Artificial Intelligence Can Help Prevent Diabetic Eye Problems

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness globally. Yet, many diabetic patients still do not schedule regular diabetic eye exams as requested by their physicians. Referral to an eye doctor for early diagnosis and treatment is the key to preventing vision loss in diabetics. Performing retinal screening examinations on all diabetic patients is an unmet need, and leads to many undiagnosed and untreated cases of DR. Recently researcher-clinicians reported their work to develop an artificial intelligence automated algorithm for retinal photographs that would help with referral from primary care physicians to ophthalmologists of eyes with DR for further evaluation and treatment. The study suggests that this method of screening would aid in reducing the rate of vision loss, enabling timely and accurate diagnoses.

Is LASIK Safe after 65?

LASIK is safe, effective and convenient type of laser vision correction for those wanting freedom from the hassle of glasses and contacts. But sometimes patients think they might just be too old for LASIK. While the best way to correct both distance vision and the near vision focusing problem-presbyopia, is with lens implants for vision correction, a recent study clearly supports that even at age 65, LASIK is still safe and effective. Reporting in the journal International Ophthalmology  eye surgeons found that even though elder patients may present greater LASIK restrictions due to lens cataract and other eye age-related changes, patients  65 years of age and older that were good candidates LASIK achieved safe, predictable and effective vision and eye health results.

If you or someone you know is thinking about the freedom seeing clearly without glasses or contact lenses and is concerned about whether their age might be a problem, please schedule an appointment so we can help find out if you might be a candidate for LASIK or lens implants for vision correction. Please call D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Google+ or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, MA.

Eye Health Tips for College Students

Going to college and perhaps living in a dormitory can be an exciting and hectic time for students. But, it’s worth mentioning some common sense tips to preserve eye health and avoid eye problems for college students. College students can be susceptible to a host of vision and eye problems such as injury, infection and increased nearsightedness that can be avoided with a little bit of “smarts” and awareness.

Don't Shower or Swim with Contact Lenses. Acanthamoeba is a parasite that lives in water and can cause a rare but serious eye infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. According to the CDC, 85 percent of Acanthamoeba eye infections occur in contact lens wearers, one of the main risks being exposure of lenses to water. To avoid this dangerous infection, do not wear contact lenses in showers, hot tubs or when swimming in lakes or pools. Also, never use water to clean or store contact lenses; only use sterile contact lens disinfecting solution and a clean contact lens case.  

Get Out. We all want you to get good grades, but spending much of their time studying indoors, puts you at risk of becoming more nearsighted, or myopic. A recent study found that more than 50 percent of college graduates are nearsighted, with vision worsening for each year in school. Other research shows that spending more time outdoors can protect vision from getting worse. Take a break-get outside when possible.

Wash Your Hands. Conjunctivitis, or “pink eye” spreads really fast in schools and dorms. We know of a report where an outbreak struck more than 1,000 Ivy League college students! Avoid rubbing the eyes and wash hands with soap to avoid catching and spreading pink eye, not to mention other infections.

Give Your Eyes a Break. Dry eye from intense long hours of computer or video display terminal use can be a real problem for college students. To help avoid dry eye symptoms of burning, gritty red eyes, follow the 20-20-20 rule. Look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. Because dry eye can also cause painful corneal ulcers, which are open sores on the front part of the eye, blink regularly and fully to keep eyes moist.  

Don't Share Makeup. Harmless as it may seem, sharing makeup is a surefire way to spread infection such as herpes keratitis among friends. Infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid eye makeup. Stick to your own makeup and throw it away after three months. If you develop an eye infection, immediately toss all of your eye makeup.  

Stay in the Game. Did you know that nearly 1 in 18 college athletes will get an eye injury playing sports? Common injuries, like scratches on the eye surface and broken bones near the eye socket, happen most often in high-risk sports such as baseball, basketball and lacrosse. Athletes should consider wearing polycarbonate sports glasses to help keep stray balls and elbows from hitting their eyes.

In college, taking care of their eye health may be the last thing on your mind but we wanted to share some common sense tips. If you or someone you experiences an eye health or vision problem please call D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Google+ or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, MA 01609.

Buying Online Internet Eyeglasses

Anyone who wears glasses and uses a computer is often presented with the availability and options of buying their eyewear online. When asked, most people say they are interested in internet eyeglass purchases because it seems to be convenient. Many others say it’s because they can get a good deal A recent study in the journal Optometry & Vision Science compared the overall quality and fit of eyeglasses bought online with eyewear purchased from optometry practices. The study found that patients preferred spectacles bought from optometry practices rather than those bought online, in spite of lens quality and prescription accuracy being similar. A greater number of online spectacles were deemed unsafe or unacceptable because of poor spectacle frame fit, poor cosmetic appearance, and inaccurate optical centration. This appears to especially be the case for Progressive Addition Lenses (PAL) or “Progressives” as when these lenses are not fit and positioned properly they can cause a great deal of unusual distortion and discomfort.

Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween is fun time of year and you want to have that perfect show-stopping costume and this year that might include novelty contact lenses. You may want to have black or vampire red eyes and that is fun as long as you are safe. Contact lenses are considered a medical device by the FDA even if wearing them only for Halloween.  If you are thinking about getting Halloween contact lenses your first step would be to get a prescription from a doctor. All contacts, even novelty, require a prescription. You should be purchasing contacts from a legitimate source and all legitimate sources will require a prescription be written. Poor lens fit can lead to eye infection, corneal ulcers, decreased vision and even blindness. This includes sharing; even a lens purchased from a legitimate source only fit the person they are prescribed to.

Visit D’Ambrosio Optical Center to learn more about personalized fitting selection and selection of eyeglasses and digital high definition eyeglass lenses, or visit us at D’Ambrosio Optical Center, Google+ or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help select fashionable, comfortable and durable eyeglasses and eyewear for your entire family.

D'Ambrosio Optical Center provides personalized service fitting and selection of eyewear for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440.