The Science of Sunglasses

 

On a bright, sunny day, many people grab their sunglasses without considering the science behind them. When buying a new pair of shades, most focus on how stylish they look rather than how much protection they provide.

Sunglasses come in all shapes and sizes. They can be purchased at a fancy optical boutique or at a flea market. As long as they are 100% UV-compliant they are safe to wear.

Sunglasses work by blocking certain frequencies of light. It's essential to understand that darker lenses do not always provide the best protection. Lenses can be clear or lightly tinted and still offer complete UV protection. In some cases, darker lenses may be counterproductive. If they do not block 100% of both types of ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB rays), the dark tint can cause your pupils to dilate, which allows more UV radiation to enter your eyes.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation. The wavelengths are shorter than visible light (to the human eye), but longer wavelengths than those of X-rays. While electromagnetic radiation surrounds us, we can only see a small part of it. This type of radiation consists of tiny packets of energy known as photons. The primary source of UV radiation is sunlight. 

During the manufacturing process, lenses are treated with a special coating that has chemicals designed to absorb and filter out harmful UV rays. By blocking these rays from reaching your eyes, UV-protective sunglasses help reduce the risk of eye damage and contribute to maintaining healthy vision. When selecting sunglasses, choose a pair that provides 100% UV protection to effectively block harmful rays. The frame should fit snugly without pinching your ears or nose, and its weight should be evenly distributed. Additionally, your eyelashes should not come into contact with the lenses. Wraparound sunglasses or those with a wrapped profile offer the best UV protection due to their wider coverage.

Sources:

www.science.howstuffworks.com

www.fda.gov

www.mcgil.ca

www.webmd.com

www.REI.com

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Gold, Can it Restore Vision?

The use of gold for medicinal purposes dates back 5,000 years. It has been used in dentistry and traditional Chinese medicine to treat various ailments, including palpitations, seizures, smallpox, and skin infections.

In Medieval Europe, alchemists created numerous recipes for elixirs known as "aurum potabile," which translates to "drinkable gold" in English. These elixirs contained minute particles of gold suspended in a volatile oil.

In the 17th century, a gold cordial advocated by Nicholas Culpepper was included in "Pharmacopeias" as a treatment for melancholy, fainting, and fevers.

Gold ions have been used to treat. rheumatoid arthritis to reduce joint pain. A recent study at Brown University suggests that gold nanoparticles-microscopic bit of gold thousands of times thinner than a human hair-have the potential to restore vision in individuals with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.

In the 19th century, a mixture of gold chloride and sodium chloride was used to treat syphilis. In 1890, German bacteriologist Robert Koch discovered that gold compounds could inhibit the growth of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.

However, long-term exposure to gold does have its downsides.

Over the years, gold and its compounds have been evaluated and used in the medical treatment and diagnosis of several types of cancer, HIV, and malaria.

Currently, a new treatment using gold nanoparticles is being tested on mice. These nanoparticles are combined with antibodies to create a retinal prosthesis. The particles are then injected into the vitreous chamber of the eye, where infrared relays are used to activate them. Research has shown that these nanoparticles can remain in the retina for months without causing major toxicity.

As with most studies conducted on mice, there is a good chance that the findings will translate to humans. This breakthrough represents an important first step in medical advancements.

Sources:

www.brown.edu

www.healthline.com

www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Photo source:

www.pinterest.com/pin/68679963052853644

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Another Reason to Protect Yourself from Lyme Disease

In Pennsylvania, 25 different tick species have been identified, four of the species commonly found in the Pittsburgh region: The American dog tick, the black-legged tick, the lone star tick, and the groundhog tick. The Pittsburgh area has a particularly high population of black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks), especially during the spring, summer, and early fall months, which typically run from April to October.

The Penn State Department of Entomology is an excellent resource for learning about ticks and Lyme disease. www.ento.psu.edu

Black-legged ticks are the main carriers of Lyme disease and can bite humans at any stage of their life cycle. It is important to remove a tick within 24 hours of attachment to prevent the transmission of the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. Therefore, finding and removing ticks from the body promptly is crucial.

Tips to Prevent Tick Bites:

 

1. Create a Tick-Free Zone Around Your House

• Keep your lawn well-manicured.
• Establish a tick barrier between your lawn and taller grass or brush.
• Have a mulch barrier.
• Discourage Tick-Friendly Habitats

2. Enjoy the Outdoors Safely: 

• Avoid wooded or overgrown areas.
• Stay on marked trails when hiking.
• Keep away from tall grass and uncleared regions of the forest floor.

3. Protect Yourself, Your Children, and Your Pets: 

• Wear protective clothing. Long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks.  It may help to wrap a heavy tape like masking or duct tape at the bottom of pant leg opening backward so the ticks stick to the tape. 
• Wear closed-toe shoes; avoid going barefoot or wearing sandals.
• Use insect repellents such as DEET on your skin and Permethrin on your clothes.  Review safety information and assess the risks and benefits of these products. Certain repellents are considered to be unsafe for young children, so use discretion and consult your doctor before using them. Do not use these products on children under 3 years of age.

4. Perform Tick Checks After Being Outdoors: 

• The risk of contracting Lyme disease increases the longer a tick remains attached to the skin. Therefore, it is important to conduct tick checks to remove them before they can transmit the disease.
• Shower daily and look for ticks in common attachment areas, including behind the knees, underarms, scalp, navel, groin, buttocks, and back.

5. Remove Ticks Immediately:

• If you find a tick, use tweezers to grasp it and pull it straight out of the skin, ensuring that the entire tick is removed. In the first few days to about a month after infection, a person may experience the initial symptoms of Lyme disease, which include:

1. Erythema migrant (a target-like rash) at the bite site
2. Fever and chills
3. Headache
4. Muscle and joint aches
5. Enlarged lymph nodes
6. Fatigue

If Lyme disease is not treated promptly, a person may experience more severe symptoms, such as:

1. Headache & stiff neck
2. Erythema migrants spreading to other parts of the body
3. Facial drooping on one or both sides of the face
4. musculoskeletal pain
5. Dizziness
6.  Heart Palpitations
7. Shooting pain, numbness, and tingling in hands and feet
8. If pregnant Lyme can damage the fetus

Some patients with Lyme disease may experience a range of eye symptoms, which can vary depending on the stage of the disease. Approximately 11% of patients may develop conjunctivitis, commonly known as "pink eye." Other symptoms can include inflammation of the eye tissue, pain in the eyes, swelling of the optic nerve, and an increase in floaters.

An eye doctor can detect signs of Lyme disease during a comprehensive eye exam. If the eye doctor suspects Lyme disease, they will recommend consulting your primary care provider.  Lyme can be detected through a combination of symptom evaluation, medical history, and blood tests and can be treated effectively with antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime, are crucial for a complete recovery. In some cases, intravenous antibiotics like ceftriaxone or penicillin may be necessary for more severe cases. 

Sources:

www.hopkinslyme.org

www.VSP.com

www.pittsburghbotanicgarden.org

www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.mayoclinic.org

Photo source:

www.cdc.gov

www.commons.wikimedia.org

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Geographic Atrophy

Many of you may have seen the commercial featuring Henry Winkler, also known as "The Fonz," which raises awareness about geographic atrophy (GA). So, what exactly is GA?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the slow deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision found at the back of the eye. Geographic atrophy (GA) is a more advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration, which is the most common type of AMD.

With GA, certain areas of the retina experience cell death, known as atrophy. The progression of this disease varies among individuals, leading to the development of dim or blind spots, called scotomas, in the areas affected by cell death. GA can result in progressive and permanent vision loss.GA affects your ability to drive, read, do crafts and hobbies you enjoy, and even recognize faces.

Generally, geographic atrophy (GA) is bilateral, meaning it is found in both eyes. Over 8 million people worldwide have GA, being 20% of all individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

While researchers do not fully understand the exact causes of the changes in the eye that lead to GA, it is believed that part of the immune system known as the complement cascade plays a role. Additionally, genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to the condition.

In 2023, the FDA approved two new drugs for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA): Syfovre and Izervay. These new treatments offer hope to both patients and ophthalmologists. While they are effective in slowing the progression of GA, they require direct injection into the eye. The drugs work by calming the immune response to prevent damage to retinal cells. Clinical studies have shown that these treatments can slow the development of GA by 14% to 20%. However, it is important to note that neither drug has been proven to improve or restore lost vision.

Sources:

www.preventblindness.org

www.clevelandclinic.org

www.macularsociety.org

www.aao.org

Photo Source:

www.imagebank.asrs.org

#PearleVisionRobinson

#DrClaudiaWendel

#PittsburghOptometrist

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