The vitreous is a sac of jelly like substance that fills the eye, and gives it its shape. It is located behind the lens, and is attached to the retina.

As we get older, the vitreous shrinks in size causing it to tug on the retina. As a result, small clumps or particles may appear in the vitreous. Because they are suspended in this jelly like fluid, they often hang suspended and don’t float downward.

As light passes through the pupil and back onto the retina, some of the floaters may be located in this light path. If the light hits a floater, it will form a shadow on the back of the retina and may appear to you as a spot or bug moving around in your field of vision.

Sometimes when the shrinking vitreous tugs on the retina, it may cause you to see a flash of light. However, in rare instances, the retina may even tear from this tugging action causing a flash of light as well. This can be a serious condition […]

Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, is characterized by tired and sore eyes, headaches, neck and shoulder pain and general body fatigue. It is the number 1 complaint in the workplace and affects everyone who works on a computer.

CVS is brought on by the way the computer screen works. An image on the screen is made up of thousands of tiny colored squares called pixels. These pixels are constantly changing in color and brightness which causes your eyes to refocus. This constant refocusing is what causes the systems of computer vision syndrome.

The only sure fire method to prevent CVS is to wear specialty prescribed computer glasses. These can range from specialized multi-focal lenses to single focal lenses used specifically uses while using the computer.

However, you can also combat the effects of CVS simply by setting up your workspace. Place your computer screen approximately 20 to 40 inches away from your eyes, directly in front of you and position it so there is little to no glare on the screen. Make sure the screen height […]

There are two basic types of astigmatism; myopia and hyperopia. These two types affect up to one third of the population and can be treated in a variety of ways from corrective lenses to surgery.

Myopia, or nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball is slightly longer than usual from front to back or the shape of the cornea is too steep. This causes the light entering the eye to come to a focus in front of the retina which results in a blurred distance vision.

Hyperopia, or farsightedness is the opposite of myopia. It occurs when the eyeball is slightly shorter than normal, or the shape of the cornea is too flat. This cause the light entering the eye to come to a focus behind the retina, which results in blurred near vision. Distance vision may also be blurred depending on the severity of hyperopia.

Dry Eye Syndrome is characterized by itching, burning, gritty, red eyes. There are many causes for Dry Eye and, consequently there are many treatments.

Your tears serve many important functions. They wash out debris, keep your eyes moist and have special enzymes that neutralize microorganisms that colonize your eyes. Tears are made up of three layers, the lipid, aqueous and mucus layers. The lipid layer is the outer oily section, the aqueous layer is the watery middle part, and the mucus layer is the inner section closest to your cornea. The layers are produced by different glands in your eyelid and a problem with any of them can cause dry eye syndrome. If left untreated, dry eye can cause tissue damage and scarring of the cornea, leading to major vision problems.

There are many factors that can cause dry eyes. Age, certain medications, insufficient blinking, chemical composition of tears and environmental factors like sunlight, wind, dust and smoke. Dry Eye is also the number one complaint of people who wear contact lenses. With all of these […]

Corneal Molding, also know as Ortho K or OrthoKeratology is a non-surgical procedure used to temporarily reshape the cornea. Some mild cases of near sightedness and astigmatism can be treated by simply changing the shape of the cornea, to correct the way it refracts light.

A specially designed contact lens, which is rigid and gas permeable, is made specifically for your eye. This lens can be worn during the day or overnight. The lens itself is fitted so that it places gentle pressure on the center of the cornea, causing it to change shape. The outer part of the lens surrounds your central visual zone and is further away from the surface of the eye. The combination of the pressure at the center and space around the outer part causes a reshaping of your cornea. With your cornea reshaped the light can now focus properly on the retina at the back of the eye.

The process is painless and not permanent, so retainer contacts must be worn periodically to maintain the shape of the cornea. This […]

Obesity is now hitting critical levels, and affecting every branch of medicine. The Center of Disease control (CDC) now reports obesity affects 4 out of 10 people. Furthermore, 3 out of 10 people are considered overweight, just shy of obese. The effect on eyes is greatest on the small blood vessels of the eye, which can cause bleeding which leads to blindness. This is mostly in association with systemic diabetes or hypertension in which obesity is a leading factor. Obesity has a very real and lasting effect on individuals and families.

Certain health effects that come as result of obesity are as follows:

Cancer: In some cases, excess fat cells can affect the growth of tumors, according tho the NCI (National Cancer Institute), and thousands of cancer cases are linked directly to obesity.

High blood pressure: Aneurism,stroke, heart failure, and death are the consequences of hypertension. According to the American Heart Institute, obesity is a leading cause of heart disease. Blood pressure is simply the force of the blood pushing against the arteries, and too much […]

We all remember the acronym ROYGBIV to help us remember the colors of the rainbow……….red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. We are all very clear that there are seven colors in our spectrum on the rainbow, but what we may not be very clear on is the interpretation of those colors on an individual basis.

What gives us the ability to perceive color? Is it the eye or is it the brain? What if the same color looks like two different colors to two different people? Science is now explaining this common phenomena. It is caused from the brain trying to tries to determine the color in certain aspects of daylight sun and light reflecting off certain objects.

There have also been known instances when patients who receive injections in the retina of the eye for the treatment of macular degeneration, experience a spectrum of colors that is not explainable to them by the seven colors of the rainbow. There seems to be a plethora of colors they experience that have been previously undetected.

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Many people can recall the 1980s song by Thomas Dolby, that includes the lyrics,

”She blinded me with science! And hit me with technology….”

In the 21st century, it seems that the blind can now “depend” on and anticipate science to restore vision.

Scientific advancement in the arena of neuroscience and medicine have given blind people hope that they never had before. The world of science and technology is providing inroads into greater opportunities in the advancement of sight restoration and retinal prosthetics with measured success.

Global statistics show nearly 40 million people are affected by some sort of blindness, with 15 million debilitated by AMD alone. The advancement of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) has sparked new research options for the blind, paving the way to future bionic eye treatments. Using eyeglasses with a camera that transmits images to an electrode implanted in the retina, images and movement can be detected. The Argus II, a retinal prosthesis device, is already available in the US and European markets with FDA approval in the United States.

Making a […]

Cataract Surgery is the third most performed surgery in the United States.

With over 3.1 million surgeries per year, this surgery has a very high success rate with 9 out of 10 regaining vision between 20/20 and 20/40.

The surgery begins with the doctor making a small incision into the cornea. Next the surgeon may remove the lens as one piece or use an ultrasound, laser or surgical solution to break the lens into pieces and remove it.

The posterior capsule, the membrane at the back of the lens is left in place so an intraocular lens can be inserted.

Occasionally the entire lens, including the membrane, will be removed to ensure the membrane won't become cloudy over time and interfere with vision. However if the membrane is removed, a replacement lens can not be inserted. In this case corrective lenses must be worn to restore vision.

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