On January 26th we posted a neat little eye and brain game on our Facebook page and our visitors had a lot of fun with it. We wanted to take a moment and explain the science behind how the game works.

Eye contacts come with instruction on how to put them in and take them out, clean them, and maintain them. Unfortunately, a majority of contact wearers aren’t following those instructions. A recent study published by Optometry and Vision Science show that only 2% actually follow the rules for keeping their eyes clean, while more than 80% think they do, but don’t.

With dirty eyes comes infection and disease, like pink eye, corneal ulcers, and E. coli, that can do major and permanent damage to your vision. Thankfully, Women’s Health Magazine posted eight rules that contact users should follow to keep their eyes clean:

According the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3-7% of school-aged children are diagnosed with Attention-Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). And studies have actually estimated higher rates in community samples. But how many of those diagnosed children don’t, in fact, suffer from ADHD, and instead lose focus because of poor eyesight? Signs and symptoms of both conditions are similar: Poor concentration, reduced attention span, high level of distractibility and silly mistakes.

You might think playing video games for hours is lazy but recent studies show that playing video games could actually improve eyesight for people who have a lazy eye.

Researchers from the School of Optometry and the Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley observed 20 participants playing both violent and non-violent video games while wearing an eye patch. These researchers saw a 30% increase in visual acuity and a 50% improvement in 3D depth perception.

Other research has shown that action video games can sharpen eyesight, so consider gift wrapping a few of these diversions and putting them under the Christmas tree!

Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey is festive and delicious…and it’s great for your eyes, too! It’s rich in zinc, which is used by the retina and one of the most essential nutrients needed to maintain healthy eyes. Turkey is also a great source of the B-vitamin niacin, which specifically protects your eyes from cataract disease.

Take your turkey leftovers and slice for sandwiches, dice for hash and casseroles, string for soup and tacos, and grind into burgers. Check out this website for more ideas to use up leftover turkey. Enjoy!

Cataracts, or clouding on the lens of the eye, are no fun. Depending on the severity, Cataracts can be slightly annoying vision obstructions or they can completely block the passage of light and impair your ability to see. Luckily, though, advanced technology has given eye doctors the ability to remove these pesky problems through intraocular lens (IOL) cataract surgery.

During IOL cataract surgery the cataract is removed and replaced with an advanced artificial lens. There are several types of intraocular lenses, and your eye doctor will help you determine the lens that’s right for your vision goals and your lifestyle.

You’ve probably heard of Glaucoma, but do you know what it is? It’s an eye disorder that occurs when the optic nerve suffers trauma that permanently damages vision in the affected eye or eyes.

Glaucoma is often referred to as the silent thief of sight because the loss of vision that affected individuals experience happens over a long period of time and, unfortunately, it’s usually recognized when the disease is in its most advanced and untreatable stages. However, if the condition is detected early enough, it's possible to arrest the development or slow the progression with medical and surgical means. If you have a family history of Glaucoma, it’s crucial to let your eye doctor know, even if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms.

Yoga is good for the mind, body and spirit…and for the eyes! Check out this eye yoga video for healthy eye stretches that release, relax, tone, and train the muscles of the eye. Enjoy!

Pink eye is the most common eye problem in young children, and during the cold and flu season it’s particularly prevalent.

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is an infection of the inner eyelids and surrounding tissues of the eye. Pink eye occurs when these tissues become inflamed and the blood vessels on the eye’s surface dilate. That's what makes the eye appear pink or red. It’s caused either by viruses or bacteria, and during the cold and flu season, a virus is usually to blame. And as with any other virus, it’s not treatable with antibiotics.

High-fives, special handshakes, recess on the jungle gym, trading lunches…these are all fun parts of any typical school year! Unfortunately, they can lead to not-so-fun parts of a typical school year, like the spread of germs and viruses, such as Pink Eye.

Pink Eye is spread through contact with any eye drainage, which can easily happen between children. With a little bit of cautionary training, though, parents can help prevent the spread of Pink Eye. Teach your child to: