From Homeless to Working Because of Glasses

Colby is a 19-year-old growing up in Dallas where certain decisions changed his life. Thanks to a loving, generous aunt, and a pair of glasses Colby received through the Healthy Eyes Eyeglass program, Colby has been able to overcome life's challenges in order to make a better life for himself.

“Thank you so much for making it possible for me to get glasses," Colby said. "I have been homeless for a year. I quit high school and was living on the streets. My aunt helped me get back on my feet. To do anything with my life, [I had] to start with being able to see. My aunt paid for an eye exam. You covered my glasses. Now I’m working on my GED, getting my license, and I got a job this week! Thank you! God bless you!” 

PBT is very happy for Colby and proud of his recent accomplishments! We are so touched to know that we were able to help him reach his ambitious goals. We wish him all the best for the future!

A Flash of Light

For me, it all started about two years ago when I noticed myself feeling dizzy and occasionally seeing “flashes” of light. The best way to describe these flashes would be to imagine bright sparkles fluttering into your line of vision and then fading away after a few seconds. The flashes seem to come and go randomly, although I believe heat is a trigger because they are likely to occur while I am in a hot shower or blow drying my hair. Along with these bizarre flashes of light, I began to experience headaches that made me feel lightheaded and woozy. Concerned, I consulted my doctor who referred me to an ophthalmologist, their conclusion—ocular migraines.

For those of you who have never heard of ocular migraines, they are a rare type of migraine affecting 1 out of every 200 people with migraines. They are unique because along with a headache, your vision becomes impaired. Although experts are not sure what causes ocular migraines, they believe that spasms in the blood vessels, genetics, lifestyle and diet may be to blame.

Symptoms can be broken into two halves. Ocular symptoms include flashing lights, black spots and temporary blindness ranging from a few seconds to half an hour. Migraine symptoms consist of headaches ranging from moderate to intense pain, sometimes with a pulsating sensation. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting and heightened sensitivity to light, sound and temperature. Symptoms also tend to worsen after engaging in physical activity. It is important to keep in mind though that every case is unique and symptoms may vary.

There is no treatment for ocular migraines since they are relatively harmless and usually go away on their own. My doctor advised me to take an aspirin and to lie down in a dark room when I experience an ocular migraine.

If you think you may be experiencing ocular migraines, it is important to see your ophthalmologist or optometrist. Ocular migraines are not life-threatening, but the symptoms may be related to other health issues such as eye diseases or a detached retina which require immediate attention.

Scarlett Shillings
PBT Summer 2013 Intern

Beauty Knows No Pain...Or Does It?

You’ve seen them. Maybe it’s your friend with those lashes that just go on for miles, or your favorite movie star that the paparazzi can never seem to catch without their eyes looking flawless. Want know their secret? They are wearing fake lashes! While gluing individual synthetic lashes onto your natural lashes may give you the oh-so-glamorous look you’re going for, there are serious safety concerns to consider before “going under the glue.”

The biggest risk involved with eyelash extensions is an allergic reaction to the chemicals used in the adhesive. Most adhesives are formaldehyde-based which can cause allergic reactions with symptoms including itching, swelling, or redness of the eye lid. Just ask Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth about her eyelash extension escapade. During an interview with Anderson Cooper in 2012, Chenoweth talked about her unfortunate experience with eyelash extensions and referred to formaldehyde as “dead people’s juice” and declared “no amount of beauty is worth it!” 

We all know swollen, itchy eyes can weaken our vision, but there are other side effects associated with eyelash extensions that can truly impair our eye sight. Two of the more serious complications are conjunctivitis and keratitis. Conjunctivitis, a fancy name for pink eye, is the inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. Extensions can cause conjunctivitis when bacteria or fungi get trapped by fake lashes. Keratitis occurs when the eye’s cornea becomes inflamed. People with keratitis often experience moderate to intense pain, a scratching sensation while blinking and impaired eye sight.  Sounds kind of scary, huh?

Our advice at Prevent Blindness Texas is to pass on the idea of extensions all together! Stick to mascara and use it safely! The American Academy of Ophthalmology shared an insightful article from Consumer Reports about mascara safety:

• Wash your hands before applying mascara
• Replace your mascara every 3 months
• Never borrow or share mascara 
• Don’t add water to dried out mascara

For additional tips on how to use mascara safely click here!

References: 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/05/eyelash-extensions-can-pose-health-risks/index.htm

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/risks-of-using-eyelash-extensions.html

 
 

Leave the Firework Displays to the Professionals

Back in 1997 when Colin Burns of Chicago was in the 5th grade, his life changed when shrapnel and gunpowder from a firework that someone else lit, destroyed his left eye. To make matters even worse, Burns was already being treated for amblyopia, or lazy eye. The accident caused him to replace his “good eye” with a prosthetic eye and he then needed to rely on his weaker eye to compensate. Burns endured multiple surgeries over the next few years, including one where doctors moved tissue from his bottom lip to his eye socket to help fill up space. Because the risk of injury to his right eye was too great, he was not able to play in organized sports growing up.

Despite his injury, Burns accomplished tremendous amounts, including recently graduating law school. However, the lingering effects of his eye injury have made many activities, including driving and reading, more difficult.

“Of course as a child, I didn’t fully realize how important healthy eyes were until my accident,” said Burns. “I hope my story will serve as a reminder to everyone, especially parents, on how dangerous fireworks can be.”

Independence Day is the biggest day of the year for fireworks and it’s just around the corner! Last year in the U.S. alone 8,700 injuries, all due to fireworks, were treated in emergency rooms. Fireworks are unpredictable and unsafe, so this year, let’s leave the firework displays to the professionals. We hope everyone has a safe and fun Independence Day!

Eyes on Capitol Hill: Giving Voice to Vision

Prevent Blindness America’s new Cost of Vision Problems report was released yesterday and the numbers are staggering. In Texas alone, $4.9 BILLION are spent annually on eye and vision problems and $139 billion are spent annually across the U.S.

Prevent Blindness Texas staff

Debbie Goss and Monica Saenz

at the U.S. Capitol

“It is important that people understand that eye disease is among the most expensive conditions in our country, with over half the cost currently being assumed by aging patients and their families,” said Debbie Goss, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Texas. 

With this surprising new information, now, more than ever is the time to start advocating for the importance of federal investment in eye health and vision. Prevent Blindness Texas, along with other vision and health organizations, is in Washington, D.C. this week speaking with lawmakers and informing them about how effective public health  initiatives, if funded, can help increase early detection of vision loss, which can reduce the number of people affected by blindness.

Prevent Blindness America's Director of Government Affairs Ali Manson

and Prevent Blindness Texas Board member Kathleen Murphy

with Debbie Goss and Monica Saenz outside of Senator Ted Cruz's office

The event Eyes on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 19^th is hosted by Prevent Blindness America and gives voice to vision and you can make your voice heard today! Join Eyes on America and simply email, call, tweet or visit your local lawmakers to make a difference! You can send an email directly from this website, find your local officials number here, or find their Twitter handle here. 

In addition to Eyes on Capitol Hill and Eyes on America, Prevent Blindness America also hosted the 2^nd annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit on Tuesday, June 18^th where they announced the new Cost of Vision Problems report and hosted speakers.

AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference

Prevent Blindness Texas has declared this week AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference Week with the hopes of educating the public on one of the nation’s leading eye diseases.

Many of our clients suffer from this eye disease; it is so common in fact, that more than 2 million Americans have AMD, of which over 115,000 live in Texas! AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, is an eye disease that causes central vision to deteriorate over time, which as you can imagine, makes simple, everyday tasks such as driving or reading extremely difficult. This eye disease is the leading cause of blindness in Americans age 50 and older. Though there is currently no cure for AMD, with early detection through regular eye exams and with treatment, your vision can still be preserved.

To learn more about AMD’s risk factors, symptoms and treatment, click here.

References:

Prevent Blindness America’s 2012 “Vision Problems in the U.S.” Report

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Prevent Blindness Texas Declares June 3-9 as “AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference Week” In Effort to Educate Public on Leading Eye Disease