Eye Health

Each May, we observe Healthy Vision Month—a reminder to prioritize one of our most precious senses: sight. Vision impacts every aspect of life, from learning and working to driving and connecting with loved ones. Yet, it’s often taken for granted—until something goes wrong. Healthy Vision Month, spearheaded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), is a […]

What is Vision Rehab and Why is it Important? During your annual eye exam, it is important to discuss changes in your vision and how this is affecting your daily activities with your eye care professional. Macular degeneration, glaucoma, or other eye conditions cause difficulties with reading and performing basic tasks around the home, at […]

What is low vision? Low vision is a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with lenses, medication, or surgery. As your vision changes or declines you may feel as though you are relying on family and friends more often or giving up your favorite activities. Senior businesswoman working in office How can the Merlin elite […]

Celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 16! On May 16 we will celebrate the 13th Annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) because accessibility is for everyone! GAAD brings attention to the need for digital access and inclusion for more than one billion people with disabilities or impairments. “Someone with a disability must be able […]

August is child eye health month and the perfect time to schedule your child’s annual eye exam before starting the new school year. Annual eye exams by an optometrist can help detect eye conditions that children are born with or that develop young that can be treated or corrected if caught early. Common Childhood Eye […]

The most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40 is cataracts. They are also the principal cause of blindness in the world. Fifty percent of all Americans will develop cataracts by the age of 80. What is a cataract? A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens and […]

Did you know that Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the United States? It affects more than 3 million Americans and is expected to double by 2050. Worldwide glaucoma effects more than 80 million people. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and a good time to take control of your […]

My Retina Tracker Program (MRT) is a volunteer registry for those who have been diagnosed with an inherited retinal degeneration (IRD). The program provides testing for 266 retinal disease genes. Usually, one or more gene defects are the cause of most inherited retinal degenerative diseases. The genetic testing will be used to help determine which […]

Though it is considered a rare genetic disorder, Usher Syndrome is the main cause of deaf-blindness and the most common condition that affects both vision and hearing. Usher Syndrome is a loss of hearing and an eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. Usher Syndrome is categorized into three types: Usher type I: People with Usher […]

One of the most common symptoms for those with macular degeneration (AMD) is the loss of clear vision making it difficult to read.  For those with a more advanced stage of AMD, there may be a smudge or a black spot right in the middle of one’s vision which interferes even more.  While handheld magnifiers […]