Vision loss linked to depression

The theme of World Health Day 2017 is depression. Various studies conducted by ophthalmologists and researchers show that adults with vision loss were 90 percent more likely to have clinical…

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Priorities for glaucoma care in Sub-Saharan Africa

Eyezone Blog-Priorities for glaucoma care in Sub-Saharan Africa
Applanation tonometry: accurate measurement of intraocular pressure is important in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma/ Photo credits: Gabriel Entekume

Glaucoma affects at least one in every 25 people aged 40 years and above in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It occurs as a result of the intraocular pressure (eye pressure [IOP]) being too high for the normal functioning of the optic nerve which is responsible for sight. Despite the vision loss that it causes, over half of the people with glaucoma are unaware and this is reflected in their late presentation in seeking care. (more…)

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World Council of Optometry marks 90 years advocacy

Originally founded in Cologne, Germany in 1927 as the International Optical League (Ligue Internationale d’optique), The World Council of Optometry (WCO) marked its 90th anniversary on March 7, 2017. Headquartered…

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Pregnancy complication may increase risk to mothers’ eyes

Eyezone Blog-Pregnancy complication may increase risk to mothers' eyes

A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that pre-eclampsia may be associated with retinal disease in the mother later in life. Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and large amounts of protein in the urine. According to this study, more severe and earlier-onset pre-eclampsia was associated with even higher risk. (more…)

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Preserving vision for astronauts

Eyezone Blog-Preserving vision for astronauts
JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata sits in the chin rest during an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) session on ISS. Credit: NASA

Many astronauts who come back from space experience poorer vision after flight, some even years after, and researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are working to see why. (more…)

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Virtual reality headset matches user’s eyesight

Eyezone Blog-Stanford researchers personalize virtual reality displays to match a user’s eyesight
Stanford researchers are trying to personalize virtual reality headsets to take eyesight into account. (Image credit: iStock/AleksandarNakic)

Some new technologies can be tuned to our personal characteristics, like the voice recognition on smartphones trained to recognize how we speak. But that isn’t possible with today’s virtual reality headsets. They can’t account for differences in vision, which can make watching VR less enjoyable or even cause headaches or nausea. (more…)

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SAO 4th Saudi Optometry Conference

- The Saudi Association of Optometry (SAO) is conducting its 4th Saudi Optometry Conference to be held on March 21-23, 2017 at Burj Rafal Kempinski, Riyadh. Topics will include myopia…

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