Stargazing Science Used to See Inside the Human Eye

A technique originally developed to see distant stars now allows researchers to diagnose eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration months to years sooner than possible with other current methods.

When ophthalmologists and vision scientists try to look deep into our eyes, distortions within the cornea and lens impair light as it travels through the eyeball, frustrating their efforts. Lately, a growing group of vision scientists have turned to a solution pioneered by astronomers—adaptive optics, originally developed by the military and used by astronomers such as Scot Olivier at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to produce clear images of faraway stars. Applied to looking into the human eye, the technique allows researchers to view minute details never before seen and to diagnose blinding disease like macular degeneration months to years before current methods allow.

Read more: Stargazing Science Used to See Inside the Human Eye – Popular Mechanics

Preserving your Vision at the People’s Pharmacy

Dr. Robert Abel, Ophthalmologist, was the guest on the People’s Pharmacy on Staurday, May 14, 2011. It was Show # 813, Preserving Your Vision.

Most of us take our vision for granted until it starts to give us trouble. Dry eyes can be a consequence of too much time in front of a screen. Are there other lifestyle factors putting us at risk for vision problems?

Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are major causes of vision loss. What can we do to prevent their development?

Guest: Robert Abel, Jr., MD, is an ophthalmologist with Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants. His books include The Eye Care Revolution and The DHA Story and most recently the novel Lethal Hindsight. His website is www.eyeadvisory.com

He gave excellent advice on Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, eye nutrition and Cataracts.

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. Podcasts can be downloaded for free for six weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/05/14/813-preserving-your-vision/

NFB 2010 Convention

When:

Saturday, July 3—Thursday, July 8, 2010

Where:

Hilton Anatole Hotel
2201 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75207
Reservations: Call (214) 761-7500

Hotel Rates and Information:

The 2010 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins $62; and triples and quads $67 a night; plus a 15 percent sales tax. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $60-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. 50 percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before June 1, 2010. The other 50 percent is not refundable.

Schedule:

The schedule for the 2010 convention will follow that of last year:

Saturday, July 3            Seminar Day
Sunday, July 4              Registration Day
Monday, July 5             Board Meeting and Division Day
Tuesday, July 6            Opening Session
Wednesday, July 7        Business Session
Thursday, July 8           Banquet Day and Adjournment

Dallas, Texas
July 3 – July 8, 2010

EXHIBITOR INFORMATION

Schedule

Sunday, July 4                                 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, July 5                                8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 6                               12:00 noon to 1:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 7                           12:00 noon to 1:45 p.m.
Wednesday Evening, July 7                7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/National_Convention.asp

Prevalense of Eye Diseases

Natl. Eye Institute data -

Eye diseases greatly increase in frequency after 80 years of age.

http://www.nei.nih.gov/eyedata/pbd_tables.asp

Summary of Eye Disease Prevalence Data

Prevalence of Cataract, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Open-Angle Glaucoma Among Adults 40 Years and Older in the United States*

Age,	Cataract		Advanced AMD		Intermediate AMD		Glaucoma
Years	Persons	(%)	Persons	(%)	Persons	(%)	Persons	(%)
40-49	1,046,000	2.5%	20,000	0.1%	851,000	2.0%	290,000	0.7%
50-59	2,123,000	6.8%	113,000	0.4%	1,053,000	3.4%	318,000	1.0%
60-69	4,061,000	20.0%	147,000	0.7%	1,294,000	6.4%	369,000	1.8%
70-79	6,973,000	42.8%	388,000	2.4%	1,949,000	12.0%	530,000	3.9%
>80	6,272,000	68.3%	1,081,000	11.8%	2,164,000	23.6%	711,000	7.7%
Total	20,475,000	17.2%	1,749,000	1.5%	7,311,000	6.1%	2,218,000	1.9%

Glaucoma and Contact Lenses

From EyeSmart News

http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/resources/

Most people with glaucoma can wear contact lenses without any difficulty, but when a person has had glaucoma-filtering surgery, wearing contact lenses may be difficult or not advisable. In standard glaucoma surgery, a water blister called a “bleb” often is present on top of the eye, underneath the upper eyelid. On occasion the bleb can make fitting a contact lens difficult, particularly a larger, extended-wear or soft lens. Also, there is always a risk of an eye infection following glaucoma surgery and contact lenses do increase the risk of developing an eye infection, particularly if lenses are not cared for properly, are left in the eye for longer than recommended or are extended wear lenses. If an infection developed on the surface of the eye, the filtering drain designed to relieve glaucoma pressure can allow germs to pass into the eye and cause a very serious infection that could lead to vision loss. If you have glaucoma and wear contact lenses or want to in the future, discuss this with your Eye M.D.

How Diabetes can Affect your Eyes

From EyeSmart News, by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin in amounts sufficient to control blood-sugar levels. There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational, which may develop when a woman is pregnant:

• Type 1: Usually diagnosed in children and young adults and previously known as juvenile diabetes. In this form, the body does not produce insulin.
• Type 2: The most common form of diabetes. Either the body does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells ignore the insulin.
• Gestational: Blood-sugar levels (glucose) become elevated during pregnancy in women who have never had diabetes before. Gestational diabetes starts when the mother’s body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs during pregnancy.

People with any type of diabetes can develop hyperglycemia, which is an excess of blood sugar, or serum glucose. Although glucose is a vital source of energy for the body’s cells, a chronic elevation of serum glucose causes damage throughout the body, including the small blood vessels in the eyes. As a result, if you have diabetes, you run the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, in which damage occurs to the delicate blood vessels inside the retina at the back of the eye. You are also at increased risk for developing cataracts (clouding of the normally clear lens in the eye), or glaucoma (a disease that results in damage to the optic nerve).

More than 24 million Americans have diabetes and the number is growing, but only half of them get the recommended annual dilated eye exam. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, but 90 percent of vision loss can be prevented. An annual dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss in people with diabetes.

Low Vision Online

There is an excellent Australian website dedicated to low vision. Run by the Centre for Eye Research Australia and funded in part by the Lions Club International, they provide a thorough introduction to the subject of Low Vision in all its forms.

There are chapters on an Intro to Low Vision, Eye Care, Vision Assessment, Mobility Training and Optical and Non-Optical Vision Aids. There is a special section on Children with  Low Vision and their Training.

Each section includes clarifying questions, web links and a list of references and resources.

http://www.lowvisiononline.unimelb.edu.au/LVO.htm

Ophthalmologists List Best Developments

A number of new treatments to combat sight-stealing diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma became available in the past decade, but which advances do Eye M.D.s themselves consider most important? The American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) put the question to its members in a December 2009 online survey. Of 423 respondents, more than half (51.9 percent) cited Anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) treatments for “wet” AMD as most significant. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was next at 23. 9 percent, followed distantly at 6.6 percent by a glaucoma treatment, Prostamide eye drops. Several other advances-including premium intraocular lenses (IOLs), the Femtosecond laser, gene therapy for Leber’s congenital amaurosis and DSAEK (Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty)-were each cited by about 3 percent of respondents.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176067.php

Clinical Trials in the US

ClinicalTrials.gov is a service of the National Institute of Health. ClinicalTrials.gov is a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. This information should be used in conjunction with advice from health care professionals.

Learn what studies are underway for your disorder. Search for studies by condition or geographic location. There are thousands of clinical studies being conducted for various eye diseases. There are 550 studies just for Macular Degeneration and another 41 for Retinitis Pigmentosa.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home

Acupuncture and Macular Degeneration

Several studies have been reported throughout the world on the use of Acupuncture to treat wet and dry Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Stargardt’s  and Retinitis Pigmentosa. The acupuncture was done with and without electrical stimulation.

http://www.acudoctor.com/Results.htm

http://www.microacupuncture.com/

http://www.acudrved.com/u-programme.htm

http://www.reverseamd.com/

http://www.seniormag.com/conditions/vision/macular-degeneration.htm

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Did it work?

Please comment and advise.

Lauren Tappen writes:  I have tried current microstim not for any length of time. I have a friend who has been using this therapy extensively and I will pass on this information to her. I also know of a therapist in Raleigh that has been using the Microstim as a part of her practice.