Avoid Sports Eye Injuries

If you like to watch sports you may have noticed more and more elite athletes, professional athletes and even Olympic athletes share a common “look”. It’s the look of wearing protective eyewear to BOTH avoid eye injuries and optimize their overall performance.

The data and statistics on the need to wear protective eyewear to avoid injuries is compelling. Every day Americans sustain injuries to their eyes, at home, on the job, or during sports activities. Of the 1.6 to 2.4 million individuals who experience eye injuries, an estimated 40,000 will be legally blind in the injured eye. Nearly 90 percent of the injuries are preventable if individuals use proper safety eyewear and take precautions to avoid possible unsafe situations.

Consider these statistics from the National Eye Institute:

· Every 13 minutes, an emergency room in the U.S. treats a sports-related eye injury

· More than 100,000 eye injuries in the United States occur each year during sports or recreational activities

· Basketball players age 15 to 24 have a 1 in 10 chance of experiencing an eye injury

· Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the United States:

o   Approximately 27 percent of all eye injuries in children age 11 to 14 are sports-related

o   Children under age 15 account for 43 percent of sports and recreational injuries; eye injuries frequently occur when individuals are involved in baseball, ice hockey and racquet sports

o   When people participate in outdoor activities in the snow or on the water, ultraviolet light radiation from the sun can damage eyes; repeated exposure to ultraviolet sunlight can lead to problems as individuals age, including the development of cataracts and macular degeneration – the leading causes of vision loss among older Americans

While most sports-related eye injuries are not severe in nature – a scratch from a fingernail during a game or an elbow to the eye resulting in a black eye – it’s important to wear the correct type of protective eyewear to avoid serious eye injuries.

If you or someone you know has a question about protective eyewear for sports or wishes to be fit with protective sports eyeglasses please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.  

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

LASIK Again in a Heartbeat!

“If someone had asked me if I would ever be glasses and contact lens free I would have thought they were crazy.  It got to the point where my contacts were so uncomfortable that I couldn’t wear them anymore.  I asked Dr. Buck what I could do because I really hated to wear glasses too.  He recommended having LASIK.  I am 38 and knew down the road a few years I would need reading glasses.  At this point I didn’t care about reading glasses as long as I could get rid of distance glasses and contacts.  Besides I would have a few good years before that would happen anyways.  After the preliminary testing Dr. Buck said I was a good candidate.  I scheduled surgery, surprisingly for the next week and was ready to go.  Best thing I have ever done and if I had to do it over I would in a heartbeat!”

If you or some you know is tired of the hassle of glasses or contact lenses for seeing at distance and would like to find out if LASIK might be a good vision correction option, please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser for a Free LASIK Consultation.  

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

Retinoblastoma Eye Cancer in Children

Retinoblastoma is a rare but potentially catastrophic eye cancer that is found in children during a routine eye exam. We encourage all parents or caregivers of children to be sure that at least their primary care doctor or pediatrician is performing a simple “red reflex” test especially under the age of two years to quickly identify children at risk. This is especially important in less affluent or lower socioeconomic areas as there are a noticeable disparity in outcomes for children with retinoblastoma who have limited access to routine pediatric care. Researchers from Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center report in a study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that although virtually all the children in the study survived, Hispanic children and children who lived in disadvantaged areas were more likely to lose an eye due to late diagnosis. White children and children who live in areas with a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to have been diagnosed early enough that physicians could preserve their eye and vision.  The study found: 

·        At the time of diagnosis, the disease had spread beyond the eye in 33 percent of Hispanic children, compared with 20 percent of non-Hispanic children.

·        At diagnosis, disease had spread beyond the eye in 28 percent of children from high-poverty areas, compared with 20 percent of other children. Similar disparities were found in other measures of socio-economic status.

·        Three-quarters (74.5 percent) of Hispanic children had the diseased eye surgically removed, compared with two-thirds (67.5 percent) of non-Hispanic children and less than two thirds (63 percent) of non-Hispanic white children. Among non-Hispanic black and Asian children, 74 percent had their eye removed.

·        Three-quarters (76 percent) of children living in disadvantaged counties had their eye removed, compared to less than two-thirds (64 percent) who lived in advantaged counties.

As with many eye problems retinoblastoma eye cancer can be best addressed with early detection, diagnosis and treatment. If you or some you know is concerned about a child being at risk for retinoblastoma or any children’s eye problem please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

Genes for Glaucoma Identified

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have led an international effort to identify three genetic associations that influence susceptibility and risk of primary open angle glaucoma which is the most common and insidious type of glaucoma. They studied more than 4,000 cases and 30,000 controls for primary open angle glaucoma using human genomes collected through the NEIGHBORHOOD consortium, a National Eye Institute collaborative. The researchers identified relationships between primary open angle glaucoma and three genetic associations and we believe that this will provide key insights that may ultimately be used to develop gene-based testing and treatment strategies for glaucoma.

In order to prevent vision loss, Primary Open Angle Glaucoma is best managed through early detection, diagnosis and treatment. Having a genetic code that tells us whether you will be subject to the disease will go a long way in preventing damage to the optic nerve and thus compromised vision. As we move forward, regular eye exams with glaucoma texting-especially for those with known risk factors including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, smoking and being of Latino or African ancestry-are important to maintain eye health and vision.

Please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.