20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Eyes

Today's Blog post is from a recent article in The Huffington Post and explains 20 things you probably didn't know about your eyes!

"Eyes may be the windows to the soul, but how much do you really know about them? We're aware that they're pretty irreplaceable (there's no such thing as an entire eyeball transplant, after all), but what are they made out of? And what does the shape of an eyeball have to do with vision? We talked to Dr. Rebecca Taylor, M.D., an ophthalmologist in private practice in Nashville, Tenn., and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, to find the answers to the eye questions that have always lurked in the back of your head.

The best that a human eye has been recorded to see is around 20/10.

That means that a person can see at 20 feet what the rest of us need to stand at 10 feet to see.

Meanwhile, a hawk can school us all.
What a hawk can see at 20 feet, we would have to be at three feet to see.

The term for having two different-colored irises is called heterochromia iridis.
Heterochromia iridis is hereditary, meaning it runs in the family. However, if you grew up having the same colored eyes but then noticed later in life that one eye has changed color, that could actually be a sign of sickness and you should get your eyes checked out by a doctor. (In addition, babies born with different-colored eyes but whodon't come from families where heterochromia iridis is known to exist, should also be checked out by a doctor in case the difference in eye color is a sign of sickness.)

There's a word for fear of eyes.

...And it's called ommatophobia.

As painful as it is to get poked in the eyeball, our eyes actually heal quite quickly.
Some abrasions can heal within 24 to 48 hours. However, that incredible, unbearable pain when your eye is scratched has an important function -- if a scratch in your eye gets infected, it could potentially lead to blindness. So if you experience any sort of injury to your eye, you should see your doctor in case you need antibiotics to stop infection.

It's possible for your eyes to get sunburned.
That's why it's so important to wear sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays. Sunburn to the eye isn't the same as sunburn to the skin, where the effects are relatively immediate with pain, redness and peeling. When sunburn occurs to the eye, it's over a long, gradual period of time; the prolonged sun exposure will eventually lead to thickened tissue within the eye, which might necessitate eye surgery.

Yes, it's possible for your eyesight to get "better" with age.
But that's not necessarily a good thing, because it could be a sign that something larger is amiss with regard to your health. For instance, if you started out as having a +3 prescription (where 0 is normal vision, +1, 2, 3, etc. means farsightedness and -1, 2, 3, etc. means nearsightedness), but then were to develop a condition that would affect vision, such as diabetes, and make you more nearsighted, that could end up correcting your vision to the point where you went from being a +3 to a 0. The bottom line: If you are noticing a big change in your vision, you should see a doctor to find out what's going on.

Your eyeball is slightly smaller than a gumball.

A gumball you'd get from a grocery store gumball machine gumball is about 27 to 28 millimeters wide. The average human eyeball is 24 millimeters wide.

The lens in your eye is about as big as an M&M candy.

The lens, which focuses for the eye like a lens would focus for a camera, sits right behind the pupil. It's almost exactly the same size as a plain M&M candy. The lens in your eye even has protein encased in a capsule, just like an M&M.

And developing a cataract in your eye is kind of like developing a peanut in that "M&M."
Think of it as the "chocolate" in the M&M getting harder and developing a little peanut.

Having 20/20 vision isn't the same thing as having "perfect" vision.
To have 20/20 vision means to have "average" vision. It means that you can see at 20 feet what an average person can see at 20 feet.

The "visual centers" in your brain are actually located at the lower back part of your head.

That's why if you were to fall very hard on the back of your head, it's possible to go blind temporarily. The optic nerve begins at the back of the eye and, through a series of connections, relays the visual images to the occipital cortex in the very back of the brain.

The length of your eye helps determine what kind of eyesight you have.
In addition to the eyes' lens and corneal function, the length of your eyeball has a lot to do with whether you're nearsighted or farsighted. People who are nearsighted have a longer-than-normal eyeball, while people who are farsighted have a shorter-than-normal eyeball. Just a millimeter change in the length of the eye will change the prescription for that eye.

Your eyeballs get bigger as you grow up.
When you're born, your eyeballs are each 16 millimeters wide. But by the time you turn three, they will grow to each be 23 millimeters wide. Your eyeballs will reach their maximum size when you hit puberty -- around 24 millimeters wide.

Think of an eye as a house with two rooms.
There's the foyer and the back room. The foyer, a.k.a. the anterior chamber, is where your cornea is (where you put your contacts) and a fluid called aqueous humor that contains nutrients that are good for the eyes and bathes the iris of the eye. Behind the iris sits the lens of the eye. Behind the lens of the eye is the "back room," a.k.a. the vitreous chamber. In this chamber is jelly called vitreous humor, which has the consistency of egg whites (but is really made out of water and hyaluronic acid).

But an eye is also kind of like a baseball.

As much as you can think of the eye as having two "rooms," you can also think of your eye as having layers -- similar to what you'd see if you were to take a baseball and cut it in half. The eyeball has an innermost layer, a middle layer, and an outermost layer. The outer layer of the eyeball is called the sclera, which is like the white covering of a baseball, and is also the part that you can visibly see. Underneath that is a layer with lots of blood vessels, called the choroid. The innermost layer is the retina of the eye.

Some people have lighter eyes and other people have darker eyes thanks to cells called melanocytes.
Melanocytes, the cells that produce color in our skin, are also responsible for producing coloration of our irises. Some people have more melanocytes, which means their eyes are darker -- and the number of melanocytes a person has is coded in his or her genetics.

Everyone is born with eyes that are at least slightly lighter than they are now.
We aren't born with any special pigmentation -- like freckles or moles -- and that same concept applies to eyes, too. That means pigmentation of our irises isn't fully developed at birth; pigmentation occurs in the first year of life, which means our eyes are darker now than they were when we were newborns.

Staring directly into the sun will make you go blind.

Remember when you were a kid and you used the sun's rays to burn a piece of paper using a magnifying glass? That same exact thing can happen to your eyes if you stare into the sun. That's because the lens in our eye focuses the sun's rays on to the retina, burning a spot in the retina that causes permanent vision loss. (The medical term for this: solar retinopathy.) In other words: Just don't do it.

Not all eye floaters are alike.
One person's eye floater is not always the same as another person's eye floater. For people over age 55, eye floaters are often caused by posterior vitreous detachments, which is when the retina and the vitreous membrane separate. But eye floaters can also be pigment, or blood, or inflammation. If you have an eye floater, go see your eye doctor to get it checked out."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/20/eye-facts_n_4441884.html

Mmmm December 13th was National Cocoa Day! Cocoa contains a high concentration of flavanols which are known to improve eye function. So, if you're experiencing some tired eyes on this Monday afternoon, it might be time to consider baking up something chocolatey and delicious.

Here's a fantastic recipe for Cocoa brownies!

10 Tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup, plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Press foil/paper firmly into the corners of the baking pan, leaving a 1 or 2 -inch overhang. If using foil, grease lightly.

Heat butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan, until butter is completely melted. Continue cooking, stirring often, until butter stops foaming and begins to brown (about 5 minutes). In order to prevent burning, remove butter from heat when browned bits first begin to form and butter becomes fragrant (it should smell deliciously nutty - if it smells sour, it's burnt!). Remove from heat and immediately add sugar, cocoa powder, water, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until well combined (mixture will be quite grainy at this point).

Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot) before adding eggs, one at a time. Beat well between each addition, so that mixture becomes glossy rather than granular. Add flour when batter begins to look thick and shiny, stirring vigorously for about 50-60 strokes. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan, on a wire rack. Use foil/paper overhang to remove brownies from pan. Cut with a plastic knife (don't ask me why, but this works!). Store any undevoured brownies in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Older adults experience more vision difficulties at home

Adults have better vision in clinics rather than at home, due to poor home lighting, according to a study by Anjali M. Bhorade, M.D., MSCI, of the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and colleagues.

Clinicians often assume that vision measured in the clinic is equivalent to vision at home, according to the study background. However, many patients report visual difficulties greater than expected based on their vision testing in the clinic.

Between 2005 and 2009, researchers studied 126 patients with and 49 without glaucoma (ages 55 to 90 years old) from the Glaucoma and Comprehensive Eye Clinics at Washington University in St. Louis. Patients underwent clinic and home visits and several aspects of their vision were measured.

According to study findings, the mean scores for all vision tests were better in the clinic than at home for the participants. Glaucoma patients read two or more lines on an eye chart better in the clinic than at home and 39 percent of advanced glaucoma patients read three or more lines better in the clinic. Participants in the clinic also tested better in near visual acuity (NVA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) with glare. Lighting was the largest factor associated with difference in vision between the clinic and home; home lighting was below what was recommended for 85 percent or more of participants.

"In summary, distance and near VA [visual acuity], CS, and CS with glare may be better in the clinic than home for older adults with and without glaucoma," the authors conclude. "This discrepancy may be owing, in part, to poor home lighting. Clinician awareness of these results may ease confusion regarding inconsistencies between a patient's stated visual difficulties and their clinical examination."

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269113.php

Hope for the Blind and for Canadian Innovation with Vision-Assisting Eyewear

Below is a very interesting article from the Globe and Mail.  The article was published on November 17, 3013 and addresses hope for the blind and Canadian innovation with vision-assisting eyewear.

Ottawa entrepreneur Kevin Rankin knows he has a hot product by the customers he has seen since his computerized vision-assisting eyewear went on the market in June. “They’ve been flying in from out of the country to see us,” he says. “These are people who aren’t prepared to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

The answer Mr. Rankin is offering is eSight, a wearable device that uses a video camera, computer and LED screens to capture and process images in ways that can dramatically increase the sight of those with uncorrectable central vision loss. eSight’s early adopters are low-vision career people who need better sight for their next job, students determined to lower the hurdles to their education, and well-to-do seniors for whom the $9,750 price tag is not a serious impediment.

eSight is an all-Canadian entrant in an area that has scarcely been touched by the technological revolutions of the past few decades, but that has recently seen a surge of development.

Sub-retinal microchip implants, an orienting device that reroutes visual information to the tongue, and even a car for the blind are either newly available or in trial. Vision technology may become a booming niche market within a few years, and Canada could be a player, adding a new chapter to a hidden Canadian story of frustrated innovation.

The expertise is here, says Mr. Rankin, which is why the technology-rich Ottawa area was a good place for eSight to be born. What isn’t clear yet is to what extent private money is prepared to pitch in.

eSight Corp. came out of the personal experience of founder Conrad Lewis, a telecom executive whose family has been affected by Stargardt’s disease, a genetic condition that can cause severe central-vision loss. Mr. Rankin says that when he became company CEO three years ago, he was surprised by how little technological innovation had been applied to the serious vision deficits that afflict an estimated one million Canadians, according to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Mr. Rankin was also dismayed by how hard it was to stir up capital.

“People tend to invest in things they’re already familiar with,” he says. “And the funding environment in Canada is not as well developed as in other markets, especially in venture capital.” In the end, he found sufficient private backing and got the $10-million project to market, with help from the Ontario government and the National Research Council, which drastically reoriented itself last spring as an agency dedicated to marketable innovation.

Bogdan Ciobanu, vice-president of the NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program, says “a lot of angel investors don’t have the technical skills to assess a new technology.” His agency’s R&D grants to 3,037 companies last year averaged $90,000 per company, a small fraction of what most needed to move their ideas toward commercialization, but NRC approval is worth a lot more in terms of assuring investors that a project is technically sound, he says.

Not so long ago, the NRC had difficulty seeing the commercial potential of projects even in its own labs. James Swail, a blind researcher who worked at the NRC for four decades, pioneered several advanced technologies for people with low or no vision, including an ultrasonic object detector, tactile or audible thermometer readouts, and voice synthesizers that anticipated those now used for text-to-speech software – all before he retired in 1985 (he died in 2005). None was ever commercialized by the NRC, though U.S. companies have since rediscovered Mr. Swail’s innovations.

“He actively manufactured the synthesizers in our basement,” says Mr. Swail’s son Carl, who also had a career as an NRC researcher. “He probably made and sold a few hundred of them.” But aside from a collapsible white cane he developed, Mr. Swail Sr. was unable to get his innovations to a broad market, Carl says, in spite of personal networking through the CNIB and among Ottawa’s financial community.

When governments started to wake up to the potential of high-tech industries, the repurposing of the NRC began, culminating in the change last spring, which eliminated what Mr. Ciobanu called “curiosity-driven research” in favour of pursuits with “a very strong industry-partnership orientation.” eSight was right in its bailiwick, and an NRC grant attracted private investors interested in medical projects.

But that pool of private capital, according to CNIB president John Rafferty, is constrained by the low profile of sight impairment as an issue, relative to AIDS or cancer. Society hasn’t quite figured out how to deal with the blind and low-vision people, he says, and that has had an effect on industry and financing. He’s well aware that the CNIB’s online store contains little that wasn’t available 30 years ago.

“From a research perspective in Canada, we underfund things that are vision related,” Mr. Rafferty says. “But I think at some point, we will see a device that causes a paradigm shift. I don’t know yet if eSight is the one to do it.”

Richard Meadows, a Montreal venture capitalist and managing partner in the biotech-oriented CTI Life Sciences Fund, says the shortage of funds for vision-related projects isn’t due to societal attitudes toward the blind, but to the lure of other, mostly pharmaceutical investments. If you take a stake in drug research that pans out, he says, the rewards can be enormous and rapid.

“You don’t have a huge blockbuster kind of effect with a medical appliance,” Mr. Meadows says. But prime biotech opportunities are entering a cyclical lull, he says, which could reverse the flow. “I see much more interest now in eye disorders,” he says. Valeant, Canada’s largest drug company, seems to agree: It has bought three opthalmological companies in the past two years, including Bausch + Lomb.

Another problem for niche startups, Mr. Meadows says, is that many venture capital funds have minimum investment levels, which can dilute the founders’ stake to a degree they may find unacceptable. That’s especially likely when Canadians look to the more robust U.S. financial community for capital – a good reason to keep projects here, he says.

Mr. Rankin, meanwhile, anticipates a steep price drop for technologies such as eSight over the next two decades, as an aging population finds itself more in need of help with severe vision loss. “We’re really at the start of a new era for people with low vision,” he says.

Source 

A Tasty Recipe That Can Benefit Your Eye Health

Looking for a great recipe to try that is both delicious and can help your eye health? Try this tasty yet simple linguini with mussels dish.

Mussels contain vitamin A which nourishes your eyes, skin and immune system, and aids in the production of new red blood cells. Each 1-cup serving of mussels contains 10 per cent of the recommended daily intake for women and 8 per cent for men.

Ingredients

• 
  2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup diced tomato 
• 1 cup dry vermouth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 28 fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 cups hot cooked linguine (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta)
  

• Preparation

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel, onion, and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add tomato and next 6 ingredients (tomato through pepper); bring to a boil. Add mussels; cover and cook 3 minutes or until shells open.
  2. Remove the skillet from heat, and discard any unopened shells. Let mussels cool. Reserve 10 shells with meat intact. Remove the meat from remaining shells, and add meat to tomato mixture; discard shells.
  3. Combine water and cornstarch; add to tomato mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Spoon 1 cup pasta onto individual serving plates; top each with 1 cup sauce, and 5 mussels in shells.
  Enjoy!!
  
  
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  Recipe Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/linguine-with-mussels-10000000521467/
  
  

Children's Eye Exam: What to Expect and At What Age a Child Should be Examined by An Optometrist

Eye exams vary depending on the age of the child. For instance a practitioner might ask an older child to identify letters whereas a younger child may be shown pictures of animals and toys. The key points of most eye exams are similar. The eyecare provider will first review your child's  health history and then conduct tests to check the following:

• Vision: By using an instrument called a retinoscope your eyecare practitioner can check for nearsightedness farsightedness and astigmatism. A child may then be shown pictures or an eye chart to measure his/her vision precisely and if necessary to determine a prescription for corrective eyewear.

• Alignment: Your eyecare provider will give your child three-dimensional glasses and will ask the child to choose the three-dimensional images among a series of pictures. This fun exercise tests whether your child's eyes are working in synch or not. 

• Co-ordination of eye muscles: The practitioner will move a light in a set pattern to test your child s ability to see sharply and clearly at near and far distances.

• Peripheral (side) vision: Your eyecare provider will move an object at the edge of a child s field of vision. This is done to detect such conditions as glaucoma and tumours.

• Pupil response to light: Your eyecare practitioner will shine a light in a child s eye and watch the pupil s reaction. This can detect possible neurological problems.

• Colour testing: A child will be asked to describe figures in a series of illustrations made up of  coloured dots or circles. This tests the child’s ability to differentiate colours.

• The external eye: Your eyecare provider will examine the health of the child s eyelids and eyelashes as well as the the front of the eye such as the cornea iris and lens.

• The interior and back of the eye: The doctor will use an instrument called an ophthalmoscope to see the retina and optic nerve at the back of the eye. This is where clues to many eye diseases first appear. Occasionally your eyecare practitioner will use special drops to have a better view of the back of the eye.

Please watch the short video below of one of our optometrists, Dr. Pavan Avinashi, explaining at what age a child's eyes should be examined by an optometrist. 

For more information, please stay connected with us!

Phone: 604-553-3900

Website: www.visionsourcenw.com

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Thank you, have a great weekend!

The Vision Source Team

How to Choose the Perfect Frames

Choosing the Perfect Eyeglass Frames

Although eyeglasses styles vary from year to year, there is a standard set of principles that can help you select the perfect frames. Besides serving a primary function of allowing people to see clearly, eyeglasses also allow wearers to express their sense of fashion. These guidelines work mostly according to the shape of your face but they also consider your eye colour, hairstyle, and skin tone.

Face Shapes

While each face is uniquely composed of various angles and contours seven basic face shapes have been identified. These include: oval oblong round square base-down triangle diamond and base-up triangle. Below is a description of each face shape as well as the type of frame that balances each shape. Once you have determined your face shape it will be easy to predict how the eyeglass frames will effect your overall look. You should consult your eyecare practitioner if you are unsure of your face shape or would like assistance in selecting a frame style.

Oval

An oval face is considered to be ideal as almost any frame shape is complementary. Due to the face’s balanced proportions you can choose from large or small frames and square or round ones. You should select frames that are at least as wide as the broadest section of the face.

Oblong

The oblong face is longer than it is wide so that it appears long and thin. The forehead cheek and jaw have similar widths. To make the face appear shorter and wider choose frames that extend beyond the broadest part of the face ones with strong horizontal lines or with decorative or contrasting colour to draw attention to the temples. Frames with low temples and bridges can also shorten the face.

Round

A round face appears full with few angles and proportional width and length. Square or angular frames can offset the roundness by looking crisp and sharp while oval or round frames can soften your face. You should select frames that are no wider than the broadest part of your face.

Square

A square face has a strong jaw line angular cheekbones and a broad forehead. Oval or round frames will downplay your face’s geometric lines and elongate your face while rectangular or triangular frames will create a stark modern look.

Base-down triangle

The triangular face has a narrow forehead that tapers out at the cheek and chin areas. To add width and emphasis to the upper part of the face select slightly curved frames that have colour weight or detail at the top of the frame.

Diamond

Diamond shaped faces have narrow foreheads that widen at the eye line and cheekbones and narrow again to a small chin. Slightly top-heavy curved frames that are no wider than the tip of the cheekbones can accentuate the eyes.

Base-Up Triangle

This face shape has a broad forehead that narrows to a small chin. Frames that are wide at the bottom or that are manufactured from light colours or materials can minimize the upper width of the face.

Other Facial Considerations

The colour and proportionality of your eyes the shape and placement of your eyebrows you hair colour texture and hairline and the outline of your nose are all secondary physical features that you should consider when selecting frames.

Eyes

You can coordinate or contrast the colour of your frames with you eye colour. However this might be difficult to do as there is such a variety and mix of eye colours.

Hair

Dark frames blend well with brown or black hair and they provide a stark contrast for light hair. Metal frames blend with any hair colour while transparent and light-coloured frames are best for fair haired people. People with bangs should avoid large or heavy glasses that can conceal too much of their face. Short hair emphasizes the shape of the eyeglasses as the face is left open and clean-cut. Long hair is best counter-balanced with smaller frames.

Skin

All skin tones can be divided into two categories; cool complexions with blue or pink undertones and warm complexions with yellow or beige undertones. The frame colours should complement your skin tone.

Nose

By wearing eyeglasses you can balance your nose with your other facial features. If your nose is narrow you should fit the bridge of your glasses high on your nose; if your nose is low and wide you should fit the bridge low on your nose.

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