Here is a video on the importance of protective eyewear during the summer as well as seeking regular eye care throughout the year.
The US Bureau of Engraving and Printing has developed EyeNote™ a free, new iPhone app to aid the visually impaired or blind in identifying US paper currency. Essentially, the app is designed to allow the user to hold the bill in one hand and the iPhone in the other while scanning the paper currency. After a few seconds the iPhone will tell the user the denomination of the currency in English or Spanish. EyeNote™ can also operate in privacy mode with a different number of beeps signaling the value of the currency.
The app runs independent of a data connection. EyeNote™ can not differentiate between genuine and fake currency. EyeNote™ works on the following devices
Scan the QR code to the right with your iPhone to go to the iTunes EyeNote™ page.
Posted in Low Vision, Sites We like
Tagged blind, blindness, currency, EyeNote, free, iPhone, iPhone App, iTunes, Low Vision, visually handicapped
It’s been in the works for a couple months now, Dr. Diana’s new website www.PrettyIll.com is now live. Check it out. I think you all will be really impressed by all of the information available there with much more information still to come. The website will feature information, mostly in video format, for patients facing chronic illness such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Postural Orthostatic Hypertension and Dysautonomia to name a few.
The PrettyIll.com website will also be the hub for a number of studies that Dr. Diana is starting. The first of which is Vascular Fundus Changes in Patients With High Probability of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI), a study that is being done at Total Eye Care. The second study is Head Circumference Growth in Children with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Who Develop Dysautonomia later in life. There are other future studies planned as well. I hope you check out the new site and leave a comment!
We are very pleased to announce that Total Eye Care will start its first clinical study next month. The title of the study is Vascular Fundus Changes in Patients With High Probability of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI). Check out the video below for more information. We are recruiting patients with either Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Multiple Sclerosis so please spread the word. The video has a lot of good information on the study so please do check it out.
April 28-May 1, 2011: Orlando, FL —Richard A Driscoll, O.D. attended the Orthokeratology Academy of America Educational Conference. In keeping with Total Eye Care’s philosophy of providing a complete solution to their patients visual needs Dr. Driscoll has furthered his knowledge in the area of Orthokeratology a procedure where patients wear a vision retainer at night, remove the lens during the day and experience good vision all day long. Says Dr. Driscoll, “some patients simply are not surgical candidates for LASIK or PRK and want a safer alternative to refractive surgery, Orthokeratology provides that safe, effective surgical alternative.”
Current research also shows that the same vision retainers used in Ortho-K can slow myopic progression in children. Said Dr. Driscoll “parents often ask if there is anything they can do to prevent their child from becoming more nearsighted. We can now tell them that studies show Orthokeratology vision retainers significantly slow the progression of nearsightedness in children. New lens designs were also discussed at the meeting and we expect they will be shown to be even more effective. Early reports on these new lens designs will likely be presented next year.”
The keynote address, Myopia as a Public Health Concern, was given by Melbourne Hovell, Ph.D., M.P.H. The international faculty of presenters covered topics including myopia control (including soft lens technology), corneal reshaping research, safety of corneal reshaping, progressive/hyperopic Ortho-K lens designs, new corneal reshaping technologies, post LASIK lenses, Keratoconus / Ortho-K lenses, lens designs for corneal rehabilitation, corneal cross-linking and Ortho-K in China. “This is by far the most widely attended meeting on Orthokeratology and myopia control in the world. There were doctors in attendance from every continent except Antarctica” said Dr. Richard Driscoll, “controlling the progression of myopia was a central theme to the meeting.”
President Dr. Cary Herzberg had the pleasure of announcing the inception of the new International Academy of Orthokeratology(IAO). The IAO brings together Ortho-K organizations from the United States (OAA) as well as Europe and Asia. This international organization will support, promote and advance corneal reshaping worldwide through quality education and research presentations at meetings held around the world.
Dr. Richard Driscoll is a Therapeutic Optometrist and Optometric Glaucoma Specialist. Dr. Driscoll has been taking care of patients in Colleyville and Keller, Texas since 1995. Dr. Driscoll sees a wide variety of patients however his clinical interests include myopia control / orthokeratology, connective tissue disease, keratoconus, post refractive surgery and anterior segment disease.
More information on Ortho-K and Total Eye Care is available at
www.OrthoKDoctor.com
www.TotalEyeCare.com
OrthoKeratology posts on The Eye Doc Blog
Posted in orthokeratology, Refractive issues
Tagged control, myopia, Myopia Prevention, ortho-K, orthok, orthokeratology, prevention
For strict dietary vegans flax meal may be the only option of increasing the omega 3 fatty acids, albeit an inefficient one. However, for most people flax seed oil’s role is very limited in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. Flax seed meal on the other hand may have a limited role. The biggest disadvantages to using flax seed oil is that you can’t cook with it (it is not stable above 160° F), it must be refrigerated and it has a short shelf life. Flax seed meal, on the other, hand can be used as a shortening substitute, has a very high fiber content, has a much longer shelf life and can be used in baking. Therefore, I would only recommend flax seed oil over omega 3 fatty acids derived from fish if someone did not like the texture of the flax seed meal or flax meal would be inappropriate in a particular recipe.
One of the best uses of flax seed meal is its high fiber content therefore, I would recommend flax seed meal in baking to increase our dietary fiber and any ALA (alpha linolenic acid) converted to the omega fatty acids is just an extra bonus. In addition, flax seeds are not digested by our bodies and should not be considered as a dietary source of fiber or omega 3 fatty acids. The flax seed’s shell is very hard and must be crushed if our bodies are to utilize it. Therefore, if you must rely on flax as a source of omega 3 fatty acids utilize flax seed meal.
This article is the fourth and final article in a series on Omega 3 fatty acids in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.
The short answer, without question is fish oil. We have found better results by eliminating the flax seed oil and greatly increasing the EPA and DHA (we like 2000 mg to 3000 mg of EPA and DHA combined). Flax seed oil is very unstable and thus has a short shelf life at room temperature. Flax seed oil also does not contain omega 3 fatty acids, instead our bodies must convert the ALA (alpha linolenic acid) contained within the flax seed into the omega 3 fatty acids that can then be used by our bodies. Another disadvantage to flax seed oil is that our body’s conversion of flax seed oil to EPA or DHA is very inefficient. The conversion ALA to EPA/DHA rate has been reported to be between 4% and 15% (worse for DHA than EPA and lower for men than women). A person’s conversion rate can vary based on many factors. Therefore, fish is a much better and efficient source of omega 3 fatty acids.
This article is the third in the four part series on using omega 3 fatty acids in treating dry eye syndrome
Posted in dry eye, dry eye syndrome
Tagged cholesterol, chronic fatigue, DHA, dry eye syndrome, EPA, essential fatty acid, fatty acid, fibromyalgia, fish oil, flax, lipid, MS, multiple sclerosis, omega 3, omega 3 fatty acid, triglyceride
As eye doctors we recommend that our patients with dry eyes increase their dietary intake of omega 3 fatty acids. Our typical dosage is 2000 mg to 3000 mg in a combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This translates into 4 oz of wild, Atlantic salmon per day. Regardless of how much we like salmon we probably don’t want it every day no matter how many different ways there are to fix it, therefore fish oil capsules are a necessary dietary supplement. Unfortunately, not all fish oil capsules are created equal. Often inferior and/or low dose varieties cause “fish burp” and indigestion while others can not be efficiently used by our bodies. Here is an article on how to evaluate the different types of omega 3 fish oil capsules.
This article is the second of a four part series on using omega 3 fatty acids in treating dry eye syndrome
A hot topic currently in medicine revolves around the multiple benefits of increasing the Omega 3 Fatty Acids in our western diets. At Total Eye Care we have recommended increasing the essential fatty acids in our diet for many years. A pilot study, conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, on the efficacy Omega 3 Fatty Acids in the treatment of dry eye syndrome was published in the journal Cornea. 36 patients with dry eye syndrome were involved in the study. The control group was given a placebo and the study group was given a daily dose of 450 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 300 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and 1000 mg of flaxseed oil. The patient’s symptoms and objective findings were assessed at baseline and then again 90 days later.
The objective findings suggested that there was increased tear production as well as an improvement in fluorophotometry (the assessment of the tears with fluorescein dye), however more importantly 70% of the study group experienced an improvement in their symptoms versus only 7% of the control group. This data compares well with what we see clinically at Total Eye Care.
This article is the first in a four part series on using omega 3 fatty acids in the treatment of dry eye syndrome
Posted in dry eye, dry eye syndrome
Tagged cholesterol, chronic fatigue, DHA, dry eye syndrome, EPA, essential fatty acid, fibromyalgia, fish oil, lipid, MS, multiple sclerosis, omega 3 fatty acid, triglyceride
Hello my faithful friends. Here I am, breaking into The Eye Doc Blog yet again. I may need to consider having one devoted solely to this subject, don’t you think? Meanwhile, I wanted to reach out to you, first to thank you for your amazing stories of courage as we all help each other put the pieces of the proverbial puzzle together. It was also time to give you another update and a wonderful source of information. Thanks, Babe (that is Dr. Rich to you all. 
ahem) for posting this.
I’d like to address our Ehlers-Danlos friends (known and unknown), those suffering from POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and those dealing with Multiple Sclerosis (even if the diagnosis is not certain). Research is on the cutting edge of science in these areas and because ‘I have donated my body to science while still using it’ (gotta love a pioneer, right?), I’ve jumped at the chance to have the veins in my neck and head tested for blockages or narrowed areas (stenoses) and poor flow. This condition is known as CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal vascular insufficiency) and I was recently tested for it (BINGO!) and treated.
I don’t show my veins to just anyone, but for you, dear friends, I’ll give you a peek (hopefully you have a strong stomach). On your left, the large “garden hose” is my internal jugular vein (too large because the valve at the base was lousy), and on your right are my “Ramen noodles”. Somewhere in that mess is a tiny internal jugular vein, and most of the other noodles are “collaterals” – an attempt by my body to drain fluid from my brain my making its own route out of there! I had that jugular vein ballooned, and the bad valve ballooned. Another vein Continue reading
Posted in Ehlers-Danlos
Tagged CCSVI, chronic fatigue, CSF, Ehlers Danlos, fibromyalgia, MS, multiple sclerosis, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS
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