Did you know that having your eyes tested can reveal if you have symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)? ADHD is a set of symptoms that include trouble with focus, being overactive, and not being able to control behavior.

ADHD is a condition that has multiple symptoms and can affect any age, though commonly it affects children. There is difficulty with visual processing which include symptoms of doubling of letters, reversal of letters, and words and lines of print jumping, diminishing or altogether disappearing .

It is estimated that one in five people have some sort of ADHD……that is 20% of the literate population.

Proper visual function can be assessed through a thorough eye exam. During the exam, visual complaints, focusing, and processing can be assessed to rule out ADHD.

Eye examinations are a crucial part of the diagnosis of ADHD, and when glasses are prescribed, prescribing the correct type of lens is vital. Many patients benefit from an anti-glare/anti-reflective or AR treatment on their lenses. This cuts unnecessary light from entering the eye, making […]

There are many opinions on the topic of texting and driving. The goal of this blog is to neither refute nor endorse the subject, but instead to explore the effects on vision during texting. It is up to the reader to make a judgement call on the endorsement of texting and driving.

You may not be surprised to hear that texting has replaced drunken driving as the number one cause of deaths in the teenage population. According to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, teen drunken driving has gone down over 50% since 1991 but the number of people texting and driving has skyrocketed. It is illegal to text and drive in the UK, but not in many states in the USA. Some phone companies are launching ad campaigns to discourage texting while driving, and they are reporting a 23 times higher incidence of an accident if you text and drive.

So why does it make you more likely to crash from a visual perspective? The problem lies in distraction from driving. For example, it […]

And old Creek Indian proverb states, "We warm our hands by the fires we did not build, we drink the water from the wells we did not dig, we eat the fruit of the trees we did not plant, and we stand on the shoulders of giants who have gone before us."

In 1961, the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) was formed. This association stewards over 80 eye banks in the US with over 60,000 recipients each year of corneal tissue that restores sight to blind people. Over one million men, women, and children have had vision restored and pain relieved from eye injury or disease. The Eye Bank Association of America is truly a giant whom shoulders that we stand upon today. Their service and foresight into helping patients with blindness is remarkable.

It is important to give back the gift of sight. You may be asking, “how does this affect me?” On the back of your drivers license form there is a box that can be checked for being an organ donor. Many […]

Christmas is one of the most joyful times of the year… thoughts of cookies, decorations, family gatherings, and toys abound. Birthday parties for kids add to the list of wonderful memories as well. But there are a few toys that may not make memories so fun because of their potential for ocular harm. The American Optometric Association lists dangerous toys each year to warn buyers of the potential harm to children’s eyes that could occur because of the particular design of that toy.

Here is a sample of that toy list:

• Laser toys and laser pointers, or laser sights on toy guns pose serious threat to the retina, which may result in thermal burns or holes in the retina that can leave permanent injury or blindness. The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health issues warnings on these devices at Christmas peak buying times.
• Any type of toy or teenage gun that shoots a projectile object. Even if the ammo is soft pellets, or soft tipped it can still pose a threat. Even soft tipped […]
  

Our society is on the go…and to match a fast paced life style, technology has to keep up. Thus, the impetus for a unique, wearable piece of technology that customizes your every need was developed: Google glasses. The idea of wearing a computer on your head is not new…Steve Mann invented a form of Digital Eye Glass in the 1980s. The original intent of this invention was to act as a camera to record, and as a computer monitor .

Google Glass, as it is referred to, takes that intent a step beyond by adding features of computer design integrated music, fitness, cycling, texting, golfing, navigation and more. It has been released in a limited “Explore” version selling for $1500.00 US Dollars. They intend to release a public version to the market as well.

This invention has been used in the medical field to help medical doctors assist in remote instructional surgeries and teaching techniques. In ophthalmic medicine, it has an expansive role in educating doctors and students about the retina by allowing a view through […]

Siegfried and Roy’s white tiger dazzled us with its magic. Shamu, the famous killer white whale at Sea World dances upon the water to the amazement of crowds, and who can forget Benji or Lassie as childhood heroes. Have you ever explored the fascinating world of animal vision? Who wins the prize for the the most advanced visual species of the animal or insect kingdom? The results may surprise you.

We all agree that birds of prey (hawks, eagles, falcons etc.) have the best bionics hands down but have you ever considered the vision of the colossal squid, or the dragon fly, the ogre spider or mantis shrimp?

The colossal squid has an eye larger than any sea animal: it's the size of a basketball! The squid’s eyes and 3-D vision are so astute so that they can spy whales that would be predatory to them.

The dragon fly has incredible vision, better than any other insect. Take for instance the common house fly who has around 6,000 eye facets that give them an astounding panoramic […]

Remember back to the last time you experienced the birth of a baby…..What are one of the first questions people ask? It’s “ WHAT COLOR ARE THEIR EYES?”

What makes the color of our eyes appear as they do? What role do genetics play? What if you don’t like your eye color….. can you change it? Are there any medications that can change the eye color? Get ready to explore the science behind eye color by starting at the beginning…….

Baby’s eye color can change. A baby can start out with blue eyes, for example, and change to brown as they age. It’s all dependent on a brown pigment called melanin which develops as a child ages. The more melanin present, the darker the eye color. Brown eyes have the most pigment saturation, green/hazel eyes have less melanin, and blue eyes have the least pigment. The color of eyes are dependent upon genetics. Genetics are complicated, but generally speaking brown trumps blue in the probabilities if there is a brown eyed parent. This is because darker […]

Your Eyes…….We only have two of them so treat them well and learn how to keep them safe from harm. Here is a list of five vital ways to prevent injuries to one of your most precious assets, your vision.

1. Wear Safety Glasses. Failure to wear protective eye wear is one of the main causes of job related injuries to the eye according to OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration). Safety glasses are made from a polycarbonate material which can withstand the impact of a .22 caliber bullet. Safety glasses at work protect you from foreign bodies and chemical exposure into the eye area. Wearing protective eyewear for yard work, weed eating, and cutting wood keeps injury from high velocity foreign bodies in the eye to a minimum.
2. Wear Sunglasses with UV A and UV B protection. Doing so protects the thin skin around the eyes from sunburn, and also helps protect your ocular system. It has long been stated that excessive exposure to sunlight causes cataracts, so using ultraviolet (UV) protection in your sunglasses is vital. […]