Eye Injuries in Children from Dogs

Eye Injury in Children
Eye injury remains the leading cause of monocular blindness in children, despite the fact that 90% of injuries are potentially preventable.  Children playing with pets require supervision and education on how to treat pets. Children interact with animals in a variety of situations, and the associated dangers may be underestimated by parents and those supervising children. Eye injuries in children from pets can often be serious and cause severe eye problems.  It is not uncommon for dog bite injuries to include corneal abrasions, corneal and sclera lacerations or punctures of the eye itself, all of which at a minimum require aggressive treatment and in many instances repeated surgery. Further, animals are capable of causing damage to the delicate tissue of the eyelids and surrounding tissue that can be cosmetically and visually devastating, also requiring multiple surgeries.

 

Typically, when very small children-age 4 and younger-are bitten by dogs, eye injuries occur about 15% of the time. The dog is usually one the child is familiar with, and second attacks by the same dog are likely to cause more serious injury. It is recommended that any dog that bites a child be removed from the household. With caution, education, and supervision, pets and children can be quite compatible but do require some care.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about children’s eye injuries, especially from pets such as dogs, please call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver  to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island. 

Blueberries Help Night Vision?

Everyone has heard that carrots are good for your eyes. Many folks are probably even aware that eating green leafy vegetables is helpful for those at risk for age related macular degeneration (AMD). But, have you ever heard that blueberries are good for your night vision? Blueberries are considered “super stars” among health food advocates, who tout the fruit for not only promoting heart health, better memory and digestion, but also for improving night vision. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at this and have found reason to doubt that the popular berry helps most healthy people see better in the dark. Their report appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry. Blueberries were thought to be possibly be helpful for your night vision because they contain anthocyanins, which are pigment molecules in blueberries and other plants, that promote the regeneration of key molecules in the eye involved in perceiving light. But reviews of the earlier clinical research that tested the effect of blueberries on night vision in human subjects revealed that the studies were poorly controlled. The researchers found that a blueberry-supplemented diet did not improve sight in the dark, but they did help subjects recover normal vision after exposure to a bright light. The enhancement, however, was small and not likely noticeable to most healthy people, the researchers concluded. So, if you like blueberries feel free to eat and enjoy them, but don’t wait for your night vision to improve.

If you or someone you know has problems with night vision, it is important to have a thorough eye exam to rule out the possibility of cataracts or other eye problem, condition or disease that may affect the retina or optic nerve. Please call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Predictors of Macular Degeneration Treatment Results

Predictors of Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment Results
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) continues to pose the potential for causing vision loss in those over 50 and especially seniors. Today, with early diagnosis and treatment we can often preserve eye health and vision. When we examine you and find evidence of AMD we might recommend treatment with injections of medications such as Lucentis® at carefully prescribed intervals. We also will take the time necessary to answer your questions, in particular regarding what your visual results might be from having the carefully prescribed series of Lucentis® injections. By using information from studies that help us predict the 12 month treatment response to Lucentis® in patients with wet macular degeneration we can make some approximate predictions for your visual prognosis.

Initial Examination Predictors of Results
From these studies we can predict that those patients with lower Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), of a younger age, with smaller areas of new blood vessel growth and leakage under the retina are most likely to have a good chance of gaining 3 lines of BCVA after 12 months of treatment. This means that should we make the diagnosis of wet macular degeneration and prescribe the Lucentis® injection treatments, you should be prepared to be committed to at least a 12 month treatment plan with appointment scheduling we will recommend based on your individual situation. By following through with this set of recommendation we have the best chance of preserving and improving your vision.

If you or someone you know has questions about Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), treatment of wet AMD with Lucentis® injections or what we know about the visual prognosis of these treatments, please call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.