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Teacher helps blind sisters 'see' science

Marvin Hurst, KENS 9:41 AM. CST February 22, 2017

SAN ANTONIO - Graciously seeking acceptance as normal college students is a box Katy and Olivia Shaw are trying to check.

Yet, their navigation in the classroom and through everyday life yields the inquiry they've heard a million times: 'How does it feel to be blind?'

"We do everything we can when it comes to living everyday life," Olivia said.

The 19-year-olds said being visually impaired is the only normality they've known.

They are both living with a disease affecting their vision called retinopathy. The sisters were diagnosed after being born prematurely.

Katy is blind in her right eye and the teenager has some vision in her left eye which makes reading large print possible.

Seeing is more challenging for Olivia. She has some light perception and some colors are visible to her.

However, this hasn't stopped the Shaw sisters from doing chores at home, cooking and even earning academic fortitude.

Katy has a 3.9 grade point average and Olivia has a 4.0. The sisters are both dual credit students at Northwest Vista College.

"Definitely having this impairment has made it somewhat challenging," Katy said.

The native daughters of Hawaii love science. However, the students said their classroom experience in the subject has not been beneficial towards their dreams.

"Basically, they (teachers) said just go over there and sit until we're done," Katy said.

Olivia wants to become a doctor and Katy wants to work with animals, marine biology specifically.

"It's scary to walk into a field that's so visual with a blindfold on," Olivia said.

Gladys Malave took the blindfold off.

Malave got the sisters for her biology class at Northwest Vista College. Initially, the challenge of teaching an optically driven course to the visually impaired was too weighty.

"I wanted to run," Malave said. "Not me. Not me."

But Malave settled down and thought 'why not me?'

The biology professor learned braille in less than a month. She designed everything from tactile models to brailled labeled microscopes to accommodate Olivia's needs. Katy's large prints requirements were met as well.

"It's a matter of closing your eyes and you just image you are in their shoes," Malave said.

This was a team experience. Malave said she checks with the girls to make sure she's correct.

Their teacher also revealed this classroom challenge has a personal connection.

Malave was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 2003 and her eyes came under attack.

"My doctor said I could go blind," she said.

She resigned herself to becoming a visually impaired biology professor.

In fact, she made preparations to learn braille. Then, her eye treatments removed the danger of the educator losing sight and she pushed braille to the side.

"It just ignored the call," She said. "The call came back in the form of Olivia and Katy."

The Shaw sisters are among Malave's top students. Visual challenges are met with techniques registering from the girls' fingertips to their brains.

"It feels like we are almost you--I hate to say it likes this---normal students who are just a part of the class and able to participate in the same opportunities as everyone else," Olivia said.

There is one more Shaw sister, Elizabeth, who is scheduled to join her sisters next semester at Northwest Vista College.

Elizabeth, Olivia and Katy are triplets. Her vision is fine, but she is hearing impaired.

The science bug didn't bite her though. Elizabeth wants to be a photographer.

Malave is readying herself in case Elizabeth has to take her biology class.

"Sign language is on my list of things to do. Definitely," she said.

( 2017 KENS)

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Blind sisters gain new vision from biology professor - KIII TV3

A close look at sharp vision in eye structure seen only in humans and other primates Science Daily Figuring out how the fovea functions is essential to the search for strategies to correct central vision loss, including efforts to design visual prosthetics. "Diseases such as macular degeneration are much more debilitating than deficits in peripheral ... and more »

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A close look at sharp vision in eye structure seen only in humans and other primates - Science Daily

Robots, surveillance cameras and drones could one day detect changes to their environment far more quickly and efficiently, using a vision system based on the way the human eye and brain process information.

The EPSRC-funded Internet of Silicon Retinas (IOSIRE) project, led by researchers from Kings College London and also involving University College London and Kingston University, is aiming to develop advanced machine-to-machine communication systems that capture and transmit images from highly efficient vision sensors mimicking the human retina.

Conventional cameras generate entirely new images for each frame, despite the fact that much of the picture remains the same as that of the previous one. This wastes a considerable amount of memory, computing power and time, according to the UCL principal investigator Yiannis Andreopoulos.

If you are processing an image to analyse what is happening in a scene, you often end up throwing away most of the background information, because you are only interested in particular shapes or objects, he said.

In contrast, recently developed dynamic vision sensors (DVS) mimic the way the retina works, by only updating the image at those points where a movement or change in the scene has occurred. When an object moves within a scene it reflects light, which is detected instantly by the sensor, said Andreopoulos.

This significantly increases the speed at which the sensors can produce video frames, resulting in rates of up to 1000 frames per second compared to 20-30 frames per second for conventional cameras.

And because it is not recording the background, just any changes in the scene, the power consumption is very low just 10 to 20 milliwatts compared to up to 200 milliwatts, said Andreopoulos.

Basic processing of images produced by the DVS camera could be carried out locally by the device itself, to produce information needed there and then.

But certain information could also be transmitted to a server in the cloud, at which point more advanced processing and analysis could be carried out, said Andreopoulos.

This resembles the way the mammalian eye is thought to capture scene information, and then transmit it to the visual cortex where the information is processed to generate the three-dimensional rendering of the scene that we see.

In a way, this gives us the illusion that we see this 3D super high-resolution world, but in reality there is very little information being captured by the eye, and to a large extent, the rest is rendered in the brain, said Andreopoulos.

The researchers are aiming for a 100-fold decrease in the amount of energy consumed by the system, when compared to conventional designs for pixel-based visual processing and transmission over machine-to-machine networks.

The project involves Thales, Ericsson, neuromorphic technologies specialist iniLabs, Keysight Technologies UK, and semiconductor company MediaTek.

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Project looks at human eye to sharpen sight of robots and drones - The Engineer

eyeSight offers an advanced automotive solution fulfilling all in-cabin market needs, including driver awareness, driver recognition and gesture control

Herzliya, Israel (Marketwired) - eyeSight Technologies, a leader in Human Machine Interface (HMI) and user awareness embedded computer vision, today announces its automotive solution focusing on in-cabin sensing technology. With the driver as the main focal point, eyeSight offers a complete solution that provides driver awareness, driver recognition and gesture control.

Driver awareness is enabled by a new level of learning and fine-tuned computer vision to ensure that once drowsiness or distraction is detected, eyeSight's solution will inform car systems to provide an alert or take proactive action through the safety systems, such as increase distance from the car ahead with adaptive cruise control.

Driver recognition offers a new level of personalization and comfort between the car and driver, as it constantly improves the system and learns the driver. Merely sitting in the driver's seat will prompt the car to adjust to the specific driver's preferences such as seat position, temperature, volume level, music selection, favorite stations, and more.

Through the same sensor that provides driver awareness and recognition, eyeSight's automotive solution also provides touch-free gesture control that enables an additional level of immediate interaction to minimize distraction for the driver. The simple gestures are natural and tightly coupled with the functions they control to minimize the cognitive load, alleviate the friction of in-car systems and save the driver from the distraction of locating and tapping touch screen buttons.

"For over a decade, we have been investing in R&D to create market leading embedded machine learning solutions, which are already deployed in millions of devices worldwide," said Gideon Shmuel, CEO of eyeSight Technologies. "Adding these new robust computer vision features to our automotive solutions enhances the driver experience and helps prevent distracted driving. With the market transition to semi-autonomous cars, it's vital that our automotive solutions go beyond just driver awareness to give the driver tangible benefits like personalization and gestures."

To learn more about eyeSight Technologies and their new automotive solutions, visit http://www.eyesight-tech.com.

About eyeSight Technologies eyeSight is the leading provider of embedded computer vision solutions, bringing sensing and gesture recognition technology to a variety of devices and industries. The company's technology improves daily life interactions with the home, the car, and other consumer electronics with simplified user interactions that are intelligent and personalized. eyeSight's technology was designed for a wide range of applications, from active interactions with gesture recognition and finger tracking, to passive user detection and face analysis, delivering customized experiences based on user features and actions. For more information, visit http://www.eyesight-tech.com.

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eyeSight Technologies Announces Groundbreaking In-Cabin Sensing Technology To Prevent Distracted Driving - Embedded Technology.com (press release)

Eye diseases and vision loss have become major public health concerns in the United States. As the last of the baby-boom generation approaches age 65, the number of Americans who are visually impaired, including those with low vision, is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to recent studies funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Low vision is when people have difficulty seeing, even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. People with low vision may find it challenging to perform everyday activities such as getting around the neighborhood, reading the mail, shopping, cooking, or watching television.

Most people with low vision are age 65 or older. The leading causes of vision loss in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma.

Among younger people, inherited eye conditions, infectious and autoimmune eye diseases or trauma most often cause vision loss.

People with vision loss may feel anxious, helpless and depressed. They should know that help is available.

People experiencing vision loss should talk to their eye care professional and seek a referral to a low vision specialist, said Dr. Paul A. Sieving, director of NEI, one of the federal governments principal agencies for vision research.

A low vision specialist is an ophthalmologist or optometrist trained to help people who have low vision maximize their remaining sight and continue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives. This specialist can develop a vision rehabilitation plan especially for a persons particular needs.

Vision rehabilitation is essential to maximizing the independence, functioning, participation, safety and overall quality of life for people with visual impairment, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A team of professionals such as occupational therapists, orientation and mobility instructors, low vision therapists, rehabilitation teachers, and adaptive technology specialists provide vision rehabilitation services. These specialists work together to teach people with vision loss a variety of skills, such as:

Using magnifying and adaptive devices

Navigating safely around the home and in public

Finding resources and support

A vision rehabilitation plan helps people reach their true visual potential when nothing more can be done from a medical or surgical standpoint, said Mark Wilkinson, O.D., a low vision specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and chair of the low vision subcommittee for the National Eye Health Education Program.

Among the resources NEI offers to help people with low vision, What You Should Know About Low Vision, is a 20-page, large-print booklet with a companion video that features inspiring stories of people living with low vision. Download the materials for free at nei.nih.gov/lowvision.

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Vision rehab maximizes hope and independence - Stanwood Camano News

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How many times have you been told to eat your carrots to help your eyes? Its an axiom that parents, grandparents, teachers, and pediatricians have passed down to children for ages. Well, it turns out that carrots arent going to magically improve your eyesight or make you more able to see at night any more than drinking milk is going to give you the ability to fly (which would be very cool, to be honest).

There is, of course, scientific data to back up that if you have a vitamin A deficiency (which can cause loss of eyesight) then eating carrots will help restore your vision, but thats not going to work for anyone who isnt suffering from a lack of the vitamin in their system. And its not the only fruit or vegetable to help in this situation. You could eat a carrot to boost your vitamin A levels Carrots have high amounts of beta-Carotene but you could also eat sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, winter squashes, lettuce, dried apricots, cantaloupe, bell peppers, fish, liver, and tropical fruits to boost your vitamin A. Either way, youre not seeing in the dark.

So where did the idea that carrots would improve your vision or give you night vision even come from? Fake news World War II propaganda. The British had developed an onboard radar system which allowed their fighter pilots to spot German planes coming in for bombing raids under the cover of night. When the Brits were pushed on how they were able to shoot down the aircraft, they said it was because they were feeding their fighter aces carrots which it improved their night vision to X-Men like levels. Seriously, well except for the X-Men part.

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The Fascinating Origins Of The 'Carrots Give You Night Vision' Myth Have Been Revealed - UPROXX

IBM researchers in Melbourne have trained a research version of Watson to recognise abnormalities in retina images that could assist doctors in the early detection of eye diseases such as glaucoma, nicknamed "the silent thief of sight" as many patients remain undiagnosed until irreversible vision loss occurs.

Commencing in 2015, the IBM researchers applied deep learning techniques and image analytics technology to 88,000 de-identified retina images accessed through EyePACS to analyse key anomalies of the eye and streamline some of the manual processes that doctors have to undertake when diagnosing eye diseases.

This includes distinguishing between left and right eye images, evaluating the quality of retina scans, and measuring the ratio of the optic cup to disc, which is one of the key indicators of glaucoma.

"It is estimated that at least 150,000 Australians have undiagnosed glaucoma, with numbers expected to rise due to our rapidly ageing population," said Dr Peter van Wijngaarden, principal investigator at Centre for Eye Research Australia, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne.

"The development of image analytics and deep learning technology will provide great promise in this area."

In the future, Watson will be capable of detecting features of other eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, IBM said in an announcement.

"Medical image analysis with cognitive technology has the capacity to fundamentally change the delivery of healthcare services," said Dr Joanna Batstone, vice president and lab director at IBM Research Australia.

"Medical images represent a rich source of data for clinicians to make early diagnosis and treatment of disease, from assessing the risk of melanomas to identifying eye diseases through the analysis of retinas. Cognitive technology holds immense promise for confirming the accuracy, reproducibility, and efficiency of clinicians' analyses during the diagnostic workflow."

IBM has also outlined plans to expand its cognitive computing footprint by connecting Watson to primary, acute, and behavioural data to obtain a complete view of patients. The Watson-primary care provider connection is being rolled out in Central New York in a six-county region with more than 2,000 providers.

In Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) ran a teleophthalmology trial in the Torres Strait Islands and Western Australian goldfields a few years ago, where nurses were trained to take retinal images on site using a mobile device. Those images were then forwarded for reading by ophthalmologists in Perth or Brisbane.

"We could actually provide ophthalmic screening to, in particular, diabetes patients in the community without the doctor having to travel to them or them having to travel to the doctor. That provided screening to a lot of people who wouldn't normally be screened," David Hansen, CEO of the Australian eHealth Research Centre, a joint venture between the CSIRO and Queensland Health, told ZDNet earlier in February.

"Through that study, we were able to diagnose people with diabetes who didn't even realise they had it. There were some people who had really bad diabetic retinopathy who needed to be urgently seen for sight-saving treatment."

CSIRO's teleophthalmology work, which has expanded into areas such as wound care, is currently run by the organisation's group in Perth.

Second Sight's Argus device is one of a handful of commercial retinal implants now being used to help patients with late-stage degenerative eye diseases regain some degree of vision.

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IBM researchers train Watson to identify eye abnormalities - ZDNet

New York Times

The Worst That Could Happen? Going Blind, People Say New York Times Feeling My Way Into Blindness, an essay published in The New York Times in November by Edward Hoagland, an 84-year-old nature and travel writer and novelist, expressed common fears about the effects of vision loss on quality of life. ... A recent ...

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The Worst That Could Happen? Going Blind, People Say - New York Times

The myth stems from the1960s, when a company sold faulty colour televisions that emitted excessive amounts of radiation due to a factory error

MOST of us will be familiar with our parents telling us off for sitting too close to the TV for fear wed end up with square eyes.

But it turns out there is zero truth to the myth that putting our faces too close to the screens is damaging toour eyesight.

Alamy

While it may land you with a headache, its certainly not going to impair your vision.

So where did this bizarre ruse come from?

The myth actually dates back to a time in the late 1960s, when for a brief period sitting too close to the TV could actually cause you some harm that is, if you owned aGeneral Electric set.

In 1967, the company admitted that many of their colour televisions were emitting excessive radiation,due to a factory error.

At the time, healthofficials estimated the amount of dodgy x-rayscoming from these defective TVs was around 10 to 100,000 times higher than was then deemed acceptable.

Getty Images

As a result, they recommended keeping kids a safe distance away.

They pointed out that as long as you put several feet between you and the TV, and didnt watch it for more than an hour at a time at close range, most likely youd be fine.

Eventually General Electric recalled the faultyTVs and fixed the problem by addinga leaded glass shield around the tubes.

This made pressing your nose up against the screen perfectly safe once again, though the stigma has lingered to this day.

Alamy

While sitting close to the TVmay not make a person nearsighted, the reason they feel the necessity to sit in such close proximity may be because they are nearsighted and undiagnosed.

If you or your child habitually sit too close to the television for comfort, it might be worthwhile getting your eyes tested.

Watching too much TV may also cause eye strain and fatigue make sure you turn it off early enough to get a good nights sleep.

Think youve got expert vision?Only people with superb eyesight can see these virtually invisible objects in this test.

Last year we told how toddlers who watch too much TV grow into antisocial misfits who can become violent at 13.

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It's a myth that sitting too close to the TV damages your eyesight, and here's why - The Sun

GETTY

A study found a bout of low intensity exercise boosts neurons that process visual information.

But the same benefit was not seen in more vigorous physical activity - which was no more effective than remaining sedentary.

The finding adds to growing evidence that remaining relatively fit helps cut the risk of poor vision.

Previous research has found people who have regular activity three or more times a week are almost three and a half times less likely to develop visual impairment.

In the latest study participants rode stationary bikes while wearing a wireless heart rate monitor and an EEG (electroencephalogram) which measures electrical activity in the brain.

At the same time the 18 volunteers performed a simple viewing task using high contrast stimuli composed of alternating black and white bars presented at one of nine spatial orientations.

These were performed while at rest and during bouts of both low and high intensity exercise.

Interestingly, just the light work out improved the visual cortex, the part of the brain that plays an important role in processing visual information.

GETTY

Psychologist Dr Tom Bullock, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, said: We found the peak response is enhanced during low intensity exercise relative to rest and high intensity exercise.

His team had fed the recorded brain data into a computational model that allowed them to estimate the responses of the neurons activated by the visual stimuli.

They were able to generate a 'tuning curve,' which estimates how well the brain cells are representing the different orientations.

Dr Bullock said: We also found the curve narrows in, which suggests a reduction in bandwidth.

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Common health myths and old wives' tales

Together, the increased gain and reduced bandwidth suggest these neurons are becoming more sensitive to the stimuli presented during the low intensity exercise condition relative to the other conditions.

The researchers said it is universally accepted the benefits of exercise go well beyond fitness, from reducing the risk of disease to improving sleep and enhancing mood.

Physical activity gives cognitive function a boost as well as fortifying memory and safeguarding thinking skills.

But the study, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, suggests it can also improve vision.

Recent research neuron firing rates in the regions of mouse and fly brains associated with visual processing increase during physical activity, so Dr Bullock and colleagues wanted to know if the same might be true for humans.

Professor Barry Giesbrecht said: We show the increased activation - what we call arousal - changes how information is represented, and it is much more selective.

GETTY

That is important to understand because how that information then gets used could potentially be different.

There's an interesting cross-species link that shows these effects of arousal might have similar consequences for how visual information is processed.

That implies the evolution of something that might provide a competitive advantage in some way.

But they don't know the mechanism by which this is occurring. He said: There are some hints that it may be driven by specific neurotransmitters that increase global cortical excitability and that can account for the change in the gain and the increase in the peak response of these tuning profiles.

From a broader perspective, this work underscores the importance of exercise.

Professor Giesbrecht added: In fact, the benefits of brief bouts of exercise might provide a better and more tractable way to influence information processing - versus, say, brain training games or meditation - and in a way that is not tied to a particular task.

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Exercise is GOOD for eyesight: Going for a brisk walk could improve your vision - Express.co.uk

I stare at a computer for entirely too many hours a day more than Id care to think about and by the end of the week, I feel it. At least, my eyes do.

Eye strain from staring at a computer is so common it has its own name: computer vision syndrome. And its pretty widespread, though estimates of its prevalence vary. The symptoms will probably sound familiar: blurry vision, headaches, dry eyes, watery eyes, and tired eyes.

For most people, these symptoms are temporary

For most people these symptoms are temporary, and if you stop using a computer for a while, theyll go away. The bad news is that these symptoms can occur if youre looking at a computer for two hours. If youre like me, you look at computers a lot more than that.

Computers are harder on the eyes than printed pages in part because we blink less. Our blink rate drops by a third when were reading on screens, leaving our eyes dry, according to the University of Iowa. There are some other reasons, too, the American Optometric Association says: the contrast between characters isnt as strong on a screen as in a book, and letters are less precisely rendered. All of these things make the eyes work harder, leaving them tired. Staring at the screen from a less-than-ideal angle only exacerbates the discomfort. Ideally, you should be looking slightly down at your screen at a 15 to 20 degree angle and it should be placed about 20 to 28 inches from your eyes.

It helps to take rest breaks. Every 20 minutes youre on the computer, take 20 seconds to stare at something 20 feet away optometrists call this the 20-20-20 rule. After two hours of continuous computer use, take 15 minutes away from the screen to rest your eyes. Some people who dont ordinarily wear glasses may also benefit from getting computer-specific specs. These glasses reduce glare and increase contrast, so your eyes dont have to work as hard when youre working with spreadsheets or writing fire tweets. Working at a computer also gets more difficult as you age and your eyes are less flexible. Contact lens wearers may deal with more dryness and blurriness, because you already blink less while wearing contacts. I often wear my glasses instead of my contacts I find that helps. I also use lubricating eye drops, so my eyes dont feel as parched.

If youre having trouble after a long day of staring at the computer, it might be worth saying hello to your eye doctor people with undiagnosed alterations in their vision are more at risk for eye strain. But the good news is that your vision is probably going to be fine in the long run. Just try to be kind to your eyes.

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You aren't going to go blind from staring at a computer too long - The ... - The Verge

Storm has the best type of personality under his circumstances, taking well to constructive criticism, adopting a positive attitude to all life has served him.

A LIFE in darkness wasnt the norm for Toti local, Storm Schwartz (26). A diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) at age 10 led to the deterioration of his vision and by 18 the young man was completely blind.

Fortunately an American company, Second Sight offers an operation that will allow Storm to regain some of his eye-sight again, albeit at a high cost.

Schwartz used to come to our youth church with his sister and friends. He was and still is an inspiration to others, a kind boy from an early age who always saw the best in others.

When Storm was diagnosed I remember him squinting his eyes to see, until his vision was completely gone. Then he needed to hold onto someones shoulder to be led around, said youth pastor of Lions Gate Church, Peter Buchner.

It was difficult to adjust and adapt to a life without vision, to use a cane. I had to swallow my pride, ask for help, rely on people constantly, listen hard and find a new form of independence, explained Storm.

Storm attended Rehoboth Christian School in Illovo, from his early grades he struggled to read and couldnt understand why. When diagnosed he continued at the school, arriving early every day to familiarise himself with his surroundings, using certain structures as landmarks. Storm then moved to Browns School to continue his learning, where he scraped through each grade. Storm finished his schooling through Glenwood-based Open Air School, for learners with physical impairments. By this time he needed a scribe as he was completely blind. He matriculated and passed all his exams by memory alone. Storm has the best type of personality under his circumstances, taking well to constructive criticism and adopting a positive attitude to all life has served him.

I remember over-hearing a school teacher say hell never make matric, hes not an academic. It was then that I decided I could and would prove her wrong and I did, said Storm.

The Toti local has thrived in all work he has done. From being a commercial crime companys switch board operator to making biltong, he proved himself a fast learner and diligent worker. In addition, he achieved the highest results for his level one brail test. Storm aspires to be a motivational speaker and journalist. He has been on numerous journalism and business courses throughout the country, meeting many people along his journey. He enjoys staying active at Virgin Active, attending park walks with his family along the Toti promenade and swimming in Baggies Beachs tidal pool.

Storm Shwartz doing Toti promenades Park Run with aunt, Belinda Simeon

Storm played blind cricket where a ringing ball is used and has represented the KZN team in Cape Town where his team placed third overall. He continued through to SA trials.

We enjoy watching movies. Ill explain to him whats visually happening, then hell burst out laughing and I wouldnt have caught onto the joke, so hell explain to me what my ears missed, said grandfather, Alan Symons, previously a pastor at Lions Gate Church.

I have always said that Stormie is differently abled, as his inability to see hasnt stopped him from having incredible insight. He is the most intuitive person I know, the best listener youll find. I am so proud of him and I believe Im going to live to have him see me again, during this lifetime, said Alan.

We too often take for granted all the beauty around us, which our eyes enable us to see.

I miss seeing my family, the ocean, expressions on faces, my friends and those I know, said Storm.

Words cant express how grateful I am for the help that has already come in and all the support I feel over this time.

Storm wrote about his condition and his hope of affording the life-changing surgery, using voice-activated software on his laptop:

I was born with full vision and at the age of 10, was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), by 18 I had lost 100% of my total vision. I have been blind for eight years. After recently having testing done, we found out the reason for my RP is genetic. Extensive tests have been run and due to my strong optic nerve, I am a perfect candidate to have the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis done. Second Sight Medical Products Inc. is giving a second chance to blind people with RP to see again. This developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable visual prosthetics provides a form of useful vision to blind patients. Unfortunately this procedure is only available overseas and at a great cost to a South African.

Living in hope, Schwartz explained that the procedure alone would cost $150,000. Which excludes pre and post-op diagnosis, flights, visas, accommodation and assistance. He would need in the region of a staggering R3,75-m to see again.

If anyone is able to assist towards his costs, contact him on 061 855 2010.

Storm Shwartz doing Toti promenades Park Run with aunt, Belinda Simeon

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Storm's journey to regain his eyesight - South Coast Sun

Pennsylvania non-profit agency in Williamsport is celebrating its 60-year anniversary. North Central Sight Services Inc. (NCSS) has launched its diamond anniversary, announcing an exciting year that observes the values of the agency-employment, prevention and independence.

Robert Garret, president and CEO, said that since 1910 the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind had been actively working to set up agencies that serviced the needs of people who are blind. In February 1957, they incorporated the Lycoming County Association for the Blind (LCAB). Members of the Harry Plankenhorn Foundation were involved and the local Lions Clubs 14G were too, in terms of putting together the Board of Directors for the fledging organization, Garrett said.

In those early days the agency would send out what Garrett described as visitors who would go to homes of people who were blind with talking book machines containing books on record from the Library of Congress. Other supports also were provided, such as transportation and limited employment opportunities at the 901 Memorial Avenue operation re-caning chairs and making door mats from recycled tires.

The agency had much-needed help from the community to remain solvent. We got a mortgage on the Memorial Avenue building and the Lions Club paid that off in about five years. It was actually quite amazing. We were also recipient of a rather large donation from the United Way to keep the organization going, Garrett said.

In 1974, the organization, under the leadership of Leroy Price, received a grant to expand services to the blind. We received additional seed money from the Federal Government to provide more extensive services for elderly people who were blind so they could stay independent living in their own home, Garrett said. At this time Price hired three people to provide services to those people and Garrett was one of them.

In 1982, Price retired and David Franklin took over and grew the industry. Knowing that more than 50 percent of blindness is preventable, Franklin also established and expanded the Prevention of Blindness Department at the agency.

The goal of prevention at NCSS is to promote public awareness about potential blinding eye diseases, prevention measures and the overall importance of eye health. They provide educational presentations and information about eye safety and eye health for all age groups. Their child and adult vision screenings are designed to detect symptoms of decreased vision, which may lead to serious eye diseases.

In 1986, Garrett was named the fourth executive director of the LCAB. In 1988 the agency changed its name to North Central Sight Services due to its expanding reach of services. Over the next few years, their service region further expanded to Centre and the Northern Tier counties, and the industry operations grew and prospered: they affiliated with the National Industries for the Blind; conducted a capital campaign in 1989 and raised just under $1 million to renovate the entire building and add an addition, increasing square footage by one third; and started producing tractor feed labels for the Federal Government that required hiring additional employees, followed by selling digital media and diskettes in 1990.

In 2005, NCSS bought the 63,000 square foot facility at 2121 Reach Road and, after renovations, moved in January 2007. NCSS has continued to see growth, but not without its challenges.

Like every business, weve had our ups and downs. We did give up Susquehanna and Potter counties about two years ago. It just was not fiscally feasible. We are now looking at other sources of revenue for our services, Garrett said.

As revenue from federal government contracts has curtailed, NCSS has had to diversify to achieve its mission. As the environment has changed, we are moving more toward services, doing a lot more document management and destruction and those kinds of things. The revenue is not near as large as it was when we were doing that huge amount of business with the federal government. So weve diversified, but in doing so its also brought some challenges, Garrett said.

The major challenge NCSS faces is one of increasing costs to provide services. As vision screening and accommodative equipment technology has advanced, its price tag also has seen an equivalent increase. The eSight program is one such technology. eSight Eyewear is electronic glasses that allow people with severe vision loss to actually see, and, thereby, make the most of their remaining vision and regain functionality.

We dedicated all of our fundraising efforts in 2016 toward the eSight mission to provide a device to help someone see a whole lot better on the job as they did before. Its not cheap. eSight is $15,000 for the unit, but it can provide a whole new way of seeing for people. We believe thats really important, Garrett said.

The diamond anniversary celebration was kicked off with the creation of the #NCSS60 hashtag on social media. Meagan Proffitt, marketing and public relations nanager, said its a good way to track the anniversary on social media as they go through the year. What were going to be doing is short videos that include interviews and comments from clients and community members about what NCSS means to not only people who work here but the people in the community, Poffitt said.

The year-long celebration has many events slated for 2017 to mark the milestone achievement. Dining in the Dark is an event to be held at LeJeune Chef Restaurant on the campus of Pennsylvania College of Technology on March 18. All guests are guided to their seats and served dinner completely blindfolded. This allows participants to understand in a very small way, and for a short period of time, what daily life can be like for someone who is blind or visually impaired.

Weve also added a second one this year. Well be hosting that on Feb. 25 at the Lock Haven Moose Lodge No. 100, Proffitt said.

Other scheduled events include the Lions Journey for Sight 5K Walk on May 7 and the Golf for Sight Tournament to be played on June 2 at the Wynding Brook Golf Club in Milton.

For more information or to help NCSS achieve its mission of providing employment, prevention and independence of people with blindness and visual impairment, you may donate directly through their website, http://www.ncsight.org/; call 866-320-2580; give to the United Way of Lycoming, Clinton or Bradford counties; or participate in the First Community Foundation Partnerships Raise the Region event on March 7-8.

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North Central Sight Services celebrates diamond anniversary - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Remember the lines in that great old song? Jeepers, creepers, whered you get those peepers? Jeepers, creepers, whered you get those eyes?

When it comes to aging, that phrase should be Jeepers, creepers, take care of those eyes!

Myth: Live long enough and you wont be able to see a thing.

Despite lyrical language about our eyes, loss of vision typically feels inevitable, as we get older. By middle age, most of us are feel the need to carry reading glasses everywhere and joking about needing longer arms to help read the fine print of this newspaper and just about everything else. Add a couple of decades, and we resign ourselves to living with the fuzzy blur of cataracts until were eligible to have them surgically removed.

We anticipate changes in our sight as normal aging. But specific changes in vision are not well understood. Consequently, many of us often think aberrations are normal and not likely to seek guidance from an eye care specialist.

Reality: Age-related vision changes are relatively limited while eye diseases common in later life can result in permanent vision loss if untreated.

The eye ages in several important ways. Normal age-related changes result in specific differences in vision, some of which are easily apparent and others of which are harder to see, if you'll pardon my pun.

The change that gets almost all our attention is presbyopia literally "old eyes." Beginning early in adulthood, the lens of the eye begins to lose flexibility making it harder to focus from near to far and back again. Sometime in the 40s, this lose becomes noticeable. Around age 60 or so, flexibility plateaus, resulting in no further loss of near vision.

Presbyopia is worse with fatigue. The tiny muscles in the eye that work to flex the lens and focus our eyes get tired just like other muscles. Close work think of using a computer, reading for long periods, or doing things like sewing makes the eyes dry, which in turn makes presbyopic vision worse.

Other visual differences that come with age are more noticeable in particular situations. Sensitivity to glare is more bothersome at night while driving and in buildings with shiny floors and bright lights.

Some changes in vision that occur more frequently as we age are actually signs of eye diseases. They create serious risk to sight if ignored. While cataracts are the most familiar eye condition in later life, knowing about the less familiar diseases of glaucoma and macular degeneration is critical.

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye, creating foggy looking vision with difficult seeing colors clearly as well. Cataracts occur when normal aging changes combine with damage from personal habits like smoking, diseases like diabetes and environmental exposures especially ultraviolet light (UV).

By 80, the majority of us have cataracts or have had them surgically removed. Surgery is the welcome part of having cataracts. Surgery removes the damaged lens and inserts a new, prosthetic version, literally restoring vision.

Curative treatment is not yet possible with glaucoma and macular degeneration. These two less common but more problematic eye diseases require early detection and continuous treatment to stabilize vision and protect against blindness.

Glaucoma is a disease where pressure inside the eyeball itself gets too high. There are two primary forms but open angle glaucoma is the most common. It is painless and there are no initial symptoms.

High pressures in the eye damage the optic nerve over time creating gradual loss of peripheral or side vision over time. Untreated, glaucoma can progress to complete blindness. African Americans, Mexican Americans and people over 60 are at greater risk.

Age-related macular degeneration or AMD results in visual loss that is the opposite of that in glaucoma. The macula is a special spot in the center of the retina, at the back of the eyeball. The macula contains specialized cells for sharp, central vision.

With AMD, ability to see what is right in front of us fades. Reading, driving, and anything for which we need to see what is right in front of us is lost. Advanced AMD does not create total blindness but it does make those with advanced disease functionally blind. Smoking along with family history increase likelihood of developing AMD.

Tips: Young or old, take care of your eyes.

Protecting our eyes is essential to our vision as we age. Guidance on how to protect and preserve vision is helpful, no matter what your age:

Email me at mythsofaging@gmail.com and tell me what you think about sight in later life. Follow me on Twitter @SarahHKagan for tweets about myths of aging, health, and aging well. Until next time, be well and stay active.

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Eying vision changes and problems related to aging - Burlington County Times

Some new technologies can be tuned to our personal characteristics, like the voice recognition on smartphones trained to recognize how we speak. But that isnt possible with todays virtual reality headsets. They cant account for differences in vision, which can make watching VR less enjoyable or even cause headaches or nausea.

Stanford researchers are trying to personalize virtual reality headsets to take eyesight into account. (Image credit: iStock/AleksandarNakic)

Now researchers at Stanfords Computational Imaging Lab, working with a Dartmouth College scientist, are developing VR headsets that can adapt how they display images to account for factors like eyesight and age that affect how we actually see.

Every person needs a different optical mode to get the best possible experience in VR, said Gordon Wetzstein, assistant professor of electrical engineering and senior author of research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Though the work is still in its prototype stage, the research shows how VR headsets could one day offer the sort of personalization that users have come to expect from other technologies.

We hope our research findings will guide these developments in the industry, Wetzstein said.

The problem that the researchers set out to solve is that the display screens on VR headsets dont let our eyes focus naturally. In real life, once our eyes focus on a point everything else blurs into the background. VR makes focusing more difficult because the display is fixed at a certain point relative to our eyes. This eyestrain can cause discomfort or headaches.

Over a 30- to 40-minute period, your eyes may start hurting, you might have a headache, said Nitish Padmanaban, a PhD student in electrical engineering at Stanford and member of the research team. You might not know exactly why something is wrong but youll feel it. We think thats going to be a negative thing for people as they start to have longer and better VR content.

Importantly, the effects of visual conflicts in VR may affect younger and older people differently. For example, people over the age of 45 commonly experience presbyopia a difficulty focusing on objects close up. Younger people dont generally have presbyopia but they may have vision issues that require them to wear glasses. In either case, current VR headsets dont take these vision difficulties into account.

One insight in our paper is to consider age as a factor, rather than focusing only on young users, and to show that the best solution for older users is likely different than for younger users, said Emily Cooper, a research assistant professor in Dartmouths Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

The researchers are testing hardware and software fixes designed to change the focal plane of a VR display. They call this technology adaptive focus display.

The group tested two different hardware options. One relies on focus-tunable liquid lenses. Twisting a dial squeezes the liquid lenses inside the headset to change the screen display even though the lens itself remains in place. The other option involves mechanically moving the display screen back or forth, like adjusting a pair of binoculars. The system also incorporates eye-tracking technology to determine where on the screen the user is looking.

In conjunction with the eye-tracking technology, software ascertains where the person is trying to look and controls the hardware to deliver the most comfortable visual display. The software can account for whether a person is nearsighted or farsighted but cannot yet correct for another vision issue called astigmatism. With these displays, VR users would not need glasses or contacts to have a good visual experience.

Its important because people who are nearsighted, farsighted or presbyopic these three groups alone they account for more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, said Robert Konrad, one of the researchers and a PhD candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford. The point is that we can essentially try to tune this in to every individual person to give each person the best experience.

The researchers tested prototypes of these personalized VR displays at last years SIGGRAPH conference. Tal Stramer, a Stanford graduate student in computer science, was involved in this phase. The team tested their adaptive focus display on 173 participants aged 21 to 64 and found that the technology provided improved viewing experiences across a wide range of vision characteristics.

This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, a Terman Faculty Fellowship and grants from Okawa Research, Intel Corporation and Samsung.

Link:
Stanford researchers personalize virtual reality displays to match a user's eyesight - Stanford University News

PH

Despite regular eye examinations, clinicians missed the warning signs that led to the loss but with more thorough testing Leifs condition would have been detected and he would likely have retained his vision.

So medical technology designer Douglas set about inventing a fast, non-intrusive whole-retina scanner, which was patient-friendly enough for a five-year-old but would give examiners a full view of the eye, unlike the partial glimpse which most machines provided at the time.

The result was Optos, which uses laser technology to monitor any changes in the eye that would otherwise go undetected using traditional examination techniques and equipment.

Not only is the scanner now used in hospitals across the country, the machine also helped save the vision in Leifs other eye after it detected a new retina problem several years later.

The technological innovation is now celebrating 11 years since it was recognised with the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award, the UKs most prestigious prize in the field and known as the Oscars of the engineering world.

GETTY

There are about 11,000 devices worldwide and a staggering 70-100 million people have been imaged using the scanner, potentially saving the sight of millions globally.

What was needed was a device that could image the entire eye in a very patient-friendly way and could be used by a non-expert practitioner

Douglas Anderson

It was an achievement Douglas, 66, could have not imagined when he was reeling from the news that Leif had irrecoverably lost his vision in one eye.

It was a very emotional time, admits Douglas, from Fife in Scotland, who was running his own design consultancy developing medical products.

I reflected on the reason my son lost his left eye he had a top-rated clinician and you dont get in front of one of them unless youre already advanced with some kind of symptomatic disease.

PH

"The people who tend to do standard eye examinations on children are opticians or junior doctors and because of the uncooperative nature of many young children, the chances of a full retina examination were about 20 per cent. So chances were that lots of problems went undiagnosed until it was too late.

Although Leifs right eye was being monitored, Douglas worried it could suffer the same fate as the left.

Our clinician tried to reassure me about what he could see but I became progressively less convinced about his ability to do a full retinal examination on a small child.

From this point, Douglas decided that there was a need for a device which gave a high-quality retina examination, particularly for difficult patients.

I thought the manual examination being used was out of date. When I thought of other disciplines such as cardiology and orthopaedics, they had much better imaging systems available to do comprehensive examinations.

GETTY

Ophthalmology, on the other hand, was a backwater which was using devices that had been developed 50 or even 100 years before.

What was needed was a device that could image the entire eye in a very patient-friendly way and could be used by a non-expert practitioner.

Douglas started working on his ambitious plan back in 1992 after securing investment 20million over the past 20 years and unveiled his first devices back in 2000.

It took another 10 years to go from the first machines we had in the marketplace to the level of refinement we have today. We are now on the third generation of machines, he says.

Obviously my background in making medical products was useful but it has been a big challenge and was and still is very much a team effort. In 2007 Optos received a Queens Award For Enterprise and the following year Douglas was named European Inventor Of The Year.

Last year an Optos display was installed in the National Museum Of Scotland. The device was instrumental in saving Leifs second eye when he had another retinal detachment aged 20.

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Douglas rushed him to hospital during a weekend only to find there were no consultants available.

Fortunately there was an Optos machine but there were no clinical operators. So Leif and I convinced the staff to let us image his eye and he was scheduled for urgent and immediate attention the next day, says Douglas, who also has a daughter Orea, 35.

Leifs eye was saved but without the immediate diagnosis it was at risk.

The machine played a big role with that. Leif is now 31 and his right eye is in good health although he does require continuous monitoring.

He has sight that is capable of reading and driving a car so his vision is very good. Im amazed weve managed to get so far. We make the product today that I hoped for 25 years ago. It means there are many parents out there who wont have to go through what we did all those years ago.

For more information visit optos.com

Read more:
Douglas Anderson: My invention saved my son's eyesight - Express.co.uk

At first glance Ajay Kumar Reddy is no different from the average guy you meet walking down the street.

All is not what it seems

Twitter

However, a closer look reveals that the man has problems with his sight. The left eye is completely blind and he can't see beyond two metres with his right one.

Nonetheless, this lad from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is know the skipper of the Blind Indian cricket team and has just led the country to victory in the World T20 title clash.

He lost his vision as a child due to an eye infection and that hampered him for most part of the pre-teen years. But it did not dampen his determination to take up the sport.

Defiance in the face of adversity

Twitter

He would play cricket 'all night' under lights in childhood, to pursue the sport professionally. Cricket equipment, especially a bat (a good one can cost a few thousand rupees) can be expensive.

Life was one big ordeal for Ajay as he had to push himself much harder to compete with others till he joined the Lutheran High School for the Blind in Narsaraopet, in the seventh standard. The school was known for promoting cricketers and Ajay started playing the game.

As a farmer's son, he faced opposition from his own father to taking up the game, but it did not deter him from his goal.

When things got better

Twitter

Then came the turning point. A senior blind cricketer, G Nageshwar Rao told him about the selections for the Blind Andhra Pradesh team was on.

Ajay was selected for the AP team in 2006 and since then there has been no looking back.

This paved his way into the Indian team in 2010. In his very first tour to England in 2010 he won two man of the match awards.

Glory for the country

Twitter

More success was to follow Ajay as he was rewarded with the vice-captaincy for his efforts. He was part of the team that won the first ever World T20 for the Blind the same year. His 33-ball hundred against England is ranked right up there as one of the best knocks ever.

In 2014, Ajay had a big role in India winning the ODI World Cup. His aggressive batting helped India chase down 141 in 11 overs against Pakistan in the final.

During the latter part of last year, he was appointed the skipper and led the team to victory in the Asia Cup. The icing on the cake, however, was when the team defeated Pakistan to win the World T20 on February 12.

Decline in vision but still going strong

PTI

However, the man has admitted that it all comes at a price.

"All my leaves expire due to cricket, so I've no leaves left for personal life-say for example taking my wife out for a holiday!"

Also his vision is fading slowly and that has not helped matters.

Ajay has always campaigned for more support for visually impaired cricketers as he feels they should get their dues.

His story is one of inspiration. It shows that if you are willing to defy the odds, you can achieve greatness no matter what life throws at you.

He is certainly a benchmark for those visually impaired people who want to take up the game and prove that they are no less.

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The Story Of Ajay Kumar Reddy - From Losing His Vision As A Child To Leading India To The Blind World T20 Title - Indiatimes.com

Our reporter asked Dr David Keegan, consultant ophthalmologist at the Mater Hospital, what we can do to reduce and even halt the effects of many serious sight complaints

1 HAVE YOUR EYES TESTED REGULARLY

Having regular eye tests (recommended every two years) will identify early indications of diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which are treatable when caught early. An eye test can also identify other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

"Don't ignore poor vision or just put it down to old age," says Dr Keegan. "Have it seen to by an eye doctor or another eye-care professional. A lot of people ignore poor vision even though much of what causes it is preventable. So have regular eye check-ups to keep on top of things."

2 EAT WELL

Maintaining a healthy weight and eating well can have enormous benefits for your eyes.

Some foods can even help to protect against certain eye conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration due to the specific nutrients they contain called lutein or zeaxanthin, which are found in many fruits and vegetables, including mango, broccoli, green beans and spinach.

"Having a diet rich in anti-oxidants, in fruit and vegetables and low in fats, particularly saturated fats, will prevent against macular degeneration, cataract and diabetic retinopathy - three of the main causes of vision impairment worldwide," says Dr Keegan.

3 DON'T SMOKE

It is well documented that smoking is bad for your general health, but it can also cause direct damage to your sight by lessening the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream available to your eyes. The results of this 'oxidative stress' can lead to retina damage and even cell death in the area.

Smoking is also a risk factor in the development of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. However, in many cases, one can stop or even reverse damage to the eyes - depending on the severity of the condition - by quitting.

4 DON'T IGNORE CHANGES IN YOUR VISION

From the moment you notice a problem with your vision, the clock is ticking on your treatment options.

"The biggest mistake people can make is to ignore progressive vision loss, either out of denial or not thinking it is a big problem because then, when they eventually do present, it may be too late," says Dr Keegan.

"Every eye doctor has multiple stories like that, unfortunately, where if the patient had just come in a few months earlier, they may have been able to do something for them. So don't ignore your symptoms. Do your bit by presenting to a health professional and looking for onwards referral."

5 wear quality-assured glasses

Not all sunglasses will protect against ultraviolet light from the sun, which can cause damage to eyes. So be sure your sunglasses have a UV factor rating and block 100pc of UV rays.

Fighting Blindness, an Irish patient-led charity, advises people to check the sunglasses they buy carry the 'CE' mark. The 'CE' mark indicates that the sunglasses in question meet European safety standards.

6 KNOW YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY

Many of the eye conditions which cause sight loss are hereditary, so it is particularly important to be aware of any eye issues that may run in your family.

"It is important to know your family's eye history," says Dr Keegan. "There are some genetic conditions or partly genetic conditions which you can modify such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetes.

"These are things we can do something about. There are also conditions which will run in families and we don't have effective treatments for just yet, so they would be the inherited retinal degenerations for example, but these sorts of cases would fall into the 25pc of non-preventable causes of blindness currently.

"It is important that if an eye condition is in your family, you get assessed and checked yourself and you have a genetic test done, which is available through the Target 5000 Project run by Fighting Blindness."

For more information about Target 5000 or to register your interest, telephone 01 6789 004 or email target5000@fightingblindness.ie

7 GIVE YOUR EYES A BREAK

Your eyes are constantly on their 'A' game, so it is important to avoid eye strain by getting adequate rest periods. If you work at a computer, it is a good idea to take frequent screen breaks and enable you eyes to relax by looking into the distance briefly.

"Eye strain is a combination of muscle strain and your eyes drying out, and it can be very uncomfortable," explains Dr Keegan. "Eye strain relates to an intensive accommodative effort where you might be looking at something up close for long periods of time and that has all the muscles in the eye switched on.

"The best way to give your eyes a break is to look into the distance. So if you are setting up your computer, for example, don't set it up in the corner of a room, set it up by a window if you can instead, so you can look into the distance every 10 or 15 minutes.

"It is also important to be careful about working in very dry conditions or heated environments because your eyes may go dry. Be sure to blink regularly and you can take artificial tear supplements too if your eyes are very dry. These measures will eliminate 90pc of the symptoms of eye strain."

8 TAKE CARE WITH COSMETICS AND CHEMICALS

Your eyes are incredibly delicate, so take care and use common sense when using make-up removers or any other products around your eyes.

Make sure to close your eyes when spraying hairspray or perfumes and if you get dye or any other chemicals in your eye, rinse with water immediately.

"Be sensible. If you are getting things like false lashes for example, it is important to use reputable people," says Dr Keegan. "When something that is used to put on false lashes, or to dye the lashes, falls into the eye, it can be very sore, so if you get any sort of chemical products in your eye, wash it out with copious amounts of water and if it is still very sore, then present to the hospital to have somebody look at it."

9 GET SCREENED

Screening is a good idea for everyone, but for those with existing conditions such as diabetes, which could impact on their vision, it is a must. If you have diabetes, you should register with The National Diabetic Retinal Screening Programme. For full details, see: http://www.diabeticretinascreen.ie.

"There are a lot of manageable eye conditions - a lot of vision impairment is managed just with glasses and then there are other conditions like cataract, which is treated with a surgery, glaucoma, which is managed with drops, or retina conditions like retinal detachment or macular hole, which is treated with surgery," says Dr Keegan. "So screening for eye disease is very important."

10 KEEP IT CLEAN

Washing your hands thoroughly will help avoid the risk of eye infection (and is particularly important if you wear contact lenses).

* For more information, visit retina.ie.

Health & Living

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10 ways to keep your eyes healthy - Irish Independent

CLARKSBURG Lions clubs across Harrison County are providing free vision screenings for students in third and sixth grades.

Thirty-five students at Wilsonburg Elementary School were screened Thursday, and approximately 1,600 county students are to be screened by the end of March.

The local initiative to help detect vision issues among children is part of a worldwide effort started by Lions Club International about two years ago, said Clarksburg Lions Club member Al Cox.

Since the preschool and kindergarten students are required to have this done for school, we decided to target age groups each three years apart, Cox said. Most children dont have vision screenings until they start having problems, and by that time, it might be too late.

Using state-of-the-art devices called Welsh Allyn SPOT and Plusoptix vision screeners, club members are able to check for farsightedness, nearsightedness, blurred vision, unequal refractive power, unequal pupil size and eye misalignment.

Dr. Craig Liebig, an optometrist, has served as eye equipment coordinator, training Lions on how to use the screeners, Cox said.

Eighty percent of learning is visual, and if we can help correct it before a students education is affected, then this is worth it, Cox said. Over the past two years, the Lions Club has been doing childrens eye screenings at different organizations and schools in the area.

Cox explained that Lions Club members provide vision screenings, not vision tests. If a screening finds any vision issues, children and their parents are referred to a professional.

Frank Barberio and Gary Bakers of the Wilsonburg Lions Club and Mickey Knight and David Lantz of the Adamston Lions Club took part in the vision screenings at Wilsonburg Elementary on Thursday.

They said they enjoy being able to provide the free service to students of Harrison County.

Its part of what we do, Bakers said. We serve, and were really involved in wanting to preserve the eyesight of children, catching any problems at an early age.

Knight agreed.

All of the local Lions clubs are involved, he said. This is free for the students, and its something that needs to be monitored as students get older and their vision begins to change.

Harrison County Schools Nursing Coordinator Jody Sperry praised the Lions and their work.

We like to collaborate with the Lions clubs because we need the extra manpower, and they are really tremendous individuals, Sperry said. By collaborating, it allows us to reach a greater number of students and gets students in to see professionals if needed.

Sixth-grade students at each of the countys middle schools have already been screened, and screenings at elementary schools are underway, Sperry said. Students at St. Marys, Heritage Christian and Emmanuel Christian schools also will be screened.

Sperry said the screenings are optional, but if parents would like their children of any age to be screened, they can contact a school nurse and set up a free appointment.

Cox said day cares, church groups and other organizations are also welcome to contact a Lions Club if theyre interested in vision screenings, Cox said.

Our motto is, We serve, and thats just what we will continue to do, Cox said.

Read more from the original source:
Lions club provides free eye screenings for elementary, middle school students - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

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Scientists have discovered a cell in the eye's retina that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions.

The dysfunction may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away from natural light.

It is estimated that up to 40 per cent of British adults suffer myopia or nearsightedness, meaning they struggle to see distant objects clearly.

The newly discovered retinal cell, which is highly sensitive to light, controls how the eye grows and develops.

If the cell instructs the eye to grow too long, images fail to be focused on the retina, causing nearsighted vision and a lifetime of glasses or contact lenses.

Experts say the retina contains a signal to focus the image in the eye and this signal is important for properly regulating eye growth during childhood.

GETTY

The eye needs to stop growing at precisely the right time during childhood

Professor Greg Schwartz

Study leader Professor Greg Schwartz, of Northwestern University, in Chicago, said: "For years no one knew what cell carried the signal.

"We potentially found the key missing link, which is the cell that actually does that task and the neural circuit that enables this important visual function."

He said indoor light had a high red/green contrast, which activates clusters of photoreceptors in the human eye, creating the equivalent of an artificial contrast image on the retina.

GETTY

It's likely the human version of the retinal cell would be over stimulated by such patterns, causing too much growth of the eye, leading to myopia.

Professor Schwartz said: "The eye needs to stop growing at precisely the right time during childhood."

The findings appear in the science journal Current Biology.

Getty

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Common health myths and old wives' tales

In the study researchers recorded electrical signals from cells in a mouse retina under different light patterns.

Professor Schwartz said: "This discovery could lead to a new therapeutic target to control myopia."

In further research he hopes to find the gene specific to this retina cell. Then scientists can turn its activity up or down in a genetic mouse model to try to induce or cure myopia.

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EYESIGHT WARNING: Kids risk eye damage 'by spending too much time indoors' - Express.co.uk