|
|
 An indirect ophthalmoscope is used during an eye exam to get a wider view of the retina in this file photo from the National Eye Institute, NEI, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Save Your Vision Week
 March 9, 2010 - With about 300 million people living in the United States, that's 600 million eyes that need to be healthy. President Obama proclaimed this week as Save Your Vision Week.
BLINDNESS or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over, or one in 28, according to a National Eye Institute, NEI, study. And that statistic is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. The study reports that low vision and blindness increase significantly with age, particularly in people over age 65. But eye diseases can occur at any age and are related to ethnicity, according to NEI.
The leading cause of blindness among white Americans is age-related macular degeneration or AMD, accounting for 54 percent of all blindness. Among African Americans, the leading causes of blindness are cataract and glaucoma. Among Hispanics, glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness. Annual eye exams are recommended to prevent or delay eye disease, particularly for those people at higher risk for blindness, such as those over age 65, people with diabetes or African Americans over age 40.
The Eagles Youth Partnership, the charitable wing of the Philadelphia Eagles, funds an Eye Mobile that travels to schools throughout the city to offer free eye exams and eyeglasses, if needed, to students. Students are first screened at school by school nurses and then referred to the Eagles Eye Mobile for additional testing. If eyeglasses are needed, students are fitted immediately and sent eyeglasses.
| The Eagles Eye Mobile is operated by the Eagles Youth Partnership in Philadelphia. It travels to schools to offer free eye exams and eyeglasses, if needed, to students. So the Philadelphia Eagles are keeping an "Eagles Eye on Eye Health!"
|
Through his presidential proclamation, President Obama is encouraging all Americans to take care of their eyes:
"While many Americans are fortunate to have healthy eyes, millions are affected by low vision or blindness. Maintaining good vision requires early diagnosis and timely treatment of eye conditions. Save Your Vision Week is a time for all Americans to take action to protect their sight. Vision loss affects everyone, from infants with genetic conditions, to teens and adults with refractive errors, to older individuals with cataracts and other age-related eye diseases. Through recent studies, scientists and clinicians have identified risk factors, early detection methods, and new treatments for many eye conditions, but individuals can also take steps to protect their own vision. By getting regular eye examinations, Americans can take advantage of medical breakthroughs that allow early detection and treatment of vision loss. Doctors also recommend maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking, and wearing sunglasses or  suitable eye protection when playing sports or performing household chores and yard work. This week, I encourage all Americans to visit the National Eye Institute website to find eye care professionals in communities across our country and to access the latest eye health information," President Obama said in his March 5 proclamation.
Editor's Note: SNN editor, Judy Miller, works with the Eagles Youth Partnership on their eye health website.
1. Related Britannica content (Middle School): eye2. Related Britannica content (Middle School): blindness3. Related Britannica content (Elementary): eye4. Related Britannica content (Elementary): blindness5. Eye color - blue, green or brown - is determined by the amount of melanin in the iris of the eye. How many students in your class have blue eyes? brown eyes? green (hazel) eyes? Graph and discuss. What is melanin? Research. 6. Research the dangers of using tinted contact lenses to change the color of your eyes. Prepare a presentation for your class and share with the rest of the school.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
Springville-Griffith Institute
Middle School, Springville, NY |
|
| |
 |
Balloon rises, students soar
Jan. 6, 2010 - Eighth grade students at Springville-Griffith Institute Middle School, S-GI, in Springville, New York were aware that MIT students launched a balloon in September that reached the stratosphere. |
 |
 |
Creekwood Middle School, Houston, Texas |
|
 |
School sparks WWI Memorial restoration effort
March 9, 2009 - On Nov. 11, 1918, the U.S. had 4,734,991 surviving World War I veterans. Today there is 1 - Mr. Frank Buckles. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
