Why humans are making epidemics worse
March 29th 2016Nearly every year there seems to be some new epidemic that crops up, creating healthcare crises and worldwide panic. Robert Kalayjian, MD, director of infectious diseases at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, says these epidemics are becoming more common, and he explained the implications for public health during a session at SECO 2016.
Q&A: Steven Loomis, OD, President of the American Optometric Association
March 25th 2016I grew up in Butte, Montana. My dad was truck driver. He worked for Standard Oil, and he delivered gasoline to the gasoline stations there and the farmers in the area. It’s a beautiful place, phenomenal place, to grow up. Butte always had the reputation for being a little rough because it’s a mining town, but it’s just how I grew up.
What students, ODs gain from private practice internships
March 25th 2016David Kading, OD, FAAO, discusses the advantages of private practices internships with two fourth-year optometry students-Gabe Ficket from Southern College of Optometry, and Sean Cudahy from Pacific University College of Optometry-both of whom are completing internships at Dr. Kading’s practice in Kirkland, WA.
What’s all the craze about demodex?
March 23rd 2016While many eyecare practitioners (ECPs) are just now learning about Demodex infestation of the eyelids and adnexa, the fact is that this condition has been around for as long as mankind. The entomologists Johannsen and Riley from Cornell University first described the species in detail anatomically as early as 1915, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that clinical reports of demodex-related blepharitis began to emerge in the literature.
How bacteria load creates a biofilm
March 21st 2016First acquired during birth from the mother and rapidly thereafter from the surrounding environment, bacteria colonize our conjunctiva and lacrimal systems. It is estimated that more than 200 species of bacteria commonly inhabit the human conjunctival mucosa.
Managing an office and optical move
March 14th 2016There’s nothing more exciting than working in an office that continues to grow and expand. Recently, our practice has taken a gigantic step and purchased a brand-new, state-of-the-art office that allowed us to merge our two offices into one, larger space.
3 tips to use LinkedIn to advance your career
March 11th 2016After many years as the sole optometrist in a busy ophthalmology practice, I found myself feeling isolated. I had excelled in my career managing many complicated ocular disease cases and making a difference in the lives of the patients whom I served; however, I was lacking the collaboration with my peers I had experienced during my residency and years in school.
How to keep athletes’ eyes healthy in contact lenses
March 11th 2016As a die-hard University of Kentucky basketball fan, I have watched many, many basketball games throughout my life. During these basketball games, I have cringed at a few of my favorite players because I have seen some of the players drop their contact lenses on the court, pick them up, put them in their mouths, and then put them right back in their eyes!
Identifying malignant eyelid tumors
March 10th 2016Malignant eyelid tumors can lead to significant ocular and visual morbidity. They present in varied histologic types. An understanding of the clinical features of common malignant eyelid tumors can be helpful in earlier diagnosis and could lead to less ocular morbidity.
Sunwear and the science of light
March 10th 2016Light is both a particle and a wave, it has healing energy and harmful energy, and it is so fast that it travels the 24,901 miles around the earth seven and one half times in one second. In order for us to understand how to best manage light with sunglasses, we first have to understand some basic science of light.
The latest tool for photo-refractive comanagement
March 9th 2016When a colleague or a patient utters the phrase “intelligent design” (ID), it is challenging for me to not roll my eyes as far back as some patients’ contact lenses get lost up there. Honestly, if we really think about it, the design of the ocular system is far from intelligent.