Patient Education
What is a pediatric ophthalmologist?
A pediatric ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specializing in treating the eye problems that occur throughout childhood, especially problems caused by premature birth or developmental disorders that can create a lifelong impact on vision.
What happens during my child's eye exam?
This is a video published by the American Academy for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus describing a typical complete new patient eye exam for a child.
Online sources you can trust
There are many potential sources of information on the Internet. We rely on reputable organizations that publish scientifically valid, medically sound information. Use the links below to access those same sources.
Eye Wiki® - American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Children's Eye Foundation - American Academy for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus
Recent Advances in Eye Care
Atropine eyedrops slow childhood nearsightedness
Why do so many children experience worsening vision as they grow? There is a connection between excessive near visual activity (reading, smartphone, computer, and video games) and nearsightedness (inability to see in the distance). An eyedrop taken every night, however, has shown great promise in slowing or even reversing this degradation of vision. Click on the link below to see a summary of our research using this eyedrop.
Near vision problems are over-diagnosed in children
Why are so many children with learning difficulties diagnosed with poor near vision even though they can see their smartphones and tablets without any problem? Since the same near vision children use to read is also used to play video games, eye exercises and reading glasses are not helpful unless a child also has difficulty with vision during fun, non-academic near activities. Click on the link below to see a summary of our research that shows how a commonly used eye symptom survey frequently misdiagnoses normal children as having near vision problems.
Double vision is a common but treatable problem for older adults
Why do so many older adults suddenly develop double vision, seeing two of everything when there is only one? The cause is often not a stroke or a brain tumor, although those conditions can create double vision. Instead, the problem is often caused by excessive sagging of the eye muscles with age, sagging that diminishes the strength of the eye muscles. This type of double vision can be corrected with glasses or, in some cases, surgery to reposition the eye muscles. Click on the link below to see our research into a surgical technique that can eliminate the double vision.