Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans, but new treatments have dramatically changed the course of this disease over the last 10 years, making AMD more manageable than ever before. During AMD Awareness Month in February, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding people that even though currently there is no cure for age-related macular degeneration, there are a number of things you can do to slow its effects and prevent blindness, early detection being a critical first step. AMD is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in people over 50 and is rapidly growing, worldwide.

What is AMD? – AMD is a common eye condition and a leading cause of blindness in those 50 and older.  Aging can cause the macula to slowly degenerate and reduce central vision. – AMD often advances so slowly that vision loss does not occur for many years and traces of the disease can go unnoticed.  In others, the disease may progress faster and lead to vision loss in one or both eyes.  Over time, objects in vision may not appear as bright as they once were and a blurred area in vision is common, further leading …

Jessica describes the events of that October 2017 day as somewhat serendipitous, even though what transpired illuminated a hidden threat to her life.  Jessica, an actress, had just started rehearsing for a play in Billings, Montana, when she decided that contacts, rather than glasses, would better suit her part.  “Really, I just thought it would be a good idea to be able to see while I was on stage,“ she laughs. “That’s all I needed was to get fitted for contacts. I didn’t feel that I needed, nor did I have time for, an eye exam.  Besides I absolutely despise being dilated.”  However, as fate would have it, she went that day to see Tom Felstet, OD, who feels strongly that a thorough view of the retina should be a part of every eye exam. Accordingly, Felstet had made it a priority to purchase an optomap ultra-widefield (UWF™) imaging device when he opened his new practice four years ago. He had the opportunity to utilize the technology during medical school and during his early years in practice. optomap is the only technology that captures over 80% of the retina in a single image, and it does so in a fraction …

Currently, there are more than 3 million people in the United States and over 60 million worldwide living with glaucoma, otherwise known as “the sneak thief of sight”.  It is estimated that half of those with glaucoma, do not know they have it.  The disease presents no symptoms and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, taking as much as 40% of sight without notice.  January has been deemed National Glaucoma Awareness Month and is an important time to spread the world about this sight-stealing disease.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually progress, stealing sight, without symptom. Glaucoma can affect people of all ages but is most prevalent in middle-aged adults and the elderly.  While there is no cure, surgery or medication can slow its affects and help to prevent further vision loss.  The word ‘glaucoma’ is actually an umbrella term for a group of eye diseases that damage the delicate fibers that run from your eye to your optic nerve, which is the nerve that carries information about the images your eye sees to your brain. This damage is often the result of high fluid pressure inside the eye.

What can you do?

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Top Tips for Eye Safety this Holiday and Winter Season

With the holiday season upon us, it’s important to note the extra care we need to take to make sure the toys and gifts our children receive are safe and age-appropriate.  For this reason, Prevent Blindness America has declared December “Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month”.

In 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported an estimated 240,000 toy-related injuries treated in United States hospital emergency departments, with an estimated 80,100 of these injuries on children younger than five. 45% of the total injuries were to the head and face area. These statistics show that consumers should keep eye safety in mind when shopping for kids this holiday season. To help them do that, Prevent Blindness has complied some important tips for ensuring safety while shopping.

Look at every toy before you buy it. Is the toy durable? Can it stand the wear and tear of everyday use without breaking, cracking or coming apart? Does it shoot objects or have sharp edges? Toys that fail these tests should be reconsidered.

Before you purchase a toy:

Read all warnings and instructions on the box. Ask yourself if the toy is …

For as long as Dr. David Way, OD, has been in practice, he has endeavored to employ frontline technology in the care of his patients. He explains that it was because of this he was an early adopter of optomap ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology.  Way is a big proponent of thoroughly examining the retina and aims to help patients understand the importance of comprehensive retinal exams.  “I help them to understand that the eye is the only part of the body that we can observe nerves and blood vessels without doing a CRT or an MRI; and that when I am examining them, I am checking ocular health, as well as, indicators of issues such diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration or hypertension”, explains Way.

Patients often refuse to be dilated because they are in a hurry, or simply want to avoid the discomfort. An optomap image, which can be obtained in a fraction of a second through an undilated pupil, allows them to receive a retinal exam without the perceived inconvenience. Over the years at Way’s practice, Spring Klein Vision Center, the acceptance rate for optomap is over 70% which has proved to be a revenue generator and a boon …

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.  In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes and approximately 1.25 million American children and adults had type 1 diabetes. These numbers are on the rise and the disease manifests with deleterious and deadly impact throughout the body – including the eye. An understanding of the disease, early detection and treatment are more imperative than ever.

A recent study cooperatively funded by the National Eye Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases and the US Department of Health and Human Services concluded  that optomap ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging is a useful diagnostic tool for detection and assessment of severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The study published recently in JAMA Ophthalmology demonstrates that optomap UWF imaging can be used reliably in place of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) 7-Field imaging in clinical use and future clinical trials.  The paper, which builds off recent single site studies that found moderate to perfect agreement between the modalities, supports these findings through data acquired over a two-year period from multiple sites.

The gold standard assessment of DR severity has been based on grading of lesions within the ETDRS …

November is recognized as American Diabetes Month and Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month.  Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month aims to increase awareness of diabetes and diabetic eye disease and encourage people with diabetes to seek treatment for related vision problems.   According to Prevent Blindness America, Diabetes is now the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults, and all people with diabetes are at risk for vision loss and blindness.

Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that diabetic persons may face as a complication of this disease including: Diabetic retinopathy – A leading cause of blindness in American adults, it is caused by damage to the small blood vessels of the retina – the seeing layer of the eye. Diabetic macular edema (DME)  – A complication of diabetes caused by leaking blood vessels, which leads to fluid accumulation in the macula, the center of the retina used for central vision. DME can cause central vision to become blurry. Cataract – The clouding of the lens in the eye, which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. Cataracts can cause vision to become blurry. Glaucoma  – Optic nerve damage and possible loss of …

With Halloween upon us, dressing up is all part of the fun for both children and adults.  To ensure Halloween is fun and safe for all, it is important to take proper precautions for safety.  Each year, the US hospital emergency rooms treat several hundred eye injuries related to Halloween costumes and masks. Additionally, it is often very easy for children to be less visible to drivers during evening hours.  Prevent Blindness® has provided some helpful safety times to keep in mind this Halloween:

Costumes and Safety

-Avoid costumes with masks, wigs, floppy hats or eye patches that block vision. -Tie hats and scarves securely so they don’t slip over children’s eyes. -Avoid costumes that drag on the ground to prevent tripping or falling -Avoid pointed props such as spears, swords or wands that may harm other children’s eyes. -Wear bright, reflective clothing or decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape/patches. -Carry a bright flashlight to improve visibility. -Do not ride a bike/scooter/skateboard or roller blade while wearing a costume. -Obey all traffic signals—pedestrian and driver. -Younger children should go with an adult while trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Older children should trick-or-treat in groups. -Use common sense. Never dart out …

In 2000, Optos delivered the first and only retinal imaging device that could capture beyond the vortex vessels of the retina. The ability to clearly image that much of the retina—in one capture, and in less than ½ second—significantly influenced the way eye care professionals examined their patients’ eyes. The core technology is based on a scanning laser ophthalmoscope and a unique ellipsoid mirror that create a virtual focal point inside the eye to enable the single capture of the central retina and periphery. For color images, green and red lasers are engaged simultaneously to allow visualization of retinal substructures from the sensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium to the choroid.

Over the years, Optos has continued to develop its hardware and software platforms – most recently delivering Monaco, the newest device providing new ways to enhance clinical exams.  It is the only ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging device with integrated OCT. Monaco produces a 200° single-capture optomap image in less than ½ second and also provides cross-sectional 40° OCT views of retinal structures. Monaco enables a rapid multi-modality capture featuring color, autofluorescence and OCT scans, for both eyes, in as little as two minutes.  UWF with integrated OCT saves time, …

September is Healthy Aging month, however despite age related changes to vision, ocular health is often overlooked.  As the aging population grows, adding the first influx of generation X to the baby boomers in the over 50 demographics, the incidences of glaucoma and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are also on the rise.

Recent studies have demonstrated how optomap ultra-widefield™ (UWF) retinal imaging is fulfilling a need in supporting the detection and management of both ocular and systemic diseases associated with aging. UWF imaging provides a high resolution, single-capture image of 82% (or 200 degrees) of the retina.  Studies have confirmed that the resolution of the optomap image – is comparable to fundus photography – which captures 11% of the retina, in detection of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, AMD and uveitis.  Additionally, studies have found that the additional area captured by optomap can enhance the ability to detect, diagnose and manage diseases in comparison to fundus photography and be captured more efficiently.  UWF is being increasingly used in optometric and ophthalmic settings and enables eye care professionals to detect, diagnose, document and treat ocular pathology including retinal disease that may first present in the periphery.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is …