Category: Eye Health

The eyes are one of our most remarkable and precious organs, yet their origins have been shrouded in mystery until quite recently.  Professor Trevor Lamb of The Vision Centre and Australian National University, has completed a major scientific review of the origin of the eye.  The article summarizes the findings of hundreds of scientists around…

Vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) is a condition in which the vitreous gel of the eye is adhering abnormally to the underlying retina in the macula area that controls central vision.  It is a common finding in older eyes. A new injectable treatment for resolving symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion promises to help a significant number of patients avoid…

Protecting your eyes from ultraviolet radiation is just as important as putting on sunscreen to protect your skin. Many age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, may be partially caused by UV exposure throughout your life, so protecting your eyes today may save your vision later in life. How Does UV Harm the…

A research team led by Dr. Robert Hess from McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has used the popular puzzle video game Tetris in an innovative approach to treat adult amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye”. By distributing information between the two eyes in a complementary fashion, the…

Blind mice can see again, after Oxford University researchers transplanted developing cells into their eyes and found they could re-form the entire light-sensitive layer of the retina.  Videos show the nocturnal mice, which once didn't notice the difference between light and dark at all, now run from the light and prefer to be in the…

Have you ever looked back at your high school pictures and wondered who was that person?  Whether it was the mullet or those geeky glasses, life is different now. You have changed for better or worse.  It is sometimes hard to remember what it was like back then. The same is true for my practice…

An international team of scientists has discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and myopia (short-sightedness).   Myopia is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide, and currently there is no cure. These findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, reveal genetic causes of the trait, and may help in finding a solution.…

A tiny medical device no larger than an eyelash may significantly reduce eye pressure in glaucoma patients and allow some to stop using eye-drop medications, according to year-one clinical trial results for the device. Results of the HYDRUS I clinical trial, which indicate successful control of eye pressure in all study participants, was recently presented at the…

The way that the visual centers of men and women's brains works is different, finds new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Biology of Sex Differences. Men have greater sensitivity to fine detail and rapidly moving stimuli, but women are better at discriminating between colors.  In the brain there are high concentrations of…

Eyedrops are one of the most common ways to treat many eye diseases and conditions. However, many eyedrops need a prescription, and could be harmful if used without consulting your doctor. Only one sixth of the amount of eyedrop that most commercial dropper bottles deliver can be retained by the eye. Excess medication either drips…