent would not wear glasses on a night out.  Furthermore, 30 percent of people did not know where their nearest practice is, although 44 per cent said that they are happy with the service provided by their local independent optician.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

How can contact lenses help you in sports? That’s easy.  In this article written by Emily Tait you’ll see why.

Major League Baseball player Nate McLouth, Atlanta Braves center fielder, has explained how he can see the ball better than ever before with his contact lenses.  Talking with the Associated Press about the technical demands of batting, McLouth explained that making decent contact is important and it is frustrating when this is not happening - something that his contact lenses may help with.  He noted that he has still had difficulty with his timing, explaining to the news provider: “It`s being on time and being in the right position when the pitch is in the zone to take a good swing.  “It`s just something that`s difficult to do.” Now that his hamstring problems are fixed and his contact lenses are helping him see, McLouth could have a decent run in the coming months.  McLouth recently compared wearing contact lenses, which he picked up during the offseason, to going from standard-definition television to watching high-definition.

Nate McLouth Contact Lenses

In this remarkable news story first brought to us by Karen Meyer of ABC news, one woman shows how a spirit for living and a passion for music can do wonders.

Macular degeneration has robbed a renowned concert pianist of her sight but not her ability to perform.  At 90 years old, Irene Alexander continues to perform around the city.  She says her piano is her rock.  At Friedman Place on Chicago’s North Side, residents in Irene Alexander’s building are being entertained with beautiful music. “I’m a classical pianist. When I could read music I could accompany anyone, a singer, a violinist, I could play show tunes. I love jazz, but I can’t play jazz,” Irene said.

Irene has been playing since she was 2 1/2 years old.  “It was right after I had polio; two weeks later I went to the piano after my mother played. We were back at my grandparents, and I walked to the piano and played what she did, and six months later I was in my first recital,” said Irene.  At the age of 6 Irene performed for Queen Marie of Romania, and later she performed for Rachmaninoff.  Irene has been legally blind for 20 years.  “I never had problems playing the piano, and now, the age that I am, I don’t have the stretch that I did to play octaves accurately,” she said. “And, see, my two fingers, so if I wanna hit the correct key, it’s a whole procedure, but it’s wonderful I’m still playing the piano.”  “I’ve had a very exciting life, some of it good, some of it not so good. I go to the piano, and that is me.”

At 90, Irene has no plans of slowing down.  “Oh, my life is just beginning. This is just a new life for me. I have the energy, I have the ability, I have the desire to do one thing, to help people.”

Irene Alexander: Making Beautiful Music

It is a beautiful day here in Wilmington, Delaware.  The sun is shining and there is just a slight breeze outside.  Tomorrow and this weekend are supposed to be even nicer.  With all this sun I know you’ll be breaking out your designer frames, ready for the fresh open air and sky.  And that’s good.  Besides looking good in your shades, you’ll also be blocking the Sun’s damaging UV rays.  But there’s more to be done.  At Simon Eye Associates, we have one recommendation for you.  Get your eyes checked now, rather than later.  Eye exams not only point out eyesight problems, but they can spot other health issues before they become a problem.

We want you to keep your eyes happy and healthy for the rest of your life.  And sure, maybe you don’t have a problem reading the newspaper in the morning, or that spreadsheet at work.  Good.  Eye exams will ensure that you never do have a problem.  Did you know that 50% of all cases of blindness or severe vision loss could have been prevented by early detection? Similarly, even if you have perfect vision, you are still at risk for developing glaucoma.  Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the US.

So before you pack your bags for the beach this weekend, remember to schedule your next eye exam.  This way you’ll be sure to enjoy all that there is to see this summer, with clear, beautiful vision.

Eye Exam - Simon Eye Associates

Did you know that Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world? Neither did I.  Until just now.  Glaucoma causes progressive damage to the optic nerve and eventually a loss of vision and total blindness.  What can you do if you have Glaucoma? Surely medicated eye drops would relieve some of the symptoms, but the problem is that the eye drop solution drips down out of your eyes and it then loses its effectiveness.  A Doctor working out of the University of Florida has devised a contact lens that provides long lasting, effective results using Vitamin E.

Vitamin E has been shown to be extremely beneficial to eyesight in most people. Taken orally, Vitamin E provides vital antioxidants and lubrication to the eyes.  But this Vitamin E, you don’t swallow.  This Vitamin E is inserted into a special contact lens.  The purpose is to make the drug molecules in the contact lens go around the Vitamin E and target the eye without streaming out like with eye drops.  These drugs are not able to penetrate Vitamin E and have no choice but to go around, thus hitting the eye.  The drug has a chance to stay in your eyes for 2-5 minutes with these contact lenses.

Glaucoma Contact Lenses

Being a techno-geek I was very intrigued when I read about a new iPhone App called Ocularis.  The App, created by PODD Media is said to improve the user’s eyesight and provide an educational experience at the same time.  The Eye Game, which tests and enhances the user’s optic abilities features three different games to choose from.  The first is called, Tap The Diff, where players are asked to identify the subtle differences between images.  Another game called, Camouflage Mania, has the user spot all the objects hidden in an image.  The third game entitled, The Color Challenge, checks for color blindness through the use of graphics provided by Ishihara.

There is also another component to the application, which is entitled Eye Facts.  This provides the user with various tid bits of information about the eyes, eye health, explanation of the parts of the eye and more.  All these tools can be  combined to help improve eyesight.

Apple now has well over 100,000 Apps in its arsenal.  This is just another one that is destined to help all of us lead more productive, informed lives.

iPhone App Ocularis

We all know the importance diet plays in our overall eye health.  That’s why I’m sharing this article from Adrian Galbraith.  It was written about 2 weeks ago during a celebration I had never heard of until recently.

International Omega-3 Day is being celebrated today (March 3rd) and its benefits for eyesight have been promoted.  Seafish, an authority on marine food, has said it is joining in the celebrations and pointed to research explored at a conference in January 2009, which asserted that the mixture of vitamins, minerals and long-chain fatty acids present in seafood can improve eyesight.  Some contact lens wearers may not be getting the benefits of seafood as one third of respondents to a survey carried out by Seafish said they manage to eat the recommended two portions of fish a week.

The organization said: “Seafood is one of the tastiest foods available and Omega-3 Day is the ideal opportunity to try some new seafood recipes and enjoy your two a week.” Meanwhile, contact lens wearers who use computers and other backlit screens often need to make sure they keep their eyes healthy to avoid problems with sight, leading optometrist and author Dr Jeffrey Anshel has warned.

Omega 3 and Eye Health

Many people are confused as to whether or not they are actually taking good care of their eyes.  What does that really mean? Well, now we’ve developed a short quiz to help you determine whether or not you know how to take care of your eyes and what you should be doing.  Take the following quiz and see how you do:

1. How often do you see your eye doctor for an eye exam?

1. Whenever I feel like it
2. When I can’t see as well as I could before
3. At least every two years
4. I don’t

2. Which food is the best source of Lutein, that incredibly eye-healthy nutrient

1. Kale
2. Potatoes
3. Carrots
4. McDonalds

3. Which of the following could damage your eyesight?

1. Staring at your computer screen all day
2. Smoking
3. Reading in dim light
4. Driving on the left side of the road

4. Which eye disease can cause 40% loss of sight before you even notice it?

1. Glaucoma
2. Cataracts
3. You’d notice anything wrong with your eyes
4. Pink eye

5. If you get an eye infection should you?

1. Go straight to the hospital or your eye doctor
2. Use natural, or organic eye drops
3. Just wait it out, it will get better
4. Have a nice cup of tea

6. You want new sunglasses. Do you?

1. Buy the cheapest pair
2. Get fake Gucci’s on eBay
3. Make sure you buy ones that have passed safety regulations
4. Spend as much as you possibly can to look the best

7. Which of these is a symptom of age related macular degeneration?

1. Pain
2. Loss of central vision
3. Loss of side vision
4. Forgetting to pick your grandchildren up from school

Here are the answers:

1. You should have your eyes checked at least every 2 years.

2. Green leafy, Kale is the best food to provide the nutrient Lutein, most needed by eyes to perform at their best.

3. If you smoke you’re up to 4 times more likely to develop age related macular degeneration.

4. Glaucoma has been called the sneak thief of sight. It sneaks up and gradually causes your vision to move inwards.

5. Go straight to your doctor or eye doctor.  Serious problems can be avoided by rapid action.

6. Always check the safety regulations before buying any sunglasses.  Buy a pair that blocks 100% of UV rays.

7. Loss of central vision is a sign of age related macular degeneration, which affects almost a third of the people above 75 years old.  It is a very tricky disease to detect and only your eye doctor can know for sure.

How did you score? How many questions did you get right?

1-2 You have probably been lucky to not get any serious eye diseases, or injuries.  But you should study up some more on eye health and learn how to take better care of your eyes.

3-4 You’re doing pretty well, but you also need to be a bit more diligent when it comes to the health of your eyes.  Check back on the answers you got wrong and read our other Simon Eye blogs for more useful data.

5-7 Congratulations! It looks like you’re doing very well and know your stuff.  Keep it up.  Knowledge is the first defense in the fight to keep our eyes healthy and happy.

Healthy Vision Longer

Ever wonder if there are any celebrities, or people in the media who have had LASIK surgery? I have.  And today I found at least one celebrity that has had the procedure done.  Cindy Crawford.  And she tells her story in a testimonial.

After learning about Lasik and hearing many other celebrities had undergone it, former supermodel Cindy Crawford found it the best option for her. Before the surgery she had to wear glasses while driving and had great difficulty inserting contact lenses. She decided to have the surgery performed by celebrity eye surgeon, Dr. Maloney.

Expressing her happiness and initial fear about her Lasik surgery, Cindy said in her testimonial: “I’d been considering corrective vision surgery since I’d heard about the procedure, but of course, I was very nervous about it. I heard about Dr. Maloney from my agent, who had his vision corrected with great results. I got up my courage and scheduled an appointment. They were very patient and explained all my options. The procedure was painless and I can see so much clearer now. It’s great to wake up in the middle of the night and watch television without my glasses, and, best of all, I can drive without glasses or contacts. I would recommend it to anyone”.

The benefits of Lasik? There are many, Cindy says in her testimonial video. First off, she doesn’t have to bother with annoying contact lenses, which she says, she had great difficulty putting in. She also claims she really enjoys not having to wear glasses anymore, and loves the little things, like being able to watch TV clearly from her bed.

Cindy is now enjoying her improved life with no hassles of wearing glasses and contact lenses.

Cindy Crawford

Whatever you do for a profession, whether you’re a carpenter, or a teacher, healthy vision is vital to your success.  The American Optometric Association says that on the job eye injury and strain is not only common, but cost billions in lost productivity each year.  These figures are startling considering that 90% of these workplace injuries could be prevented simply by wearing properly designed and fitted protective eyewear.

But worrying about something flying into your eyes is not the only thing you have to be worried about.  If you’re like the rest of America, you sit in front of a computer all day long, text on your Smart Phone, browse the web at home, etc.  You also need to protect your vision.  Computer Vision Syndrome is a relatively new word, which brings with it some painful and uncomfortable symptoms such as: dry eyes, headaches, fatigue, blurred vision and loss of focus.

The below recommendations will go a long way to ensuring you have great vision for a very long time:

1. Give it a rest. Make sure you apply the 20-20-20 rule.  That is, for every 20 minutes at your computer, make sure you look away to a distance 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

2. Increase the font size on your PDA. Most PDAs use tiny fonts that are very hard to see.

3. Make sure your monitor is set to the best resolution available.  This will offer greater clarity.  Also, adjust your monitors brightness to a level you feel is comfortable.

4. Look down.  The American Optometric Associates says that it’s easier for the eyes to focus on reading material that is below reading level.

And above all else, make sure you see your local Optometrist at least once a year to ensure your eyes are happy and healthy.

Computer Vision Syndrome