June 15, 2020

Eye Experts Call for Ban on Police Use of Rubber Bullets

TUESDAY, June 9, 2020 -- Rubber bullets can cause severe eye injuries, blindness and even death, and they shouldn't be used against protesters, claims a petition signed by almost 400 U.S. eye doctors.

The petition was first launched by ophthalmologists at the University of California, San Francisco, on June 2 in response to police use of rubber bullets during the nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd during a police arrest in Minneapolis.

June 1, 2020

Which Foods Might Reduce Your Odds for Dementia?

TUESDAY, April 14, 2020 -- Eating a Mediterranean diet that's high in vegetables, whole grains and fish could reduce your risk of mental decline, two studies from the U.S. National Eye Institute (NEI) suggest.

"We do not always pay attention to our diets. We need to explore how nutrition affects the brain and the eye," lead author Dr. Emily Chew said in an NEI news release. She is director of the institute's division of epidemiology and clinical applications.

May 29, 2020

Your Eyewear and COVID-19 Safety

FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 -- Coronavirus-related safety is crucial if you wear contact lenses, eyeglasses or safety glasses/goggles, experts say.

While the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends limiting use of contact lenses and switching to eyeglasses during the pandemic, the American Optometric Association says there's no evidence that wearing contacts increases COVID-19 risk.

April 29, 2020

Transplanted Skin Stem Cells Help Blind Mice See Light

TUESDAY, April 21, 2020 -- Transplants of skin cells that were turned into light-sensing eye cells enabled blind mice to detect light, a new study says.

In previous research with lab animals, scientists have programmed stem cells created from blood or skin cells to become photoreceptors and transplanted them into the back of the eye.

April 29, 2020

How Contact Lenses Affect Your Risk of COVID-19

THURSDAY, April 23, 2020 -- Contact lens users may be at increased risk for coronavirus infection, so they need to be extra careful, an eye expert says.

"There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmission by handling of contact lenses," said David Chu, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, in Newark. "However, since contact lenses can cause eye irritation, wearers tend to touch their face or to rub their eyes more often, which puts them at a higher risk for acquiring infection."