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.

Kids’ Eye Exams: When to Have Them

When to Have Kids’ Eye Exams
At Center for Sight in Fall River we are often asked about the best time to have kids’ eyes screened and examined for eye health and vision problems. As both an ophthalmologist and a parent of young children I am especially sensitive to doing the right things at the right times for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommend that your child's eyes be screened for problems at birth, by 6 months of age, at 3 to 4 years of age, at 5 years of age, and every following year. Getting your children’s eyes screened regularly is critical to look for problems that should be caught and treated early. In most instances it is not necessary for your child to have an exam with an eye doctor. The initial screenings are done by your pediatrician at well child visits. However, in babies born prematurely or if there is a family history of childhood eye problems it may be a good idea to bring your child in to see us for a more detailed exam.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more or schedule a kids eye exam, 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.

Glaucoma Risk from Stomach Infection

Glaucoma & Stomach Problems
What does a stomach infection have to do with your risk of getting glaucoma? Surprisingly, as it turns out, researchers identified a significant association between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of getting primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that causes infection in the stomach. It is found in about two-thirds of the world's population. It may be spread by unclean food and water, but researchers aren't sure. It causes peptic ulcers in your stomach and can also cause stomach cancer. If you have symptoms of a peptic ulcer, your doctor will test your blood, breath or stool to see if it contains H. pylori. Fortunately, it is readily treated with a combination of antibiotics and acid-reducing medicines and treatment is quite effective.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, has symptoms of a stomach ulcer or acid reflux from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) you should be tested for H. pylori, but you should also have regular eye exams and glaucoma testing. Please call

call Center for Sight 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.

Glaucoma Acupuncture Treatment

With so many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, could it be possible that acupuncture could be a beneficial treatment option for glaucoma patients? Researchers reporting in the American Journal of Ophthalmology evaluated whether the use of acupuncture was an effective treatment for primary open angle glaucoma-the most common type of glaucoma that we diagnose and treat. The researchers carefully considered the effect of acupuncture on intraocular pressure (IOP), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field testing and using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), the health and integrity of the nerve fiber layer around the Optic Disc-all important criteria we use for diagnosing and managing glaucoma. Their study showed that acupuncture has no overall effect on changes in IOP throughout the day and that IOP actually increases immediately after an acupuncture treatment. Further, they found no effect on best uncorrected visual acuity, OCT or visual field tests and thus concluded that acupuncture may offer other health benefits but was not an effective treatment option for glaucoma.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma or needs a glaucoma eye exam and testing 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.

Skipping AMD Treatment Affects Vision

For patients with Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) who are being treated with VEGF Inhibitor injections such as Lucentis® and Eylea®, even though it might seem like a great deal of trouble and effort to be totally consistent and compliant with all scheduled appointments-IT IS CRITICAL! The need for consecutive, carefully timed injections according to clinically tested protocol is what helps us preserve your vision and avoid the untoward, potentially catastrophic effects of vision loss from Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Researchers reporting in the journal Eye actually studied what happens to the vision of patients who skip even one injection visit. In France, summer vacations are taken very seriously and many French patients leave their doctor’s care for 6-8 weeks as they travel around Europe for the summer. The French eye specialists found that patients who skipped even a single injection during their holiday period were prone to a decrease in vision, formation of cysts and fluid in the macula of the eye being treated. We are hopeful you will carefully follow our recommendations for the timing and frequency of AMD treatment injections so we can help preserve your eye health and vision.

If you or someone you know has questions about AMD treatment with VEGF injections or any aspect of Age Related Macular Degeneration risk, diagnosis, symptoms or treatment 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.