Eye washes provide natural relief for irritated, inflamed eyes. Natural Eye Care recommends eye washes for a wide variety of eye conditions. Good lid hygiene can both soothe and prevent eye irritation.

Eye irritation can be caused by conjunctivitis, bacterial or viral infections, dry eyes, hormonal changes, allergies, drug side-effects, dehydration, excessive screen time, Continue reading “Two Eye Washes for Irritated Eyes”

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that seniors had better memory and attention if they followed the Mediterranean Diet. Many seniors struggle with memory and attention impairment. Research is finding that what you put in your mouth strongly impacts brain functioning. A large body of research shows that certain types of diets have better cognitive outcomes than others.

At Natural Eye Care, we recommend the Mediterranean Diet. Saying the word “diet” does not necessarily imply losing weight. Rather, this style of eating Continue reading “Mediterranean Diet Associated with Better Memory and Attention”

Visually impaired people can now detect their surroundings using a camera and a small device held on the tongue. Wicab Technology’s BrainPort converts visual data into tiny electrical signals. The tongue is sensitive enough to detect the patterns on an electrode array. With training, the brain learns to process the data in both the somatosensory cortex and the visual cortex. This sensory substitution device represents hope for the visually impaired. Visual impairment can be caused by eye disease, genetic eye conditions, congenital defects, or injury.

Users wear a camera on a pair of glasses. The camera is attached to a controller that they hold. The controller is about the size of a smartphone. It lets the user adjust the contrast and other settings. A wire leads from the controller to a plastic rectangle, a bit bigger than a postage stamp. The rectangle contains an electrode array that stimulates the tongue when held in the mouth.

BrainPort helps people identify objects in their surroundings. After training, users can navigate a hallway and stop a rolling ball. They can tell the difference between objects with 80% accuracy. They can even read individual words on a flashcard.

Tongue Sensitivity

You can try out your tongue’s reading skills at home:

1. Purchase a bag of Newman’s Own Alphabet Cookies.
2. Without looking at the letter, place a cookie face-down on your tongue.
3. Guess the letter. It will be reversed.
4. Look at the letter on the cookie and see how you did.
5. Eat the cookie.
6. Repeat until you can detect all letters. Your brain has learned how to read using your tongue!

BrainPort was approved by the FDA in 2015. Thus, the technology may be widespread in the future. See their website for the latest updates.

Note: If you have an eye disease, you may still be able to maintain and preserve vision. Natural Eye Care offers knowledge and targeted nutritional supplements. Check out our conditions page for more information.

Solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st! You can protect your eyes from eye damage, including corneal burns and future eye disease such as macular degeneration. Whether your geographical location will have a partial or total solar eclipse, you need to protect yourself from eye damage. Find out why, and which solar eclipse viewing glasses will protect your vision from damage.

How a Solar Eclipse Can Damage the Eyes

We are warned to never look directly at the sun.  The only “safe” time Continue reading “Avoid Eye Damage from the 2017 Solar Eclipse”

Smartphones can damage the eyes and cause disturbed sleep. Therefore, Natural Eye Care has issued safety guidelines for smartphones. We have summarized research on how smartphone misuse could contribute to the onset of serious eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Eye strain and discomfort from improper smartphone habits create unnecessary suffering. Night time smartphone use leads to poor sleep.

However, there is much you can do to prevent problems from smartphones. At the end of this article, you will find suggestions for how to use smartphones without damaging your eyes. Continue reading “Smartphone Safety for Better Sleep – Prevent Eye Damage and Eye Disease”

More and more research is pointing to inflammation as playing a role in a wide range of diseases. Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis, and even the visible signs of aging are all linked to chronic inflammation. Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Sjogren’s Syndrome can damage the eyes. Also, major eye diseases including Inflammatory (Uvetic) Glaucoma and Wet Macular Degeneration involve inflammation. Anti-inflammatory supplements can help tackle these conditions.

Therefore, Dr. Grossman at Natural Eye Care has developed the Anti-Inflammatory Eye Continue reading “New Dr. Grossman’s Anti-Inflammatory Eye and Whole Body Package”

Researchers have learned  found that gut microbes appear to influence the development of “wet” age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). ¹  This is the more advanced form of ARMD that affects 10% of ARMD patients. Wet macular degeneration leads to vision loss and blindness due to “neovascularization.” New blood vessels form in the retina in response to nutrient deficiences, causing severe damage to vision.

Obesity is a risk factor for developing ARMD. A high‐fat Continue reading “Wet Macular Degeneration Linked to Gut Microbes”

Even though sunlight is free, we pay for electric lightbulbs. We enjoy access to light 24 hours a day, even lighting the outside at night. The miracle of electric lighting means more leisure and work time.

What effects do the different types of lightbulbs have on our eyes? On our health? Does the type of light in the evening affect our sleep cycles? We’re encouraged to use compact fluorescent and LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs, but are the long-effects of these new bulbs known, or can their effects be predicted?
Continue reading “Why Lightbulb Choices Matter”

Sunlight is critical for overall well-being.  Through an intricate process it enables the body to produce essential vitamin D.  We only need 20 minutes of sunlight a day.  But sunlight also contains UV radiation.

Unprotected over exposure to sunlight can eventually result in oxidative damage to the retina and other eye tissue such as the eye lens and sclera causing many eye problems as well as skin cancer. You can help protect your eyes by wearing 100% UVA/UVB protecting sunglasses when outside (particularly wraparound glasses with amber or brown lenses that are polarized to reduce glare). Continue reading “Outdoor Activities Associated with Eye Disease”