In 2000, Dr. Scott Spector helped a 27-year-old man plagued with cataracts by performing a free surgery to restore his vision.

The man, who traveled 100 miles for Spector’s services, was able to see clearly immediately following the short procedure — something he had not experienced in two decades.

“He just literally started crying,” Spector said of the man after surgery. “He was a little boy when he lost his vision and he thought he’d be blind for the rest of his life.”

Spector was able to help 22 people that year who had neither medical insurance nor the means to pay for cataract surgery. Spector plans to perform the no-cost surgeries again March 1 on 14 needy candidates. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Mission Cataract USA, a nonprofit group helping to provide free cataract surgery for those who cannot afford it.

Spector, who will expand his growing practice to i.park this summer, performs the surgeries at his state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center in Norwalk at 605 West Ave. Once the i.park location opens, Spector’s West Avenue office will focus mainly on intensive treatment and procedures such as cataract surgeries, of which Spector has performed around 18,000, he said.

Cataracts occur when proteins build up in the eye’s lens, causing vision loss. Spector compared the blurred vision caused by cataracts to what it would be like to wear glasses wrapped with 20 layers of cellophane. Those he helps through Mission Cataract usually have severe forms of the condition.

“These are the complex of the complex,” Spector said of the cases he has seen through Mission Cataract.

After a 10-minute surgery using only eye drops to numb the eye, however, a patient’s vision can be completely restored. The most satisfying part of the procedure for Spector is watching their reactions during the first few minutes of seeing clearly.

“It’s so gratifying to work with people who are so appreciative,” he said. “It’s in the smiles of the people I was able to help.”

In order to qualify for the free surgery candidates must have impaired vision due to cataracts; lack Medicare, Medicaid or third party insurance; and have no means to pay for surgery. Follow-up visits are also provided for free.

However, not everyone who inquires about the surgery can be helped, said Mark Spector, Scott Spector’s practice administrator and brother. They can only help those who live close enough and are able to come in for follow-ups, he said.

Mark Spector, who recently began working alongside his brother, said his sibling is well respected in the community for both his charitable work and top-notch practice.

“He developed a reputation as a first-class act and a first-rate surgeon,” he said, adding, “He treats everyone like they’re gold.”

Scott Spector has been practicing in the area for more than 20 years. In addition to his existing Norwalk practice, he maintains a satellite office in Stamford. His i.park site will mostly be a center for primary eye care. The practice will maintain its 8,000-square-foot surgery center on West Avenue.

The i.park building, the former site of Perkin-Elmer, is located on the Norwalk/Wilton border of Route 7. The site houses Soundview Medical Associates as well as Norwalk Hospital’s 100,000-square-foot Health and Wellness Center.

Edward Musante Jr., president of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, said the i.park building is quickly becoming a destination for medical services that will soon include Scott Spector’s well-known practice.

“It’s kind of a campus of health and medical uses,” Musante said. “Dr. Spector is another great addition.”

Tad Diesel, director of marketing and business development for Norwalk, said the roughly 150,000 square feet of medical offices at i.park represent a growing sector of the economy that includes Dr. Spector. He added, “he’ll be joining a great community of health professionals there.”

Mark Spector pointed out the need to expand the practice is in part due to a growing demand for ophthalmologists, which is projected to increase during the next 10 to 15 years. The need for care in this area is one of many reasons why his brother undertakes charitable work such as the no-cost cataract surgeries, Mark Spector said, compounded with the recent loss of jobs and medical insurance due to the economy.

“It just seems like now’s a good time to give back,” hesaid.

Scott Spector stressed that the need for eye care for the aging baby boomer generation is increasing.

“There’s a million things that start to happen with your eyes as you get older,” he said. “There’s a tremendous need for access to eye care.”

NORTH Essex has been chosen as one of three regions to initially pilot a new NHS eye care initiative.

The EPIC (Engagement, Partnership, Information, Communication) Project is a scheme funded by the Department of Health, which will work with local partnerships to develop and implement eye health and sight loss support strategies.

NHS North East Essex, Worcestershire, and North of Tyne have been chosen as the first of 23 pilot areas that will develop local vision strategies as part of the project.

Kathy Flegg, Primary Care Commissioning Manager at NHS North East Essex, said: “We see this as an excellent opportunity to work with a wide variety of partnership groups concerned with eye health to develop a strategy that will deliver and improve current services to be effective and sustainable for the population of North East Essex and in turn the UK.”

It will initially run for three years, until March 2012.

Diabetic retinopathy is the disease that diabetes causes in the eye. The retina is the light sensitive tissue that lines the inside of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of adult blindness in the world (the other is macular degeneration).

What Doctor is Best? The best recommendation I can give, as a retinal specialist, is to have your eyes checked yearly by your eye doctor; optometrist, general ophthalmologist or retinal specialist. While a retina specialist is the best trained to treat any retinopathy, your eye doctor should be qualified to determine if you have developed any degree of retinopathy. It is better that you get checked by someone, rather than not at all.

Once diagnosed, you should probably be referred to a retina specialist. A retina specialist is an ophthalmologist who has completed additional training to sub-specialize in retinal diseases. It is a retinal specialist that routinely treats diabetic retinopathy, if needed.

When Should You Be Examined? You should be examined once you have been diagnosed with diabetes and then, at a minimum, annually. A dilated eye exam (drops to dilate your pupil) is the best way to be examine your retina.

“Excellent vision does not mean you have no disease.” There is NO correlation between the level of disease and how well you see. Most people do not understand this. The earlier your disease is detected, and if needed, treated, the better your visual prognosis is for life. Don’t wait for your vision to become affected before seeking medical attention.

Good Sugar Levels Mean Nothing Unfortunately, too many people, and doctors, believe that good sugar control prevents diabetic retinopathy. While there is some evidence that good sugar control may limit the progression of the disease, there is no evidence linking tight sugar control, or good A1C levels, to preventing the development of the disease.

You probably Will Not Go Blind, but you are most likely going to develop the disease.

State legislators today are set to vote on a bill that would require certain elderly drivers to pass eye exams every five years for a license renewal and would give medical professionals immunity from reporting problems with any drivers.

The bill would also ban the dangerous practice of text messaging while driving and would prohibit 16- and 17-year-old drivers from using any type of cell phone or mobile electronic device while behind the wheel.

The bill to ban texting was introduced last week. On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to add a provision to the bill that would require drivers 75 and older to appear at the Registry once every five years for an eye exam and license renewal, according to a committee spokesman. Right now, all drivers must appear at the Registry every 10 years and pass an eye exam to renew a license, according to Registry regulations.

In an interview on a Boston radio station, Gov. Deval L. Patrick said the bill doesn’t go far enough. He again voiced support for legislation that calls for vision and road tests every five years for all drivers 85 and older. “We should have been moving on this before now,” Patrick added.

Rep. Rosemary Sandlin, D-Agawam, a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said she could support eye exams every five years for drivers 75 and older, but she would oppose a bill that would include road or computer tests for elderly drivers.

The Ways and Means Committee also changed the bill to allow physicians, nurses, chiropractors and other health care providers to report to the Registry any patient 16 or older who has a cognitive or functional problem that could affect the patient’s ability to drive safely. A provider would be immune from civil liability that might otherwise result from making a report or failing to make a report.

Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, said he could support eye exams for license renewals every five years for drivers 75 and older.

“People’s vision is very likely to change incrementally over time,” Wagner said. “I don’t think it’s an unreasonable measure.”

John W. Bennett, 79, of Agawam, president of the Springfield chapter of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, said he saw no great harm in requiring eye exams every five years for people 75 and older who are renewing a license.

“It’s not a major problem for seniors provided they can get to the Registry,” Bennett said.

The bill comes after two fatal accidents late last year involving elderly drivers in Western Massachusetts.

An 88-year-old Springfield woman who was riding in a car driven by an 85-year-old Springfield man died of injuries following a Nov. 30 accident on Parker Street in Springfield. Police said they cited the driver.

In early December, a 73-year-old Townsend driver died in a Massachusetts Turnpike accident in Ludlow after he crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a guard rail and then another vehicle.

Last week, Wagner and Sen. Steven A. Baddour, D-Methuen, the Senate co-chairman of the Transportation Committee, unveiled the bill that would outlaw text messaging while driving. If approved, Massachusetts would join Washington, D.C., and 19 other states with a ban on texting while driving.

The bill would also ban drivers younger than 18 from using any type of mobile telephone or mobile electronic device, even with hands-free technology.

A so-called junior operator who violates the ban would have a license or permit suspended for 60 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second offense and one year for a third or subsequent offense.

Adult drivers who break the texting ban would be fined $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense.

The Moroccan Medical Association of Solidarity has achieved a record number of surgeries of eye diseases for more than 4000 cases since the beginning of the eye care campaign, which was funded by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson for the Family Development Foundation and Chairperson of the UAE General Women’s Union in cooperation with UAE Embassy in Rabat and the Moroccan Authorities.
The medical campaign aims at diagnosing diseases and operating eye surgeries for the poor eye patients in Morocco. The operations were conducted by a joint Emirati -Moroccan team of ophthalmologists at an eye mobile clinic named after Sheikha Fatima ”Mother of Emirates” in appreciation of her humanitarian efforts.
Chairman of the Moroccan Medical Association of Solidarity Professor Mostafa Al Azzozi distributed certificates of appreciation to medical and administrative cadres in recognition of their efforts to render the medical mission success.
He expressed his gratitude to Sheikha Fatima for her humanitarian gestures in Morocco which helped thousands of needy eye patients to restore their sight.

Nowadays, there are many websites providing Virtual Try-on systems allowing you to choose, to try on and to purchase lenses online. It was a pleasant surprise for me to learn of this Virtual Try-on system. Before I know such a system, I usually need to go to a local glasses store to choose a pair of suitable lenses by trying on several pairs of glasses. Then I will choose to purchase the same lenses online because it is much cheaper than its full price. Now it is much more convenient to buy glasses online. Let me share with you the experience of trying on lenses online.

First you should find a websites that provide Virtual Try-on service. For example, I visit the Firmoo’s website, www.Firmoo.com, which is introduced by a friend of mine. If you are the first time to use this system, it is recommended that you spend one minute creating an account which will allow you to upload photos of yourself and shop faster online.

The following simple four steps allow you to try on glasses online conveniently.

The first step is to choose a photo for you to try on glasses. You can upload your own photos from your local disk or you can get your photos from your webcam. The photos you used to try on glasses online should be similar with your certificate photo. Besides, you can also choose female or male models’ photo provide by the websites.

The second step is to select a pair of glasses from the Select Style column. You can use the drop down combo box to narrow your search. For example, you can select your gender, and there are four choice, women, man, unisex and kids. You can select frame size of small, middle and large. You can select frame styles such as full rim, semi-rimless and rimless. You can limit the materials of glasses to one of the following: plastic, metal, titanium and flexible. There are five glasses styles for you choose form, including classic style, fashion style, retro style, style and clip-ons style. Firmoo.com also provides you several price ranges from under $10 to over $50. After you set up the search condition, you just need to click the button of Search.

The third step is to choose a pair of glasses in the column of Frame List all of which are in accordance with your search condition. Just click the picture of glasses that you like, you will find that the glasses you chosen have been on your photo.

The last step you should do is to adjust your photo to a suitable size (using the zoom in and zoom out tools just beside your photo) and position (moving your photo using the left mouse button) to see if the glasses are suitable for you. It is better for you to know your interpupillary distance before you try on glasses online so that you can adjust your photo to the size of you face using the approximately measure tool.

Online eyewear stores as a whole is gaining a larger and larger share of the optical market. This is adequately testified by the increasingly number of online eyeglass shops or websites, as well as the climbing figure of customers going to these stores for convenience. Online eyewear vendors offer some concrete benefits to customers, such as convenience, lower prices, and many more options of lens materials, styles and so forth. All these advantages of online optical stores over local eyewear shops are being well acknowledged by individuals who want to buy eyeglasses. These benefits are considered by online eyeglass vendors as powerful weapons to beat traditional stores, in order to take a larger slice of the market pie.

However, there was an obvious shortcoming in nearly all online optical stores. Both people who have years of wearing eyeglasses and those new to eyewear know that appearance is one of the most important factors when purchasing eyeglasses. Elements such as frame style, size, shape, structure are required to be carefully considered. It is undeniable that the best way to get a real feeling of favorable eyeglasses is to try them on. This is simply achievable if customers buy spectacles from local eyewear shops. When it comes to online websites selling eyeglasses, people can not do such a work until they have got the delivered products from the vendors. In the old days, this was the mostly accused issue against online stores.

The shortcoming is really disappointing because customers buying eyeglasses online must wait for several days before they can get a true touch and try-on of their glasses. During these days, some of those individuals may get anxious that whether the spectacles they ordered are suitable and appearance-satisfactory. This is really a considerable issue. All these concerns can be removed by the creative invention of eyeglass virtual try-on systems. Nowadays, nearly all online eyewear vendors offer their customers specific try-on systems by means of software. If one online store does not provide such a try-on system, it will even be recognized as incompetent or less qualified at least. Some of the notable online optical websites that support virtual glass try-on include firmoo.com, glassshop.com, framesdirect.com, visionexpress.com, glass2u.co.uk, glassesdirect.co.uk, eyebuydirect.com, just to list a small portion.

It is true that these systems for virtual glass try-on have different names, such as virtual try-on, virtual mirror and try-on system. Most of these websites listed before have special links to their try-on systems. In general, these virtual try-on software systems enable customers to try on their favorite eyeglass frames after detailed selection. This is the basic function of such kind of try-on systems. Another commonplace of these systems is that they provide some model photos covering nearly all common facial shapes and still enable consumers to upload their own picture or pictures to their accounts. Without creating an account, customers can simply use the provided model photos in both female and male styles. For instance, firmoo.com offers eight model photos (four in female and another four in male) which cover facial shapes including square, oval, oblong and triangle. In addition, firmoo.com also enables its customers to select different types of glass frames which can be added onto the photo for a try-on. These options include gender, material, frame (full, semi-frame, rimless), price and size.

According to a study carried out by the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington – beauty products such as mascara, eye shadow and foundation are unsafe for use as they have been found to contain chemicals that can be linked to conditions such as cancer, infertility and hormone imbalance.

The study conducted among young girls in the age group of 14-19 found all the beauty products used by them contained dangerous chemicals such as phthalates, triclosan, parabens and musks, all of which are harmful to the body. The study also suggested that the longer the usage of make-up in a younger girl, the higher the health risk.

These chemicals have been linked in the past to cancer and hormone problems and scientists fear they may end up be connected to depression as well.

Eye makeup, for example, contains chemicals that may affect the eyes in ways more than one:
Any of the ingredients of an eye cosmetic can cause an allergic reaction. This can manifest as redness, itching, tearing, burning or stinging in the eyes or a watery discharge from them.
Kohl, also known as surma or kajal, is known to contain heavy metals such as lead that are poisonous and may impact eye health hugely.

Infections can occur due to contamination of the eye cosmetic with bacteria or fungus, or due to unhygienic use.

Permanent dye, used to color the eyebrows and eye lashes, may cause serious and irreversible damage such as blindness if it comes in direct contact with the eyes, because of the color additives used.

Cosmetic applicators can cause physical damage if not used properly.

Mom was right when she told you carrots are good for your eyesight.

But carrots aren’t the only food that can protect your eyes. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton discussed on “The Early Show” some other foods for your eyes that might surprise you.

Send Dr. Jennifer Ashton your question for “Ask It Early”

But what about makes foods good for your vision?

Ashton said antioxidants known as carotenoids represent one of the most widespread groups of naturally occurring pigments that can help your eyes. And among cartenoids, the most beneficial for eye health is lutein and zeaxanthin, Ashton said.

You can get your daily dose of both, Ashton said, from the best source: leafy greens. Ashton said greens, such as spinach, kale, peas, zucchini and broccoli are the richest food. Yellow pigmented fruits and vegetables, such as orange peppers, corn, oranges and honeydew melon, Ashton said, are also great sources of these eye-protecting carotenoids.

Aside from fruits and vegetables, Ashton said egg yolks are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the retina and filter the eye-damaging components of sunlight, according to the Journal of Food Science.

Ashton said, “The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.”

While experts know lutein and zeaxanthin are important to eye health, there are still questions about the best way to get them. Ashton said supplements may not have the same effect as naturally-occurring nutrients in fruits and vegetables. Also, there are no precise guidelines for how much lutein is needed for prevention of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Ashton added, “It’s probably best to eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables.”

Can blindness be cured? trends and new products that may be in eyeglasses marketing for 2010:

1. Presbyopes, or people with near vision problems from presbyopia, may soon be able to adjust their own eyeglasses to achieve sharper focus. One company recently introduced adjustable lenses that give clearer focus up close or in the distance, depending on the individual’s vision needs.

2. For frazzled parents who find it tough to keep eyeglasses and sunglasses attached to young children’s faces, more conveniences are available in the form of adjustable straps, headbands and Velcro for attachments. That’s especially good news for tiny tots, who need sunglass protection outdoors just as much as adults do.

3. Companies are expanding availability of self-service vision screening kiosks in malls, grocery stores and drugstores. These self-service kiosks help assess vision and determine when the person should see an eye doctor for a full eye exam to update his or her prescription and help prevent eye problems.

4. Advances continue to be made in gene therapy, which eventually may cure blindness caused by eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. In fact, scientists recently used gene therapy to reverse blindness in animals with an eye disease similar to retinitis pigmentosa. Human trials using this method could begin in 2010.

5. Scientists also have used gene therapy to reverse color blindness in monkeys, which could have long-term implications for humans with color blindness.

6. Several companies are very close to creating more modern drug delivery systems for the eye that could eliminate the need for painful injections used to control macular degeneration, a common eye disease affecting the elderly that can be blinding.

7. New drug delivery methods other than eye drops also are being investigated for common eye diseases such as glaucoma. Tiny devices the size of a grain of rice (punctal plugs) could be inserted in the corner of the eye to slowly release medications needed to control high eye pressure that can damage the eye in glaucoma.

8. Smart phone applications will help users monitor their vision and certain eye conditions.

9. New corrective lens technology will provide greater customization of vision correction than current glasses and contacts, providing sharper vision than “20/20.”

10. All-laser cataract surgery may replace more traditional methods that use ultrasound (phacoemulsification) to break up the cataract in the eye before it is removed. Newer methods use a special laser to create incisions in the eye and also to break up the cataract.

11. The same special laser (femtosecond laser) is being studied as a way to correct near vision problems caused by presbyopia, which affects most people beginning after age 40. The laser creates incisions on the front of the eye to steepen it, which improves near vision.

12. Tiny implants inserted just below the clear surface of the eye (cornea) also are showing promise as a way to correct presbyopia.

13. The eye may become a diagnostic tool for identifying people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists have found that examining the retina in the eye’s inner, back region can reveal lesions indicating presence of the disease.

14. Stem cells may soon be used to treat Stargardt’s macular dystrophy (SMD), a retinal disease that causes blindness in young people. The treatment uses embryonic stem cells to re-create a type of cell in the retina that supports the photoreceptors needed for vision.

15. Contact lenses are being studied for many futuristic uses, such as monitoring a person’s vital body signs and blood sugar. Contact lenses currently are being developed to give instant views of charts, graphics and other displays through sources such as wireless Internet connections.

For more information on vision, eyewear and eye health, please visit AllAboutVision.com.