Summer’s almost here, and along with it comes lots of outdoor work and play that can expose your eyes to an assortment of seasonal risks. Here are five eye safety tips that can keep your eyes (and the eyes of your significant others) summer-safe.

1. Summer sports means flying objects — don’t become a statistic

Golf, baseball, volleyball, badminton, softball, soccer, archery and more — many summer sports are about things small and large zipping through the air, sometimes with unfortunate results. It’s estimated that more than 40 percent of eye injuries are sports- or recreation-related.

You can purchase low-cost, impact-resistant specialized eyewear for sports from any sporting goods store and almost every major online retailer. It’s an easy way to make sure you, your spouse and your children don’t become statistics.

2. Fireworks — even the “safe” kind can hurt you

Fireworks send more than 10,000 people a year to emergency rooms, with about 38 percent of those admissions comprising of injuries to the eyes, head, face and ears. And it’s not just “unsafe” fireworks that are behind these numbers — sparklers and bottle rockets accounted for 15 percent of the injuries.

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the world’s third most common cause of vision impairment and the primary cause of vision impairment in industrialized nations. With age being the most important risk factor, eye care practitioners serving rapidly aging populations can expect to see a growing number of AMD patients.

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging technology is now being used to characterize the peripheral vascular abnormalities associated with AMD as part of ongoing research into improved methods for diagnosis and treatment. One observational study, Peripheral Autofluorescence and Clinical Findings in Neovascular and Non-neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration, has used both UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and UWF color imaging to understand if peripheral FAF abnormality patterns are different in patients with neovascular and non-neovascular AMD.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (75° or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The SLO simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red – 633 nm and green – …

In a world where there seems to be a commemorative day, week or month to build awareness for causes of every kind, it’s easy to pass over mention of a month to build awareness for women’s eye health and safety.

Not so fast.

The numbers are surprising and sobering. Women suffer from a variety of eye diseases and conditions at rates far higher than men. Of those in the U.S. with:

— Cataracts – which affect more people than any other vision impairment – 61% are women

— Diabetic Retinopathy – a leading cause of blindness in American adults – 51% are women

— Age-related macular degeneration – number four on the list – 65% are women.

—Dry eye – which afflicts nearly 5 million Americans over 50 years of age – more than 60% are women

What’s going on here?

Women are at higher risk for eye disease for a variety of reasons. Part of it has to do with life expectancy. Women outlive men, therefore a larger population of women will be afflicted with age-related eye disease like glaucoma, cataracts or macular degeneration. But it’s much more than a numbers game.

— Women who are in premature menopause, …

Ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging of vascular abnormalities in the retinal periphery is improving the diagnosis of ocular disease.

While retinal vascular abnormalities are part of the pathology of many ocular diseases, conventional retinal imaging is unable to inform practitioners about the extent to which these vascular abnormalities are present in the retinal periphery. A growing body of research and case studies using UWF imaging is demonstrating that characterization of vascular abnormalities of the retinal periphery can contribute to and improve the diagnostic process.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (60° or less) of the retina.

The devices simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures. The resulting UWF digital image – the optomap – is produced in a single capture. Along with UWF color imaging, the technology supports UWF fluorescein angiography (FA), UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and UWF indocyanine green angiography (ICG).

Peripheral Vascular Abnormalities – General …

Uveitis is an inflammatory condition that can occur anywhere in the eye and is associated with a number of diseases and conditions. These related illnesses make it difficult to estimate uveitis’ impact on global health, but studies suggest it could be responsible for as many as 10% of the cases of total blindness worldwide.

The management of uveitis starts by the casting of a wide diagnostic net in order to identify any underlying diseases or conditions that may be the source of the inflammatory symptoms. Characterization of related pathologies and a complete clinical picture of the affected eye are important components of both diagnosis and treatment. A retrospective case study¹ suggests how ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging can improve the identification and management of retinal vasculitis, a complication of uveitis.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS and fundus camera photographs produce a relatively narrow view (60° or less) of the center-portion of the retina.

The devices simultaneously scan the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable …

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a restriction or blockage of blood flow leaving the retina and is the second most common retinal vascular disorder after diabetic retinopathy¹. Causing varying degrees of vision loss, both central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) can be complicated by macular edema that can lead to total blindness.

RVO has a complex pathology, significant associated risk factors (e.g. age, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, ischemic heart disease), and its treatment of associated macular edema may require no more than a single course treatment in some cases, but in others recurrent edema may necessitate one or more repeated courses of treatment.

One technology that is helping to advance the understanding and management of RVO is ultra-widefield retinal imaging (UWF^™), which provides up to a 200 degree visualization of the retinal periphery. RVO is now being treated and studied using UWF retinal imaging, and data about the significance of RVO-associated pathology in the retinal periphery are being accumulated.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard …

The expanding role of optometrists as primary eye care providers is also increasing expectations about the level of diagnostic and follow-up care. Whether it’s screening and monitoring hypertensive or diabetic patients, diagnosing a patient’s vision impairment, or uncovering pathology during a routine examination, optometric practices are expected to know more and do more about the ocular health of their patients.

Many optometrists may be meeting these expectations by utilizing ultra-widefield (UWF^™) retinal imaging as a routine part of their practices. Along with improving patient experience and practice productivity, UWF retinal imaging gives these practitioners a powerful tool that is improving their practices’ overall optometric care.

UWF Retinal Imaging – A Versatile Imaging Platform

UWF retinal imaging provides practitioners with a versatile screening platform that can strengthen their ability to identify ocular and systemic disease while enabling more comprehensive and accurate treatment plan.

— One important capability offered by UWF retinal imaging is comprehensive and detailed visualization of the retinal periphery. As this technology proliferates throughout the eye care community, more studies are finding that pathologies of the retinal periphery are important to the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions. One recent report …

Optometric practices face growing and more complex patient loads as they support the special needs of an aging population, an increase in diabetic patients and the complications associated with their condition, and manage patient flow so to strike a balance between patient experience and staff productivity. Many optometrists are satisfying all of these demands by incorporating ultra-widefield (UWF^™) retinal imaging into their practices.

About Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed, table-top scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82%) of the retina. (this compares to other imaging techniques with fields of view typically under 45°).

The SLO simultaneously scans the retina using two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures. The resulting UWF high resolution digital image – the optomap – is produced in a single capture without pupil dilation. Tabletop systems designed for optometric practice (Daytona) provide both UWF color imaging and UWF autofluorescence modalities in a single scan.

Unlike routine slit lamp examinations, optomap can be performed by a trained technician. The image is captured in less than a second using automatic prompts that position the patient for an accurately. …

The need to increase the rate and accessibility of ocular health screenings is significant. For example, of the 415 million adults worldwide who are afflicted with diabetes, 45 percent are undiagnosed. A large percentage of these undiagnosed individuals will develop diabetic retinopathy (DR) and DME diabetic macular edema (DME). Also important is the diagnosis of other conditions, many of which are found in aging populations, including age-related macular edema (AMD), branch retinal vein occlusion, glaucoma, and cataracts.

One way to widen the availability of ocular health screenings is through telehealth and telemedicine programs. These initiatives are growing worldwide as stakeholders in the health community take advantage of advances in medical and communications technology. One such innovation with particular utility in ocular telehealth is ultra-widefield (UWF™) retinal imaging, which offers an effective, rapid, and easy-to-use means bringing state-of-the-art diagnostics to underserved populations. This technology, developed by Optos, has been deployed in a variety of telehealth settings.

About Ultra-widefield Retinal Imaging

UWF retinal imaging is performed by a specially designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image covering 200° (or about 82 percent) of the retina. By comparison, conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS photographs produce a relatively narrow …

More than 400 million people across the globe deal with diabetes. An additional 200 million are expected to be diagnosed between now and 2040, and up to a third of these patients will likely develop diabetic retinopathy (DR)¹.

These increasing health challenges are driving the need for improved techniques to diagnosis and treat both DR and its common complications like diabetic macular edema (DME). One diagnostic tool – the visualization of the retinal periphery using ultra-widefield (UWF^™) retinal imaging – is providing the ophthalmic community with important insights about the pathology, progression and treatment of DR and associated complications.

About UWF Retinal Imaging

UWF imaging is performed by a specially-designed scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) that generates a high-resolution digital image capturing 200° or 82% of the retina. The SLO simultaneously uses two low-power lasers (red and green) that enable high-resolution, color imaging of retinal substructures.

Along with UWF color imaging, the technology also supports UWF fluorescein angiography (FA), UWF fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and UWF indocyanine green angiography (ICG).

Conventional 7 standard field (7SF) ETDRS photographs produce a comparatively narrow view (45° or less) of the center-portion of the retina. Peripheral portions are not imaged.

UWF Retinal Imaging’s Impact on DR …