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Space flights of more than 6 months duration was found to change the vision and the structure of astronauts' eyes.  A study by NASA raises concerns about longer flights to Mars which would be about 3 years long.  Such a long space flight could result in loss of vision that would be untreatable during the mission and could potentially jeopardize the astronauts' ability to function. Read more...

Dr. Helm

A lot of patients want to know if they can use the same bottle of drops on their second eye undergoing cataract surgery.  The best practice is to use a new bottle of each drop on the second eye.  Recently an FDA panel reviewed this policy and reconfirmed that each eye should have separate, new drops.  Yes, this costs more money. But it just isn't worth the risk of an infection after surgery from contaminated drops.  Believe me, if your eye suffered an infection after surgery, the costs involved with treating it would become a moot point.  So for now, new drops for each eye undergoing cataract surgery.

Dr. Helm

The first ever treatment in humans using stem cells was recently deemed successful.  Stem cells were being studied to see if the treatment was safe. In two patients, one with Dry Macular Degeneration, the cells were not only safe but both patients' vision improved. Read More or Listen to the discussion from NPR's Talk of the Nation. This is extremely exciting and gives hope for a terrible problem that currently has no good treatment options.

Dr.Helm

Take Butter…  …add a contact lens case…  …and only bad things can happen!!

A recent study found that almost everyone who wears contact lenses was doing at least one thing wrong in the routine care of the lenses. Yep, some were storing their lenses in butter!! Click here to listen to this story on npr.org and help yourself to a better contact lens care routine!

Dr. Helm