Have you even taken your vision for granted?

For millions living in developing countries an eye exams and contacts or glasses are considered a luxury, which is why researchers at EyeNetra, a MIT spinoff company, are developing a device which in essence turns everyday cell phones into a mobile eye exam machine.

“Our goal, really, is to empower millions and millions around the world by bringing eye care to people’s homes in a way that was never possible before,” says David Schafran of EyeNetra.

To that end, they’ve developed a $2 scope which can be clipped onto a smart phone. The patient looks through the eyepiece and follows the colored lines which appear on the screen. A software application (or app) is installed on the phone which enables the phone to translate the patient’s responses into a measurement of “refractive error,” which optometrists can use to create a pair of glasses.

Some of the most common benefits you hear contact lens wearers say when asked “why do you wear contacts over glasses?” usually include the increased convenience and ‘no-glasses’ appearance. However, the benefits of wearing contacts do not come without risks, especially when the wearer is lackadaisical with their contact lens care habits.

Sleeping In Your Contact Lenses
Almost everyone has worn their contacts when sleeping at one time or another. Perhaps you were watching a TV or a movie and fell asleep half way through, or perhaps were staying over at a friends and forgot to bring your contact lens solution and case. Wearing contacts when sleeping should be avoided at all times, with the exception of contacts designed for overnight use.

Healthy vision is important to both employees and their employers. The American Optometric Association reports that visual discomfort, eye strain and other eye related injuries cost billions in lost productivity each year. More importantly, approximately 90% of vision injurys which occur on the job could have been prevented if safety steps were exercised, such as simply wearing protective eyewear proper to the task. “Healthy vision is critical to successfully completing job-related tasks,” says James Sheedy, O.D. Ph.D., Director of the Vision Ergonomics Laboratory at the College of Optometry at Pacific University and AOA’s occupational vision specialist.

Did you know eye problems affect one in six adults over the age of 45? Because the risk for vision loss increases as we age, it is important now more then ever to take good care of your eyes and get an eye exam from your optometrist regularly.

For the elderly presbyopia, long-sight, short sight and astigmatisms account for almost half of visual diseases. Some of these, and other common vision issues which may be experienced as we age, pose a great risk to our ability to see clearly; however in many cases there are preventative steps which can reduce or prevent vision loss before it significantly impacts your vision.

Glaucoma has been named the “silent thief of sight” due to the way it gradually damages sight, progressing to complete blindness if left untreated.

Generally but not always, Glaucoma is associated with increased pressure of fluid within the eye. If the intraocular pressure (IOP) is high one is said to have “ocular hypertension”. When low intraocular pressure is detected, the term “low tension glaucoma” may be used. A high intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma, however not every case of high intraocular pressure will develop into glaucoma.

While contacts provide useful benefits to wearers, including the convenience, flexibility and “no-glasses” appearance, improper use can lead to serious vision problems.

More than 30 million Americans currently wear contact lenses. How many do you think are wearing their contact lenses the way they were instructed by their optometrist? A recent study shows that a vast majority of contact lens wearers are not carefully following their eye doctors contact lens wearing instructions, and by doing so are putting themselves at unnecessary risk.

In order to help protect your eyes (and your contact lenses), we’ve put together a list of Contact Lens Care Tips to increase awareness about the risks of incorrectly wearing and handling Contact Lenses.

The typical New Year’s resolution goes something like this “I hereby resolve to lose “X” number of pounds by the end of the year”. The resolution is then promptly set aside as everyone adjourns to the kitchen for dessert. This year, choose something that is easy and that could have a profound impact on your quality of life: Resolve to see an optometrist for a comprehensive vision exam!