Scottish specialists have developed a pioneering treatment currently being tested on two patients in which stem cells are transplanted into the cornea to combat corneal damage and sight loss.Corneal diseases are the second biggest cause of blindness worldwide, and in some form or another account for an estimated 7.25 million of the 45 million blind people in the world. Worse still is the historically difficult nature of treating corneal damage, and it wasn’t particularly long ago when the only… Continue reading →

The refractive eye error of astigmatism is little understood by many despite the majority of glasses wearers suffering from the condition.
It is believed as many as one in three people suffer from the common eye problem, so just what is astigmatism and why does it occur?Characteristics of AstigmatismAstigmatism is seen as a relatively minor condition compared to some, but this doesn’t mean that a sufferer is any less inhibited by it. The condition is characterised by an abnormally shaped… Continue reading →

In 1994, 21-year-old Gula Namiq Hassan was living in a Sulaymaniyah, north of Bagdad and in the wrong place at the wrong time when shrapnel from a nearby car bomb blast pierced her eyes, blinding her, presumably thought at the time, forever. Her right eye had to be removed, and her left eye was damaged from the cornea to the retina.Skip forward to 2011, and an Iraqi ophthalmologist told Gula and her family that the pioneering eye surgeon Dr. Amar Agarwal, father of the glued intraocular lens (IO… Continue reading →

Many of us dream of going into space when we are young, before reaching adulthood when the dawning realisation sets in that space travel is a once in a lifetime opportunity assigned only to the lucky few astronauts, at least until space travel becomes commercially viable.It may be interesting to learn though, that those who’ve taken part in the moon landings as far back as Buzz Aldrin’s first steps on the cratered surface during the first manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969, may have exper… Continue reading →

The fact that you can buy eye drops from a chemist without the requirement for prescription can lead to much confusion and misuse of eye drops, with increased importance placed on how, when and why they should be used.When Would You Need Eye Drops?Eye drops in all forms can help alleviate symptoms of a variety of eye complaints including dryness, redness and certain allergies relating to certain pets or dust for example. It is important to decipher exactly which types of drops are required for a… Continue reading →

Researchers at Californian VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies produce a telescope implant capable of combating Age-related macular degeneration
As the second biggest cause of blindness worldwide, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) presents a serious challenge to health care today. The condition, which damages the part of our retina responsible for seeing and transmitting fine detail to the brain, is a huge focus for ophthalmic technology researches around the world, and recently a new s… Continue reading →

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common medical eye conditions, with around one in 50 people affected in the Western world. The condition is most prevalent in those over 50 years of age, but are there any precautions we can take, or is this just one of many inevitable signs of aging which we must just learn to accept?What is AMD?A medical condition which doesn’t cause total blindness, but results in a worryingly increased loss of central vision rather than peripheral, … Continue reading →

Whether you wear glasses, contact lenses or nothing at all, looking after your eyes is something that everyone should do. Here are a few things that you can do to keep your peepers looking super sparkly.

• Make sure you get your eyes checked by an optician at least once every two years. If you wear contact lenses, you should see your optician once a year. The optician will look for any abnormalities or defects on your eye. More often than not they won't find anything, but it is better to be… Continue reading →