The Vision Council is committed to educating people about eye health and the significant benefits of appropriate vision care.
Scheduling an eye exam is the most important thing you can do for your vision. Add a comprehensive eye exam to your health and wellness to-do list this fall and join in celebrating World Sight Day on Oct. 12.
• Eye exams can provide insight into overall health. Eye doctors can detect conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, lupus, risk of stroke and even some cancers.
• Eyecare is accessible. In 2022, more than 178 million exams were conducted by optometrists or
ophthalmologists in the United States. In addition to online retailers, there are roughly 48,000 U.S. brick and mortar locations that offer exams and sell eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Many people use a form of vision correction. Currently, 197 million U.S. adults use some form of vision correction, so make it a priority to get checked regularly.
• Children need eye exams, too. Many children don’t complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what corrected vision looks like. Vision issues can undermine school performance and self-esteem, or result in low motivation or misdiagnosis of a learning disability.
The Vision Council brings the power of sight to all through education, government relations, research, and technical standards. Twice a year, The Vision Council and co-owners RX host Vision Expo, a trade-only conference and exhibition for ophthalmic professionals.
Vision Expo West 2023, taking place Sept. 27-30 in Las Vegas, will explore the latest in technology and innovation for the eyecare industry, and will feature a diverse show floor, engaging programming and events, and a world-class education program.
Learn more and register at west.visionexpo.com.
Written by The Vision Council Data
of The Vision Council inSights Research Program
The Light Adjustable Lens requires more follow-up than traditional cataract surgery but offers patients customized results.
More than 20 million people have cataract surgery every year, most receiving a clear artificial intraocular lens (IOL) to improve their vision. Until recently, IOLs were nonadjustable, and if the result wasn’t ideal, a patient’s only options included a second round of surgery, a corneal laser touch-up, or tolerating subpar vision. But the Light Adjustable Lens™ (LAL®) from RxSight® has changed all of that.
“For an eye surgeon, you’ve got to have perfect vision,” noted Jim Davies, M.D., an ophthalmologist based in California who recently had LAL surgery on both eyes. “I noticed that I wasn’t seeing things as clearly as I thought I needed to. I’d been following this technology for years, and I’ve been thrilled with the whole experience as a patient and an eye surgeon.”
The LAL is made of a photosensitive material that reacts to ultraviolet (UV) light. After the initial implantation, the lenses can be adjusted or “fine-tuned” up to three times by exposing them to a special UV light device. For the first time, this offers the unique ability to refine one’s vision after cataract surgery. Once adjustments are complete, the lens is locked in and no further adjustments can be made. The adjustments are painless, only take a few minutes each, and the patient can go right back to their life afterward. While this process is more involved than traditional cataract surgery, the extra effort is worth it. Patients are less likely to have to live with imperfect results since the lens can be adjusted to their lifestyle.
The Davies’ story
Jim had his first surgery on a Wednesday and was back in his clinic seeing patients on Thursday. He had his second procedure on Friday and was performing surgeries on Monday. “And the adjustments were quite
easy,” he said.
Jim’s experience inspired his wife, Becky, to explore the LAL for her own cataract surgery. Becky wore glasses or contacts for most of her life, but recently had to have a procedure called a vitrectomy, which caused cataracts to develop as a side effect.
“I started to notice I was losing my vision,” she said. “I was having to wear reading glasses, sometimes I put two pairs of reading glasses on so I could see smaller writing. So, I was very intrigued by the LAL. The whole idea of having these adjustments and fine-tuning my vision was very appealing to me, and then Jim’s experience really sold me on the LAL.”
Despite the more complicated nature of her vision, Becky calls the LAL surgery “easy” and notes she didn’t have any downtime. Jim describes both her distance and near vision as “an optimal result.”
The experience was so positive, Jim and Becky are “constantly” recommending the procedure to friends and family, and Dr. Davies offers the procedure at his practice. “There are people who don’t know about it because it’s relatively new and not all doctors are doing it yet, or aren’t promoting it,” Becky noted. “I just tell them; you need to look into this because it’s the most advanced technology available for treating cataracts at this point.”
To learn more and find an LAL provider near you, visit RxSight.com.
Written by Jeff Somers
Seavey was 11 years old when he was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, an early-onset form of macular degeneration. He’s lived with vision loss for over 30 years, and awhile back found himself craving a community of others with whom he could talk about shared experiences.
“One day, I was inspired to search on YouTube for information about vision impairment, just to see what was out there, and there really wasn’t anything,” Seavey said. “That’s when I decided to start my own channel.”
On “The Blind Life,” which has more than 56,000 subscribers, Seavey showcases his expertise in researching and testing assistive technologies, offers
tips for better ways to manage daily tasks as a person with vision loss, and interviews key stakeholders in the visually impaired community.
Top tech
Seavey regularly tests out the latest and greatest vision accessibility technology aimed at helping those in the community more easily perform daily tasks. However, he runs into more hurdles than most while working as a content creator.
“I have to create systems,” said Seavey, noting that things like cameras, microphones, and editing software are rarely made with visually impaired users in mind. “Everything is always ready to go — all I have to do is push record and I know
that I’m going to be in the shot.”
While the list of cuttingedge technologies designed to make life easier for those with vision loss is long — and growing every day — Seavey says it’s a device nearly everyone already has that he couldn’t imagine living without: his smartphone.
“I can use mine as a video magnifier, a text-tospeech tool, I can call to get transportation, I can even use it to take a picture of a menu and it will read it out loud to me,” Seavey said. “I can start a video call with somebody and ask, ‘Hey, are these socks both brown? Or is one black?’
“I know it’s kind of a cop out, but the smartphone has to be the best assistive technology, in my opinion.”
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common vision problem that often begins between the ages of 6 and 14. It affects up to 5% of preschoolers, about 9% of school-aged children, and nearly 30% of adolescents.
Studies show myopia is on the rise, especially in kids. No one is exactly sure why this is, but experts believe it could be related to more time doing closeup tasks like reading, playing video games, and using computers, and less time spent outdoors.
Symptoms of myopia include complaints of blurry vision (like not being able
to see the board in school), squinting to try to see better, frequent eye rubbing, and frequent headaches. If your child doesn’t pass a vision screening at your pediatrician’s office or at school, they may have myopia. To get a diagnosis, your child will need to see an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.
Treating myopia in childhood Myopia cannot be reversed or cured, but it can be treated. The goals of treatment are to improve your child’s vision and prevent it from getting worse. This is important for protecting their eye health
in the future, even if they still need glasses or contact lenses.
Many children develop myopia, especially if their parents are nearsighted. However, studies suggest that kids who spend more time indoors doing close-up activities (like computer work, video games, and reading) have higher rates of myopia than kids who spend more time outdoors.
If you think your child is experiencing symptoms of myopia, talk with your pediatrician. They can give your child a vision screening and help you figure out next steps, if necessary.