Disagreement with Mike -- by a Professor of Optometry

Discussion in 'Optometry Archives' started by Otis Brown, Sep 17, 2004.

  1. Otis Brown

    Otis Brown Guest

    Dear Friends,

    There are two diametrically opposed concepts on the
    eye.

    One considers the minus lens to be "perfect" and no
    one should ask pointed questions about it, and
    the proven effect it has on the primate eye.

    The other opinion states that the minus lens is
    "risky", and great care should be taken in its use.

    Almost all serious "thinkers" agree that if
    ANYTHING is to be done that is effective -- it
    must START before the person begins wearing
    the minus lens.

    Please remember that 20/40 is the ACCEPTED
    standard. A child at this level has NO REQUIREMENT
    that he/she wear a minus lens.

    Here a professor of opthometry supports the
    concep of PREVENTION with the plus.

    The majority opinion is to "not bother",
    and just wear a full strength minus lens all the time.

    Go figure.

    Enjoy,

    Otis

    ******


    Re: "Any hypothesis for prevention of myopia that is based on the
    evidence from animal studies is based on evidence that is
    irrelevant to humans." Dr Judy


    "Men live by their routines; and when these are called into
    question, they lose all power of normal judgment. They will
    listen to nothing save the echo of their own voices; all else
    becomes dangerous thoughts."

    Harold Laski



    "Medicine" is a field of very strong opinions, and often
    scant facts to backup the opinions.

    To balance the over-blown and arrogant opinions of Mike, I
    peresent the opinion of a professor of optometry -- that
    nearsightedness must be prevented at the threshold BEFORE a minus
    lens is used.

    Here is some commentary and a short article on
    nearsightedness research -- FYI.

    All this analysis is based on the assumption that the eye
    does not change its focal state as the visual environment is
    changed -- an assumption that is demonstrably false, agaiin and
    again with animals. It is almost impossible to believe that the
    human eye does not behave the same way, i.e., musst adapt its
    refractive status to the more-confined environment by changing
    from a positive refractive status to a negative status.


    Best,

    Otis



    Commentary by Otis Brown

    Dr. Cordova, in and interview with PREVENTION magazine, said
    that "the public" would never accept the use of a plus lens for
    prevention. He said that the public would go from doctor to
    doctor until they found one who would give them a strong minus
    lens that sharpened distant vision instantly, and would not
    tolerate a discussion of anything else other that that, i.e., use
    of the plus for prevention.

    Dr. Cordova is right. No optometrist can hope to change
    this situation (i.e., institute prevention with a plus lens) until
    the public is intellectually prepared to change their mind about
    the use of a minus lens in the manner described by Dr. Cordova.
    His issue needs to be discussed -- and must be discussed before
    any preventive effort initiated. This is a very important issue
    for both the optometrist and the public at this point.


    ............

    Grosven2.txt
    Feb. 26, 2003


    From: "Trying to get myopia into focus"

    David Holzman, INSIGHT, Feb 16, 1987

    Summary: Numerous researchers are exploring the causes of myopia
    in order to find ways to prevent its onset in children. At
    the heart of the problem is uncertainty whether genetics or
    environmental factors such as close work cause the disorder
    or, as some studies have indicated, it is a combination of
    both. If one geneticist is right, two-thirds of the myopia
    developed by children eventually may be preventable.


    ****************


    Despite the fact that results of studies of children who have
    been given bifocals are highly equivocal, Theodore Grosvenor of
    the University of Houston College of Optometry -- a proponent of
    the role of bifocals in the prevention of myopia -- insists that
    persistent close work causes myopia. (In what researchers
    generally consider to be the most carefully performed study to
    date, the two scientists * disagree on the results.)

    Some of the studies have not borne out his hypothesis, he
    says, because they were conducted too late. "Once the eye has
    started to stretch, it may be too late to keep it from
    stretching," he says, explaining that most of the children in the
    study had already become myopic. "The ultimate study would be to
    put reading glasses on first-graders before anyone has developed
    myopia," he says. **


    * One of the scientists was Dr. Francis Young -- although
    not associated with this study. His bifocal
    study showed that a combination of under-correction and a
    strong plus stopped the eye's movement into myopia, i.e.,,
    would help the natural eye maintain clear distant vision if
    used when the eye was at the 20/50 to 20/70 level.

    ** Theodore's statement is excellent -- and I
    completely agree with it.
    However, he does not even suggest a method to implementing his
    proposed approach. What is not stated is that he obviously
    understands that the parents will absolutly reject this
    approach with their children. This is tragic -- because that
    is about the only approach that COULD work in the long-run.

    ** Some ODs are finally using the plus -- on their own
    chidren -- even as they realize that the
    general public will absolutly refuse to use
    the plus correctly. The consequences for this
    refusal eventually produce the use of the
    minus lens (over-prescribed) and then
    stair-case myopia -- in my opinion.

    Best,

    Otis
     
    Otis Brown, Sep 17, 2004
    #1
  2. Otis Brown

    Guest Guest

    "Otis Brown" <> schreef in bericht

    Us your own name Otis, it is not a professor of Optometry who is speaking,
    it is just you using text out of context.

    The same blabla as usual.

    Free to Marcus Porcius Cato: ''Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam"

    I declare that Otis idea about preventing myopia in humans must be
    destroyed.

    Jan (normally Dutch spoken)
     
    Guest, Sep 17, 2004
    #2
  3. Otis Brown

    Dr. Leukoma Guest

    It is indeed laudable that Otis recognizes the published work of some
    esteemed optometrists, who believe that close work plays a role in
    myopiagenesis. It is also noteworthy that Otis then makes a complete "leap
    of logic" in concluding that the use of a minus lens is "risky."

    Also, if Otis had really read the work of Francis Young, he would have
    known that the myopes in Francis Young's study were all esophoric, meaning
    that they were probably pseudomyopes.

    DrG


    (Otis Brown) wrote in
     
    Dr. Leukoma, Sep 18, 2004
    #3
  4. Otis Brown

    Otis Brown Guest

    Some of the studies have not borne out his hypothesis, he
    says, because they were conducted too late.

    Direct quote form Theodore Grosvenor:

    "Once the eye has
    started to stretch, it may be too late to keep it from
    stretching," he says, explaining that most of the children in the
    study had already become myopic. "The ultimate study would be to
    put reading glasses on first-graders before anyone has developed
    myopia," he says.


    You do not like what he says -- fine.

    But the man is a professor of optometry in Texas.

    But as you hate honest "second opinions" about
    the potential of PREVENTING the development
    of a negative refractive state of the natural
    eye by keeping the eye "in the distance" with
    a correctly used plus lens.

    Fortunately other ODs more logical and
    "open" to new ideas and concepts have
    figured this out, and discussed
    by Steve Leug OD on

    www.chinamyopa.org

    Enjoy,

    Otis


    cc: For friends who support the concept of
    an honest "second-opinion" and prevention
    with a plus lens.


    *****
     
    Otis Brown, Sep 18, 2004
    #4
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.