Eye Deserve More Success
The AOA’s nationwide public awareness campaign Eye Deserve More, launched April 2021, is succeeding in its efforts to highlight the expertise of optometrists and convince the public to consider comprehensive eye exams as an integral part of their healthcare. To date, the campaign has reached more than 26 million people digitally and received 91K clicks to AOA’s doctor locator. Through partnerships with athletes like pro-basketball player Tacko Fall (pictured), coverage includes news outlets, social media content and digital ads. Building on the success of the past year, the AOA is launching a new phase of Eye Deserve More this spring. aoa.org
Exercise Helps Dry Eyes
Researchers found a significant increase in tear secretion and tear film stability after aerobic exercise. Participants were divided into two groups — athlete and non-athlete — to participate in an exercise session. The athlete group exercised at least five times per week, while non-athlete participants exercised no more than once a week. While participants in the athlete group showed the largest increase, all experienced a boost in tear quantity and tear film stability after the exercise session. The study, Differential Effect Of Maximal Incremental Treadmill Exercise On Tear Secretion And Tear Film Stability In Athletes And Non-Athletes, was recently published in the Experimental Eye Research journal. sciencedirect.com
Identifying Ocular Rosacea
A new study published in International Ophthalmology helps establish the prevalence of ocular rosacea in rosacea patients. Researchers evaluated the right eyes of 76 rosacea patients and 113 people with no systemic or eye disorders. They found that foreign body sensation and itching were about twice as prevalent in rosacea patients than in the healthy control subjects, dryness was more than four times as common, and meibomian gland dysfunction was about two-thirds more common. Conjunctival telangiectasia occurred overwhelmingly in rosacea patients alone. The researchers recommended ODs use detailed slit-lamp examinations to detect conjunctival telangiectasia. rosacea.org