Playing Tetris May Help Fix Lazy Eye

According to a recent article in BBC News, Canadian doctors say they have found an incentive way to treat lazy eye – playing the video game, Tetris. In a small study with 18 adults, playing Tetris worked more efficiently than conventional patching which tries to make the weaker eye work harder. Playing the video game is   more effective because it trains both eyes to work together.

Doctors hope that playing Tetris helps both children and adults improve their lazy eye, or amblyopia. Amblyopia is an eye disorder where one eye’s vision is impaired due to a developmental issue.  Most often, it results when a child has crossed eyes or eyes that don’t line up. A condition which begins in childhood, one in every fifty children are affected by amblyopia, and if not treated can cause lifelong vision loss in the problem eye.  

Dr. Robert Hess and his colleagues in Montreal conducted the study with two groups of nine adults who have amblyopia. The first group played Tetris everyday for one hour for a period of two weeks. The second group played Tetris for the same period of time, but used the traditional “patch method” where they put a patch over their good eye. The first group’s vision improved significantly due to both eyes working together. In fact, when the second group finished and repeated the study without their good eye covered, their vision also improved drastically.

In response to the results of the study, Hess commented "When we get the two eyes working together, we find the vision improves.”  Commenting on other amblyopia studies, he said most doctors think patching helps the weaker eye improve, but actually it makes the weak eye worse. With the positive outcomes of the study, the doctors who conducted the study said any number of video games could work besides Tetris. 

Though this is a very small sample size, this study does prove to be interesting for further studies.

Overcoming Adversity

In light of the nation’s many recent tragedies, I think it’s important to focus on uplifting stories of those around us, for those are the stories that will inspire a change for the better. One man’s story in particular impacted me this week.

William Greer, one of our very own Texans, ran in his first Boston Marathon last week on Monday, April 15th, despite being legally blind. Greer ran with sighted guide, Peter Sagal, host of the NPR show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, finishing the marathon in 4 hours and 4 minutes, just 5 minutes before the explosions. 

Greer, now 43 years old, overcame the adversity that life threw at him, making this accomplishment that much more inspiring. After losing most of his sight and his short-term memory in a bicycle accident when he was 17, Greer had to re-learn how to do almost everything, and now has run in seven marathons, including the Boston Marathon.

“You’d be amazed how well a lot of people who are even totally blind can navigate,” said Greer.

Despite this, Sagal guided Greer through the marathon, running slightly ahead and to the left of Greer and alerting him of anything that might be in his way including potholes and other runners.

Peter Sagal waves to the crowd while guiding William Greer during the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013

In addition to training for the marathon, the pair raised about $10,000 for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

“There are some people who finish a marathon and say ‘I’m never going to do this again.’ There are others who finish and can’t wait until the next one," Greer said. "And I’m one of the people who just wants to keep going – wants to hit the next one.”

After hearing Greer’s story, it was hard to not be inspired to face my own challenges in life. We dedicate this post to everyone affected by the Boston marathon bombings, as well as the explosion in West, Texas, and hope that this one man’s story inspires and motivates you to overcome and grow from all of life’s challenges.

To read more about Greer and his story, read the articles in the Dallas News and the Austin KUT News.

Every Woman's Struggle

Madelane, a visually impaired woman, lives in a residential treatment center in Texas.  Due to her low income, she was unable to afford an eye exam or glasses for three years.  She recalls, “I was blind and never knew when I would get glasses.”

Many American women like Madelane face difficulties obtaining eye care.  In fact, it is extremely important for women to obtain eye care because 63% of visually impaired or blind Americans over the age of 40 are women, which far exceeds men.  The primary causes of poor women’s eye health are longevity and hormonal factors.

Prevent Blindness Texas has designated April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month in an effort to educate women about the steps they can take today to help preserve  their vision in the future.  Prevent Blindness recommends that women start a healthy diet, quit smoking, take supplements, wear UV-protected glasses, and learn more about their family’s history of eye disease.

If other women follow PBT’s recommendations and if they see an eye doctor regularly, they may achieve happiness similar to Madelane when she finally received new glasses. She said, “I am happy I can see clearly; wearing glasses when you need it feels really good.”

A Truly Happy Easter

Whether it’s a yearly tradition with your family or not, we’ve all been able to say we’ve been on an Easter egg hunt, competing with our friends and siblings to find the most eggs. But what about kids who can’t see? How are they supposed to go on a hunt for Easter eggs?

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and AT&T have a very special Easter egg hunt planned for 50 children who are blind. The two partners have put a creative twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt—they made it about the children’s sense of hearing, rather than their sense of sight. Each egg will beep, making it easier for the kids to find the eggs.

The children, who attend the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Los Angeles, are unable to enjoy the simple pleasures most children experience, like going on an Easter egg hunt, but this year they will be given the opportunity to make some wonderful memories.

In addition to the Easter egg hunt, Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort has also planned cookie decorating and a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny. The Easter egg hunt will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 10 a.m.

References: Los Angeles CBS Local

Sun Safety

With March upon us, spring is fast approaching. The outdoor activities, backyard barbecues, and the warmer temperature are all signs of a brighter season, which means more time spent outside. And as we learned from our blog post about Anderson Cooper and his temporary blindness, protecting our eyes from the sun is extremely important! 

Sunglasses protect our eyes by filtering light and shielding our eyes from damaging sun rays. A good pair of sunglasses reduces glare and filters out 99% of UV rays, which can even protect our eyes from common eye diseases, like cataracts!

Many doctors recommend wearing polarized glasses while driving, boating or fishing, because polarized lenses reduce glare, and thereby reduce eye strain and improve visibility. While finding the right protective sunglasses for yourself, remember that children are even more likely to suffer the harmful effects of sunrays because their eyes are not as developed. The lenses in children’s eyes are clear, which allows greater levels of UV light into the eyes, so it is especially important for children to wear polarized sunglasses while outdoors. 

Wearing sunglasses is an easy and fast way to protect your eyes from sunburn, cataracts, blindness and even cancer, so make it a point to buy a pair of sunglasses for every person in your family today!

Eye-Opening Information About Cataracts

In the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an article titled “Eye-opening Facts and Myths About Eye Health” was released explaining the startling facts about eye health and cataracts.  Cataracts is the leading cause of blindness among older adults.  More than half Americans have cataracts by the age of 80.

So what is this disease that more than half of elderly Americans suffer from?  Cataracts is a clouding of the eye’s lens.  A cataract blocks light needed for sight.  Your vision may become blurry or dim because light can’t pass properly through the lens to the retina.  Another difference between a cataract eye and a normal eye is the scattered light rays between the lens and the retina.

How does one know if they have a cataract?  Three changes to your vision that might be a sign of a cataract are: blurred or double vision, light seeming to dim for reading or up-close work, and changing eye prescriptions often.

How does one treat cataracts? Surgery is the only proven treatment for cataracts.  Similar to removing a lens from a camera, cataract surgery replaces the old lens with an intraocular lens implant.  The intraocular lens implant is an artificial lens that come the closest to a normal human lens.

What will one’s sight be like after the surgery?  The lenses move with the eye, therefore there is no loss of side vision with the lens.  Yet, you may not be able to see distant objects clearly for some time after surgery.  If you decide not to have a surgery, cataract eyeglasses magnify everything 30%.

Food for Vision

Did you know that food and vision go hand-in-hand? Just as the foods you eat affect your heart, the foods you eat also affect your vision. 

The American Optometric Association (AOA) and registered dietician Elizabeth Somer have provided a list of heart-and eye-healthy recipes on the AOA website that will provide key nutrients for improving eye health.
 

The list of recipes include some delicious meals including seared tuna with orange, avocado and cilantro salsa, grilled chicken and mangos on baby greens, and whole wheat penne pasta with spinach and gorgonzola. These eye-healthy recipes are rich in fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, and zinc.

A Vision Service Provider (VSP) network doctor, Leland Carr, OD says on the VSP website, “Eating carrots won’t make you see better than you already do, but there is a lot of truth in the idea that they can help protect vision. Carrots contain a lot of vitamin A, and there have been several studies recently showing that this vitamin – along with vitamins C and E – helps to reduce the impact of both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).”

So our Moms didn't lie to us when we were kids,  carrots do help protect our vision.

References: 

http://www.aoa.org/x11857.xml

https://www.vsp.com/eating-healthy.html