An Overview of Visual Impairments in Children With Cerebral Palsy

By Paul Ramon

     

    

Unfortunately, visual impairment is common in children with cerebral palsy. As many as 75 percent will develop some degree of visual impairment during their development. Because sight is such a key element to a child's growth and development, diagnosis and treatment of vision issues at the earliest possible stage is critical in children with cerebral palsy. Parents need to familiarize themselves with the types of vision disorders common in children with CP as part of an effort to provide them with a full and functional life as they grow older.

Cerebral palsy can result in many different vision disorders, but the 4 most common are CVI (cortical visual impairment), acuity loss, field loss and amblyopia.

CVI is a dysfunction of the brain and not a direct problem with the eyes. It is the most common visual impairment among children with CP. It is known as "cortical visual impairment," "cerebral visual impairment" or sometimes "cortical blindness" (despite the fact that not all people who suffer from CVI are totally blind). The list of potential causes of CVI-asphyxia, ischemia or hypoxia during the birth process; developmental brain defects, head injury, hydrocephalus, infant stroke, etc. mirrors the list of potential causes for cerebral palsy. Symptoms of CVI include: poor visual acuity, abnormal response to light, atypical eye movement, fatigue from visual tasks and difficulty picking out specific objects in a busy array.

Acuity loss is what it sound like: blurred vision. Common farsightedness and nearsightedness are examples of acuity loss and can usually be treated by corrective glasses or contact lenses.

Field loss is the umbrella term for a dysfunction in the eye's field of vision. For instance, "Central loss" would refer to a visual impairment in the center of the field of vision. "Hemianopia" refers to visual impairment in one of the four corners of the field of vision. "Island of vision" is when all but one or two isolated spots are visually impaired "Scotomas" refers to the reversal symptoms of "Island of vision-when only one or two spots are visually impaired. "Peripheral loss" (aka "tunnel vision") is the loss of visual fidelity on one or more sides.

"Amblyopia" (aka "lazy eye) occurs when a person has trouble determining depth of field and one eye will have noticeably poorer vision than the other.

Apart from the symptoms of CVI listed above, it is important for parents of children with cerebral palsy to be on the constant lookout for other eye and vision related problems. Poor focusing or tracking, constant eye rubbing, squinting, chronic redness or tearing could be indicators of the early stages of a vision disorder and should be checked out as soon as possible.

Most vision impairments in children with cerebral palsy are just as treatable as they are in children without and many can be managed with corrective lenses of some kind. For children diagnosed with CVI, the treatment can become more involved. Recent developments in "visual stimulation therapies" can help maximize your child's visual skills and resources. If a child's visual skills have not reached prescribed milestones within the first 10 years, it may become necessary to begin training the child in non-visual forms of communication, writing and reading, including Braille and text-to-speech software. You will need to work with your child's optometrist to develop the appropriate treatment and education path to fit the child's specific needs.

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Choosing Sports Eyewear Smartly

By Hillary G Glaser

     

    

Did you know that every year, emergency rooms all over the United States treat more than 40,000 sports-related eye injuries? According to Prevent Blindness, most of these injuries could have been prevented and even non-contact sports, like badminton, can present a danger to your eyes. Playing sports is important for your heart, your health, and your spirit but there are ways of protecting your eyes against rogue balls that may fly towards your head. Any sport with balls, racquets, or flying objects also pose a danger to your eyes but there are ways of preventing injury. Besides being aware of your surroundings, wearing the appropriate protective eye gear can help prevent eye injuries during sports.

Think about it - in a game of tennis, the ball moves around 60 miles per hour towards and away from your racquet. One slight move and the ball can hit you directly in the eye or towards the side of your head- causing injury. The larger and faster the ball, the more risk involved. These are fantastic reasons to wear protective eyewear like sporting goggles or prescription glasses fashioned with polycarbonate lenses. Since most of the injuries associated with pokes and jabs that come from your fellow player's fingers, it's duly important to wear some kind of protective gear. Basketball and swimming have the highest rates of injury, so it's no surprise that professional athletes in the NBA and Olympic swimmers wear some form of goggle.

A lot of today's protective eyewear comes in prescription form since most players and coaches know that playing with anything less than 20/20 vision is counter-productive. Yet, most glasses, sunglasses, and safety glasses generally don't provide the appropriate amount of protection you need when playing spots. There are a few features to look for in protective sports eyewear. Sports goggles come in a wide range of styles, shapes, and sizes but most are designed for sports that require a racquet like tennis. There are goggles and eye masks for soccer and basketball players, too, but they leave much to be desired in terms of attractiveness. Hockey and football players are the lucky ones since their protective eyewear is generally designed to fit inside their helmets - which already offer them protection. Before picking out a pair of sports goggles or glasses, think about what sport you are about to play.

Lenses are also important. The best lens for eye protection is made from polycarbonate. Given how impact resistant and shatter resistant polycarbonate is, it's the perfect choice for people who play sports. Polycarbonate lenses also work well to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light, making them the perfect all-purpose lens for outdoor sports. If left untreated, polycarbonate lenses can easily become scratched. Your best bet is to have your eye glasses or goggle lenses coated in an anti-scratch coating. If you're worried about glare, you may want to have them dipped in an anti-glare coating as well which will help anyone from golfers to tennis pros. Additionally, the frames associated with sporting wear are different than your average eyeglasses frames, so make sure your frames are suitable for your sport and not for every day use.
 

Hillary Glaser is a social networking specialist and expert in cross-media promotion, currently working on promoting prescription eyeglasses. She is the Director of Marketing and Special Projects for GlassesUSA.com - the easiest way to buy glasses online, which now offers free shipping on all US orders with the code FreeShip10.
 

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Eye Doctor Versus Optometrist - Know the Difference?

By Hillary Glaser

     

Optician versus optometrist versus ophthalmologists (eye doctors), did you even know that there is a very distinctive difference? Well, for a vast majority of people, the answer is surprisingly "no", even though ones eyes are such a crucial part of ones life and ability to live fully and enjoy to the fullest.

From the outset, one should always remember that every profession has its place and so whether optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist, all three have very special roles to play in maintaining the overall health of your eyes. However, knowing who to visit and when will help to save you a lot of time, money and effort.

Let's start with opticians, who are untrained professionals whose role is to help you to find the perfect glasses frames to suit all elements of your personality, lifestyle, loves and so on; but, they are not able to do eye examinations or to treat eye problems - at all and ever! Opticians are usually found at offline retail stores as they provide a face to face service for customers buying eyeglasses. As the online world of glasses buying takes over, their roles are becoming redundant.

Then we have optometrists, who act as your primary eye care providers and have put effort into attaining a degree and special license to be a Doctor of Optometry. This kind of professional is able to fully test your eyes; both to update your eyeglasses prescription, and to detect more serious eye problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, detached retina and so on; as well as testing color perception, depth, and the ability to focus and coordinate the eyes. Therefore, your optometrist is able to diagnose, and in many cases, treat most optical problems and to adapt the necessary strengths for new eyeglasses or contact lenses. What an optometrist lacks is the ability to carry out surgery and so, for any big problems, he/she will refer you to a specialist, generally known as an ophthalmologist or eye doctor.

An ophthalmologist is a full medical doctor with a full Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D. or D.O.), extensive clinical training and a complete general knowledge of all medical issues. Although most people would choose to simply go to an ophthalmologist for all of their eye care needs, ophthalmologists rarely practice optometry and so, will not simply see a patient who wants to check their eyes for an updated prescription and he will not keep a supply of glasses and contact lenses; or order them in for patients. An ophthalmologist is able to practice surgery and is usually kept very busy operating on those with glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and other retinal problems, or helping patients to deal with the effects or after effects of these eye diseases. Most people who have ever been operated on by an ophthalmologist will need to see him for a annual check up to ensure that their eyes remain at their most optimal, possible.

So now the knowledge is yours and when next you have a problem with your eyes, you will not make a mistake on choosing the right eye professional to visit!

H. Glaser works with GlassesUSA.com - the easiest way to buy glasses online. She is an optical expert specializing in styling eyeglasses for the company.

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Home Remedies For Tired Eyes

By Sofia Portner

     

Tired eyes can affect your whole body, you have trouble thinking, concentrating and your mind feels all blocked up. Tiredness of the eyes is a very common problem which comes hand-in-hand with lack of sleep, when your eyes don't get enough rest they become sore, the skin becomes swollen and puffy, you may even get bloodshot eyes. This is because your eyes need resting time, usually 7-8 hours a night is enough. During sleeping hours your eyes process all the things they have seen that day, without this time to rest they get over worked.
Tired Eyes Symptoms

• Burning
• Redness
• Blurry Vision
• Heaviness
• Headache
• Itchiness

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms above then you are most likely suffering from tired eyes. But don't worry it's not a serious problem, a good nights rest should sort it out in no time.
If there is any pain in the eyes then a doctor should be consulted, this is not something that is advised to be treated at home.
Home Remedies For Tired Eyes
Using a home remedy for tired eyes is always the best option, it is gentle to your eyes and doesn't cost a lot of money. Here are some of the best ways to treat your tired eyes from home.

• Try placing two spoons in the fridge overnight, when you get them out they will be quite cold. Place them on closed eyelids to help with any tiredness or puffiness. You eyes should feel a bit more awake.
• Dip a cotton ball into some milk, and place it on the eyes for a few minutes. Milk is said to have healing properties which work well on tired eyes.
• Cucumber is popular for helping eyes relax and this is because it actually does, cucumber is made mostly from water. Cut a couple of slices and place them over the eyes for instant relief.
• Washing the eyes regularly with cold water may help, it helps lubricate them and stops them from feelings tired.
• Get a cup of water and mix in some lavender oil, dip a cotton ball into the mixture and rub over the eyelids. Lavender is very useful for helping to relax and getting your muscles to relax. It is perfect for helping to get a good nights rest.
• If you wear contacts, try removing them for a couple of days and stick to glasses. Contacts can aggravate the eyes surface so it would be beneficial to take a break and use some of the above treatments on the eyes.
• Don't read in the dark or use the computer in a dark room, this can cause your eyes to have to work harder than they need to which makes them more tired. Take a break for a little while if you are using the computer for long periods of time.

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Vision Conditions: LASIK Eye Surgery and Other Treatment Options

By Kristen Mozayeni           

 

    

Astigmatism
A very common eye condition, astigmatism occurs when someone's cornea is irregularly shaped, not allowing the retina to properly focus on light. Many people with astigmatism believe LASIK eye surgery is not a possibility for them. This is not true. If a LASIK specialist has invested in recent technology, then having astigmatism does NOT make you a non-candidate. Patients who desire to reduce their dependence on and possibly get rid of their eyeglasses or contacts should visit a reputable LASIK specialist to determine whether or not their eyes are suitable for LASIK eye surgery. During a LASIK consultation, you should expect the following at a minimum: a scan of your cornea, checking of your peripheral vision, pupil reaction, eye dominance, tear production, your entire health history (not just your eyes) and you should meet your surgeon on this day as well.

Reading Vision Correction
As we age, our internal eye lenses gradually get harder, losing the ability to change shape automatically and focus up close. Typically noticeable by 45, presbyopia (farsightedness or loss of close-up vision) is often correctable via LASIK eye surgery or other, non-surgical methods. LASIK options such as Monovision or Presby-LASIK can reshape the cornea so light once again bends correctly, allowing proper retinal focusing. For those not suitable for LASIK eye surgery, numerous solutions treat presbyopia, including:

• Bifocal glasses
• Multifocal glasses
• Monovision contacts
• Reading glasses

Distance Vision Correction
Many people are myopic, meaning that they can't see far away. This can happen at many stages of life, and in many cases, it is inherited. The good thing about myopia is that it is easy to fix. When someone is myopic, it means the surface of the cornea (the front of the eye) is too steep and light gets focused slightly in front of the retina. LASIK eye surgery is the process of reshaping the cornea to correct distance vision issues. Afterward, the eye can correctly bend light again, restoring clear vision. Patients deemed good LASIK candidates should look carefully at their surgeon's experience, level of patient care and technology. If your surgeon thinks you are a good candidate, then your surgeon can also recommend all-laser blade free LASIK or all laser blade-free PRK. In cases where individuals are not suitable candidates, they can be treated with a prescription for contacts and/or glasses to correct their distance vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a common condition that diabetic patients must monitor carefully. Untreated diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness and therefore should be closely monitored. Many times affecting both eyes, diabetic retinopathy is present in roughly 40% of Type I diabetes cases and 20% of Type II cases. Other than keeping blood sugar levels as close to homeostasis as possible, diabetics need to visit their eye care specialist regularly to keep check on their visual status. When caught in its early stages, diabetic retinopathy is much easier to manage and treat. A comprehensive eye exam can unearth diabetic retinopathy while quality diabetic eye care can maximize retinal health. Diabetic retinopathy does not automatically make you a non-candidate for LASIK. Diabetic patients should be carefully evaluated by a qualified LASIK specialist to determine if they are a candidate. Your diabetic history should be an integral part of that evaluation process and discussion about the best solution for vision correction.

Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea becomes abnormally thin, bulges like a cone and becomes distorted. This causes significant visual distortion. In the early stages of keratoconus, patients typically can be fitted with contacts that will give them acceptable vision. However, if the keratoconus does not stabilize and continues to worsen, a corneal transplant is ultimately required. Keratoconus patients are NOT LASIK candidates. LASIK can actually accelerate keratoconus.
There is excellent and exciting news on the horizon for keratoconus patients. Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL), which has been performed in Europe since 1997, has been in clinical trials in the United States. It is possible the procedure will be approved by the FDA by mid-2014, offering hope to those suffering from keratoconus. While CXL may not cure this disease, corneal cross linking may be the key in slowing keratoconus progression and reducing the chances of needing a corneal transplant. It is expected that there will be some keratoconus patients that may be LASIK candidates after successful corneal cross linking. This is something that should be discussed with a LASIK specialist who is also performing corneal cross linking when available.

Check out our blog at: http://www.providenceeye.com/blog/ to learn more about vision conditions, advanced LASIK technology and complete eye care treatments. Or, feel free to contact us to schedule a complimentary eye examination if you're interested in LASIK eye surgery: http://www.providenceeye.com/contact-us.php. Thanks for reading!

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What Do Eye Test Results Mean?

By Dr. Amrita Sodhi

     

You have been noticing a slight blurriness in your vision for a few months now. You manage to squeeze some time in your busy schedule for an eye test in one of the top eye hospitals. First-timers often have multiple thoughts running in their mind: What will I have to do? How would it be done exactly?


What happens in a regular eye test to check spectacle numbers?

Top eye hospitals often have an optometrist to first have a look at your eye. First, a complete history is sought. You are asked questions about what complaints brought you for an eye check, other illnesses (to find out if diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure could have a toll on your eyesight), the medications that you have been taking (some medicines may have an effect on your eyes in the long term), eye diseases that run in your family, the nature of your profession and few details of your lifestyle that could affect your sight like the number of hours spent at the computer, time spent in the sun etc.

Next, you will be checked for distance vision. This is done by asking you to look at a chart with alphabets of various sizes and identifying the smallest size that you can see clearly.
After that you are tested for near vision. A small hand held card with text of various sizes is held about 12-14 inches from your eyes.

Regular spectacle users who seek eye care in top eye hospitals are probably very well aware of all this. They often have questions about the prescription that is handed after the test: What do the numbers indicate? What do + and - mean? Patients are often left wondering what the codes on the prescription means. Even if it's one of the top eye hospitals, very few patients receive answers to their queries.


Understanding the test results:

The results of far vision testing are recorded as a fraction. While 6/6 is considered normal, a vision of 6/9 would mean that you can see at 6 metres what a normal person would be able to see at 9 metres. The results of near vision testing are expressed as N6, N8, N10, N14 etc. and N6 is considered normal.

The other components:

SPH / Sphere: This records if you are short sighted (- minus sign) or long sighted (+ plus sign) and by how much.

CYL / Cylinder: This means that your eyes are not perfectly spherical and you have astigmatism.

AXIS: This indicates the orientation of the astigmatism.

There might be an "Add" number which is usually seen in people above 40. It means that you need that much extra power for reading at close distances.

Apart from the above vision testing, additional tests may be needed to test your peripheral vision, colour vision, depth perception, eye muscle balance, eye pressure, retina (the back of your eye) etc. Top eye hospitals usually offer all these services under one roof which means that you need not worry about anything other than... just getting yourself to seek the elusive time for that appointment!

Advanced Eye Hospital and Institute (AEHI) is the most technologically progressive Eye hospital in Navi Mumbai. Our experienced team includes prominent ophthalmologists in eye care service areas like General Ophthalmology, Cornea & Refractive Surgery, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Vitreo-Retinal Surgery & Oculoplasty.

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School Vision Screenings Vs. Eye Exams

By Dr. Grace Kim

     

Because the ability to see well has such a direct relationship with a student's ability to behave and succeed in school, students across the nation are receiving vision screenings while in school. But what exactly does a school vision screening entail, and how does it differ from visiting your local eye doctor for a professional eye exam?

School Screening

Much of the learning that our children do is based entirely on being able to see their materials, whether that is the book in front of them, their test paper, or the teacher's notes on the blackboard. It comes as no surprise, then, that schools are invested in learning whether students can see properly and that they report their findings to parents out of hopes that the parents will fix the problem.

Schools regularly perform school vision screenings to check a child's eyesight and ability to see things far away. Vision screenings are often a parent's first professional notice that their child may be struggling to see. Sadly, they are no substitute for an eye exam. These screenings are often performed by school nurses, not by optometrists, and students are not thoroughly tested to determine all potential issues. The American Optometric Association specifically warns that school vision screenings are not able to accurately assess your child's eye health.

Eye Exam

In contrast, a professionally conducted eye exam puts you, your child, and a doctor in a room and ensures that your child's vision is fully tested to determine what issues, if any, exist. Should your child have vision difficulties, your eye doctor will be able to give them a prescription to correct their vision after the exam. Even children who pass their school vision screenings should be examined by an eye doctor to ensure that there are no issues that school screeners may have missed.

There is No Substitute for a Real Eye Exam!

Remember: although school vision screenings may help you to determine that your child's eyes are not performing at their best, they are no substitute for having a professional optometrist examine your child. School vision screeners have to examine a very high number of patients, and they are simply unable to take the time they need to ensure that they have a proper prescription for your child.
Instead, these screenings are largely intended to help parents know that their child needs to have an official eye exam and be fitted for glasses.

If your child has had a school vision screening and the screener recommended that your child be fitted for glasses, don't delay: schedule an eye exam with a doctor of optometry as soon as you can. Poor vision can have a wide-reaching effect on your child, including contributing to behavioral problems and poor grades. Giving your child the gift of healthy eyesight is often the best gift you could ever give them.
 

Dr. Grace Kim is Chairperson for Clinical Advisory Panel of America's Best, a nationwide eyeglasses retailer. With over 300 locations nationwide, America's Best provides thousands of high quality eyewear to customers every day. They carry a wide selection of designer eyeglasses and contact lenses in each of their stores, and they also offer eye exams. Learn more about designer eyeglasses at http://www.twopair.com/eyeglasses/designer-glasses/

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