Discovering Factors Impacting Vision

In the field of eye care, there are lots of ongoing researches on possible methods to improve eyesight or underlying causes of vision disorders. Human beings’ eyesight is a sophisticated system and can be affected by many factors. Some are well-known and a couple of them are unrecognized by even eye care professionals. In this article, we describe several new findings associated with eye care.

Statin drugs may cause certain vision disorders

New studies discover that eye disorders can be associated with the use of statin drug, occurring in about 0.1% of all cases. Revealed by Casey Eye Institute, study findings published in Ophthalmology indicate that eye disorders such as improper range-of-motion function, ptosis and double vision can be caused by muscle problems, which in turn result from statin drugs. In fact, these statin drugs are originally used to help lower cholesterol and prevent strokes and heart disease.

Presbyopia is affecting more and more people

Presbyopia is one of the most common eye problems in the world. The December issue of Archives of Ophthalmology of 2008 published a study conducted by investigators from University of New South Wales in Sydney. These researchers estimated that the worldwide presbyopic population would reach 1.4 billion by 2020 and 1.8 billion by 2050. What’s worse, many presbyopic patients in developing countries have no access to eyeglasses, which can help them get normal vision during daily lives. Without proper correction, presbyopia in people above 40 can cause disability in seeing up-close objects.

Stroke patients usually have impaired visual ability

People with stroke are always accompanied by certain damage in areas of the brain responsible for vision, attention and action. As a result, their visual function may also be affected that an impaired visual awareness of the outside world occurs. What’s more, the damage at one side of the brain usually troubles vision at the opposite side.

Favorite music helps stroke patients improve eyesight

A study involving some stroke patients has found a way to improve eyesight on them. Participants are asked to listen to music that they like or dislike. At the same time, these stroke victims will identify colored shapes and red lights. Results show that certain patients can perform better in seeing while they are listening to their favorite music. The study may indicate that listening to favorite music may help stroke victims regain their impaired eyesight.