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 …

As more research studies are conducted and results are collated, further proof is showing that harmful UV rays from the sun not only damage delicate eye tissues, but can also contribute to early onset of age-related eye disease. As you learn more about the damage that can be caused, it becomes even more vital that you inform your patients of the importance of protecting their eyes when heading outdoors.

With the understanding that the most harmful of the ultra-violet rays from the sun are UVA and UVB, let your patients know that most sunglasses will protect against UVB, but that if they don’t specify UVA protection, they likely don’t. Investing a few more dollars in a pair that wrap around glasses, which sit closer to the eyes, can provide your patients with several extra years of clear vision.

Your patients may not realize the importance of sunglasses for their children. You will often see parents don their sunglasses when they head outdoors without considering their children’s eye health. Protecting your children’s eyes early will help ensure they don’t develop eye diseases such as cataract and macular degeneration earlier in their adulthood. Since children participate in so many activities in the summer, remind parents of the importance of protecting their eyes against …

As the days grow longer and the outdoors becomes more inviting, few people think about the damage UV rays can have on their eyes. Further, they may not realize that it can age the eye prematurely, leading to the development of cataracts. A new study that was partially funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) has provided answers you may wish to share with your patients. It’s important to inform them of how the sun’s rays can affect their eyes and lead to vision loss.

In order to produce energy, our bodies may create a process known as oxidative stress. Contributing to visible signs of aging and accelerating age-related diseases such as cataract, these harmful chemical processes occur when our cells consume oxygen and other fuels in order to meet energy requirements.

Since the oldest cells in the lens don’t get much oxygen and are without the organelles that keep most other cells healthy and vital, it may seem like oxidative stress is an unlikely factor in the chances of contracting cataracts. New research has shown that UV light can replace oxygen in the stress process during prolonged sun exposure, damaging the proteins in the lens of the eye and resulting in the age-related formation of cataracts.

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A long-term eye health study done by researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has shown that there is a link between increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the use of blood pressure medications.

Close to 5,000 participants, ranging in age from 43 to 86 years, were selected for the study that began in 1988 and was completed in 2013 as part of the Beaver Dam Eye Study funded by the National Eye Institute. Although an estimated 11 million Americans suffer from AMD due to several different risk factors, the results involving vasodilators and oral beta blockers were significant.

Although age, sex and other environmental factors were accounted for, researchers still found that patients using a vasodilator were at a 72 percent greater risk of developing early-stage AMD. For participants in the study that did not take vasodilators, early development of AMD was only found in 8.2 percent, whereas 19.1 percent on the medication developed the disease.

The results for beta blockers were much more concerning. In patients taking medications, such as Tenormin and Lopressor, there was a 71 percent increase in the risk of contracting neovascular AMD, which is a more serious form and …

A team of researchers and scientists from John Hopkins University School of Medicine has been successful in growing a miniature retina from adult human stem cells. This incredible breakthrough brings hope for those who suffer from macular degeneration and other retinal diseases that cause vision loss.

Using a cell known as an induced pluripotent stem cell, or iPS cell, from a piece of skin, the team was able to “trick” the cell back to an embryonic state and activate genes to create the retina. This is possible because, like embryonic stem cells, iPS cells can develop into any cell type.

In this experiment, researchers were astonished to see the retina growing as though it were developing in a human embryo. At what would be comparable to 28 weeks of gestation, the retina not only had the organizational structure of a regular retina, but the team also found that it reacted to light. Essentially, the retina had developed on its own in a petri dish once the scientists had laid the framework.

This groundbreaking research may lead to technologies that can restore vision, but it also provides a means for testing the efficacy of drugs for eye diseases on human samples …

The results of a study published in Ophthalmology have shown that modifiable lifestyle practices can reduce the chances of developing vision loss that is not improved by the use of corrective lenses. Included in the study were physical fitness, occasional drinking and smoking.

As part of another long-term eye study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health studied the impact of the three lifestyle practices on vision loss with nearly 5,000 adults between the ages of 43 and 84 over the years from 1988 to 2013. Over the course of the study, researchers found that 5.4 percent of the population developed visual impairment and that physical activity dramatically affected the outcome.

For the purposes of the study, patients were considered physically active if they participated in regular activities a minimum of three times per week. Only 2 percent of this group developed vision loss, while 6 percent of the sedentary group developed vision loss. After adjusting for age, this translates to an impressive 58 percent decrease in the chances of suffering from vision impairment.

Occasional drinking, defined as fewer than one drink consumed in an average week, returned lower instances of vision impairment …

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 …