IBM & VSP: We have had numerous inquiries from patients with IBM eye care insurance. If you are an IBM employee or retiree, you know by now that IBM is switching its coverage from VSP to Eye Med, as of December 31, 2011. Our office has signed on to provide vision care for Eye Med patients. If you have renewed your eye care insurance with VSP you will still be able to come to our office and receive eye care through the end of 2012. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: In September, Dr. Mueller attended Vision Expo West, one the country's largest and best attended eye conferences. Hundreds of continuing education courses are offered on a broad range of eye topics -- from the latest technology in eye care to new methods of treating eye diseases and emerging standards of care. This five day eye conference is attended by thousands of eye doctors seeking to improve their ability to effectively treat their patients.
NEARSIGHTEDNESS & GENETICS - A recent study conducted at the Ben-Gurion University, Israel, has identified a gene that appears to be responsible for certain types of nearsightedness. The hope of the researchers is that they can ultimately find ways to alter the development and progression of the most common human eye disorder.
Other research has indicated that children that spend more time out of doors tend to develop nearsightedness less often and the progress of their myopia is at a slower rate than those that spend less time inside.
YELLOW SPOTS AROUND YOUR EYELIDS? Researchers have found that the yellow plaques known as "Xanthelasmata", and which contain lipids, are markers of increased risk of heart attacks and ischemic heart disease and death. The presence of these plaques should be noted by your primary physician as a risk factor for heart disease.
ELECTRONIC EYE-GLASSES: The latest "wow" factor in eye glasses are glasses that change prescription at the touch of a button on the side piece of the glasses. This transition occurs due to activation of transparent liquid crystals that exist within a tradition eye glass lens. These lenses can be made to focus at distance or for reading as well as any distance in between. A company called "Pixel Optics" located in Virginia is the innovator of these new specs. They are expected to retail for about $1250 and at present are only available in the Southeast and California.
THE CHALLENGE OF NIGHT DRIVING - Driving at night can be challenging for people as they age through their 50's and beyond. Because of the increased number of hours of darkness in winter, several things can help with night driving:
1. Always keep windshields and headlights clean
2. Anti-reflective coatings, applied to the surface of your eye wear, can be very helpful for night driving, because it helps eliminate annoying glare from head and tail lights, as well as increasing the amount of light that is available for seeing at night.
3. For daylight driving, especially with snow on the ground or wet pavement, polarized lenses can significantly decrease the amount of light that is reflected from snow and ice.
4. Using OTC artificial tears to decrease surface dryness in winter especially when driving with windshield blowers on, can also make a difference not only in comfort but in seeing especially on long drives.
All of these recommendations can make winter driving safer and more comfortable. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office.
FLASHERS & FLOATERS - HOW SERIOUS?? One of the things that are frequently the cause of an office visit to any eye doctor are flashes of light and spots before the eyes. These typically occur suddenly and can be alarming. Flashes will usually be noted in dim illumination, such as semi-dark room or in a room that does not have the lights turned on. A typical scenario is going into the bedroom at night and going to turn on the light switch, but before you get to the switch you will see something like sparklers and/or fireworks going off in one eye. This phenomenon is called a phosphene and is caused by pressure on the retina -- usually created with eye movement.
Floaters are small pieces of the inside of the eye that float around in the central part of the eye (vitreous) or blood cells that are coming from a broken blood vessel or tear in the retina. These floaters are more noticeable with high ambient light, such as being outside on a sunny day or looking at a white background.
In the event that you see spots, flashing lights or a curtain or veil over your vision, you should contact your eye doctor immediately to rule out that you have a problem with your retina.
TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACKS (TIA's) are noticeable as "graying out" or blacking out of the vision, which can last from one to several minutes. These are warning signs that the circulation to the eye and/or brain has been compromised and if you have these symptoms you should immediately call your eye doctor or primary doctor as these symptoms can be the sign of an impending stroke to the eye or brain.
New Contact Lenses Under Development Stream Real-Time Images.
BBC News reports that according to research published in the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, "a new generation of contact lenses that project images in front of the eyes is a step closer after successful animal trials." The new "technology could allow wearers to read floating texts and emails or augment their sight with computer-generated images, Terminator-style." However, the "crude prototype device can only work if it is within centimetres of the wireless battery," and "its microcircuitry is only enough for one light-emitting diode," BBC News explains.
Office hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday 10:50 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday 8:50 a.m. - 12 p.m.
EMERGENCY NUMBER 334-2155
