In adult patients ages 20 to 74, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness cases every year. As a highly specific negative vascular affectation, diabetic retinopathy is associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, becoming more prevalent the longer the patient has had the disease. As a health professional on the front lines of preventing blindness, it is critical to provide your patients with education about diabetic retinopathy screening.

You should perform a comprehensive eye exam, including an optomap as a first screening for your diabetic patients. From this exam you will be able to pinpoint possible problem areas and development of any diseases if they exist. Discuss your findings with your patient and impress upon them the importance of serious diabetes management to prevent or delay diabetic retinopathy or macular edema.

Since blindness can be prevented or prolonged through early detection, utilizing ultra-widefield retinal imaging devices for treatment of your diabetic patients, can help. Depending on the results from the first screening, develop a follow-up screening program and explain to your patients why these regular screenings are critical to maintain their vision. Be sure they understand that although they may not experience vision loss or …

As an eye care provider, you are well aware that the sun’s UV rays can damage your patients’ eyes, and this is why you have likely worked toward educating them on this premise. New research from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio has proven a correlation between cataracts and chronic exposure to UV. As the leading cause of blindness in the world, cataracts are expected to affect more than 50 million Americans, nearly double the current number, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The study, which was partially funded by the NEI, has shown that UV light causes glycation. Glycation is the destruction of proteins in the eye, which is seen in both cataracts and cells that are damaged by oxidative stress. When the proteins in the lens of the eye are destroyed, a cataract is formed. The researchers confirmed the process using a mouse model.

Follow-up research is planned to delve deeper into the process for better understanding, but the hope is that the current research will help prevent some of these cases from occurring. And with proper patient education, backed up by sound research, eye care professionals can help patients avoid this ailment with the right …

Knowledge is power, and when leveraged the right way, it can also be informative and fun. From trivia nights with friends to racking your brain on the daily crossword, testing your knowledge of the world can be a blast.

This August, as summer comes to a close, Optos is offering everyone a chance to test their knowledge of eye health for a good cause with the optomap® Eye-Q Quiz. This short insightful quiz is a quick means of assessing your grasp of eye health and protection, and it’s open to all participants from August 5^th to September 29^th.

How to Participate:

Participating in the Eye-Q Quiz is easy. All you have to do is click the ‘Eye-Q Quiz’ icon on the Optos Facebook page and then answer the five questions presented below it. The entire quiz takes minutes to complete, and you’ll walk away with better understanding about the importance of protecting your vision.

And better yet, upon completion of the quiz, Optos will donate $1 to the American Diabetes Association, an organization renowned for helping people diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

So, if you have five minutes to spare, visit Optos …

Although most of your patients with children are diligent about bringing their kids in for regular eye exams, chances are good they’re putting off their own issues either because they attribute some vision loss to eye strain or age, or because they’re just too busy to think of themselves. Teaching parents about proper adult eye care can help mitigate the damage of age-related eye disease.

The most common age-related eye diseases are glaucoma, AMD, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Millions of Americans also suffer from problems with night vision. What most people don’t realize is that this can be an early indicator of cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and other ailments of the retina.

It’s important to impress upon your patients the need to have their eyes tested. Current diagnostic instruments, such as ultra-widefield retinal imaging, can detect serious issues sooner, which can result in better outcomes for their vision.

Understanding eye strain in the work environment is another area of patient-education worth considering. Many people suffer from dry or watery eyes, sore or fatigued eyes, headaches and sensitivity while at work, especially if they’re seated in front of computer terminals for extended periods of time. Teach patients who work in the office to give their eyes frequent …

With so many ophthalmic devices now available to your patients, it can be difficult to get them to purchase from your practice. If you prescribe the right devices rather than simply suggesting what they need, you can use their selling points to encourage sales as add-ons for your practice.

Lenses which protect the eyes from blue light are strong selling features for patients. Most people spend at least a few hours a day in front of screens either at work or participating in leisure activities on tablets and mobile devices. Less exposure to blue light can also help stave off the formation of macular degeneration, which is another strong selling point for patients with a family history of this disease.

Even though anti-reflective coating is an additional cost, more than half of people purchasing glasses walk out with this feature. A strong selling point for this protection is not only the lack of glare from overhead lighting or sun, but also that it can lessen the magnification effect of lenses prescribed for nearsightedness. If your patient wears glasses full time, you might also mention that there will not be a glare in photographs from their lenses as well.

For …

The European Mediscience Awards is the largest annual conglomeration of healthcare, biotech and life sciences professionals in Europe. Sponsored by Kempen & Co., these awards celebrate the breakthrough of the year, the best technology of the year, as well as the contribution that has made the greatest impact on the industry.

Optos is proud to announce that our Daytona ultra-widefield imaging device has won this prestigious event’s Best Technology Award for 2014. The Daytona met this award’s conditions which are: innovative technology, proper funding and the capacity to be a significant commercial success. According to Optos’ CEO Roy Davis, “This award is recognition of not only the fantastic technology the company has developed, but also a nod to all of the employees that have worked extremely hard to make it so successful in the marketplace.” The Daytona UWF™ device currently represents 30% of installed Optos equipment in active use.

Daytona is feature-packed and is more compact and easier to service than previous UWF devices. Despite its smaller size, Daytona’s ergonomic design encourages a natural position for your patients while providing high quality images you’ve come to rely on to diagnose and treat your patients.

To learn more about partnering with Optos and incorporating Daytona UWF …

Primary Care Optometry News is a publication that summarizes current studies being performed on patients in order to help ophthalmologists stay informed on the latest ways to maintain and treat patients with a variety of ailments.

This summer, Primary Care Optometry News published the results of several studies that demonstrate how early eye disease detection devices are making great strides in diagnosing glaucoma earlier, allowing ophthalmologists and their patients time to weigh in on treatments before the disease progresses too far.

An analysis originally found published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology studied patients with familial histories of primary open-angle glaucoma and a control group that did not. The group was divided by how closely related they were to family members that had the disease and then by healthy or non-healthy eyes. Using a comprehensive eye exam, the researchers found a significant thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell complex (MGCC) in those with a family history of glaucoma.

Another study performed showed a decrease of nearly 40 percent of undiagnosed cases of glaucoma in African Americans aged 50 and over by performing exams using OCT technology like the Optos OCT SLO. This study also showed a 5 …

Children learn from an early age that visits to the doctor can sometimes be a painful and frightening experience. Preparing your child for their first eye exam is important to help allay fears and ensure the exam is a success.

To begin, take a few minutes to sit with your child and explain that the eye doctor will show them pictures, letters or shapes on the wall and ask them to identify them. Let them know that eye exams are not painful, but that the doctor may put drops into their eyes, which might sting a little bit. Being open and honest with your child about what to expect is the best way to help them feel secure.

Discovering potential eye health issues early on in a child’s life is critical to providing effective treatment. In your child’s first year of life, doctors will be looking for conditions, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, amblyopia, astigmatism, light response, eye movement and alignment and other general conditions that affect the eye.

For children aged three to five, doctors will conduct a visual exam to check for the above issues, as well as a vision screening to determine your child’s ability to see the form …

The Florida Optometric Association is holding their Optometric Annual Convention in conjunction with valued sponsors from July 24 through July 27 in Boca Raton, Fla. This event is designed for optometrists, students of optometry, as well as support staff. Innovative programming, quality educational opportunities, an incredible exhibit hall and fun social activities will all be featured at this gathering.

Those in attendance will have incredible educational opportunities, including a focus on new diagnosis and treatment plans for glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmic disease and innovative means of treating ocular diseases and other emergencies.

A secondary focus of these information sessions includes ways to enhance your practice and increase your bottom line. With a focus on the business aspect of your practice, sessions will inform you how to keep your patients happy, how to close sales, as well as tips on triage and history management. Since your main focus is usually on diagnosis and treatment, these sessions will very beneficial to your support staff.

The exhibit hall will feature the latest in diagnostic tools, innovative technology and accessories to improve your practice. Optos is pleased to inform you that we will be at this event, and that you’ll be able to experience our award-winning …

As an eye health provider, you know how important it is to closely monitor age-related vision ailments to avoid blindness. Unfortunately, many patients don’t report problems with their vision because they believe their eyesight naturally worsens with age. Teaching your patients what symptoms to watch for and advising them of precautionary measures can help your patients maintain their vision for years to come.

Since some eye problems can appear suddenly and rapidly causing blindness, impressing upon your patients the importance of regular eye exams is critical. You should also advise them to contact your office immediately if they experience symptoms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as described below.

Dry AMD

–Hazy or blurred vision –Problems when going from bright to low light, such as entering a darkened room on a sunny day –Requiring more light than others to see properly –Colors appear dull

Wet AMD

–Distorted vision –Appearance of large dark spot in center of vision –Objects appear as different sizes in each eye

Although there is no known cure for either form of AMD, understanding how a healthy lifestyle can contribute to better eye health can be useful for your patients. Applying these techniques can help …