Dr. Simon's blog

Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among North Americans over the age of 65. The number of persons in this age category is rising and as a result the incidence of AMD is also rising. It is estimated that this disease affects approximately 30% of persons over the age of 75. Caucasians are at a higher risk for developing AMD than other races.

Vitamins are by definition vital for all living cells.  The origin of the word is from Latin  vita ‘life’ + amine, because vitamins were originally thought to contain an amino acid. If a body can produce a substance it is not a vitamin.

I wanted to write about Flashes and Floaters today because I believe it is a very important subject to discuss.  It is a matter of possibly loosing one's vision permanently if not acted upon immediately.  

 Astigmatism is a condition of the eye where light rays are not focused equally on the back (retina) of the eye.  It is usually associated with either myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).  The eye has two basic components, the optical and the sensory.  It is very much like a camera.  In a camera there are lenses that focus the light rays onto the film which then converts light energy into chemical energy.

The prevalence of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is expected to increase 96% over the next 40 years.  AMD is the degeneration of the retina in the back of the eye responsible for converting light into images.  The retina acts like film in a camera.  When exposed to images it records the different shapes, colors and contrasts and the brain sees them as pictures. In AMD the center of the retina degenerates and one sees things blurred in the center.

The American Optometric Association emphasizes importance of comprehensive eye exams during National Glaucoma Awareness Month

ST. LOUIS, MO (January 3, 2011)—According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), early detection and treatment is critical to maintain healthy vision and protect the eyes from the effects of potentially blinding diseases, such as glaucoma.

Dry eye affects millions of individuals and is found mostly in persons over 40 years of age. The causes of dry eye vary which may require different solutions depending on the cause. Dry eye results in burning, itching, gritty and sometimes red eyes. It may feel like there is something in the eye like sand or dirt.

Last night while driving on a dark country road I was reminded of the problems associated with night driving. This is a very common complaint from my patients so I want to go over some tips on how to improve one's night vision. Eating carrots only works if you are already Vitamin A deficient, not normally a problem for most of us.

Over the past 20+ years of examining eyes, I have been asked if wearing glasses weakens one’s eyesight. As a myope (nearsighted) person myself I have a special interest in this question.

The human eye is an energy converter. It has the ability to convert light energy into chemical energy which is transmitted from the eye to the brain via nerves.  The eye’s color receptors are called cones simply because they are shaped like cones and the night vision receptors are calledrods because they look like little rods.  There are three different types of cones.  They are blue, red and green receptors and from the combination of these three types of receptors we can see approximately 10 million different colors.