Archive for the ‘Children’s Vision’ Category

It is not everyday that a television news crew comes to Bright Eyes, so when we were given the opportunity we were very excited. We got to the office extra early and made sure everything was ready. The subject was children’s vision and the importance of annual eye exams for kids. Children can have a variety of vision problems that interfere with learning, including difficulty seeing clearly, problems focusing and moving their eyes, and difficulty making sense of what they see. For some children, glasses are sufficient to solve their visual problem. For others, Vision Therapy,  a series of therapeutic activities, is necessary to ensure the eyes are working properly.

The video also goes into detail about the excellent program called the Eye Pledge that for every Eye Pledge taken, VSP Vision Care will donate an eye exam and a new pair of glasses to a child served by the Boys and Girls Club – up to 50,ooo children. The Eye Pledge is easy to take and doesn’t cost you a thing! Take the Eye Pledge now and help a child. One of the great things about it is that you can specify if you want the donation to go to a child from a Boys and Girls Club in your area or to an area with the greatest need.

To read more and take the Eye Pledge visit: http://www.seemuchmore.com/take-the-pledge

Has your child had an eye exam? They should be a standard part of the Back to School Checklist! If you have questions about children’s vision or children’s eye care, do not hesitate to call us at 813-792-0637.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Have you ever flown on an airplane? While watching the luggage come and go, you’ve probably noticed that all of the workers have large earmuffs on. Why earmuffs in Florida? They wear them because the planes are loud! Workers at airports need to protect their ears so the noise won’t hurt them and cause hearing problems.

Workers in offices also have to be careful, not usually from loud noise but from computer use.  Just like repeated exposure to loud noise can cause hearing problems, long hours focusing on the computer or digital device can cause eyestrain and vision problems.  This is called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and it can lead to problems like watery, irritated eyes, headache, neck pain, and reduced efficiency at work.

Every day, I talk to patients who deal with computer vision syndrome, and I recommend ways that they can protect their eyes and vision. The right computer set up and lighting is important. Taking breaks is important. For some people, I prescribe computer vision glasses to help relieve eyestrain. You can read more about this in an article I wrote for Mashable called 5 Important Tips for Better Eye Heath in a Digital World.

But protecting our eyes and ears is not just for adults or just for work. In fact, children may be even more susceptible to certain problems than adults because they are still growing and developing.  And increasingly, much of their work AND play takes place on digital devices, so parents need to be aware of how computers can affect their children and their eyes.

I’m happy to share that VSP Vision Care has a new EyeFiles video out specifically about computer vision syndrome and children:

For more specific information, check out this handy Question and Answer handout that I helped VSP Vision Care create to accompany the video.  It discusses:

• What digital eyestain is
• How it can affect kids
• What the symptoms are
• Steps parents can take to reduce symptoms

If you have any questions or concerns about how the computer or handheld device is affecting your children’s eyes, please stop by or call us. You can also read previous CVS blog posts here.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

We have had an amazing few weeks at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in the Vision Therapy department and I just want to share! There have been several patients who have graduated with flying colors and it is so wonderful to see them so proud of their accomplishments  – and so happy with the results!

One young patient is very bright but has a variety of different problems including difficulty with eye movement control and visual attention. During the course of vision therapy not only has his visual skill improved but his parents have noted a dramatic difference in his awareness of the world around him. They say that he is better able to work with groups of people and get his behavior at school on has improved dramatically!

Another young patient had amblyopia (which means a lazy eye) as well as a few other related visual processing problems. Her therapy was primarily for the amblyopia to improve the vision in her eye and to improve the way the eyes work together. Then at one point a few weeks ago her mother reported that her reading had really taken off. She had her nose in a book almost all the time! Needless to say her mother is thrilled.

I am also excited because we have several new patients starting therapy program. One young man has had ongoing problems with double vision that have interfered with reading and school work. He is excited to get started and I am too because I know he is going to do very well. Another one is a typical case where the family came in with concerns about having to see blurry in the distance and only after we did the evaluation did we find out that there were focusing problems that may also be contributing to avoidance of homework and their close activities. Once I explained how and an underlying focusing problem can actually cause vision in the distance to be blurry, it made a lot of sense to them and they were excited to sign up.

Although vision therapy is the most time consuming and most complicated part of my career, it is also the most rewarding to being out the potential of these patients and their joy when they themselves realize it! If you have any questions about vision therapy and and whether or not you or someone else is a candidate, please feel free to give our office a call, e-mail us, or stop by.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

The American Optometric Association recently held a School Readiness Summit: Focus on Vision in which doctors, nurses, educators and advocates for children’s health gathered to examine learning-related vision issues that are keeping children from achieving in the classroom. This summit was created to address the concerns that our current system is flawed and a policy shift is needed. The problem is that currently, the U.S. educational system and some health care providers rely heavily on vision screenings to discover the kids that need comprehensive exams. These screenings do catch some types of vision problems but they can miss about 75% of those children that have learning-related vision problems. Detecting these vision problems is very important as “studies show that much of what children learn comes though vision, and undetected and untreated eye and vision disorders in children, such as amblyopia and strabismus, can result in vision loss, additional costly treatments, delayed reading and poorer outcomes in school.”

The take-home statement that the summit produced is that comprehensive eye exams must serve as the foundation to determine school readiness in school-aged children. Another important point established at this meeting is the establishment of the link between healthy vision and classroom learning.

This historic summit is an important step in ensuring that children receive the proper detection and treatment of vision problems before they become detrimental to their learning. Here at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, we are excited to see these changes being made, since it has been our goal from the beginning to not only catch vision problems at an early stage, evidenced by the InfantSEE program that we offer that provides free eye exams to infants between the age of 6 months and 1 year of age, but to also treat certain types of problems through our extensive one-on-one vision therapy program.

If you have any questions regarding the InfantSEE program, vision therapy program, or would like to schedule a comprehensive eye exam for your child before they start school, give our office a call or come in to schedule.

All the best,

Justin Schoonover, CPO

Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

It’s true! According to several recent entertainment stories such as this one from Engadget,  Johnny Depp is unable to see the 3-D effects in the very movies that he stars in. Specifically the upcoming  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is to be released May 20th.

They way Depp described it, “I’m unable to see in 3D. My eyes don’t see in 3D. I have a weird eye… It just doesn’t work.”

While  all this may seem like a small bit of movie trivia to many people, this may remind a lot of folks of themselves… or their children.  We don’t know exactly what is weird about his “eye”, whether it is amblyopia (often called “lazy eye”) or some other condition. But we do know that many of the types of problems can be detected at a very early age. It is recommended that babies have their first eye exam at six months old. Treatment such as glasses or contacts or medical procedures to prevent further problems may allow the patient to have as normal vision as possible…. even normal 3-D vision. Also, vision therapy may be an option to give 3-D vision to patients,  young or old. The book “Fixing My Gaze”  by Dr. Susan Barry is an excellent example of this.

The recent news about Johnny Depp is just one more reminder that if you or anyone you know has trouble with 3-D movies you should see an optometrist.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

For months, I’ve been reading, writing, and speaking about the Nintendo 3DS, all without actually seeing or using it. I was finally able to change that yesterday. After helping put the kids to bed, I slipped off to Best Buy and purchased a shiny black 3DS. I brought it home and Cristina and I spent a few hours setting it up and using it. We’ve had a Nintendo DS at Bright Eyes for years that we use as a reward activity during vision therapy, so it was immediately very familiar.

3D Effects

One of the biggest selling points of the 3DS is that the user does not need to wear special glasses to see the 3D effects. This is called autostereoscopic 3D and is definitely where 3D technology is going. It works surprisingly well, considering the small screen. You do have hold the screen flat relative to your head. If you angle the screen, you will either see double or lose the 3D effect.  The 3D does work from positions other than dead-center. This means that, while not ideal, it is possible for more than one person to see the 3D effect at one time.

I was particularly interested to see how well the “3D volume” slider worked. This allows users to adjust the amount of 3D shown to suit their tastes and the particular game. It works amazingly, seamlessly well. I was able to adjust the 3D anywhere from none, to just-noticeable, to full with just a flick of my thumb.

Augmented reality

One of the most intriguing aspects of the 3DS is its use of AR (augmented reality) as part of the game. This allows the viewer to play the game within the room or area that they are really in. (See picture to the right).  Not only is this extremely fun, there are some potential visual benefits to this. If the game is getting further away, it is more likely that the user will hold the game further away and look further away, potentially reducing some strain on the eyes. (I should note that I don’t have any research on this, but it occurred to me while playing.)

3DS vs. DS

One of the biggest visual concerns with 2D game systems such as the original Nintendo DS is that children tend to hold the screens incredibly close – as close as 3 or 4 inches. A person of any age should not hold a book or game closer than their Harmon Distance (or the distance from the knuckle to the elbow). With the 3DS, the 3D effect is better when the game is held a foot or so away from the eyes, so this will naturally encourage users to stay within their Harmon distance.

Safety

Much has been made, appropriately, of the potential adverse effects of using 3D technology, due to the differences of 3DS and real-life 3D.  Nintendo’s official warning of “vision damage” occurring for those six and under has gotten a lot of attention. While I haven’t seen any proof of this, I think it is reasonable because a person has to pretty visual sophisticated to use the 3DS. So I do recommend keeping it away from the young kids. They should be building with blocks and playing outside anyway,

For the older kids and adults (like Justin, on the left) who use the 3DS, eyestrain is possible. Already, I’ve talked to patients who have experienced headaches, nausea, and blurred vision from the 3DS. I’m happy to report that after an hour neither Cristina nor I experienced any of these symptoms. However, we routinely do activities during vision therapy that require visual skill and flexibility. For that reason we are much more accustomed to the visual demands required by the 3DS.

The #1 thing to remember: moderation. Take frequent breaks, even if you feel OK. Use the 20/20/20 Rule – Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Even Nintendo recommends that players take a 10 minute break every hour.

If you or your children do experience symptoms, or don’t see the 3D even with the 3D on “full” be sure to get a through eye exam to look for vision or eye coordination problems. And remember that eye exams are recommended at age six months, three years, and before kindergarten.

For more on potential health effects of the Nintendo 3DS, see my interview with PCWorld. See also the American Optometric Association’s press release on the subject

Overall

In summary, the Nintendo 3DS easy to use and fun. The 3D effects are effective and being glasses-free is very nice. The augmented reality really works well. When used in moderation for the appropriate ages, I do not see any harm. If you do have concerns, schedule an appointment at Bright Eyes either on our webpage or calling 813-792-0637.

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

Today there has been a lot of discussion about an unreleased hand-gaming system cleverly called the the Nintendo 3DS. The system is similar to the popular Nintendo DS, which has a small touch-screen, but the 3DS allows users to play games in 3D without the use of 3D glasses.

The DS can be a lot of fun and can even be used as therapy in some cases. However, its tiny screen and close viewing can cause eye fatigue, blurry vision, headaches, and discomfort with prolonged use. The best advice is to hold the game at Elbow Distance and take frequent breaks.

Not surprisingly, the new 3DS can provoke similar visual symptoms. Today, both CNN and the LA Times have both reported on the warning that Nintendo itself released:

“Vision of children under the age of 6 is in the developmental stage. Nintendo 3DS, 3-D, including 3-D movies and television, delivers 3-D images with different left and right eye images, which has a potential impact on the growth of children’s eyes.” (translation)

It is true that young children are still developing visual skills (adults do as well, just not as quickly) and it is likely that intense near work plays a role in the development of myopia or nearsightedness. So it is a good idea to minimize the amount of time young children spend on any near task, whether it be 2D or 3D. Playing outdoors is a great alternative.

For older kids and adults, the 3DS is probably a lot of fun. I definitely will try it out. But remember, as always, moderation is important. Take breaks every 20 or 30 minutes. If your eye doctor has prescribed glasses for reading, use them while playing. And if you do experience headaches, blurry or double vision, or other problems after playing the 3DS, be sure to have a thorough eye exam. That could be the indication of more serious problems.

UPDATE: For more info and background, see this VisionHelp post by Dr. Len Press.

See Well!

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
Bright Eyes Family Vision Care
Located in the Westchase area of Tampa.

A recent study came out yesterday that has a lot of people talking. Acupuncture may be as effective in treating amblyopia (lazy eye) as patching.

From the CNN story Needles trump patches in treating kids’ eye problem:

In the randomized trial, researchers compared the effectiveness of two hours of daily patching therapy with acupuncture for treating lazy eye in 88 children aged 7 to 12. All children had already worn glasses for at least 16 weeks. 43 of the children were randomly assigned to the acupuncture treatment group, receiving five treatments per week that targeted five needle insertion sites. 45 children in the patch group had their stronger eye patched for two hours per day and were instructed to do activities such as reading and typing, which helps to strengthen near vision in the weaker eye.

What do I think about this? I don’t know. I’m not highly educated in acupuncture. I do think it has it’s place. I do know that patching alone is not as effective as vision therapy because patching treats one eye and not both. (See this recent post by Dr. Len Press for additional info). So it is not compelling that acupuncture is better than patching.

I also know that amblyopia is much more than a visual acuity problem. It is a problem of many visual skills including focusing and perception. So much more extensive research needs to be done. But this is a good sign that ophthalmologists and visual scientists are looking into complex areas of vision and visual treatment.

Before anyone undertakes acupuncture for amblyopia, I do recommend a comprehensive visual and eye health evaluation by an optometrist who specializes in children’s vision. If you need to find one, COVD is a great place to start.

So that is my opinion. What do you think about acupuncture for amblyopia?

Posted in Children's Vision, Vision News, Vision Science, Vision Therapy | Tags: acupuncture, amblyopia, lazy eye, research, Vision Therapy | View Comments