Many people prefer contact lenses to glasses for the convenience and freedom they offer. However, many still fail to grasp fully the importance of proper care and the vast majority believe that they are doing a good job of maintaining hygiene. But if the findings of a US study are anything to go by, only a minuscule number of contact lens wearers are actually in full compliance with care practices, although many are well aware of the complications resulting from… Read More ➝

Nature is a constant source of inspiration for scientists. A group of researchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have found their inspiration in human tears, designing an adaptive material that can find application in numerous areas. For contact lens wearers, this could mean the arrival of highly precise contacts capable of cleaning themselves. The inspiration for the new material is the dynamic liquid film formed when individual tears merge. They… Read More ➝

Most people reach middle age with an impairment in near vision. This condition is known as presbyopia and requires wearing bifocals or reading glasses. However, there may be an alternative way to restore near vision, as demonstrated by the results of a new study. Drs Paul Gifford and Helen A Swarbrick of Sydney-based University of New South Wales have established that it can be achieved through a new technique called hyperopic orthokeratology (OK). Gifford and Swarbrick conducted their study on… Read More ➝

Recent estimates put the proportion of allergy sufferers in the western world at between 20% and 40% of the population. A large number of those people are suffering from allergic conjunctivitis. However, this condition does not preclude contact lens wear but success depends on a strategic approach that starts with identifying allergic patients. The next step should be to provide them with options to manage their allergy symptoms, making contact lens wear comfortable, according to a paper published in the… Read More ➝

Living in an urban environment can affect a person’s health in numerous ways. Pollution, dust and smog have been linked to respiratory problems, allergies and cardiovascular disease, to mention but a few. These are factors that also affect ocular health and can cause eye problems or discomfort for contact lens wearers. The latter often have to deal with the added impact of working in an office, where they may be required to spend long hours in front of a computer…. Read More ➝

Some children are quite comfortable with wearing glasses and continue to favour them for the rest of their lives. Others, however, decide at some point they would prefer contact lenses. There will be cases when the desire to swap glasses for contacts is driven by the child’s belief that his or her looks will improve. Sometimes, it will be simply a desire to engage in active sporting activities, where contact lenses offer great convenience. Whatever the reason, parents have the… Read More ➝

Cataracts are a common visual problem that afflicts people as they get older. The lens of the eye becomes clouded, leading to a deterioration in eyesight. Vision clarity can be restored through the implantation of Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) and surgical technology is undergoing rapid development. Given the aging global population, the IOL market is set for a modest but steady growth in the years ahead; according to a new report from WinterGreen Research, the market will be worth US$3.8 billion… Read More ➝

A duo of Canadian researchers has published the results of a study suggesting that total darkness could be the answer to restoring vision. As revealed by their publication in the Current Biology Journal, the experiment was conducted on kittens with amblyopia, a condition popularly known as ‘lazy eye’. The kittens used in the study had their amblyopia induced through monocular deprivation, which is to say depriving one eye of visual input. Kevin Duffy and Donald Mitchell, the Dalhousie University researchers… Read More ➝