1. Size and weight — Eyes are about 1 inch in diameter and weigh about a quarter of an ounce.
2. Colors — The human eye can differentiate about 10 million different colors.
3. Complex — Eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain.
4. Blinking — The human eye blinks over 4 million times per year.
5. Components — Eyes are comprised of over 2 million working parts.
6. Cell structure — Each eye contains 107 million cells.
7. Responsive — The eye is the fastest muscle in the body.
8. Strong — The muscles in the eye are 100 times stronger than they need to be to perform their function.
9. Topsy-Turvy — We actually see things upside down, and the brain turns the image right side up.
10. Durable — The only cells in the human body that survive for your entire lifetime are in the eyes.
11. Unique — The cornea is the only tissue in the human body that does not contain blood vessels.
12. Resilient — 80% of vision problems worldwide are avoidable or curable.

To keep your eyes in tip-top shape, be sure to schedule regular appointments with your Eye MD.

The post 12 Fun Facts About the Eyes appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

In this post, we’re going to offer an explanation for many common eye care terms you often hear during a comprehensive eye exam in simple, plain English.

What’s a “Refractive Error”?  Learn All 4 Types

A refractive error is when the eye cannot accurately focus light on the retina due to the shape of the eye and/or cornea. There are four main refractive errors:

1. Astigmatism can cause images to look blurry at near or far distances, and can result in headaches.
2. Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, allows a person to see at distance but not when objects are close up.
3. Myopia, or nearsightedness, provides excellent near vision but blurry eyesight at things in the distance.
4. Presbyopia, the fourth type, makes it difficult to see up close. It commonly occurs with age.

Seeing 20/20 — What Does “Visual Acuity” Mean?

Some people are not sure what the term visual acuity means. Visual acuity refers to the clarity or sharpness of vision:

• When someone says they have 20/20 vision, it means they can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. However, having 20/20 vision doesn’t necessarily indicate perfect vision — visual acuity only describes the clarity of vision at a specific distance.
• In contrast, if a person has 20/100 vision, it means that they have to be 20 feet away to see what a person with normal vision would be able to see at 100 feet away.

Never Be Afraid to Ask your Eye Doctor

If one of your doctors or technicians uses a word or phrase you don’t understand, please don’t hesitate to ask them to explain it to you. When you’re in a doctor’s office, there are no stupid questions. Remember, at Atlantic Medical Eye Care, we’re here to help!

The post Eye Care Terms: What do These Words Really Mean? appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

What Does an Optician Do?

If you have a prescription for eyeglasses you will want to visit your Optician. These technicians are trained to design and fit devices to correct eyesight. They are not permitted to test vision, write prescriptions, diagnose, or treat eye diseases.

What Does an Optometrist Do?

An Optometrist receives a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. Optometrists examine the eye for prescribing corrective lenses, perform screening tests to detect eye abnormalities, and prescribe medications for some eye diseases.

What Does an Ophthalmologist Do?

An Ophthalmologist (or Eye M.D.) is a Medical or Osteopathic Doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists provide the full spectrum of eye care, from prescribing glasses and contact lenses to performing complex and delicate eye surgery (such as surgery to correct cataracts). Ophthalmologists may also conduct scientific research into the causes and cures of eye disease.

Ophthalmologists have the most rigorous program of study, requiring four years of postgraduate specialty training after the completion of their medical degree. This consists of a one year medical residency followed by a three year residency in Ophthalmology in an approved surgical residency program.

Ophthalmologist in Central New Jersey

If you’re located in central NJ and seeking premium care for your eyes, set up an appointment with Atlantic Medical Eye Care. Dr. Robert Scharfman is an Ophthalmologist with decades of experience treating a wide variety of eye conditions.

The post Optician vs. Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist: Who’s Who in Eye Care? appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

This post delves into some of the most common eye myths and helps you discover the truth behind the myth.

4 Common Eye Myths

Activities that ruin your eyes

Has anyone ever told you that reading in dim light or using computers frequently can damage your eyes? Both of these statements are actually myths.

While these activities may cause eye fatigue, neither will cause permanent damage.

Becoming “dependent” on your glasses

The myth that wearing eyeglasses causes you to become dependent on them is very popular, although it has no basis in fact. Rather than becoming “dependent,” on your glasses, you are simply getting used to seeing clearly.

And that’s a good thing!

Cataracts need to be “ripe”

Another common eye myth involves cataracts. A cataract is a thickening and discoloration of the eye’s lens that happens as we age. The myth suggests that a cataract needs to be “ripe” in order to be removed. Nope — there is no such thing as a “ripe” cataract.

When a cataract interferes with the activities of daily living and enjoyment, it is time to fix the problem, plain and simple.

One Eye Myth Based on Fact

Some myths have a grain of truth to them.

For example, many people believe that wearing the wrong kind of eyeglasses will damage your eyes. Wearing the wrong kind of eyeglasses won’t actually damage the eyes. But eyeglasses could damage the eyes of children.

Here’s the truth behind this eye myth: children under the age of eight should wear their own prescription. This prevents the development of amblyopia or “lazy eye”, which can occur as children’s eyes are continuing to mature.

Other Eye Myths?

What other eye myths have you heard? Or, are there any “facts” about the eyes that you suspect could be a myth? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Eye Myths: 5 Beliefs About Your Vision that are Dead-Wrong appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

Your family history and genetics play a role in determining which eye disorders you may be more susceptible to developing over time. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to discuss your family history with your eye care physician.

7 Facts About Hereditary Eye Diseases

Here are seven facts about hereditary eye diseases that you should know (listed in no particular order):

1. More than 60% of cases of blindness among infants are caused by inherited eye diseases.
2. Congenital cataracts and congenital glaucoma are present at birth.
3. Up to 40% of patients with strabismus (ocular misalignment) have a family history of the condition.
4. In adults, both glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration have been shown to be inherited in some cases.
5. There is also evidence that problems such as amblyopia (lazy eye), myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism are genetically determined.
6. Eye abnormalities are present in one-third of inherited systemic diseases, such as Marfan syndrome and Tay Sachs disease.
7. Inherited conditions such as diabetes often have complications involving the eyes.

Discuss Your Family History with Your Eye Doctor

For all of these reasons, it is very important to share your family history with your eye doctor.

If you live in central New Jersey, contact the office of Dr. Robert Scharfman to set up an eye care appointment. We’ll be happy to go over your family history with you and take whatever precautions are necessary to preserve your vision.

The post 7 Facts About Hereditary Eye Diseases You Should Know appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

99% of people with this disorder have red/green color blindness. The balance of cases consists of blue/yellow color blindness and complete absence of color vision, which is quite rare.

The image at the top of this post reveals the words “color blind” to most individuals without any color vision problem. Those affected by red/green color blindness will have trouble reading the word “color” and those affected by blue/yellow color blindness will be unable to see the word “blind.”

Most Color Blindness is Hereditary

Most color vision problems are inherited, and they are present at birth. People usually have three types of cone cells in their eyes. Each type senses red, green, or blue light. When a person doesn’t have one of these types of cone cells or they don’t work correctly, color blindness occurs.

In addition, color blindness favors males more than females. An estimated 8% of males and less than 1% of females have color vision problems.

Other Causes for Color Blindness

A patient may also acquire color vision problems as a result of:

• aging
• eye injury
• medication side effects
• other eye diseases

The most common reasons for acquired color blindness are cataracts and optic nerve disease. Multiple Sclerosis and strokes are frequent causes of optic nerve disease. Of these conditions, cataracts are the easiest to treat via cataract surgery.

Diagnosing Color Blindness and Treatment

Color blindness can be diagnosed during an eye examination. Some acquired forms of color blindness can be treated. While inherited color blindness cannot be treated or corrected, an eye doctor can suggest ways to adjust to color vision problems.

If you suspect you have a color vision problem and you live in central New Jersey, contact Atlantic Medical Eye Care to set up an appointment with Dr. Robert Scharfman. He’ll diagnose your condition and discuss your options and other strategies.

The post Color Blindness: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

ASD ranges in severity from a handicap that somewhat limits an otherwise normal life to a severe disability that may require long-term institutional care.

How Eye Tracking Can Assess Autism in Children

Currently, ASD is diagnosed using caregiver description, interviews and clinician observations.

However, a number of researchers have shown that eye tracking varies between typically developing children and those with ASD. Eye tracking involves the recording and study of the movements of the eyes in following a moving object, lines of printed text or other visual stimulus.

For example, prominent researcher Dr. Ami Klin, noticed that when he showed a group of children a video, the typical children watched the emotion of expression in the characters while those with ASD focused on a revolving door in the scene that was opening and closing.

Why Eye Tracking Matters to Autism

This type of research is important because a study done at Cleveland Clinic published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that eye tracking can differentiate children with ASD from children without ASD, but who have other developmental problems.

The researchers in this study determined that by remotely tracking patients’ eye gaze to social and non-social aspects of pictures and videos, they were able to predict which children would go on to be diagnosed with ASD.

What This Discovery Means for Assessing Child Autism

The Autism Risk Index the researchers formulated is exciting for a number of reasons:

• It provides an objective way to diagnose ASD
• It may lead to earlier diagnosis and earlier intervention
• It may also enhance treatment

If you suspect your child may have ASD, early intervention is key. Visit Autism Speaks to learn what you can do to assess your child and best meet his or her needs.

The post Eye Gaze Tracking Used to Assess Autism in Autistic Children appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

Problems Caused by Corneal Scar Tissue

Corneal infectious diseases have blinded over six million people worldwide, and decreased the vision of over a quarter of a million more. The body responds to corneal disease or trauma by making scar tissue. This causes cloudy or hazy vision, similar to cataracts.

Corneas can sometimes be replaced using corneal transplants, but there are concerns about tissue rejection, and corneal tissue is not always available. Therefore, new research from Hyderabad, India and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is particularly exciting.

Corneal Stem Cells Could Be the Key

Doctors have been working on a technique to obtain ocular stem cells from tiny biopsies between the surface of the eye and a portion of the eye known as the limbus. Scientists placed corneal stem cells at the injury site in an animal model. They found that the scarred corneas of mice healed and became clear again.

A study will soon be conducted in India in which several patients will receive their own corneal stem cells as treatment.

We eagerly await the results of this study. Hopes are high that stem cells could be the key to permanently healing corneal damage.

Concerned About a Scarred Cornea?

If you’re located in Central New Jersey and have concerns about a scarred cornea, contact our office to find out how we can help.

The post Using One’s Own Stem Cells to Repair a Scarred Cornea appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.

What is Anisocoria?

Anisocoria is a condition in which a person’s eyes have different sized pupils. Normally, the pupils of the eyes are equal in size, but in individuals with anisocoria, one pupil may be larger or smaller than the other. Anisocoria can be temporary or persistent and can affect one or both eyes.

In Bowie’s case, it was actually the result of a fight with a classmate. Bowie was punched in his left eye. His friend’s fingernail scratched the surface of Bowie’s eye paralyzing the muscles that contract the iris.

Bowie’s eyes were blue. But because the pupil in his left eye was so large, it appeared black and made it look as though his eyes were different colors.

Other causes of anisocoria include (but are not limited to):

• a nervous system problem (such as traumatic brain injury, tumors, or aneurysms)
• eye conditions (such as glaucoma or uveitis)
• medications (for example, certain eye drops or drugs that affect the nervous system)
• viral infection (such as meningitis)

What if You Have Unexplained Anisocoria?

The treatment for anisocoria depends on the underlying cause. In some cases, no treatment is necessary, while in others, medical or surgical intervention may be required.

If you or someone you know has a new onset or an unexplained occurrence of anisocoria, it will require a visit to your eye doctor for proper diagnosis. As noted above, it could be related to another more serious medical condition.

To schedule an appointment with Atlantic Medical Eye Care in central New Jersey, simply contact us — we’re happy to see you and help you care for your vision.

The post David Bowie’s Different Colored Eyes: Anisocoria appeared first on Atlantic Medical Eye Care.