High Definition Vision

Looking For Contact Lens via theopticalvisionsite.com Have you...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:07:01 -0800

Looking For Contact Lens

via theopticalvisionsite.com

Have you ever wished you had a few more friends to help look for that darn dropped contact lens? ^_^ —DC

How Getting a Viral Infection Can Be Beautiful - KevinMD.com If...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:40:05 -0800

How Getting a Viral Infection Can Be Beautiful - KevinMD.com

If getting sick weren’t so miserable, I’m sure more can appreciate the beauty of this video.

MedGadget points us to this NPR piece featuring Xvivo, a company that produces impressive medical and scientific animations. This one shows us how viruses infect cells and reproduce themselves.

Really great animation… Stay well! —DC

Diet Sodas May Be Hard on the Kidneys - WebMD

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:32:00 -0800

Diet Sodas May Be Hard on the Kidneys - WebMD:

Diet soda may help keep your calories in check, but drinking two or more diet sodas a day may double your risk of declining kidney function, a new study shows… Read more…

Uh-oh… So what do I drink now?! —DC

"Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the..."

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:01:31 -0800

“Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”

- John Adams, 1735 - 1826

When “How are you?” Becomes A HIPAA Violation - Political Mavens

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:25:00 -0800

When “How are you?” Becomes A HIPAA Violation - Political Mavens:

Recently, at my local Starbucks I asked the young barista behind the counter about a chronic medical problem she had that will soon require surgery. Her answer left me gobsmacked, ‘Management said I can’t talk about my health – it’s a HIPAA violation.” Read more…

Special thanks to my Tallahassee colleague, Dr. Bob Greenberg, for sending this link. Doctor-patient confidentiality used to be plain common sense… Now, it’s just another bloated government bureaucracy. —DC

Les Weiser - The Master of Harmony - oomphTV.com A wonderful...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:13:41 -0800

Les Weiser - The Master of Harmony - oomphTV.com

A wonderful short story about an amazingly talented friend I used to sing with in the Masters of Harmony. Special thanks to David Dowell for producing and sending me this finshed product. Watching this sure makes me miss singing with Les on the risers! —DC

Costume Contacts Can Be Hazardous To Your Health - KESQ.com

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:06:30 -0700

Costume Contacts Can Be Hazardous To Your Health - KESQ.com:

Cosmetic contact lenses may be the perfect touch to your Halloween costume, but are they hurting your eyes? The American Optometric Association is warning consumers about the dangers of wearing decorative contact lenses without a prescription from an eye doctor… Read more…

Have fun tomorrow… But be careful! —DC

Myopia May Minimize Diabetic Eye Damage - MedPage Today

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:35:00 -0700

Myopia May Minimize Diabetic Eye Damage - MedPage Today:

Nearsightedness may paradoxically reduce the chances of retinopathy for patients with diabetes, researchers affirmed.

The more myopic the eye, the lower the risk of any severity of diabetic retinopathy (P=0.041 to P<0.001), Laurence S. Lim, MD, of the Singapore National Eye Centre, and colleagues reported here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting…

The American Diabetes Association recommends yearly dilated eye exams for everyone with diabetes. —DC

Like mother, like daughter, at least around the eyes

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:11:00 -0700

Like mother, like daughter, at least around the eyes:

New research suggests the old saying commonly told to husbands-to-be is true, that if you want to know what your wife will look like, look at her mother.

A group of plastic surgeons from the Loma Linda University Medical Center in California scanned the faces of mothers and their daughters. They found that the daughters’ faces were beginning to sag, wrinkle, thin, and lose elasticity around the eyes in exactly the same patterns as their mothers’ faces, with the effect becoming more noticeable after daughters reached their mid 30s… Read more…

Report: WHO to Announce Cell Phone, Brain Tumor Link

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:48:01 -0700

Report: WHO to Announce Cell Phone, Brain Tumor Link:

A groundbreaking, $30 million study into cell phones has found a link between long term use and brain tumors.

The World Health Organization is about to reveal that its decade-long investigation has found the devices can lead to cancer — and the internationally-respected body will soon issue a public health message with its findings, London’s Daily Telegraph reported today…

Uh-oh… Maybe I should rethink that unlimited minutes plan! —DC

Hand Washing Motivators Differ for Men, Women

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:15:00 -0700

Hand Washing Motivators Differ for Men, Women:

Hand Washing Study: Disgust Motivates Men, Knowledge Motivates Women…

It always irks me to discover fast food restrooms with no soap… I always loudly ask the manager, in front of everyone, just where the employees wash their hands! —DC

A Blast from the Past...

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:37:00 -0700

Do you Facebook? I didn’t know quite what to expect when I first signed on not long ago, mainly through the urgings of my fellow colleagues on Optcom.com, an internet doctor forum for optometrists.

And though I’m still a novice at this social media stuff, some of the most interesting surprises have happened to me since signing on…

High school buddies I’ve not heard from in years have “Friended” me… Fraternity brothers from UCLA… Riser mates from my days singing with the International Barbershop Chorus Champions “Masters of Harmony,” former colleagues from all across the United States… All of whom I’ve now started to reconnect with.

But still, little could I have imagined I would receive a post like the following earlier this week:

Chip sent you a message.
——————————
Subject: Hello…

This might sound like an odd question but…
did you attend Bell Gardens Intermediate, o in the late 70s?
i had a friend in 6th and 7th grade named Dickson…he played the accordion in Ms Truman’s class for us…
I’m just curious if you are the same guy….

Well, it turns out I am that same guy… I can’t believe anyone still remembered I played the accordion! Chip was my best friend until 7th grade, when he moved to Long Beach and we fell out of touch.

He’s now a math teacher in North Hollywood, not far at all from my office in Pasadena. He relates to me that he also picked up the accordion for a while until his mom passed away when he was 15.

I look at his picture now and the funniest thing is, he looks the same as I always remembered him (except for the goatee)! Chip and I are now looking forward to getting together soon and catching up on 30 years of missed memories…

If for nothing else, get yourself on Facebook and start reconnecting with those you’ve lost touch with through the years… You just might be pleasantly surprised who you’ll see online! (~_^) —DC

Older People Get Brain Boost From Internet

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:26:16 -0700

Older People Get Brain Boost From Internet:

A study shows older adults who learn to use the Internet to search for information experience a surge of activity in key decision-making and reasoning centers of the brain.

“We found that for older people with minimal experience, performing Internet searches for even a relatively short period of time can change brain activity patterns and enhance function,” says researcher Gary Small, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, in a news release.

As people get older, a variety of both structural and functional changes can occur in the brain that can reduce activity and impair function. Previous studies have shown that mental stimulation through brain training activities can increase the efficiency of cognitive processing and slow this decline in brain function.

Researchers say the results suggest that Internet training and searching online may qualify as a simple brain training activity to enhance cognitive function in older adults.

In the study, presented today at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain activity in different regions of the brain in 24 healthy adults between the ages of 55 and 78… Read more…

Mandarin Eclipses Cantonese, Changing the Sound of Chinatown - NYTimes.com

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:24:11 -0700

Mandarin Eclipses Cantonese, Changing the Sound of Chinatown - NYTimes.com:

Cantonese, a dialect from southern China that has dominated the Chinatowns of North America for decades, is being rapidly swept aside by Mandarin, the national language of China and the lingua franca of most of the latest Chinese immigrants…

Contact lenses worn at night could boost children's sight | Mail Online

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:03:00 -0700

Contact lenses worn at night could boost children's sight | Mail Online:

The UK’s Daily Mail (10/20, Hodgekiss) reports that children who wear overnight lenses, which “work by gently pressing on the cornea, reducing its curvature,” may experience “far less sight deterioration than those who’d worn regular contact lenses.” The Mail notes that US researchers are two years into a study, known as SMART, to test the overnight lenses in children. “Around 300 children aged eight to 14 are taking part in the five-year study,” and after the first year, “the children in the overnight lens group had no prescription change; in the control group the average increase was 0.4 diopters.”

And yes, it really works! —DC

35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography | Wired.com

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:10:00 -0700

35 Years of the World’s Best Microscope Photography | Wired.com:

This image of the male sex organ of a flowering plant took first place in Nikon’s annual Small World photomicrography competition this year.

Chosen for both its scientific and artistic qualities from among a record 2,000 entries, this image was captured by Estonian scientist Heiti Paves…

Nikon honored 20 images this year including an anglerfish ovary, cotton fibers and fish scales.

See the winners of the competition over the last 35 years…

Above: Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) anther (20x) Confocal / Heiti Paves, Tallinn University of Technology, courtesy of Nikon Small World.

Outbreaks of flu are 'way up' in L.A. County - latimes.com

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:21:33 -0700

Outbreaks of flu are 'way up' in L.A. County - latimes.com:

The swine flu virus is spreading rapidly throughout California and Los Angeles, officials said Thursday…

Be careful out there… Wash your hands! —DC

Myths about Children's Eye Health Dispelled, Eye and Vision

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:22:00 -0700

Myths about Children's Eye Health Dispelled, Eye and Vision:

Sometimes we cling to old wives’ tales or myths about health issues, neglecting to change our thinking or habits when scientists reveal updated information. Several myths surrounding children’s eye health have been circulating for decades, and it is time for parents to review what is true versus what has been held as truth when it comes to their children’s vision.

Myth: Children who sit too close to the television or computer screen will ruin their eyes. Fact: Children who have this habit likely need glasses. Although looking at television and computer screens for long periods of time can cause eye strain and fatigue, accompanied by headache, blurry vision, and red eyes, it does not cause permanent damage to children’s eyes. To reduce the risk of these symptoms, children should take a brief break from looking at the screen every 20 minutes or so. Proper lighting that minimizes screen glare is also essential.

Myth: Contact lenses are for adults only. Fact: Even infants can wear contact lenses without safety issues if parents follow the physician’s instructions. For children younger than age 10, adults need to insert, remove, and clean the lenses. Depending on the maturity of the child, those older than 10 can usually take responsibility for their own contact lenses. Children and their parents can get instructions from their ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Myth: Children should eat lots of carrots to improve their eye health. Fact: Although carrots contain vitamin A, which is an important nutrient and one that can help treat night blindness, eating lots of carrots will not improve children’s vision. A number of nutrients have been found to benefit eye health, including vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein. Foods and supplements that contain these nutrients are recommended.

Myth: Young children don’t like to wear sunglasses. Fact: Young children need to wear sunglasses because their lenses have not matured enough to adequately protect the retina from ultraviolet rays. Young children love to mimic their parents and older siblings, so make sure everyone in the family wears sunglasses. Some newer styles have strap-on frames that are easy for young children, and they come in fun colors.

Myth: Running with scissors is the main cause of eye injury in children. Fact: Most eye injuries in children are related to sports or leisure activities. Among children 14 years and younger, baseball is the sport that causes the most eye injuries in children, according to the National Eye Institute. Children ages 15 to 24 suffer eye injuries primarily related to basketball. To protect eye health in children, those who play contact sport such as baseball, basketball, and racquet sports need to wear eye protection. According to Prevent Blindness America, regular eyeglasses do not provide enough protection. Children should wear lensed polycarbonate protectors when playing contact sports.

Taking care of your children’s eye health today will help ensure they have a bright future. It is also important that they learn good eye health care at an early age so they carry the habits with them throughout their lives.

Sources:
Prevent Blindness America
Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Eyeglass Lens Coatings: Anti-Reflective, Scratch Resistant and UV

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:22:00 -0700

Eyeglass Lens Coatings: Anti-Reflective, Scratch Resistant and UV:

Lens coatings can enhance the performance and appearance of your eyeglass lenses. If you are thinking about purchasing new eyeglasses, here are lens coatings and treatments you should consider… Read more…

Chinese Militia… In Red Minis and White Go-Go Boots! With...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:59:30 -0700

Chinese Militia… In Red Minis and White Go-Go Boots!

With impeccable make-up and eye-catching miniskirts, the phalanxes of female soldiers are the talk of the town after the massive military parade strode through Tiananmen Square on Thursday, impressing the world. Forget the intercontinental missiles and state-of-the-art tanks. The troupe and their miniskirts aroused heated discussion on the internet, as their pictures flooded forums…

Special thanks to my HS buddy, Enrique Alvarez, for the link. I can’t say I blame President Hu for smiling! (~_^) —DC