Posts Tagged ‘San Diego’
There’s a reason why school desks used to be slanted back in the old days. Unfortunately, most of today’s classrooms seem to have forgotten what that reason is. Educators recognized a long time ago the benefits of using a slanted surface to read and write. Slanted surfaces make both activities easier for students, facilitating learning and preventing posture and vision problems. It is all based on ergonomics, the science of designing work and learning equipment and environments so that they fit human beings in a way that is optimal both to the health of the worker/student as well as his or her productivity/learning ability.
In terms of reading and writing, the ergonomics of slanted surfaces is based on the simple fact that, when we are reading, we have a natural tendency to tilt the material towards us. It is more comfortable to have material slanted towards you. Using a slanted writing and reading surface automatically lets the letters on the page come into focus better without needing to strain you eyes. It also lets you track lines with greater ease and keeps letters and numbers in a consistent perspective as you make your way down the page.
The result of all these factors is that your brain doesn’t have to work as hard at interpreting the written symbols, thus leaving it with more resources to actually comprehend, learn and analyze what it has just read. This also means you are less mentally fatigued by the end of a reading/study/writing session.
Buy a whiteboard. Reading and writing slant boards being sold today are created with the intent of providing students and people in general with an optimal environment in which to work and study. Pioneering studies, the results of which have been published in scientific journals like the American Journal of Optometry Archive, have shown that there is a strong relationship between a person’s learning/working efficiency and his/her posture, work distance and work surface.
Learning performance improves especially when the right conditions are established during near-point visual activities, i.e. reading and writing. To this end, the optimal angle for reading and writing surfaces has been found to be between 20 and 23 degrees, with the person sitting at a fist-to-elbow distance from the working surface.
Adjustable slant boards let you find your optimal angle. Many slant boards also come with additional built-in features like a whiteboard, so that you won’t need to buy a whiteboards separately. A proper reading and writing set-up will help reduce your heart rate, help you maintain a better breathing pattern and reduce neck and body tension by compelling you to sit using proper posture.
Ryan Frank is a 23 year writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/ergonomic-benefits-of-using-a-reading-and-writing-slant-board-1374247.html
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For a sighted person, the loss of vision represents much more than a physical impairment. Macular Degeneration and other low vision conditions have contributed to a growing population of people relearning how to live. It means a loss of their accustomed independence: the end of driving to work, reading the local newspaper, even simple pleasures like playing catch. Macular degeneration products and other low vision magnifiers have gave way to life, but not enough. Through a new center based at Wayne State University, a multidisciplinary team of San Diego-area researchers and clinicians has begun work they hope will return a level of autonomy to the growing number of men and women who are facing the limitations of life without sight.
To put it plainly, “Low vision is not no vision.” The definition of blindness is a visual acuity of 20/200 in the best eye with best correction or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. While this definition sounds precise, it is often subjective. An eye specialist who uses an eye chart that does not measure acuities between 20/100 and 20/200 may give “the benefit of the doubt” and declare the patient “legally blind” in order to give the person access to more services. Thus, a person who reads regular print with no aids risks being placed in the same category with people who have a far lesser degree of visual functioning. Why, in an environment where time is measured in milliseconds and gasoline sales are measured in thousandths of a gallon, do we still consider “counts fingers” a viable visual measurement? Why do we continue to cling to an out-of-date standard? Unfortunately, mistakes and misunderstandings still occur. The definition of “legal blindness” is not even the same in all countries. It is simply a random designation arrived at by people with 20/20 vision to determine eligibility for gov. services.
A fact in the field of visual impairment is that a fully sighted person gets 80 percent of his or her information about the world visually. In the case of a low vision person, he or she is still receiving a vast majority of their sensory input by visual means. The point at which 80% becomes 50% or 5% is not something that is easily determined. Attempts to state a “percentage” of vision loss frequently fail to take into account factors other than visual acuity. In my opinion, if an individual demonstrates good visual functioning, this individual’s vision should be given the “benefit of the doubt” when considering educational and rehabilitation programming. Certainly it does not deserve to be ignored as if it were of no importance.
Low vision products help. The most common video magnifier for reading is called a Desktop Video Magnifier. These low vision aids feature a camera mounted over a tray on which the material to be magnified is placed. Some have a built-in monitor and are known as “stand-alone” magnifiers. Others are designed to connect to a television or personal computer.
How to get more information – Ask your Eye MD for a Low vision Specialist. Low vision specialists are licensed doctors of optometry who are trained in the examination and management of patients with visual impairments. A few of them are ophthalmologists with additional training in low vision care. Their services do not offer a cure for the causes of low vision, but they do help the patient learn how to utilize their remaining vision to its fullest potential. Low vision care does not replace the possible need for other treatments such as laser, medication, and surgery.
Low Vision Specialists – http://www.visiontechnology.com
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/understanding-low-vision-1127804.html
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Your eyes can deteriorate quicker than you think if you don’t take good care of them. A study by Prevent Blindness America estimated that about 50,0000 people lose their sight each year due to diseases like cataracts and glaucoma, diseases which are actually perfectly preventable, provided you take good care of your eyes early on.
Fish twice a week
Oily fish have a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids in them. Omega-3 acids help fight off dry eye syndrome and keep your eyes in moist, top shape.
Aim the air conditioner away from your eyes
Doing so will prevent your eyes from going dry for extended periods of time, which can lead to corneal abrasions and other issues.
Keep grease and sweets at bay
Food heavy in grease and/or sugar contain large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, which contribute to the onset of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). So keep burgers and cake icing to a minimum.
Eat spinach twice a week
Spinach has plenty of lutein, a nutrient that fights ARMD and cataracts. For best absorption, cook the spinach with olive oil.
Red onions
Next time you go to the supermarket, buy red onions instead of yellow ones. Red onions are high in quercetin, an antioxidant that helps prevent cataracts.
Place computer screen below your eye level
Keeping your computer screen below your eye level while you work will ensure that your eyes are kept half-closed the whole time. This will prevent fluid evaporation and keep your eyes moist.
Take your multivitamins
Taking a multivitamin supplement high in Vitamin C can greatly improve your chances of preventing cataracts and other eye diseases.
Sweet potatoes
Have as many sweet potatoes as you can. They are high in vitamin A, which is great for improving your night vision.
Blueberries for breakfast
Get in the habit of eating a cup of yogurt with extra blueberries for breakfast. Blueberries are high in antioxidants, which are essential in preventing the onset of ARMD.
Don’t smoke
Smoking is one of the leading causes of cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome and ARMD. So quit if you’ve started. If you don’t smoke, keep it that way.
Not everyone can have perfect eyesight, some wear glasses or contacts. There are people who find that eye surgery is the way to go when you don’t want to deal with the glasses or contacts. There are many sites that show how improve Lasik Results could be a benefit for you.
Ryan Frank is a 23 year writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/10-ways-to-improve-your-eyesight-1083766.html
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When in 1946 a German ophthalmologist named Gerd Meyer-Schwickerath used the focused light beam from a xenon arc lamp to perform a retinal coagulation on a human eye, his procedure completely revolutionized the world of ophthalmology. Light is noninvasive when it comes to reaching internal eye structures. That’s why, when Theodore Maiman tested the first successful laser in 1960, the optometry industry quickly began to research and develop ways of using this new technology. The lasers used in optometry today are incredibly precise and sophisticated. Computer software has made them especially powerful and accurate. Here are five of the most commonly used lasers in the field.
Femtosecond laser
The microkeratome blade is an uber-precise mechanical shaver that cuts a thin flap of exterior cornea during laser surgery. The femtosecond laser performs the same task as the microkeratome blade, but without the risks inherent. All-laser surgery minimizes healing period and reduces post-surgical discomfort.
Nd: YAG laser
A solid state laser, the YAG laser is one of the most commonly used lasers in optometry and in other medical procedures as well. Its typical wavelength is around 1054 mm and it can be used in pulse as well as continuous mode. Cataract surgery and peripheral iridotomy use YAG lasers. At higher frequency, the laser can be used for photocoagulation.
Krypton laser
Krypton lasers are a type of gas laser that employ krypton ions as gain mediums. They are commonly used in the treatment of macular degeneration, a disease that often affects the elderly and results in a loss of one’s central field of vision due to retinal damage.
Excimer laser
The excimer laser is the most widely used laser in the field of ophthalmology. It is extremely precise and, rather than burn through matter, it creates enough energy to break the molecular bonds holding matter together, so that the tissue it targets literally disintegrates into the air without affecting the remaining eye tissue.
Argon laser
Because it can be emitted at various different wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum, the argon laser is versatile in its uses. Discovered by laser technology pioneer William R. Bennett in the 1960s, it is commonly used in diabetic retinopathy, panretinal photocoagulation and open-angle glaucoma.
The history of ophthalmology has revolutionized since 1946, read about the ophthalmic equipment and the newest technology at Nidek.
Ryan Frank is a 23 year writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/5-lasers-commonly-used-in-ophthalmology-1047017.html
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