December Newsletter 282
Children with lazy eye can be treated by letting them watch TV on a special screen
Amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye, is a medical condition that adversely affects the eyesight of millions, but if caught early can be cured altogether — unfortunately this usually means months of wearing an eye patch. NovaSight claims successful treatment with nothing more than an hour a day in front of its special display.
https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/13/kids-with-lazy-eye-can-be-treated-just-by-letting-them-watch-tv-on-this-special-screen/2020/01/13/kids-with-lazy-eye-can-be-treated-just-by-letting-them-watch-tv-on-this-special-screen/
How virtual reality helps visually impaired people
Sight loss is becoming a major health epidemic globally. In the U.K. alone, it’s estimatedthat 2.7 million people will suffer from visual impairments by 2030. This number will almost double by the middle of the century, with more than four million people expected to be living with sight loss.
Clearly, there’s an increasing need for solutions that can help patients with such conditions. But this is where advancements in medical technology can help. London-based startup GiveVision, for instance, has developed a virtual reality headset that helps visually impaired people regain almost normal levels of sight.
Volunteering as technology support for RNIB is helpful
A PEMBROKE RNIB volunteer is encouraging people across Wales to help blind and partially-sighted people access life-changing technology.Linda Parsons, 55, has been a technology support volunteer for RNIB for seven years.
Linda, a former school IT technician, is now supporting RNIB’s call-out for Welsh technology enthusiasts to join the volunteering team. There are currently 111,000 people living with sight loss in Wales and this number is set to double by 2050. For many blind and partially-sighted people, being able to use the right devices, apps and gadgets best is crucial to living an independent and fulfilling life.
Libby Clegg Dancing on Ice Star’s rare eye condition
Libby is the first ever legally blind person to take part in Dancing on Ice. Suffering from Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy – a rare genetic disorder – she only has slight peripheral vision in her left eye. Affecting around one in 10,000 people, the rare inherited genetic condition – also known as fundus flavimaculatus – causes central vision loss.
Sight loss needs urgent investment
Leading ophthalmologists call on the new government to develop a national plan to fight blindness and address the critical lack of funding
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/06/sight-loss-research-needs-urgent-investment
18 year study links western diet to vision loss:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/06/sight-loss-research-needs-urgent-investment