It’s no surprise that more and more Americans are spending long hours in front of a computer screen, at work, at home and in between.  Research has proven that all those hours staring at a computer can actually be responsible for eyestrain and other eye-related problems. Eye health experts said in a November article posted on CNN’s website that the issue is growing and there is even a name for the problem – Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). According to the article, experts say that people who are in front of a computer screen for too long aren’t blinking enough, which naturally refreshes the eye.  Instead, blinking is reduced and causes dry, burning, and itchy eyes. Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/12/health/upwave-computer-eyes/, or talk to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons for more information.

Air quality and atmospheric pressure can lead to dry eye, according to a new study. The study, performed by Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami, looked at various environmental factors that could be affecting the eyes of people living in cities across the US. The researchers found that people living in cities with higher levels of air pollution, such as New York and Chicago, were diagnosed with dry eye syndrome more often than those living in cities with better air quality. Results of the study found that air pollution and atmospheric pressure had the most impact on dry eye syndrome. The American Lung Association’s annual air quality report ranked Phoenix as the 18th most-polluted metropolitan region, as measured by year-round particle pollution. Phoenix was ranked No. 7 in 2012 and No. 2 in 2011.  While improvements have been made, there are more things that can be done. Talk to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons if you have symptoms of dry eye.

A new European trend that is moving over to the U.S. is “eyeball jewelry implantation,” a procedure that places cosmetic jewelry under the superficial conjunctiva, the thin, filmy membrane that covers the inside of the eyelids and the white part of the eye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology urges consumers to avoid placing in the eye any foreign body or material that is not proven to be medically safe or approved by the FDA. Dangers of undergoing this procedure include: Blindness from severe ocular infection or bleeding Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding underneath the clear conjunctiva, turning the white part of the eye red) Perforation/puncture of the eye Conjunctivitis If you have questions about this procedure, talk to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

A new study conducted at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine says people with eye diseases such as macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy that damages their central vision, will be able to read quickly and comfortably by using a digital tablet. Patients with moderate vision loss significantly increased their reading speed and comfort using an iPad™ or Kindle.  The researchers think that other tablets that feature back-lit screens and font-enlargement capabilities would offer similar benefits. For patients who can no longer get treated with eyeglasses, medication, or surgery, low-vision aids are beneficial for reading.  In the past, reading aids were limited to lighted magnifiers, which are awkward and inconvenient by comparison. All of the 100 participants in the study gained at least 42 words-per-minute when using a tablet, as compared with reading a print book or newspaper. This holiday, consider giving your loved one a tablet to help make reading easier. There are new devices built with magnification and backlighting, as well as special apps to help track eye health as well. Learn more: http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/eye-health-news/study-finds-tablets-help-with-low-vision.cfm

An October report published in American Journal of Ophthalmology shared the results of a questionnaire that was given to 672 young and middle-aged office workers who use video display terminals (VDT), who then underwent dry eye testing. The prevalence of definite dry eye disease was 8 percent in men and 18.7 percent in women, based on clinical evaluation, while probable dry eye in men and women was 52.1 percent and 57.8 percent, respectively.  Women older than 30 who used VDTs more than eight hours a day had a significantly increased risk of dry eye. If you think you are suffering from dry eye, speak to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons.  

New research from Taipei Medical University shows that sleep apnea can be a contributing risk factor for developing glaucoma. The World Health Organization defines sleep apnea as a chronic condition that blocks breathing during sleep and affects more than 100 million people worldwide.  In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked, causing breathing to stop for up to two minutes.  Symptoms include loud snoring, gasping, or choking while asleep, morning headaches, and persistent daytime sleepiness. Glaucoma affects nearly 60 million people and is the second-leading cause of blindness. The study found that those who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea were 1.67 times more likely to have open-angle glaucoma in the five years after diagnosis than those without the sleep condition. The results of the study will hopefully encourage more people to discuss the connection between sleep apnea and glaucoma with their ophthalmologist. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends all adults get a baseline eye exam from an ophthalmologist by age 40, when early signs of disease and vision changes may start to occur. Speak to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons about testing for eye diseases.

A study published in the October issue of Ophthalmology, has shown that the risk of developing macular degeneration seems to vary by the type of glasses people need.  Macular degeneration is caused by deterioration of the retina and can severely impair vision.  Unfortunately there is no cure for macular degeneration, but it can usually be controlled with vitamins, medications, and vision aids. The conclusion of the study demonstrated that people with hyperopia (far-sightedness) were associated with higher risk of developing macular degeneration compared to normal-sightedness, and myopia (near-sightedness) was associated with lower risk of macular degeneration. To find out if you are at increased risk for macular degeneration, talk to your ophthalmologist at Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons at your next appointment.