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Next Entries »Happy Birthday, Ray Charles
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? Today is the anniversary of the birth of Ray Charles! (Sept. 23, 1930-June 10, 2004) This musical legend lost his vision at around age 5. Unfortunately, sources disagree on the cause of his blindness, and according to a 60-Minutes interview, Charles himself was not sure of the [...]
Happy Birthday, Jose Feliciano
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? Puerto Rican-born singer Jose Feliciano was born blind from congenital glaucoma. Congenital glaucoma is a rare condition where the drainage system of the eye does not function properly, leading to high pressure in the eye and damage to the optic nerve. When this occurs around birth, the [...]
Botox: No Sweat!
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? There a many people who are incapacitated by excess sweating. Antiperspirants are of little help, and they avoid social or public situations due to embarrassment. Botox can help! Sweat glands are triggered by nervous impulses carried by the chemical acetylcholine. Botox blocks the release of this chemical, [...]
Dermal Fillers for Facial Sculpting
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? Many patients are familiar with the use of dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, Restylane, and Prevelle, to fill nasolabial folds to give a more youthful appearance. That is just the beginning! Before deciding what treatment is best, it is necessary to use a mirror and evaluate the [...]
Prevelle
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? There is a new dermal filler available called Prevelle, made by the Mentor corporation.
Prevelle has a number of advantages. Compared to other dermal fillers, Prevelle is more comfortable, and it is less expensive. It is made of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in skin, similar to [...]
Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? Singer Stevie Wonder was born prematurely, and developed an eye condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which left him blind. Eyes of pre-term babies do not have fully developed vascular systems. Sometimes the blood vessels will develop abnormally, leading to scarring and possible blindness. This condition was much [...]
Glaucoma Linked to Low Pressure in Brain?
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? A study published in the May 2008 journal Ophthalmology found a fascinating link, which, if verified, could alter how we think of glaucoma. The Mayo Clinic studied the records of all patients who had lumbar punctures (spinal taps) between 1996 and 2007. They identified 28 of these [...]
Are we due for a new class of glaucoma medications?
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know? It has been twelve years since there have been any significant additions to our supply of medications for glaucoma. In 1996 Xalatan was introduced, the first of the prostaglandin agents which quickly took over first-line therapy for most glaucoma patients. The prostaglandins simply worked better with fewer [...]
Eye Didn’t Know!
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Measuring Eye Pressure
Did you know? Until 1905 there was no objective way to measure pressure within the eye. In that year, Norwegian ophthalmologist Hjalmar Schiotz invented the first tonometer, which now bears his name, the Schiotz tonometer.
Until this time, doctors estimated pressure within the eye by pushing on the eye [...]
“You use lasers to remove cataracts, right?
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know Blog
Did you know that cataracts are NOT removed with a laser? Ophthalmologists use many types of lasers for dozens of indications, but removing cataracts is not one of them! The state of the art in cataract removal today is called phacoemulsification, which uses a tiny probe to dissolve the cloudy [...]
Omega-3 Oils for Dry Eye?
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know
Did you know? A new study published in the February 2008 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology showed that applying omega-3 fatty acids to the surface of the eyes of laboratory mice protected them from the effects of dry conditions. Eyedrops containing two compounds, alpha-linoleic acid, and linoleic acid, a mixture of [...]
Happy Birthday Abe!
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know
Did you know? There is a story about Abraham Lincoln seeing his ghost while looking into a mirror from his bed, shortly after being elected in 1860. By studying numerous photographs and portraits of Lincoln, ophthalmologists have determined that Lincoln had a weakness of a muscle in his left eye (the [...]
New approach to macular degeneration treatment
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know
Did you know? Researchers at the University of Florida are testing a new compound, Compstatin, for its effectiveness in preventing complications of macular degeneration. This small protein blocks complement, which promotes inflammation in the body. It is believed that complement is involved upstream in the process which eventually leads to [...]
Happy Birthday Louis Braille
Submitted by Eye Didn’t Know
Did you know? Louis Braille (1809–1852), invented the braille system of writing for the blind and visually impaired. Braille became blind at age four when he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye with his father’s awl. This caused inflammation and eventual blindness in the other eye as well, a condition called [...]
Will Lasik Surgery be Effective for Anisometropia
A majority of people who wear contacts and eye glasses have some degree of anisometropia. Anisometropia is a condition in which one person’s eyes have different refractive powers. For example, some patients may be slightly nearsighted (myopic) in one eye and very nearsighted in the other eye. Most eye care professionals often reserve the use [...]
Psychiatric Evaluations for LASIK Candidates
Preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting, Jennifer Morse M.D. who worked with patients at the Navy Refractive Surgery Center in San Diego, concluded that a psychiatric examination may be able to identify some of the post-operative dissatisfied patients.
Three hundred and nine patients who were scheduled to undergo a LASIK procedure received a questionnaire before [...]
The Lasik Diagnosis for Glaucoma
I wish I could begin this post with the symptoms of glaucoma since it’s one of the most prevalent diseases in our society but most people have symptoms after the optic nerve has been damaged irreversibly. Glaucoma refers to a category of eye disorders often associated with a dangerous buildup of internal eye pressure. According [...]
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