Automation Comes to Eye Imaging
Aren’t optical coherence tomography (OCT) machines great? The machine uses light waves to take a cross-section of the retina and this allows the eye doctor to map and measure its thickness. These measurements help with the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease. As great as an OCT machine […]
Diabetes, Dementia, Vision and Artificial Intelligence
Diabetes, even when managed properly, comes with its share of challenges, such as vision problems and possibly dementia. Yes, you read correctly, dementia. Of course, research is looking into ways to detect both via the eyes. Dementia It has been shown that people with diabetes are more likely to develop dementia. Scientists at the Joslin […]
Smartphone Ophthalmoscopes Help to Keep an Eye on Patients
If you spent time with an optometrist or ophthalmologist who started working in the 1970s or earlier, how they worked back in the day seemed so primitive. No computers or smart devices. Optometrists couldn’t prescribe medicine. Treatment options for many vision conditions were limited or nonexistent. Diagnostic equipment took up an entire room. Thanks to […]
Visibly (Formerly Opternative) No Longer Offering Online Vision Tests
The online vision screening site Visibly, (formerly Opternative) was removed from service in August 2019. Since 2016, the American Optometric Association (AOA) has been lobbying the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the site’s online vision test did not have a premarket review from agency, nor did it receive approval for safety or efficacy. The […]
Retail is Dead. Long Live Retail
Sadly, Toys R’ Us recently ceased operations. Sears’ post-bankruptcy strategy is to have smaller stores which concentrate on appliances. Sounds like traditional brick and mortar retail is in trouble, doesn’t it? First of all, not every brick and mortar retailer is in trouble. WalMart and Target are doing very well. Still, the trend is that […]
Good Vision/Good Cognition
Even though most tasks required by daily living are mundane, the act of doing them engages the mind. Most human brainpower is used to process visual stimuli, so the very act of seeing and coordinating movements is cognitively demanding. That said, we would expect poor vision to lead to cognitive decline. A study was published […]
Folks with Ocular Melanoma Cluster on Social Media
Ocular melanoma, while rare, is the most common adult eye cancer. This type of cancer occurs at the rate of 1 in every 2,500 people. Typically, it is found in Caucasians between the ages of 30 and 50. It is different from skin melanoma because it is not caused by exposure to the sun. This […]
Like a Well-Oiled Machine
Wouldn’t it be nice to have patients receive services while riding on a conveyor belt? It would be like an attraction at EPCOT. The patients could check in, take their seat and then first move through the eyeglass display, next they would go through various screenings, then the all important eye exam, back through the […]
Make Sure Patients Choose You, Not An App
Smartphone apps are so cool. There’s an app for ICD9/10 codes. There’s an app for contact lens calculations. There’s an app that can turn your smartphone into an ophthalmoscope! There’s also an app that will allow people to have their eyes examined for refractive error. This is where apps stop looking so cool. While having […]
Vision and Concussions
For many years, concussions weren’t considered a serious injury. As long as a person didn’t lose consciousness and recovered from other related injuries, whether the injuries be from a tackle in football or a fall from a skateboard, concussions were no big deal. Now with advanced diagnostic imaging such as MRI and CAT scan, as […]