Light & Sleep (Or the Lack Thereof)
Getting up at night to go to the bathroom or just getting up in the morning can be difficult. Especially since we’ve been asleep for hours and the first exposure to light can blinding. Of course, our eyes adjust and we go about our tasks or go back to sleep. Exposure to light doesn’t just […]
Curing Inherited Blindness Genetically
Let’s say you bought a new car and you discovered that it is defective. Instead of going back to the dealer, there was a way to fix the defect in the car while you were using it. That’s right, you could be driving around town while under the hood, things are being fixed by the […]
Regeneration in the Retina
The human body has an amazing ability to heal itself. If you get a paper cut, the cut heals in seven to ten days. If you get a bruise, it heals within two to four weeks. If you get a broken bone, it takes three to ten weeks to heal. An injury to the retina […]
Retina Patterns Tell a Story
No one has to sell eye doctors on how cool the human eye is. One interesting area of the eye that is being researched is the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This is the layer of cells that is next to the retina. It acts as a conduit between the photoreceptors of the retina and the […]
Faulty Molecules Switches & Certain Genomic Regions Contribute to AMD
It is safe to say that no one wants to be blind. While age related macular degeneration (AMD) isn’t as well-known as glaucoma and cataracts, it, too, is a form a blindness that no one wants. It affects the straight on vision that is needed for activities like reading and driving and while medication can […]
Handheld Probe Provides Images of Photoreceptors
Photoreceptors are specialized cells in the retina that are responsible for converting light into signals that the brain can understand as images. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to actually see photoreceptors? Researchers at Duke University have developed a device that can produce an image of photoreceptors in adults and infants. This […]
Macular Degeneration Research Findings
Glaucoma and cataracts get all the news when it comes to visual impairment and blindness. That being said, attention needs to be paid to macular degeneration, since 11 million people in the U.S. and 200 million people worldwide have the disease. It is the leading cause of blindness in those age 65 and over. Researchers […]
Eye Test May Detect Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease that is arguably more scary than cancer or cataracts. As bad as it is to get cancer or cataracts, there are treatments available with high success rates for both diseases. While there are drug therapies available for those with Alzheimer’s, most of them only work in the early to moderate […]
Research Identifies Mechanisms for Eye Development
If you want to see want to see clearly what is going on outside while you are inside your home or office, the windows need to be clean. It’s the same thing with your eyes. Specifically, the lens has to be free of obstruction. Yet unlike most cells, the cells that make up the lens […]
Omega-3 Supplements—Are They Beneficial For Your Eyes?
Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fats that are found in cold water fishes, such as salmon and mackerel, as well as nuts, like walnuts and flaxseed. These fats help prevent cardiovascular disease and may help keep eyes healthy. Yet, there is a limit to their benefits. A study sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI) suggested that […]