Brian Mckeever to compete Sunday

I've dedicated a few posts to Canadian Olympic cross country skier Brian Mckeever.  He is 30 years old, has Stargardts disease, is legally blind, and is competing in both the Olympic and Paralympic games this winter.  He will be the first athlete in history to do so.

He is competing in the Men's 50km Mass Start Classic, It starts Sunday February 28th at 9:30 AM PSD.  If you are on the east cost set your DVR's.

Again we'll be cheering for him even though he's Canadian.

Update: (3/2/2010):  Unfortunately according to Wikipedia Brian did not compete on Sunday. 

however Canada's coach decided to replace him with a skier who did well at an earlier event at the 2010 games and thus he will not become the first athlete in the world to compete in the Winter Paralympics and Winter Olympics in the same year.

Simple steps to protect your eye sight

This article speaks of a few basic steps to preserve your sight.

1. Get regular eye exams

2. Stay informed about eye diseases

3. Exercise Regularly

4. Wear sunglasses and protective eye wear

5. Avoid eye fatigue

6. Provide your eyes with critical nutrients

Click the title for the full article.

There is also an article that states eating a 'Mediterranean diet' protects eye health. The article states

A study from the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) found that people who consume at least 100 millilitres of olive oil a week are almost 50 per cent less likely to develop macular degeneration than those who eat less than 1 millilitre per week.

The study also found that people who eat other foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty-acids, such as fish and nuts, are 15 per cent less likely to develop macular degeneration.

February is AMD/Low Vision Awaremess month

Sorry Its been a pretty slow news month.

Age-related Macular Degeneration, which impacts the vision of more than 2 million Americans 50 and older, is one of the leading causes of blindness. Yet many people aren’t even aware of the perils of this eye disease, which is why Prevent Blindness America has declared February AMD/Low Vision Month. 

 So tell a friend.

Reading glasses specifically for those with Low Vision

I posted earlier about a Dr. Sonsino creating a set of portable reading glasses for those with low vision.  He is back in the news and it sounds like the glasses are coming along nicely.

If you didnt read the previous post about these glasses here is a quick description from Dr. Sonsino.

He says, "The glasses combine three aspects. The first is magnificaion, the second is a little prism to allow the eyes to stay straight, instead of curving in, and the third is LED lighting."

 The article describes briefely how the glasses help and who would have a need for them.  They also have a website www.lowvisionreaders.com which says they are currently working on a prototype and best estimates are these will be released in summer of 2010.

Click the title for the full article