November is National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 29 million Americans age 20 or older have diabetes, but almost one-third don’t know they have the disease and are at risk for vision loss and other health problems.

Diabetic eye disease includes diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma. The most common of these is diabetic retinopathy, which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older. Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding condition. This is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels can swell and leak. Or they can close, stopping blood from passing through. These changes can take your vision away.

All forms of diabetic eye disease have the potential to cause severe vision loss and blindness. Early diagnosis of diabetes and maintaining strict control of blood sugar and hypertension through diet, exercise and medication, can help reduce your risk of developing eye disease associated with diabetes. Help your eyes stay healthy! Get a comprehensive eye examination by an eye care professional completed yearly.

Bonnie Tyler taught us what it’s like to have a Total Eclipse of the Heart, but on Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to a total eclipse of the sun. This total solar eclipse will darken skies all the way from Oregon to South Carolina, along a stretch of land about 70 miles wide. People who live around this “path of totality” for the big event are in for an extraordinary experience. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights: a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover the sun and the sun’s atmosphere, will stretch from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. All observers outside this path will still see a partial solar eclipse; the total phase of this solar eclipse will not be fully visible in Tampa at Laser Locators, but it can be observed as a partial solar eclipse and special glasses will be necessary!

Looking directly at the sun is always unsafe and protection should always be worn, but during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, it can be seen from windows indoors.

Solar Eclipse Glasses

“However, the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are NOT safe for looking at the sun; they transmit too much sunlight. The following four companies sell eclipse glasses that meet the international standard (ISO 12312-2) recommended by NASA, the AAS, and other scientific organizations: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, Lunt Solar Systems, and TSE 17.”- Source: NASA.gov.

During this jaw-dropping total solar eclipse, the disk of the moon blocks out the last bit of light from the sun, and the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, becomes visible. The area inside the moon’s shadow is covered in darkness, which is a very different from our afternoon shower darkness and an odd feeling to experience in the middle of the day. Just before and just after totality, observers can see this cloak of darkness moving toward them across the landscape, and then moving away.

To make sure you don’t miss this event and to figure out the exact timing of the total solar eclipse and its duration both depend on where you are inside the path of totality. At most, the moon will completely cover the disk of the sun for 2 minutes and 40 seconds, but being in Tampa, Florida and out of the path of totality, our time to view will decrease. People standing at the very edge of the path may observe totality for only a few seconds so make sure you don’t miss it! If for whatever reason you can’t make it out to see this phenomenon, the next time you can see something remotely similar will be in 2024. In 2024, a total solar eclipse will darken the skies above Mexico and Texas, up through the Midwest and northeastern U.S. So Tampa, make sure you are prepared and ready to miss this spectacular almost once in a lifetime event!

From September 8-10, 2017 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown, the future leaders in ophthalmology will meet for a unique meeting experience, designed exclusively for millennial-minded clinicians. Continue reading →

With summer just around the corner, we all know how harmful the sun’s rays can be for our skin, but did you know they are just as bad for our eyes? While sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, their most important role is to protect our eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Sunglasses can block UV radiation and reduce your risk for potentially blinding eye diseases and tumors, but they’re also great at preventing dust, sand, and other airborne particles from getting into your eyes.

When going out and looking for the perfect pair of sunglasses, make sure you look for lenses that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation. By purchasing these sunglasses, you will be able to cut back from squinting which keeps your eyes healthy and your vision sharp. While it’s important to always have your sunglasses on while exposed to sunlight, it is also just as important to have sunglasses on your children as well. Children and teens also need to protect their eyes from the sun. VSP optometrists say we get 75-80% of our UV exposure before we turn 18. It’s especially important that kids wear sunglasses from an early age.

According to the National Eye Institute, some of the sun’s effects on the eyes include:

Cataracts: a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision. An estimated 20% of cases are caused by extended UV exposure.

Macular degeneration:  resulting from damage to the retina that destroys central vision. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Pterygium: a tissue growth over the white part of the surface of the eye that can alter the curve of the eyeball, causing astigmatism.

Just remember, by wearing sunglasses that offer effective protection against harmful UV rays, you can enjoy the outdoors while protecting your eyesight. Laser Locators proudly provides ophthalmologists around the world with the medical equipment needed to correct the damages caused by UV light to our eyes. From lanes to lasers, Laser Locators can provide all the tools for a bright and safe summer.