It is always worth keeping an eye on optometric developments in the US, as what is in vogue there often becomes popular over here soon afterwards. This was the case with digital retinal photography and then with OCT. I first became aware of the use of amniotic membranes in the treatment of a wide range of ocular surfaces diseases at a US conference last year.
In this week’s issue we publish an introduction to the technique which many US optometrists are finding increasingly useful and is likely to become an important option for UK practitioners in the coming years.
It is always enjoyable trying to predict future trends. Last year (Optician 20.03.2015) we published an article co-written by professors Ron Douglas and Russell Foster. Foster had discovered that some ganglion cells in the retina act as photoreceptors. With a peak sensitivity to longer wavelength blue visible light, these cells stimulate the melatonin-controlled diurnal metabolic rhythm which has developed to ensure the body is in synchrony with the environmental daily cycle.
This helps explain how light regulation is important in body processes and how disruption of the expected daily patterns, such as in night shift workers, has consequences for general health. It is also why, when asked by worried parents about the potential damage caused by tablets and smartphones to their children’s eyes, we should be advising with confidence that use in the evening, before bed, may disrupt sleep.
I noticed with interest this week that the latest IOS update includes the option for a screen output change as the day proceeds, tending to a longer wavelength output towards evening in an attempt to minimise light-induced disruption of the circadian rhythm. Foster’s work was initially questioned, so it’s good to see it is now becoming mainstream thinking.