Dr. Grossman’s Blog

The University of Miami has sent  its high-tech mobile eye clinic over to help the people of Japan.  The 12-meter van, which was created in 2004 to help aid in the early detection of amblyopia, glaucoma, and macular degeneration in people who do not usually have access to health care, will remain in the tsunami and earthquake stricken areas for three months.

Specifically, the Vision Van is expected to help people who have suffered eye injuries as well as contact lens wearers whose corneas have been damaged after wearing their lenses for weeks on end.  They will also help people who have lost their glasses during the disaster and people who were previously diagnosed with eye diseases.  The van will be staffed by Japanese doctors.  Source: The Mainichi Daily News

Image via span.state.gov

A recent Associated Press article highlights the video game company Nintendo’s recommendation that kids under 6 should not use their portable 3-D gaming device. The company warns that the 3-D screen could harm young children’s still developing vision.

On the other side of the issue, a spokesman from the American Optometric Association declares that that the device may actually be “a godsend” because it will help identify young children who need vision therapy.  If a child cannot see the 3-D effects, it could indicate that he or she may have amblyopia or some other eye teaming deficiency. Source: Detroit News

Other studies have found that time spent playing video games and/or watching television do not seem to be detrimental to children’s vision.  Still, it is important to note that time in front of a screen does not help children build vital visual skills.  Being outside, looking at distant objects is a great way to help ensure that kids will have healthier vision.

image by Optom95

Children need eye exams too, and, according to a new paper published in Pediatrics it is important that they get checked before they start school.  The US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend that kids visit an eye doctor at least once between ages 3 and 5.  There is some debate as to whether exams for children between 1 and 3 are beneficial and likely to uncover problems.

The main concern is amblyopia, often called “lazy eye.”  It affects 2-4% of preschool children and is optimally treated, often with eye patching, between ages 3 and 5.  Tests also rule out strabismus and refractive errors.

There has been some professional debate regarding the efficacy of testing young children’s eyes, but there seems to be some consensus that newer testing technology does make these early exams a good idea.

Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736518?src=rss

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month.  It is vital that people understand that glaucoma is called the “silent thief” because one can have the disease without knowing it.  By the time people notice symptoms, the disease has already progressed significantly.

At Natural Eye Care we are dedicated to offering people solutions that help them to prevent glaucoma and deal with a glaucoma diagnosis.  Learn more about to treat glaucoma naturally with the help of diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, and supplements at our website.

Glaucoma can also be a congenital condition that strikes children.  The newly launched Congenital Glaucoma Network offers a forum for those affected by congenital glaucoma to share stories and offer support.

The signs of congenital glaucoma as described by the Congenital Glaucoma Network:

~Corneal edema & haze

~Nausea or headaches

~Light sensitivity (photophobia)

~Excessive blinking (blepharospasm)

~Crossed or out-turned eyes (strabismus)

~Ocular enlargement (buphthalmos)

~Excessive tearing (epiphora)

~Decreased vision (amblyopia)

Image via dfcs.oregon.gov

Depth perception, the ability to see our 3D world, relies on the eyes’ ability to work as a perfect team.  In people with an eye imbalance or amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, one team member (one eye) is stronger than the other and depth perception becomes compromised.

A study published in Current Biology presents a new way to correct sensory eye dominance.  Researchers call it a “push-pull training method” that proved to improve depth perception in study participants.

When caught early, amblyopia (lazy eye) in children can be corrected through covering the stronger eye so that the weaker eye is forced to do the work of seeing.  This new method is focused on adults who do not respond as well to such strategies.  The researchers’ new approach involves making the two eyes compete to see an image but giving the weaker eye an advantage so that it learns how to win, so to speak.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204763.php

For more on binocular conditions, visit our website.

Amblyopia or “lazy eye” can lead to vision loss in a person’s weaker eye if it goes untreated.  Luckily, if amblyopia is diagnosed and worked on before age seven, more than three quarters of children can achieve at least 23/30 vision.

Image by ugaldew

Because there are concerns that caregivers can miss the signs of amblyopia, experts are looking into a better way to diagnose the problem.

A program in Iowa sponsored by he University of Iowa and the Iowa Lions Clubs worked together over the last decade to screen almost 150,000 children using technology called the PhotoScreener.  According to the source of this story, MedicalNewsToday.com, this device “records the pattern of light reflected through each of the child’s pupils as the child’s eyes are photographed.”

The PhotoScreener is also helpful in finding such conditions as  unequal visual acuity between the two eyes (anisometropia), high nearsightedness, high farsightedness, astigmatism, and strabismus.

For more on ways that Vision Therapy can help amblyopia and other eye convergence problems, please visit our website.

The medical term for “lazy eye” is amblyopia, and researchers at New York University have found a neurological cause for the condition.

Amblyopia is actually the result of developmental problems in the brain and its neurons, rather than the eye itself.  Also, they have found that the issue is not only related to problems in the visual cortex (the part of the brain that processes images), but from other parts of the brain as well.

For a list of eye diseases, their causes, and treatment plans, please visit our website.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/200780.php

Eye and Vision Milestones in Infants
Babies older than 3 months should be able to follow or “track” an object as it moves across their field of vision.  If your baby is unable to hold steady eye contact by this time or seems unable to see, let your pediatrician know. Eye-crossing is common in babies before 4 months of age, especially when they are eating.  Eyes that cross all the time or one eye that turns out is often indicative of a problem and should be brought to your doctor’s attention.

Vision Problems in Toddlers
Eye misalignment is called strabismus and is a reason to call the pediatrician right away.  Other vision problems include lazy eye or amblyopia, which has no warning signs and may not effect your child’s vision.

The following problems should prompt a conversation with a pediatrician or an eye professional for children of any age:

SOURCE: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/eyes/pages/Vison-Problems-in-Children.aspx

Researchers at Chinese University of Hong Kong and the International Eye Center of Shantou University have discovered that acupuncture can help children suffering from “lazy eye” or amblyopia.  The children received acupuncture on five points five days a week for 25 weeks.  The treatment provides a 40-60% chance of curing the condition that occurs when a healthy eye does not receive the correct signals from the brain.

For more on lazy eye and other binocular conditions, click here.

Source information

Amblyopia is a common childhood eye disorder in which the brain favors vision in one eye. Current treatment involves wearing a patch over the dominant eye in order to force the brain to use the other eye. Clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health have provided more concrete guidelines for wearing an eye patch: most can wear a patch for just two hours a day while the most severe cases require six hours of patch wearing (not full time as was once directed).

In the future, functional MRI technology is expected to help cure this neurologic disorder. Because recent recent research show that this condition may have genetic origins, future preventative therapies may be developed.

Source reference: National Institutes of Health