Unified effort to beat trachoma

French-speaking countries in West Africa joined forces to eliminate trachoma, the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness, under a new initiative spearheaded by The Task Force’s International Trachoma Initiative (ITI). Representatives discussed funding, logistics, and supply-chain management issues around the mass drug administration of antibiotic for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. (more…)

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November is diabetic eye disease awareness month

Eyezone Blog - Diabetic eye disease awareness month

Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. People with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and glaucoma.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease in America. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. (more…)

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Decorative contact lenses: A horror story

Wouldn’t it be cool to have vampire eyes for Halloween? Or deep violet eyes to match your purple sweater? How about your favorite sports team’s logo on your eyes just for fun?

You can have all of these looks with decorative contact lenses (sometimes called “fashion,” “costume,” or “colored” contact lenses). These lenses don’t correct vision—they just change how your eyes look. But before buying decorative lenses, here’s what you should know. (more…)

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Eyes into our small world: Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition 2017

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Running in its 43rd year, Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition is a science-focused photography competition that magnifies on anything that goes on under the microscope. With more than 2,000 entries from 88 different countries in 2017, the winning entries narrowed down to three prize winners, including 85 honorable mentions. (more…)

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Eye disease treatment for preemies

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Ground-breaking research by Monash University scientists has demonstrated the previously unknown existence of a disease-fighting immune cell in the eye and points to potential novel ways of treating eye disorders in premature babies and diabetic adults.

The scientists, led by Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka in the Central Clinical School’s new Department of Diabetes, were investigating improved ways of treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which occurs in very small, prematurely born babies. (more…)

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Our children’s vision counts

WSD2017-Eyezone Blog

This day marks World Sight Day, and organizations from all corners of the optical industry around the world gather to make their voices count. World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of global awareness on blindness and vision impairment co-ordinated by IAPB under the VISION 2020 Global Initiative.

Based on a new global data report published by IAPB Vision Atlas, 253 million people are visually impaired while 89% of these people live in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, localised and restricted environment in marginalized communities, such as ill-planned infrastructure and technological barriers, confers eye health challenges to children.  (more…)

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Featured: Eyezone Magazine meets the future with ZEISS

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It’s one of those awe-inspiring moments when Eyezone Magazine’s team finally bears witness to the unfolding of a promising future in optics. This dream is already reflected in “The Future of Optics” Convention where the Global ZEISS Vision Care community has met up in Berlin to try to offer the best vision possible – from the lens to virtualization, as well as, to digitized selling and all the science behind it. #ZEISSfuture is the hallmark of the convention, held in September of 2017.  (more…)

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Making vision count on World Sight Day 2017

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World Sight Day (WSD), held every second Thursday of October, is an annual day of awareness focusing global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Running in its fifth year of the WHO Global Action Plan, The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) encourages participants to continue with its rolling theme on Universal Eye Health, WHO’s Global Action Plan of 2014-19. The plan supports the provision of effective and accessible eye care services for effectively controlling visual impairment including blindness.  (more…)

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Genes may be responsible for sight loss

Eyezone Blog - Genes may be responsible for sight loss-compressed

In a conference held in Edinburgh titled “Eye Development and Degeneration 2017”, scientists said that they have identified chemical changes in the eye that can lead to blindness. Their findings aid understanding of a genetic condition that causes sight loss for one in 3,000 people in the UK.  (more…)

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July is dry eye awareness month

Eyezone Blog-NEI-Diagram of lacrimal gland meiobmian gland and layers of tear film

 

Recent strides toward understanding dry eye are leading to better and longer-lasting therapies for the millions of people in the U.S. who are affected by the condition.

Current therapies for dry eye provide symptomatic relief: steroids control inflammation, antibiotics counter infection, and artificial tears replenish moisture. But such approaches give only short-term relief for some people and require frequent reapplication. They also fail to address the underlying causes of dry eye. (more…)

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