- Benefits of regular comprehensive eye exams reinforced in analysis of military exams
- Doctors of optometry have safely performed thousands of optometric laser procedures
- Fun and vision-friendly holiday gift guides for kids
- Help patients understand the hazards of vaping to the eyes
- H5N1 ‘bird flu’ cases report conjunctivitis, teary eyes symptoms
- Link between eye examinations and fall prevention in older adults
- Study underestimates doctors of optometry providing eye care to children
- Foresightedness on nearsightedness
- ‘Inadequate to meet demand’: Report spotlights declining ophthalmology workforce as America’s eye health needs grow
- AOA president: Annual eye exams set students up for success
- Myopia drops
- How doctors of optometry can help ease the burden for parents
- Doctors of optometry embrace myopia management
- The causes behind the causes
- human trafficking
- Wash, rinse, repeat: Reminding contact lens wearers about risky hygiene
- Keeping childrens vision in focus
- monkeypox national public health emergency
- July 4 can spark eye safety conversation with public
- FDA proposes eliminating cigarette cigar flavors
- Meeting the needs of an aging america
- multisystem diabetes prevention and management
- NEI releases detailed strategic plan on its priorities for the next five years
- A scary disconnect
- New partnership with MyEyeDr
- 10 reasons why you should be an InfantSEE provider
- Children’s vision-ultimate goal
- COVID-19 viral activity returning
- Doctors of optometry leaders in fight against myopia’s threat
- Stress test
- Eye and the storms
- AOA Emergency Children’s Vision Summit continues
- Childrens Vision Summit recap
- Pennsylvania doctors of optometry put high priority on children’s eye health and vision care
- AOA Children’s Vision Summit
- CDC updates COVID-19 eye protection
- Air pollution implicated in AMD study as US air quality declines
- Feds accelerate COVID-19 vaccination pace
- federally qualified health centers address underserved community eye care
- Doctors of optometry and staff preparing for next move in vaccine distribution
- AOA and affiliates advocate for optometry in Phase 1 COVID-19 vaccine distribution
- Twindemic Flu & COVID-19
- innovationing gene-editing technology
- Case study on overprescribing
- APHA urges preservation of children access to comprehensive vision care
- Do you know what your patients are searching for
- TBI and doctors of optometry
- doctors rebound from COVID-19 limitations settle into new normal
- contaminated hand sanitizer may cause methanol poisoning
- cigarette labels graphically depict smoking cataracts link
- Coronavirus emergency declared
- Excessive device use alters prekindergartners white brain matter
- FDA Drug Shortage Report
- FDA clears contact lens to slow myopia progression
- flu season on the way CDC urges early vaccines
- Vaping draws federal warnings rebuke amid billowing health concerns
- Doctors of optometry talk about ecigarette use
- Graphic warnings weighed to emphasize smokings health effects including blindness
- The cannabis conundrum
- Optometrys North Star
- Futuristic contact lens gains FDA marketing approval
- Amblyopias influence on sense of self
- Diabetes in young patients
- Diet soda habit associated with blinding diabetes complications
- The outlook for contact lenses
- OTC cold flu care What patients dont know can hurt them
- When Patients Lie to Doctors
- Comprehensive diabetes care
- Provide patients relief in winter spring summer and fall
- Meditation an adjunctive therapy for glaucoma
- doctors of optometry teammates in the post-concussion care
- When measles rush in
- Pressures on Understanding hypertensive guidelines
- The lowdown on vision rehabilitation
- Clean hands save sight
- 5 ways to offer neuro-optometric services in your practice
- Are you asking your patients about their e-cigarette use
- Ocular Manifestation of Lyme Disease
- March Madness
- Eye exams for Alzheimers
- Optometry seeking expanded role in diabetes care
- high calcium increase risk of AMD
- How to get hands-on with dry eye
- measles outbreak eye-catching for doctors of optometry
- prescribing fitting bioptic telescope system for driving
- Optometry is essential in care for patients with concussions TBIs
- prescribing and fitting a bioptic telescope system for driving part II
- Tips on providing optometric care for children with autism
- Screen time for children under 5
- Vision and batting
- Reading for the AMD patient
- Vision impairment cognitive decline go hand in hand
- doctors of optometry can provide a jump on inflammatory bowel disease treatment
- Legal doesn’t always mean safe in drivers vision
- Study pulls back covers on links between glaucoma and sleep
- Exploring the promise of retinal prostheses
- New resource helps doctors guide patients to proper sunglasses
- How fish insects could aid presbyopic patients
- Imaging over in person exams Telehealth study misses point
- InfantSEE helps young doctors of optometry build awareness and their practices
- community-health-centers
- VA VISION
- PedPosted
- Child-Health-Day
- Counterfeit Contact Lens Infections Study
- Dont delay vaccinate now
- Lather rinse repeat The DIY vaccine
- optometric surgical procedures courses
As eclipse edges closer, AOA promotes safe viewing
April 3, 2024
Doctors of optometry demonstrate their expertise as excitement builds over the April 8 total solar eclipse. AOA President Ronald L. Benner, O.D., urges the public to watch the event “safely and wisely.”
Tag(s): Clinical Eye Care, Public Health
Buzz over the total solar eclipse Monday, April 8, is still building, presenting an opportunity for doctors of optometry to educate the public on their eye care.
How much excitement? An eclipse-related digital ad generated more than 16,000 clicks to the AOA doctor locator on aoa.org in less than three weeks. The AOA’s promotion of safe viewing habits has garnered national and local coverage reaching over 500 million people. Notable placements include CNN, USA Today, Forbes and The Associated Press.
“While eclipses are for many an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event, it’s important to remember that vision is even more precious,” AOA President Ronald L. Benner, O.D., says. “View safely and wisely. It’s better to remember viewing the eclipse as a positive event in your life than a negative experience.
“It only takes a moment to damage the eyes leading to loss of vision, color vision disruption or permanent distortion that may be a constant and negative reminder of the event that no one wants,” Dr. Benner says.
See resources for the public
The total solar eclipse will cross the U.S., passing over Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
For the event, doctors of optometry can access free resources and materials designed to inform the public on protecting their vision:
- Public eye safety information page
- Educate Your Community resources, including a template pinhole projector, infographic, template newsletter, social media posts and more.
Tips for safely viewing the eclipse
Here are some tips from the AOA for safely viewing the eclipse. It’s unsafe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
Use approved solar eclipse viewers. The only safe way to view a partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as "eclipse glasses" or viewers that meet international standard ISO 12312-2 for safe viewing. Sunglasses, smoked glass, unfiltered telescopes or magnifiers and polarizing filters are unsafe. Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use. If torn, scratched or otherwise damaged, discard the device.
Protect those peepers and download AOA’s Blink Land pinhole eclipse projector.
Technique of the pros. Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up. After viewing, turn away and remove your glasses or viewer—do not remove them while looking at the sun. If you normally wear eyeglasses, wear your eclipse glasses over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
Totality awesome. Only within the path of totality—and once the moon completely blocks the sun—can eclipse viewers safely be removed to view totality. Once the sun begins reappearing, however, viewers must be replaced.
Visit your doctor of optometry. If you should experience discomfort or vision problems following the eclipse, visit your local doctor of optometry for a comprehensive eye examination.