Use UV Protective Sunglasses for Eyes
Many Americans think of sunglasses as fashion accessories, but they are so much more. It's vital to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays that can cause sunburns and vision loss. Wearing sunglasses that prevent 100 percent of UV rays can prevent eye problems like cataracts."So many people right now think it's the fashion but it's the preventative behind the fashion. We want to make sure we are preventing cataracts and macular degeneration, things like that," said Melissa Zalewski with The Rib Mountain Eye Center.
SDCB can help you or a loved one with vision loss and blindness. Please contact us to learn more.
Taking care of your eyes in the summer
A new study delves into the connection between cataract surgery and diabetic retinopathy with type 2 diabetics.
Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Often irreversible, annual eye examinations can make all the difference in protecting you or a loved one from experiencing vision loss. Researchers led by Baylor College have created a plan for tackling one of the most common forms of macular degeneration.
On numerous occasions, we have warned our readers about a weed that found its way to America and causes dermal burns and blindness. The Giant Hogweed is cropping up in several states and should be approached with severe caution. The invasive species is relatively unmistakable but can be confused with a different large plant (cow parsnip). It can grow 12 feet tall.
Brain-based visual impairment is the focus of new research from the National Eye Institute. Millions of young Americans contend with vision loss; fortunately, some men and women dedicate their lives to helping our youth overcome the same. Ellen Mazel, M.Ed. is one of those individuals. While vision loss is most often associated with ocular conditions, many people's deteriorating vision is rooted in the brain. 
New research shows that a Vitamin A analog may help scientists develop effective treatments for vision loss associated with early diabetic retinopathy. The study indicates that chromophore 9-cis-retinal can dramatically improve visual function in mice with diabetes.
Wearing face masks and carrying around hand sanitizers is the new normal for tens of millions of men and women worldwide. As the number of people contracting COVID-19 increases along with the death toll, we must do everything in our power to protect against contracting the deadly virus.
Millions of Americans contend with color blindness every day; around 8 percent of men and .5 percent of women of Northern European descent. Can you picture what life would be like if you couldn't see the color variations of a beautiful sunset? It's the reality of those living with color blindness. However, advances in technology have led to the creation of special glasses that can correct the disability. The most typical form of the condition, which prevents men and women from distinguishing between specific colors, is red-green color blindness. 
The most special day of one's life for the majority of adults is understandably their wedding day. Naturally, preparing for such an event is demanding and stressful; everyone wants to get hitched without any hitches. You want everything to be perfect from the catering to the cake, which can take hundreds of hours of preparation. Planning a wedding is challenging enough, now imagine having to organize it while living with blindness.
COVID-19 has changed the lives of billions of people in a myriad of ways. All of us have been impacted in one way or another—both in good ways and bad. For artist Sandy Goldberg, whose vision loss in the right eye changes how she sees the world, the pandemic has helped her to be okay with embracing her condition publicly. 
Staying healthy can be achieved by eating right and regular exercise. While Americans are mostly unable to get to the gym these days owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are many ways you can stay fit at home and outdoors. Adopting an exercise routine may help protect against vision loss as well.
The majority of children, naturally, know very little about disabilities. Ignorance can lead young people to mistreat other youngsters who are living with hearing, vision loss and blindness. Author Andrew Stoner decided to take it upon himself to help kids better understand what it's like to live with blindness.
Warning: methanol can be toxic to humans when ingested, inhaled, and absorbed through the skin. During a global pandemic that involves a potentially deadly virus, it's vital to wash or sanitize your hands regularly. Safe and effective hand sanitizers contain 60 percent or more of isopropyl alcohol.
These are isolating times for billions of people around the globe. Stay at home orders, and social distancing recommendations are inherently lonely for anyone, but they can be especially challenging for people living with disabilities such as deafness or blindness.
3D printing is always coming up with new assistive devices to help those who are visually impaired. Geometry is a very difficult subject to understand for many, and even more so when you can't see. 
A few cities around the world are trying "smart city projects". The projects implement a combination of technology to aid those with visual impairments and other physical disabilities to traverse the city more easily. 
As we age, changes occur in our bodies, including our eyes. While many issues that can crop up can't be prevented, there are some key care areas for your eyes that may help to keep them healthier as long as possible.
With approximately 45 million Americans wearing contact lenses, it's scary to think that many haven't been told proper care information, or, at least, they haven't properly heard and absorbed it. 
Previous studies have shown fruit and vegetables high in vitamins and other nutrients can be good for your eyes and your vision, just as they are good for most other parts of your body!
Diagnostic errors during routine eye exams may sit as high as 74%. The classic eye chart with letters on a wall has been used for decades and the results are up to the ophthalmologist to decipher and interpret leading to errors in both interpretation and diagnosis of problems. 
Paintings hanging in museums have long been "no touch" zones. There have been multiple efforts to recreate paintings for people who are visually impaired to experience.
In 2017, a team in Europe found a transformative therapy for a young boy with serious skin damage to 80% of his body. Now scientists are building on the gene therapy that was used for that child to tackle macular degeneration. 
The Mexican Cavefish lives in caves with little oxygen and no light. With this habitat, the fish mutated from another species and has no eyes. In fact, with this mutation, blood flow is cut off to the eyes during embryonic development. 
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness on the planet. In fact, the condition is the number one cause of new blindness in working-age adults. Early detection is key to preventing further problems. According to the National Eye Institute, diabetic retinopathy affects between 40 and 45 percent of American diabetics.
A team of researchers led by Leilei Gu at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology may have achieved what was once thought impossible—the creation of an artificial eye. The implications this feat could have for people living with vision loss or blindness could be profound.
Scientists are looking for ways to detect eye disease in earlier stages in countries with limited access to health care. 
With so many people using computers, phones and other screens much more than usual during this time, some people are feeling eye strain through out the day. Understandably, many are concerned about the long term impact of screen time and the associated eye strain. 
Steve Saylor is known as the Blind Gamer. Years ago he started a YouTube channel on which he laughed about his bad computer game skills. After some discussions, he realized the problem wasn't his gaming skills, but the games themselves. 
Type-2 diabetes and vision loss often go hand-in-hand. It's a complicated disease that can be fatal if it isn't carefully monitored. A group of researchers wondered: "Could vision loss and the visual disturbances that diabetes patients experience be prevented?"
Your vision is of the utmost importance and preventing vision loss should be at the top of your priority list. May is Healthy Vision Month! Please schedule an appointment for an eye exam with your local ophthalmologist to make sure you're not at risk of problems.
Age-related macular degeneration impacts the lives of millions of people around the globe. Vision loss is caused by inflammation in the eye that leads to excessive growth of blood vessels in the retina. Current therapies to slow the process are anti-VEGF therapies such as Regeneron and Bayer's Eylea.
One of the challenges that premature babies face involves the eyes. A condition called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disorder that is one of the leading causes of blindness in children. However, treatment can prevent blindness in premature babies. 
Hellen Keller is a name that rings out in the blind community and beyond. We all learned about her remarkable feats in elementary school. Did you know that she fought hard to get Braille books into the hands of adults? She spoke to congress advocating for federally funded programs to help achieve her goal.