Dr. Ben's Blog
Glasses: the New Political Tool?
Republican strategist Karl Rove recently implied that Hillary Clinton had brain damage because of her glasses that she wore in 2013 after a fall led to a blood clot. He said “…we need to know what’s up with that”). Well, all I can say is please don’t let Karl Rove guide your understanding of the human brain. Her glasses had something … Continue reading
Apples and Oranges
Glasses are officially IN! I don’t think anyone would disagree with that point. Frame styles from yesteryear are mounting huge comebacks (kind of like those golf shirts with the little crocodiles on them). Fortunately, the lens optics of yesteryear are history.….……or maybe not.….…… Prescription glasses are heavily advertised at extremely cheap prices on TV, the internet, and on billboards. There are, … Continue reading
Omega 3’s Don’t Help Your Eyes? Not So Fast…
Last week, the much anticipated first round of results from AREDS 2 were published. AREDS stands for “Age-Related Eye Disease Study”, a cross-sectional, multicenter, years-long set of studies set out to determine whether the progression of age-related eye diseases, such as macular degeneration could be curbed by the intake of certain nutraceuticals. The original AREDS results taught us that … Continue reading
iTips For Spring Training
So, I saw this patient last week who was blind in his left eye. Other than a congenital form of blindness in that eye, his ocular and visual health were essentially normal. He asked me why I prescribed glasses for him, and it led to a great and meaningful discussion regarding eye safety. First of all, I prescribed glasses with polycarbonate lenses to … Continue reading
No Marijuana For Glaucoma Any Time Soon
Ok, so we’ve all heard the anecdotal tales of the guy who gets to smoke marijuana to treat his glaucoma, but is there any truth to this wives tale? The answer is a resounding “sort of, but not really”. The story goes like this: someone somewhere figured out that something in hemp lowers intraocular (eye) pressure. So, a series of … Continue reading
You’re Talking To Me With Your Eyes
It’s been said that eyes have an ability to speak without the need for words. This concept was popular in the art genre even prior to the Renaissance proper, when artists made great strides in mastering the eyes of their subjects to convey desired emotions. The Mona Lisa is the quintessential “smirker” as she eyes you as … Continue reading
Pleased To Announce…
Casella Eye Center is pleased to announce that we are now a provider for CareCredit, a flexible payment solution for eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses. Over 7 million patients currently use CareCredit, and we’re proud to be a provider for them! Unexpected expenses come up every now and then, and, whether it’s an eye emergency or that designer pair of … Continue reading
Making It All Count
The visual system is a complex and multifactorial enigma, parts of which we are just beginning to explore. When we refract patients (check them for new glasses or contact lens prescriptions), we take precise measurements of their visual acuity, function, and defocus (among other aspects). The values we come up with are all important, but what’s really important … Continue reading
Transitions Now Better Than Ever
Transitions lenses are light-activated lenses that turn dark in bright light. This technology has been around for several years, but now Transitions lenses are available for virtually all walks of life, from avid outdoors people to those who spend most of the day inside. Transitions lenses protect from UV radiation, as well as provide a comfortable light level … Continue reading
When Time’s a Factor
The advent of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography, or SD-OCT, has given us the ability to perform in vivo ( or “in the body”) histology of the tissues of the human eye with a resolution down to just a few microns — a tremendous feat that has led to key developments in the understanding of certain ocular diseases. This case … Continue reading