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It’s hard to believe that something so small like the human eyeball can have so many parts all working together to give us the ability to see. It’s sometimes regretful that we don’t take enough care of our eye even though we depend on it for so many of our day to day activities. Imagine if we just take the time to understand what makes it tick, maybe this interest may be able to save our eyes in the near future.

Among the many parts of the eye, the optic nerve has a very significant responsibility. As you know, light passes through the eyes and it’s other parts to get to the retina where it will be converted as electrical impulses. These electric impulses then reach the optic nerve whose responsibility it is to relay them to the brain. You might liken the optic nerve with a cable that connects the retina to the brain and what passes through them are the electrical impulses that the brain perceives as images.

The front surface of the optic nerve that is connected to the retina is called the optic disc or optic nerve head. Since there are no photoreceptors in this area, this part of the retina cannot respond to light stimulation, thus unable to receive and transmit electric impulses. This part of the eye is what is commonly referred to as the “blind spot”.

After leaving the back of the eye, the optic nerve travels to the optic chiasm in the brain. From here, the nerve fibers from the optic nerve branch out and half of them cross over to the other side. The nerve fibers that have crossed over become called the optic tract, then to the optic radiation until they reach the visual cortex of the brain. The visual cortex ultimately translates the electrical impulses as visual images.
By the very nature of the anatomical structure of the optic nerve, doctors can often determine which part of the optic pathway is damaged based on the patterns of vision loss.

In order to understand what the American Optometric Association is all about, first, you have to understand what an optometrist is. An optometrist is a health care professional who is licensed to practice primary eye care services, like diagnosing and treating certain eye diseases; diagnose related body-wide conditions that may affect the eyes; examining, diagnosing and treating visual conditions; prescribing glasses, contact lenses, rehabilitation and medications; and, performing minor surgical procedures like removal of foreign objects in the eye.

As such, the American Optometric Association is a membership organization for all optometrists in the United States whose goal is to provide the public with quality vision and eye care. It was established in 1898 and is composed of different associations across states including the Armed Forces, the Association of Student Optometrists and other affiliates. Members are expected to abide by the professional standards set by the association in order to maintain the most efficient patient care. It also keeps up to date on the latest research and educational programs as a way of continually improving its members’ qualifications. It also works for the protection of the optometric industry through lobbying and legislation activities. They also work hand in hand with community centers.

Knowing that there is a presence that consistently strives to uphold the rights and qualifications of the Doctors of Optometry (OD’s) inspires general trust and confidence in the optometric industry. The public is assured when they find out that their optometrist is a member of a solid, established group of highly-qualified, highly-trained professionals working hand in hand for the betterment of the eyesight of the community. The American Optometrist Association has been known to initiate programs like “Healthy Eyes, Healthy People” and “Vision USA” to get the American public on the road to better eye health.

Vision or the ability to detect light and interpret it as sight rests on the eyes and its complex system. The function of the eyeball and all its components allows us to use our sense of sight in everyday activities which makes it a vital organ in the human body. But did you ever wonder how the eye works? The simplest way to explain how the intricate functions of each part work is to compare the human eyeball with a camera, as they both capture images and relay them in some form for people to interpret.

Light from the outside first hits the “cornea”, a clear dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eyes. The cornea is built in such a way that it is able to refract (bend) light that passes through it. Once the light has been bent, it goes straight to the “iris” (that part of the eye that gives it its color) where the pupil is located and it is through this hole in the iris that light passes. The iris muscles enlarge and shrink the pupil much like the shutter of the camera depending on how much light needs to pass through. From the iris, light travels and strikes the “crystalline lens” which is responsible for focusing the light rays properly. Once through the lens, the light rays pass through the vitreous humor (a gel-like substance that holds the spherical shape of the eye) on its way to its goal, the retina.

The retina serves as the “film” of the eye if you continue with the camera analogy. It is responsible for catching and capturing the light rays, processes them and turns them into nerve impulses which then get carried out and sent through the optic nerve. The optic nerve is thus connected to the brain which interprets all these signals as images.

The set up looks extremely complex when you think about all the stops that the light has to go through to be converted as vision. It certainly makes you think how incredibly sophisticated the optic system is and hopefully makes you appreciate your eyes more.

2009 Acuvue rebates expire on June 30th 2009. Rebates are once again of less value than rebates for the previous 6 months. So take advantage of rebates now because after June they may be reduced again. The best way to find Acuvue 2009 rebates on LenspriceCompare.com is to follow the Acuvue page, find your Acuvue contact lenses and then check to see if a rebate is included in the rebate column.

While you are there, be sure to find a contact lens coupon to meet your budget needs!

PS: 2008 Acuvue rebates expired on January 31st 2009.

It’s common knowledge that the eyes give us our sense of sight. But what you didn’t know is that it’s made up of a number of different parts that together form a complex system of light and electrical impulses that enable us to see. The cornea is just the first step in interpreting light as images.

The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye. To see the cornea, all you need to do is to look at your eye in the mirror. Looking at it closely, you’ll detect a clear thin surface covering the iris and the pupil, that’s the cornea. What does it do? What function does it serve? Together with the sclera or the white of the eye, it functions as a protective guard, a barrier against dirt, germs, and other particles that can do damage to the eye’s other delicate components. It is also responsible for 2/3 of the eyes’ focusing power. It is able to bend or refract incoming light and the curvature of the cornea will decide how well you are able to focus and how clear your vision will be. Most eye conditions like myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism are caused by irregularities in the curvature of the cornea. Toric contact lenses help to correct cornea irregularities.

There are three main layers of the cornea – the epithelium, stroma and the endothelium. The epithelium is the outermost covering of the cornea. It serves to block any foreign matter from entering and damaging the cornea. In cases when the cornea sustains minor damage, it automatically regenerates the cells to repair it. It also absorbs oxygen and other nutrients from tears. This layer is extremely sensitive to pain when rubbed or scratched because of its many nerve endings. The stroma is the largest layer of the cornea, filled with 78% of water and layered protein fibers that give the cornea its elastic and solid form. Lastly, the endothelium is the single layer of cells located between the stroma and the aquaeous humor. Its primary responsibility is to remove excess water from the stroma.

It is important to care for your cornea as it can easily be damaged. Blurry vision is usually the first symptom when something is amiss with your eye. Many corneal diseases arise from infection and degeneration and a trip to the doctor is advisable as early as the first onset of symptoms.