Earlier this month, I answered the question, “What is lazy eye?” where we learned that a standard treatment for lazy eye is patching the unaffected eye.  I always felt sorry for a parent when the doctor prescribed patching as this meant that they would have a fight on their hands with the child.  Even the best behaved children can make … [Read more...]

Lazy eye is a common term for the condition amblyopia, a decrease in central vision due to abnormal visual stimulation of one or both eyes.  Amblyopia is not related to an eye health condition and cannot be corrected with prescription lenses.  The condition usually develops prior to age 6, and is often associated with crossed-eyes or a large … [Read more...]

How to Help Your Patient Get the Best Vision From a Magnifier Anyone working with low vision patients is familiar with the statement, “I have a drawer full of magnifiers and none of them work”.   To help these patients, you have to understand three optical principles that apply to magnification: Translation of “x power” to … [Read more...]

The term, daltonism has its origin from British chemist and physicist, John Dalton (1766-1844) who is best known for his work as an early proponents of the Atomic Theory.  It seems that John and his brother shared a common vision problem-they were red-green color deficient, which inspired Dalton to publish his first scientific paper, … [Read more...]

A scotoma (Greek for darkness) is an area of diminished or absent retinal sensitivity.  It is most commonly referred to in visual field test interpretations. A defect in which no light is seen in the affected area is referred to as an absolute scotoma.  If the test shows that the patient cannot view the dimmest light presented during testing, … [Read more...]

This is pretty cool- EyeTrain4You is now offering online interactive optican study flashcards. Over 700 of these cards are currently available with Rebecca Johnson planning on introducing more in the future. You can test a live demo on the site. Even though I am not an optician, I got 2 right!! There are 40 categories available from basic to … [Read more...]

According to the National Onion Association  sulphuric compounds are released into the air from a cut onion, irritating the eye and causing it to tear.  Their advice to reduce tearing:  first chill the onions for 30 minutes and then cut off the top and peel the outer layers leaving the root end intact. (The root end has the highest concentration … [Read more...]

Just when you think that you have seen it all or heard it all. We close at 5:30. So, you all know the feeling when you have the patient or customer coming through the door at 5:20… This fellow comes in with the pair of glasses he picked up a few days ago and says he has been unable to wear them since he picked them up because, “When he … [Read more...]

Stereopsis refers to our ability to appreciate depth, or to distinguish the physical distance between objects.  Without depth perception it is difficult to pour water into a glass from a pitcher, appreciate a 3D movie and parallel park a car. An Example: The Stereo Fly Test from Stereo Optical is used to evaluate both gross and fine stereo … [Read more...]

Technician Talk Color-Coded Caps: Help or Hindrance? In 1996 the Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) published a Policy Statement endorsing the uniform use of a color-coding system for the caps and labels of topical ocular medications with an objective to help patients distinguish between various medications, thereby minimizing the risk of patients … [Read more...]