As the July 4^th holiday approaches, the nighttime skies around the U.S. begin to light-up with amateur fireworks – a kind of opening act for the professional exhibitions to come. What the pretty lights hide is that these do-it-yourself shows are truly hazardous, sending as many as 10,000 people a year to emergency rooms. The vast majority of these admissions take place during the months of June and July.

Inherent Dangers – Painful Injuries

Amateur fireworks are inherently dangerous – the simple act of using them creates hazards for both users and those nearby. Some findings from a 2014 Consumer Product Safety Commission report make this point again and again:

— Fireworks malfunctions – tip-overs, errant flight paths, early ignitions – account for an estimated 26% of injuries. (In one possible malfunction, the report cites a 14 year-old who suffered severe head trauma when a launch tube exploded. He died after nine days in the hospital.)

— Another 13% of injuries had as their root cause that the victim was too close.

— So called “safe” fireworks like sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for 15% of injuries.

— Thirty-six percent of those injured …

The annual eye exam. It’s on everyone’s “to-do” list, but it’s understandable why people tend to put it off – eyesight is something many of us take for granted. Before you push eye exams for you or your family further down the list, consider the following points:

1. Poor eyesight can hurt child development and learning

Babies, preschoolers and students all need good vision and healthy eyes to grow and learn. For babies, it’s an essential part of tracking, grasping and other basic skills that require eye-hand coordination. Preschoolers under five years of age need good eyesight in order to comprehend numbers, colors and shapes. Older children can’t read, write and learn at their grade level without the ability to clearly see the printed page and classroom presentations.

Remember, six out of ten people wear corrective lenses, which means the chances are good that your child will also need them.

Experts suggest that baby’s first eye exam should come at between six and twelve months, (an earlier exam may be needed if there are signs of vision problems). Absent any guidance from your doctor, your child’s next well-check eye exam should come at age three. Once in …

One of the unique features of Ultrawide-field (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is the availability of multiple imaging modalities, including color, fluorescein angiography (FA), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), red reflectance (RR), and indocyanine green angiography (ICG). Facilitating comprehensive examination of the retinal periphery, application of multiple UWF imaging modes can identify pathology that might otherwise be missed with a single imaging modality and/or conventional narrow-field fundus photography.

A recent study, Ultra-Widefield Imaging with Autofluorescence and Indocyanine Green Angiography in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy¹, demonstrates this capability using UWF FAF and UWF ICG in a central serious chorioretinopathy (CSC) retrospective observational case series.

CSC leakage from the choriocapillaris through the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) causes macular detachment, which in turn can cause visual impairment or, in recurrent or chronic cases, blindness. Fundus autofluorescence (which can characterize the health of the RPE) and ICG chorioangiograpy (which can characterize choroid circulatory function) are both used in CSC diagnosis and treatment, but in the past have been limited to conventional, narrow-field views.

Study Subjects and Methods

The study examined 65 eyes (35 patients), all with CSC. Thirty-three patients had chronic CSC, which was defined as persistent/recurrent retinal detachment for more than 120 …

Summer’s almost here, and along with it comes lots of outdoor work and play that can expose your eyes to an assortment of seasonal risks. Here are five eye safety tips that can keep your eyes (and the eyes of your significant others) summer-safe.

1. Summer sports means flying objects — don’t become a statistic

Golf, baseball, volleyball, badminton, softball, soccer, archery and more — many summer sports are about things small and large zipping through the air, sometimes with unfortunate results. It’s estimated that more than 40 percent of eye injuries are sports- or recreation-related.

You can purchase low-cost, impact-resistant specialized eyewear for sports from any sporting goods store and almost every major online retailer. It’s an easy way to make sure you, your spouse and your children don’t become statistics.

2. Fireworks — even the “safe” kind can hurt you

Fireworks send more than 10,000 people a year to emergency rooms, with about 38 percent of those admissions comprising of injuries to the eyes, head, face and ears. And it’s not just “unsafe” fireworks that are behind these numbers — sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for 15 percent of the injuries.

…

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the world’s third most common cause of vision impairment and the primary cause of vision impairment in industrialized nations. With age being the most important risk factor, eye care practitioners serving rapidly aging populations can expect to see a growing number of AMD patients.

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is now being used to characterize the peripheral vascular abnormalities associated with AMD as part of ongoing research into improved methods for diagnosis and treatment. One observational study, Peripheral Autofluorescence and Clinical Findings in Neovascular and Non-neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration, has used both UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and UWF color imaging to understand if peripheral FAF abnormality patterns are different in patients with neovascular and non-neovascular AMD.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (75° or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The SLO simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red – 633 nm and green – …

In a world where there seems to be a commemorative day, week or month to build awareness for causes of every kind, it’s easy to pass over mention of a month to build awareness for women’s eye health and safety.

Not so fast.

The numbers are surprising and sobering. Women suffer from a variety of eye diseases and conditions at rates far higher than men. Of those in the U.S. with:

— Cataracts – which affect more people than any other vision impairment – 61% are women

— Diabetic Retinopathy – a leading cause of blindness in American adults – 51% are women

— Age-related macular degeneration – number four on the list – 65% are women.

—Dry eye – which afflicts nearly 5 million Americans over 50 years of age – more than 60% are women

What’s going on here?

Women are at higher risk for eye disease for a variety of reasons. Part of it has to do with life expectancy. Women outlive men, therefore a larger population of women will be afflicted with age-related eye disease like glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration. But it’s much more than a numbers game.

— Women who are in premature menopause, …

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging of vascular abnormalities in the retinal periphery is improving the diagnosis of ocular disease.

While retinal vascular abnormalities are part of the pathology of many ocular diseases, conventional retinal imaging is unable to inform practitioners about the extent to which these vascular abnormalities are present in the retinal periphery. A growing body of research and case studies using UWF imaging is demonstrating that characterization of vascular abnormalities of the retinal periphery can contribute to and improve the diagnostic process.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (60° or less) of the retina.

The devices simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures. The resulting UWF digital image – the optomap – is produced in a single capture. Along with UWF color imaging, the technology supports UWF fluorescein angiography (FA), UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and UWF indocyanine green angiography (ICG).

Peripheral Vascular Abnormalities – General …

Uveitis is an inflammatory condition that can occur anywhere in the eye and is associated with a number of diseases and conditions. These related illnesses make it difficult to estimate uveitis’ impact on global health, but studies suggest it could be responsible for as many as 10% of the cases of total blindness worldwide.

The management of uveitis starts by the casting of a wide diagnostic net in order to identify any underlying diseases or conditions that may be the source of the inflammatory symptoms. Characterization of related pathologies and a complete clinical picture of the affected eye are important components of both diagnosis and treatment. A retrospective case study¹ suggests how ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging can improve the identification and management of retinal vasculitis, a complication of uveitis.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (60° or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The devices simultaneously scan the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable …

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a restriction or blockage of blood flow leaving the retina and is the second most common retinal vascular disorder after diabetic retinopathy¹. Causing varying degrees of vision loss, both central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) can be complicated by macular edema that can lead to total blindness.

RVO has a complex pathology, significant associated risk factors (e.g. age, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, ischemic heart disease), and its treatment of associated macular edema may require no more than a single course treatment in some cases, but in others recurrent edema may necessitate one or more repeated courses of treatment.

One technology that is helping to advance the understanding and management of RVO is ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF^™), which provides up to a 200 degree visualization of the retinal periphery. RVO is now being treated and studied using UWF retinal imaging, and data about the significance of RVO-associated pathology in the retinal periphery are being accumulated.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard …

The expanding role of optometrists as primary eye care providers is also increasing expectations about the level of diagnostic and follow-up care. Whether it’s screening and monitoring hypertensive or diabetic patients, diagnosing a patient’s vision impairment, or uncovering pathology during a routine examination, optometric practices are expected to know more and do more about the ocular health of their patients.

Many optometrists may be meeting these expectations by utilizing ultra-widefield (UWF^™) retinal imaging as a routine part of their practices. Along with improving patient experience and practice productivity, UWF retinal imaging gives these practitioners a powerful tool that is improving their practices’ overall optometric care.

UWF Retinal Imaging – A Versatile Imaging Platform

UWF retinal imaging provides practitioners with a versatile screening platform that can strengthen their ability to identify ocular and systemic disease while enabling more comprehensive and accurate treatment plan.

— One important capability offered by UWF retinal imaging is comprehensive and detailed visualization of the retinal periphery. As this technology proliferates throughout the eye care community, more studies are finding that pathologies of the retinal periphery are important to the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions. One recent report …