Eye Care Articles

Sports vision is a growing niche in the eyecare industry, helping athletes improve their performance skills through the enhancement of visual skills. While regular eye exams are important for checking the health of your eyes and your visual acuity (how clearly you can see a still object at different distances), sports vision testing is recommended for anyone who takes their athletic performance seriously. 
 

Visual skills needed for sports performance

There are several key visual skills that are enhanced through sports vision programs for athletes that aim to achieve their optimal sports performance, these include:

• Dynamic visual acuity: this refers to the patient’s ability to see objects clearly while in motion. This is exceptionally important as hand-eye coordination and reflex reactions are essential for success in most sporting activities.

• Contrast sensitivity: good contrast sensitivity is needed to determine the difference between an object and its surroundings. Contrast sensitivity is particularly important in situations where there may be low light, fog or glare that could diminish the natural contrast between objects and backgrounds. 

• Eye tracking: this refers to the ability to follow a fast-moving object, such as a ball or puck.

• Switching eye focus: athletes need to be able to change their focus quickly and accurately from one distance to another. 

• Binocular vision skills: also known as eye teaming skills, these skills determine how well your eyes work with one another to produce a single, clear image.

• Processing speed: visual processing speed is defined as the amount of time it takes to make a correct judgement about a visual stimulus – for example, how fast a ball is travelling towards them. 

• Peripheral awareness: athletes also need to be able to be aware of what is happening at the edges of their vision while also concentrating on a fixed object in front of them.
   

Sports vision testing can enable your eye doctor to spot any weaknesses that you may have in any of these key visual skills. By identifying them, it is possible for you to undergo treatment to overcome theses issues and meet your specific goals that will ultimately enhance your overall athletic performance. This is known as sports vision training.

It is common knowledge that exercise plays a critical role in healthy living. Exercise can help improve energy levels, lower blood pressure, aid in weight loss, helps to build muscle and so much more. But one benefit of exercise that is not as well known is the profound impact on your eyesight. 

Based on recent research, eye conditions are usually a direct result of a health issue such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol level, etc. While some of these diseases are unavoidable, exercising regularly can definitely help in the prevention of these diseases and in doing so, help keep the eyes healthy. In addition to physical exercise, there are even some eye exercises that can be done to keep your vision healthy. Some examples are focusing on certain points, rolling your eyes in different directions, writing with the eyes, etc.
 

Cataracts and Exercise

According to a study in 2003 and another in 2006, a relationship was discovered between an increase in exercise and a decrease in cataract. It emphasized that there is a greater chance for cataract if there is an absence of physical activity. This implies that taking a light walk or jog around your house or on a field track consistently can contribute to the fight against cataracts.
 

Macular Degeneration and Exercise

According to one study, exercising three times or more on a weekly basis reduces ones’ chances of developing exudative macular degeneration. Exudative macular degeneration occurs when blood vessels grow beneath the retina that are not needed and then leak fluid and blood into the eyes.
 

Glaucoma and Exercise

One major cause in the development of glaucoma is an increase in ocular perfusion pressure. Very light exercises like jogging or walking at least three times weekly helps to reduce the intraocular pressure and improves the flow of blood to the optic nerve and retina.
 

The benefit of eye exercises

• Protects against dry eyes. Eye exercises help maintain and improve the fluid level in the eyes, thus eliminating the probability of dry eyes because as the eyes are being exercised say by rotation, there is the tendency that fluid is produced.

• Reduces eye strain and tension. Exercising the eyes daily helps in reducing the strain and tension that has been placed on the muscle. Exercises like rolling the eyes and writing with the eyes help in the contracting and relaxing of the eye muscles. Long hours of study or use of a computer can cause blurry vision, but through exercise, clarity can be achieved by eliminating tension and unnecessary pressure.

• Make the eye muscles flexible. Exercises like shifting and swinging the muscles of the eyes help promote flexibility in the muscles of the eyes. Just like exercise helps the body muscles, the same thing applies to eye exercises.

Both optometrists and ophthalmologists treat many common types of ocular disease. However, for the best outcome, it’s important to see an eye doctor regularly. They can identify any issues before they become serious problems.

Fortunately, they can treat all of the diseases mentioned below, and in some cases, you can do certain things to prevent them from developing. Look at the most recent statistics, and you’ll see why good eye health care matters.

Currently, more than 4.2 million people in the U.S. alone over the age of 40 are partially blind or have poor visual acuity. Although a lot of things cause these problems, the ocular diseases listed below are the most common.
 

Macular Degeneration

This is commonly referred to as “age-related macular degeneration” because it affects seniors. Not only does it cause blurriness and distortion but left untreated, individuals lose their central vision. In other words, they are unable to see anything through the center portion of the eye.

Two types of this ocular disease exist. First, wet macular degeneration means that abnormal blood vessels that are located behind the retina grow under the macular. Along with leaking blood and fluid, this leads to scarring and, sometimes, permanent damage. Second, dry macular degeneration progresses slowly as part of the natural aging process. Typically, it affects both eyes at some point.
 

Cataracts

Roughly 20 million people in the U.S. over the age of 40 have cataracts in either one or both eyes. While they can develop in children, teens, and young adults, cataracts are most often associated with age. With this, a film covers the eye, which, in turn, makes everything appear blurry.

Of all the different kinds of ocular diseases that lead to blindness worldwide, cataracts rank number two. Fortunately, an eye doctor can remove the damaged lens, followed by implanting an artificial one. After recovery, patients see amazingly well.

If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, it can seem a bit intimidating. After all, you’re inserting something into your eye! Let’s ease your mind about the first step – your contact lens exam. This post will walk you through what’s involved in a contact lens exam and what you can expect every step of the way.
 

It begins with a comprehensive eye exam

Your eye doctor will first determine your overall eye health and vision. This includes a discussion of your health history and then a series of standard eye tests. These tests will evaluate eye focusing, eye teaming, depth perception, color vision, peripheral vision, and the response of your pupils to light. The doctor will also measure your eye fluid pressure to check for glaucoma, evaluate your retina and optic nerve, and test your vision with different lenses to assess whether contact lenses can improve your vision.
 

Then, a discussion about your contact lens preferences

If contact lenses are appropriate for you, it’s time to talk about your contact lens preferences. For example, do you want to enhance or change your eye color? Would you prefer daily disposable lenses or overnight contacts? Ask about the benefits or drawbacks of each, so that you can make the best decision. If you’re over 40, your doctor will likely discuss age-related vision changes and how contact lenses can address these issues.
 

Next, the eye doctor will conduct eye surface measurements

Contact lenses require precise measurements of your eyes to fit properly. Using an instrument called a keratometer, your doctor will measure the curvature of your eye's cornea, the clear front surface of your eye. Next, the size of your eye's pupil is measured using a card or ruler showing different pupil sizes, which is held next to your eye to determine the best match.

Amblyopia, also known as a “lazy eye”, is described as a reduced vision in one eye compared to the other. There are some rare forms of amblyopia that involve both eyes. Amblyopia is the most common cause of partial or total blindness in one eye in children.

The term lazy eye is misleading because the eye is not actually lazy. In fact, it is a developmental problem in the nerve connecting the eye to the brain, affecting the brain’s ability to use both eyes together. It is not a problem in the eye itself, but in the brain which actively ignores the visual input from the misaligned eye, leading to amblyopia in that eye.

In addition to poor visual acuity, people with amblyopia are more prone to having difficulties with depth perception, eye movements related to reading, and visual decision making while driving.
 

What Are The Causes of Amblyopia?

Amblyopia develops in childhood due to:

• Significant differences in the prescription (refractive) status between the two eyes due to nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism;

• Constantly misaligned eyes or crossed eyes (strabismus);

• An obstruction of vision in early childhood i.e. cataract, ptosis (droopy eyelid)
   

It is important to note that, because amblyopia is typically a problem of infant vision development, symptoms of the condition can be difficult to detect. Symptoms may include noticeably favoring one eye over the other, an eye turn (either upward-downward outward or inward) or a tendency to bump into objects on one side.

The best way to identify children who are at risk for or already have amblyopia is by performing comprehensive eye examinations.
 

How Is Amblyopia Treated?

Amblyopia can be treatable at any age, although the earlier the problem is found and treated, the more successful the outcomes tend to be.