Category: Eye Health

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…

A comprehensive eye exam is important for everyone, including people that are not able to speak or communicate.  In fact, regular eye check-ups are more important for someone who is not able to communicate, because if a problem does arise, this person is not able to tell us that there is vision loss or eye…

BC Doctors of Optometry to prescribe anti-glaucoma medication Amendments to the Optometrists Regulation took effect in August that will allow BC Doctors of Optometry to prescribe medications to treat glaucoma - an eye disease that often has no symptoms and may result in permanent blindness. The changes will make it easier and faster for British…

Avastin (bevacizumab) and Lucentis (ranibizumab injection), two widely used drugs to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), improve vision when administered monthly or on an as needed basis, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.  At two years, greater improvements in vision were seen with monthly administration for this common, debilitating eye disease.…

New and exciting technologies have emerged to examine the various parts of the eye. OCT is the most valuable advance in retinal diagnostic imaging in decades. The OCT is like an MRI of the eye. It provides a cross sectional analysis of the eye structures including the retina. OCT imaging allows optometrists and ophthalmologists to…

Young eyes need proper visual stimulation in order for mature vision to develop. For this to happen, both eyes need clear images of the world to focus on the retina and then be transmitted to the visual cortex of the brain. Amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye,” is a condition that occurs when vision in…

Sending your children outside to play can not only boost their physical fitness – it may also cut the risk of becoming near sighted.  Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, has become much more common in many countries over the past four decades, including Canada and the United States.  In parts of Asia, more than 80 percent of…