In order to perform at their best, athletes need excellent peripheral vision and the ability to shift focus quickly. Many athletes are partaking in vision training to maximize their potential. Although vision training is not a new concept, thanks to recent studies, it’s gaining prestige and value.

Vision training doesn’t actually improve vision; it improves the brain’s ability to process what it has seen faster and more clearly. The concept behind vision training is based on the idea that if the sensory neurons are engaged more often, they will be more active and more accurate when transmitting information across synapses. As Dr. Sabel, a neuroscientist from Madgeburg, Germany states, “Sensory neurons are like muscles in that if you do not use them, you lose them.” He further states that the concept applies “to athletes and patients with visual impairment” because of diseases like glaucoma, which affect peripheral vision. Dr. Sabel conducted a study, which showed a 19 percent improvement in the peripheral vision of glaucoma patients.

Although previous studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of vision training for athletes, the studies were limited both in the number of people studied and the variables that affected the …

Developing a good rapport with your patients is tantamount to a successful practice. However, despite your best intentions, there are always some patients that are difficult to deal with. Whatever they are upset about, there are some ways to minimize their impact on your practice while providing the service they need.

There are some common factors that can help mitigate a patient’s reactions when they’re being served by your practice. As outlined by Review of Optometry, these include being proactive and explaining fees, difficult treatment procedures and possible outcomes to help your patients feel in control of their situation. This can stave off shock-like reactions. You should also develop a mission statement for your practice and a set policy so there’s no mistake about how you choose to operate. Make sure your staff is well-trained and understands how to enforce these policies.

While these tips can certainly help define your practice and let patients know what to expect, there will still be patients that require some additional attention.

Optos would love to hear how you handle difficult patients. What tips would you suggest? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or Twitter.

June is Cataract Awareness Month and new information may prove beneficial to male patients at your practice. In a long-term study published in Ophthalmology earlier this year, researchers shared that the use of a daily multivitamin supplement may lower cataract risk in men.

Although limited testing has been done to determine the benefits of supplement use on eye health in general, specific research on effects to eye disease is either limited or non-existent. Researchers in this case decided to use a double-blind study of 14,641 American male physicians age 50 and above over a 14-year span from 1997 to 2011. The study focused on the effects of a nutritional supplement on two of the most common eye diseases that cause vision impairment — cataract and age-related macular degeneration.

In this randomized study, half of the group took a placebo as a control while the other half took a multivitamin and supplements which included vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene. Using self-reporting substantiated by medical records, 945 cases of cataract developed in the placebo group while only 872 of the physicians that took the multivitamin and supplements developed the condition. It was also found that the risk of developing nuclear cataract, which …

Advanced technologies have become so mainstream that in order to distinguish your practice and meet your patients’ expectations, adopting a strategy to incorporate it sooner rather than later, is highly advisable. In order to do so successfully, Optometric Management advises considering what your patients expect, what to invest in and how to cover the expense of the additions.

Before deciding what to purchase, first take an inventory of your current technologies used in your practice. Keeping in mind the security and privacy requirements of HIPAA, determine what will remain useful for the foreseeable future and what is likely to become obsolete in a relatively short period of time. As you’re evaluating your current technologies, determine what will enhance the practice you ultimately wish to have and make notes of what equipment will best serve your needs.

As with any large purchase, you’ll likely have items you want and items that are necessary for your practice’s development. Be sure to document your ideas and include them in the appropriate categories. As an example, if you experience a dramatic increase in diabetic patients at your practice, you’ll likely see a greater need for retinal imaging devices. Although you may wish …

Affecting more than 24 million Americans over the age of 40 and thousands of others around the world, cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Direct medical costs for diagnosis, treatment, vision aids and the like adds up to a 14.7 billion-dollar annual impact on the U.S. economy alone. With these facts in mind, Prevent Blindness has declared June Cataract Awareness Month – a time to raise awareness and share prevention tips with your patients and the general public.

As an eye care provider, you’re positioned to make the greatest impact on your patients and your community. By using education, you can help reduce the number of people suffering from cataracts due to ignorance about the condition. Although generally associated with age, there are many risk factors that contribute to the development of cataracts, including but not limited to:

— Overexposure to UV rays from the sun — Diseases such as diabetes that affect the eye — Hereditary conditions — German measles or other conditions an individual’s mother may have suffered during pregnancy — Long-term smoking and steroid use — Eye disease or injury

Speaking to your patients about these contributing factors may help them make better choices about their eye care and help …

Hypertension affects nearly 32 percent of Americans over the age of 20. Since many people don’t realize they have a problem with their blood pressure until they’ve had a cardiac event, hypertension is often known as the “silent killer.” As an eye health specialist, it is possible to detect signs of hypertension in your patients. It is also important to remind them that hypertension can be harmful to their eyes.

Since hypertension forces blood under high pressure through the cardiovascular system, it can cause ischemia due to the constriction of the arterioles of the choroid. Over time, the constriction causes damage to the eye which can range from blurred vision to blindness. Although your patients are likely aware of the life threatening or fatal consequences of hypertension, they may not be aware of the damage it can cause to their vision.

A few talking points you may wish to share with your patients during their routine eye exam may include the following:

– When asking about medical conditions, you might introduce the concept of how hypertension can affect their vision and why it’s critical to manage it properly. – Explain how increased blood pressure harms the eyes’ tiny vessels, …

As diabetes becomes more prevalent, eye care practitioners must be poised to take an expanding role in the management and care of patients with this condition. This is especially important since diabetic eye diseases can cause vision impairment or loss. The American Optometric Association has introduced a new quick-reference guide (QRG), which is a summary of the first evidence-based 83-page clinical practice guideline released.

The condensed 9-page QRG “Eye Care of the Patient with Diabetes Mellitus,” which was released earlier this year, provides a review of the material presented in the comprehensive guide for key management information for your patients. It is meant to supplement the full guide and provide you with a quick go-to reference when making clinical decisions.

The QRG includes a complete description of diabetes mellitus, risk factors, preventative measures and diagnostic criteria, as well as:

Diabetic retinal disease discussion Ocular complications other than retinal Diagnosis of vision problems Tips on scheduling Treatment suggestions for disease management Management suggestions for systemic complications Vision impairment management for patients with diabetes

The chair of the AOA Evidence-Based Optometry Committee believes this guideline is placing optometrists ahead of other healthcare practitioners in adopting evidence-based processes. The guide will prove helpful for …

As a leader in ophthalmology, you want to provide your patients with an excellent care experience, early detection, and prevention and treatment options, all while maintaining a balance between the clinical and business aspects of the practice. The seamless integration of cutting-edge technology such as optomap® ultra-widefield imaging can address this issue from both sides by providing a host of benefits for your practice.

Our ultra-widefield imaging devices allow you to potentially diagnose and treat a wider range of pathologies because you can see much more of the retina than you can with standard fundus photography.  The optomap offers multiple wavelength imaging, including options for color, red-free, fluorescein angiography and autofluorescence with simultaneous non-contact pole-to-periphery views of more than 80% or 200 degrees of the retina in a single capture. Using the optomap in a practice offers an excellent documentation tool, improves patient flow over traditional methods of evaluating the retina and you will be able to see more patients.

As professionals in the field of advanced technology for ophthalmologists, Optos is committed to ensuring optomap will benefit your practice and be a worthwhile long-term investment for you. We will help you integrate the technology into your …

With more than 26 million Americans currently suffering from Alzheimer’s (that number is expected to quadruple by 2050), early detection is critical in limiting the effects of this disease and optimizing available treatments. New research is showing that variations in eye structure may be able to detect the disease before symptoms arise.

As we’ve shared previously, the accumulation of amyloid beta protein deposits in the eye can help detect the presence of Alzheimer’s. New research being conducted by the investigators at Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute is showing that certain variations in eye structure may aid in early detection. Since optometrists are already a critical part of health teams in the detection of many other systemic diseases, the early detection of Alzheimer’s through eye exams would be a major breakthrough.

Researchers at Cedars-Siani studied postmortem human retinas and animal models and found that changes in the retinal pigment epithelial layer and the thickness of the choroidal layer detected by advanced imaging devices were strongly indicative of Alzheimer’s disease. Considering their findings, they have reason to believe further study may prove to be beneficial, not only in the early detection of Alzheimer’s, but possibly in the development of treatments and drug …

According to Retina Today, results from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy determined that more than 75 million Americans possess rudimentary or lower skills in health literacy. This indicates that improved doctor-patient relationships are important for better outcomes in all health conditions –especially with retinal disease diagnoses.

When you work to educate your patients objectively about their condition, you’re encouraging them to work collaboratively to improve their eye health and maximize treatment options for retinal disease. This is achieved by discussing all available treatments, possible side effects, as well as the therapeutic response expected and the establishment of a timeline for the response to be attained. It’s also worth acknowledging that there may not be one single course of action that will deliver the expected outcome. In taking the time to speak to patients candidly, you’re building the trust that’s essential for a solid doctor-patient relationship. Furthermore, you are also removing unrealistic outcomes. This allows the patient’s expectations to become more aligned with what you deem appropriate.

As an eye care professional, most of the published literature available on retinal disease and its possible treatments is based on case studies and interviews about what led up to the condition. …