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According to a news release dated February 8, 2012, a professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) has renewed several grants with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The efforts of physiology professor Gadiparthi Rao, PhD will bring in more than $6 million in research funding to the UTHSC. The grant renewals are significant not only for the amount, but also for the fact they were received in spite of the current economy.
The funding is expected to allow Dr. Rao to continue groundbreaking research into the role of lipids (fats and related molecules) and cytokines (regulatory proteins) in the body. Specifically, how they affect the vascular system and how such changes relate to retinopathies, or damage to the retina of the eye.
Dr. Rao is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and he serves on the editorial board of Circulation Research and Arteriosclerosis and Vascular Biology, two prestigious journals of the American Heart Association.
The eye doctors and professional team at LaFollette Eye Clinic are proud of Dr. Rao and his accomplishments. We look forward to the potential advances in understanding, treating, and preventing such vascular conditions as macular degeneration and glaucoma, as well as other retinopathies that affect the eyes and vision of our patients.
Congratulations, Dr. Rao. May your efforts be fruitful.
By now you’ve probably heard the rumor that sugary foods and drinks will soon be taxed and regulated like alcohol and cigarettes. While the rumor isn’t true (yet), it stems from a highly publicized article in the journal Nature dated February 2nd. According to a follow up article at Time.com, regulating sugary foods will be a challenge in today’s culture because we have an emotional attachment to sugar. We celebrate birthdays with cake, not salad.
Another problem is sugar’s prevalence in our lives. No one has to look very far before they find more than enough to satisfy their cravings. Just this morning a well-meaning vendor brought two dozen doughnuts for the eye doctors and staff at LaFollette Eye Clinic. I looked them over, since they were baked at a local shop whose artisans are long on talent, if not nutrition. They were pretty, but I didn’t touch one. I abstained not because I’m worried about my hips, but because I want to protect my heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and yes, my eyes.
Colorful fruits and veggies are great for the eyes!
The far-reaching damaging effects of excess sugar are no secret, but they are beyond the scope of this post. Fortunately, good nutrition is also no secret, especially as it relates to our eyes and vision. Here’s a good rule of thumb that’s easy to remember: food that’s prettiest to the eyes (i.e., most colorful) is generally better. Remember, though, that it should be natural (as it came from the ground) and not processed (as it came from the box of doughnuts).
Read on to discover seven foods to eat for better vision and eye health:
1. Leafy greens: spinach, chard, kale, and collards. These nutrient packed powerhouses are listed first for a reason. First, they contain the pigments lutein and zeaxanthin, which are naturally found in the eyes. They both improve vision and reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Second, they provide carotenoids, a provitamin A that is converted to natural vitamin A (retinol) by the body. Vitamin A is also known to reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Third, they contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect retinal cells from UV radiation, again reducing the risk of macular degeneration. Are you noticing a pattern here?
2. Berries: strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Berries are high in antioxidants, protecting against macular degeneration and cataracts.
3. Colored fruits and vegetables: this broad category has two parts. Orange-colored fruits and vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, cantaloupe, apricots) provide beta-carotene, the most common type of carotenoid that supports retinal health and protects against macular degeneration and cataracts. Other colorful fruits and vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges) contain vitamin C, a key protective antioxidant.
4. Fish: specifically, salmon and sardines. These fish are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of macular degeneration and also have additional benefits for dry eyes and other ocular surface dieases. Many fish are also good sources of another potent antioxidant, vitamin D.
5. Nuts: almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and even peanut butter. These are sources of vitamin E, yet another powerful antioxidant. Wheat germ and avocados are also good sources of vitamin E.
6. Lean meat: lean beef and turkey. Here’s where you’ll get plenty of zinc, which helps your body absorb all those antioxidants you’ve been reading about.
7. Milk: contains riboflavin (a B vitamin) and natural vitamin A (retinol). Riboflavin can help prevent cataracts, and as mentioned before, vitamin A helps prevent macular degeneration.
Meet Roxanne. I had the pleasure of hearing her story last week. I think you’ll find it interesting.
Roxanne works in an industrial paint booth. Earlier on the day I met her, there was an accident in the booth. It seems a paint canister became highly pressurized, and it exploded paint all over Roxanne and her coworker. Fortunately, Roxanne was wearing her safety eyewear. Unfortunately, it was her only pair of glasses. Subsequent attempts to remove the paint only fogged up the lenses, obscuring her vision. Hence my meeting her.
She was still wearing her (now completely silver) cap when I saw her for the first time, and when she removed it I noticed her neatly shaven head, complete with a mohawk. “When I woke up this morning, I had hair like hers,” she said, referring to one of our Certified Paraoptometrics. Her hair was well below shoulder length. Roxanne had been forced to shave her head due to the massive volume of paint that had coated her hair!
Interestingly, Roxanne was in a fantastic mood. Here she was, no glasses and very little hair, making my day better with her attitude. Another staff member at LaFollette Eye Clinic noted that if she had to shave her head she’d be curled up in a corner weeping. So why was Roxanne so happy?
I’ve learned the best way to get the answer to a question is to ask it, so I did: “How on earth are you not more upset about what’s happened today?”
“It’s just hair,” she said. “I’m ok and my partner is ok, neither of us got hurt. The equipment can be replaced, and I still have my job. Besides, I’ve had hair this short before.”
Taking the bait, I asked why. And it turns out Roxanne was a member of the 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. That’s right. Before she was dodging exploding paint canisters she was jumping out of perfectly good airplanes for the United States Army. Where, she informed me, “there is no whining.” No wonder she was in such a good mood!
I thanked her profusely for making my day. Not because she is a woman with a mohawk, but because she displayed such a thankful attitude on a day most of us would write off as one of our worst. Thanks again, Roxanne. I never know when I’ll learn a life lesson, but it seems you taught me a valuable one.
Yesterday’s post featured a video that demonstrated the capabilities of the iOptik contact lens. Specifically, it showed the ability of a lens to simultaneously focus on both extreme distance and near objects. The idea is to use such a lens to allow wearers to view multimedia displays inside their eyewear.
Today’s video features contact lenses used in a slightly different way. It’s no surprise that contacts with embedded circuitry are being developed, and the video shows a few uses already in the works. One type of lens can monitor the eye pressure of people with glaucoma. Another can monitor the blood sugar of people with diabetes. Still others can slowly dispense medicine and even allow wearers to view multimedia displays right before their eyes.
The eye doctors and staff at LaFollette Eye Clinic look forward to the day when contact lenses do so much more for the vision and health of our patients. Thanks to the Pittsburgh affiliate of CBS for the video. There’s a commercial, but the video’s worth the wait:
Here’s an interesting video by Innovega, the makers of the iOptik contact lens. The demo shows how it is possible for a single lens to simultaneously focus at a far distance and an extremely close distance.
So what’s the point? This technology is being developed so wearers of the contact lenses can put on electronic eyewear that contains multimedia screens and enjoy hands free operation. Obviously you would not use this system while driving as it would obscure vision. But we highly discourage using any multimedia while driving anyway.
Of the many proposed uses of electronic glasses this is one the eye doctors and staff at LaFollette Eye Clinic feel has many potential uses. Enjoy the video:
At LaFollette Eye Clinic we love anything having to do with vision, especially if it’s as cool as 3D eyewear!
Thanks to SONY for this great infographic about the history of 3D eyewear. If you have some handy, you can see the 3D version of this infographic here.
A Google search about eye related New Year’s resolutions turned out to be a bit of a surprise. Searching for “New Year’s resolution” + “new glasses” brought just over 50 million results. And, a search for “New Year’s resolution” + “new contact lenses,” came up with only about 2.5 million results.
However, a search for “New Year’s resolution” + “eye exam” resulted in over 68 million results. This is very encouraging for a number of reasons. While the eye doctors and professional team at LaFollette Eye Clinic recognize the excitement surrounding new glasses and contact lenses, the foundation to clear vision is a yearly comprehensive eye examination. Neither the skill of your optometrist, nor high definition glasses lenses, nor the most comfortable contacts can help if the eyes are damaged by unforseen eye diseases and conditions.
Eye exams for children can allow your optometrist to detect and treat unrecognized prescriptions, focusing weakness, eyestrain, amblyopia (lazy eye), and other medical conditions. Eye exams are also important for adults to maintain clear vision and eye health. Especially at risk are adults who have glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetes. Even adults whose family members have these conditions carry a greater risk of eye problems. And, how many adults (and kids for that matter) spend their days looking at a computer or handheld screen? This too can be a source of great eye and visual discomfort.
This year, many thoughtful people are resolving to get an eye exam for themselves and their family members. Not only is a resolution like this beneficial, it’s really easy to keep!
LaFollette Eye Clinic Uniquely Unaffected by HOYA Manufacturing Delays
HOYA and the people of Thailand are recovering from devastating floods
In a recent press release, the HOYA Free-Form Company confirmed their manufacturing facilities in Thailand have returned to near-full capacity after devastating floods.
“Obviously we’re very happy for our co-workers in Thailand as they get their lives back to some normalcy after the unprecedented flooding they endured,” stated Barney Dougher, President of HOYA Vision Care, North America. He continued, “In addition we are very thankful for our patient customers. They understand that we support them and in turn they have supported us, so we’re happy to have good news regarding materials availability.”
Hoya Corporation is a global technology company traded on the Japanese stock exchange based in Tokyo, Japan, and the leading supplier of innovative and indispensable high‐tech and healthcare products based upon its advanced optics technologies. Click here to learn more about their custom lenses and breakthrough technologies.
The eye doctors and staff at LaFollette Eye Clinic rely heavily on HOYA technology to provide patients with custom vision solutions. Fortunately, our supply of HOYA products remained uninterrupted during the floods. LaFollette Eye Clinic was identified by HOYA as a strategic eye care facility in the Southeast, and therefore was spared the interruption in HOYA lens availability that affected most eye care offices in North America. For that, we thank HOYA Vision Care and the HOYA Free-Form Company.
Our prayers are with the HOYA employees and the people of Thailand as they continue to recover from the floods that devastated their country.
Tears of Joy for One Patient After Cataract Surgery
We like to imagine we know why we’re here. The eye doctors and staff at LaFollette Eye Clinic abide by a strict code of ethics, we work hard to provide our patients with the latest technology, and we’re careful to uphold our reputation for legendary customer service. We regularly review our mission statement, which is to provide our patients with the highest quality eye care available anywhere.
And yet, sometimes even the most experienced professionals are taken by surprise. Sure, every optometrist has seen his or her share of success stories. But every now and then one comes along that is so profoundly moving it stops us in our tracks and reminds us why we’re really here.
We experienced such a story last week.
Tom Browning, M.D. had performed cataract surgery for several patients and we were assisting with their postoperative care. One of our Certified Paraoptometrics helped a patient to an exam room. The patient’s wife also helped, as the patient was wearing a patch over the eye that had surgery and could only see shadows out of the other eye. The patient’s wife mentioned that he has only been able to see shadows for the past two years, and they were excited to see whether the surgery had changed their lives.
Once the patient was seated, the Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) removed the patch. The patient immediately looked at his wife and exclaimed her name with happiness. He was seeing his wife clearly for the first time in two years! His wife stood to her feet and jumped for joy, with tears streaming down her face. Both husband and wife hugged, cried, and thanked God for the successful cataract surgery and his restored vision.
The patient’s wife explained to her husband that she would no longer have to describe the scene when they took a trip to the lake; he would be able to see it himself. At this, the CPO was overwhelmed; she also began to cry tears of joy with them. She also thanked God for enabling men to change lives, and for being a part of it.
The patient and his wife thanked us repeatedly for all we had done. They claimed this would be the best Thanksgiving they had ever had. They left LaFollette Eye Clinic incredibly happy, and they left a deep impression on the CPO that helped them, as well as on all of us.
It was a wonderful way to begin a season that all too often is disrupted by commercialism and conflict. It was a gentle reminder that behind every pair of eyes is a person, each with his or her own hopes and dreams. It was affirmation that we are doing exactly as we should: performing at our highest level, caring for others, and doing the best job we possibly can, one patient at a time.
And, we’re incredibly thankful for having been reminded of that.
Impact resistance requirements are extremely important for lenses worn so close to the eyes
An article in the AOA News reports a 44.8% overall failure rate for glasses ordered online. The most common failures were incorrect prescription and failure to meet minimum impact resistance safety standards. Researchers ordered a total 154 pairs of spectacles from ten of the nation’s most popular online glasses sales websites.
Some interesting findings:
More than one in five pairs of glasses ordered online did not arrive as ordered, with either added or omitted options.
More than one in four (28.6%) pairs of eyeglasses ordered online had the incorrect prescription in one or both lenses.
22.7% of glasses ordered online had one lens or both lenses fail FDA impact resistance requirements.
This failure rate is unprecedented in the eyewear industry. Traditionally, these types of problems with eyewear were rare since eyewear production facilities and vision care practices employed multiple level product inspections and careful verification of eyeglasses before dispensing. However, due to online glasses sales, the failure rate is rapidly rising.
Also, proper eyewear fitting and adjustment by a professional can eliminate numerous additional problems, which is an important topic not addressed by the study.
Fortunately, you can still be assured your eyewear is just as you ordered and exactly as prescribed by your eye doctor. LaFollette Eye Clinic not only has its own production facility to ensure high quality eyewear, but also our multiple point inspection system provides eyewear exactly as ordered.
Add to that our legendary customer service and eyewear guarantee, and you have an experience and eyewear that cannot possibly duplicated online.
