Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap gets vision changing surgery

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Kathy Knobel

I was watching Good Morning America today and imagine my surprise when I saw Apl.de. ap (one of the singers of the popular music group Black Eyed Peas) talking about his recent eye surgery!

Apl.de. ap initially came to America from the Philippines at the age of 11, to have his nystagmus treated. Nystagmus is a rare genetic eye condition where the eyes move fast and involuntary. He was also extremely nearsighted (also known as myopia–see last week’s blog for more on this subject) and combined with his nystagmus he was considered legally blind (meaning even with his best correction he could only see the big E on the eye chart).

Also with nystagmus, it makes it very difficult to wear glasses since glasses are stable and with nystagmus the eyes are always vibrating. Contact lenses also can be uncomfortable because of this constant movement.

On July 10, he underwent a surgery that implanted an artificial lens into each of his eyes. This is basically the same procedure that your grandparents get when they have cataract surgery. The lens inside the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial one which can replace one’s need for eyeglasses and contact lenses.

And now Apl. De. ap sees everything “Visibly Better!” 🙂

To read more about this click here.

You want to help your child’s vision? Take them outside!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Dawn Kaplan

Some of the more common questions I hear are “Doctor, how do I keep my child’s eyes from getting more near-sighted?” or “are video games hurting my child’s eyes?”

The truth is, there have been many theories over the years about what causes near-sightedness (technically known as Myopia) to progress. Certainly genetics play a big role, but what about environmental factors?

In China, where as many as 90% of urban youth are myopic, it is truly considered an epidemic and many studies are being conducted about what causes myopia and how to stop its progression. The current research seems to disprove the common belief that “near work” (reading or computer use) leads to increases in myopia. Surprisingly, myopia appears to be correlated to how much time the children spend outdoors! In other words, the more time outside in natural sunlight, the less myopia progression. The activity outside doesn’t seem to matter, it can be playing or it can be reading, just get outdoors! Perhaps the sun is the best remedy for myopia. And it is much more difficult to play a video game outdoors…just saying. about_sm

Click here to learn more about the myopia epidemic in China

Click here to learn how the sun is a remedy for myopia

3-D movies…Thrilling or Illing?

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Dawn Kaplan

Summer’s here and that means it’s the season of 3-D blockbusters, but here’s something to think about before you buy that 3-D ticket.

3-D movies have made a larger than life comeback, and they have also created a new phenomenon called 3-D vision Syndrome. Symptoms of 3-D vision syndrome include: dizziness, nausea, and headaches. Headlines first started to appear around the time Avatar was released and there was a marked increase of symptoms for people who had just experienced watching Avatar in 3-D.

3-D movies are made by filming one image for the right eye and another image for the left eye. Then with the special 3-D glasses, the brain fuses these two images resulting in a 3-D image also known as depth perception or stereoscopic vision. When the eyes can’t fuse these images properly, the symptoms of nausea, dizziness and headaches occur.

How do you avoid 3-D syndrome? Well one doctor recommends just removing the glasses and watching a blurry movie. I recommend skipping the 3-D movie option and instead watch it in 2-D and save yourself some money and a headache!

To read more about this subject, click here.

Happy 4th of July

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Dawn Kaplan

Welcome to Our Visibly Better Blog! We are excited to be joining the blogosphere. We hope that this blog provides you with valuable information and some insight about who we are.

Wednesday is Fourth of July! At Visibly Better Eye Care we love this patriotic holiday, but also want our patients to be mindful of the dangers of fireworks. We recommend that our patients watch a professional firework show. However, we found this great article about some must follow eye safety tips for those of you who will be handling fireworks. You can read the article in its entirety by clicking on this link: https://www.eyecare2020.com/blog/2012/06/time-to-celebrate-vision-safety-tips-for-4th-of-july-fun , whether you decide to watch a professional firework show or put on your own, always follow the instructions on the package and handle with care.

For those of you interested in the shortened (SPARKLERS) version here are some simple but important guidelines to follow when celebrating with fireworks and sparklers:

Shield your eyes with protective eyewear when lighting fireworks.
Plunge sparkers into a bucket of water or sand as soon as they have burnt out.
Always have a bucket of water or sand nearby when handling fireworks or sparklers.
Read the directions on each and every box of fireworks or sparklers and follow them carefully.
Keep all unused fireworks in a safe place, away from children, until you need them.
Leave fireworks that fail to go off. You should never return to a lit firework. Place the “dud” in a bucket of water.
Ensure that you stand a safe distance away when fireworks are being lit.
Remove all dangerous or flammable objects from your firework display area.
Stay alert about where your pets and younger children are when handling fireworks and sparklers.

If a firework-related eye injury does occur, always follow up with a full eye exam.

Also, be sure to check with your local community to see if your fireworks displays are still scheduled.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July and remember to check our blog regularly for more helpful information and insights.