FDA Issues Warning on Chelation Therapy

The FDA recently issued a warning on Chelation products that are being marketed as dietary supplements. Chelation is the process of removing heavy metals from the body. The claim is that it can cure diseases such as Alzheimers, Autism, Parkinson's, Macular Degeneration and others using nasal sprays, clay baths, IVs, suppositories, capsules or  liquid drops. They are sold as a dietary supplement to get around any sort of FDA regulations, which is why only a warning is issued. As you may have guessed, we get concerned when a warning goes out that involves the eyes.

The danger here is that chelation is FDA approved when used someone comes into contact with dangerous levels of copper, lead and arsenic - the heavy metals - and administered by a doctor. This leads to mass confusion and misleading claims. Chelation used for purpose or "cures" other than to remove heavy metal could be dangerous and deadly.

There has only been one death reported of an Autistic boy dying after receiving an intravenous Chelation therapy. Other than that, there haven't been any problems reported making this warning more preventative. It should be stated that Chelation therapy is not scientifically proven to cure any Macular Degeneration or other diseases mentioned above. Evidence points to that Chelation doesn't improve any chronic conditions like the ones listed.

Here is the list of products that got a letter from the FDA-

World Health Products LLC: Detoxamin Oral, Detoxamin Suppositories, and the Metal Detector test kit

Hormonal Health LLC: Kelatox Suppositories

Evenbetternow LLC: Kids Chelat Heavy Metal Chelator, Bio-Chelat Heavy Metal Chelator, Behavior Balance DMG Liquid, AlkaLife Alkaline Drops, NutriBiotic Grapefruit Seed Extract, Natur-Leaf, Kids Clear Detoxifying Clay Baths, EBN Detoxifying Bentonite Clay, and the Heavy Metal Screen Test

Source: ABC News

Common Vision Myths

I've been on the hunt for other vision care blogs around the net because I want to see who is also covering the eye. There are a lot of great ones out there! Just today, I stumbled across a really well written post that dispels some of the common myths people have about vision. Here is a tiny little bit from the original article-

2.  If I lose a contact lens in my eye, can it roll back in to my head behind my eye? Anatomically impossible.  No worries on this one.

If you want to read the rest, head over to Keene's Eye & Vision Care Blog. Make sure to read the story about carrots and eye sight - it is my favorite of the bunch.

The Brief History of Eye Glasses

I've realized that contact lenses have been getting a lot of blog love lately. To balance out the coverage, here is the (brief) history of eye glasses.

In the history of the world, glasses are relatively a new invention for something that feels so important now. About a 1,000 years ago, the first corrective vision tool called a "reading stone" was used by polishing glass that was in the shape of a sphere. Essentially, it was the first magnifying glass. The reason it took so long for a corrective vision aid of any sort to be created was simple due to the fact that not many people knew how to read. It wasn't until monks suffered from age related vision problems in the 1200's and wanted to read that a need for eye glasses was created.



Fast forward another 200 years, an Italian is credited for making the first pair of wearable eye glasses. They were made from all sorts of materials that sound ridiculous now considering optical lenses and plastic dominate most eye ware fashion. Quartz, leather, bone and metal were common materials used. It also wasn't until the 1700's did eye glasses have a standard method of attaching to people's faces with the ear pieces. Solutions involved looping string around the ears, it wasn't until about another 100 years until ear pieces were added.

Around the same time as ear pieces, Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals. Reportedly, he hated switching between glasses for distance and up close vision. I'd imagine it was like how the Snuggie was invented, someone was tired of having to switch between being in a blanket and not. Franklin's invention of putting two lenses of two different powers on top of each other paved the way of other advances like correcting astigmatisms. One common thread throughout the history of eye is that people have been embarrassed or self conscious of wearing them since the beginning. The upper classes and royalty in Europe would only wear glasses in private.



I'll leave the history here. From the time Ben Franklin invented bifocals, the biggest innovation since then is the ear pieces that help balance glasses, the kind that is ubiquitous now. There are a few other things, and the advancements in the Optometry profession but the point was to explain the genesis of eye glasses.

Halloween Contact Lenses

Our eye clinics phones have been ringing with a lot of calls lately (Madison in particular) about "monster" contact lenses. With Halloween approaching, people are scrambling to throw together the perfect costume. With the popularity of sparkly vampires, Lady Gaga and all sorts of imaginative things specialty contacts are in high demand. However, there are some things people need to know first before placing an order.

The first thing people forget is that contact lenses are actually a medical device. To legally buy contacts, a person needs to have a current prescription from an optometrist. Alarm bells should go off if they are looking at contacts that don't require prescription information. This is why it is incredibly important to talk with an eye doctor and get a proper prescription before getting any sort of contacts. A contact that doesn't fit correctly can do so many harmful things to the eye, even if it is worn "just for a night."



The vast majority of Halloween lenses are not FDA approved. Those contacts that make the eyes look bigger and the craziest types of eye changing contacts come from other countries and are actually "contraband" because they are sold without a prescription. The good news is there are FDA approved specialty contacts and, with the help of a doctor, can be worn safely. One brand that comes to mind that is FDA approved is CIBA Vision's WildEyes brand of contacts. CIBA also makes the extremely popular Air Optix normal contact lenses.

If you are still looking to get a pair of FDA approved, doctor prescribed wild contacts for Halloween the window to get them before the big night is rapidly closing. If you are looking for more information about what to avoid, check out this post about Spooky Eyes and this post about the contacts that make the eyes look larger. Both are great resources to spot the types of contacts that will harm the eyes.

If you are looking at these contacts and have any other questions, give us a call and we'll be happy to fill you in on the details.

How Contact Lenses are Made

This video speaks for itself. It's really fascinating to see how contacts are made.

50 Dos and Don'ts for Contact Lenses

I found a sheet of paper in the contact lens room that we give to our contact lens patients. It offers a lot of helpful tips on how to handle the fragile little lenses. Let's just jump right into the list-

1. Do - Follow your eye doctor's instructions and call the clinic if you have any questions

2. Don't - Wear the lenses if they have suddenly or consistently become uncomfortable

3. Do - Schedule follow up visits if you need them

4. Don't - Wear the lenses if you notice a chip or tear in the lens

5. Do - Follow the wearing time schedule as prescribed by the optometrist

6. Don't - Exceed the wearing schedule by over wearing lenses during adjustment periods

7. Do - Throughly wash, rinse and dry hands before handling lenses

8. Don't - Wear lenses all day if you haven't worn contacts in a few days

9. Do - Clean your lenses after wear and before storage to avoid build up of tough protein deposits and oily films that are hard to remove

10. Don't - Roughly handle lenses, they are made from delicate materials



11. Do - Be careful when cleaning lenses as they can easily be damaged

12. Don't - Touch contacts with fingernails (this is the primary reason contacts get damaged)

13. Do - Use fresh solution each night in the storage case

14. Don't - Insert lenses over an open sink. A dropped lens will look exactly like a water droplet

15. Do - Rinse storage case wells out with warm tap water, then with saline after each use and let the case air dry

16. Don't - Move if a lens is dropped. A wet lens can stick to just about anything

17. Do - Sit or stand near a counter when inserting contacts so they won't fall on the floor if dropped

18. Don't - Pick up a dropped lens with a fingernail or push it along a rough surface to lift it. Dampen your finger and the lens will stick to it

19. Do - Re-clean lenses that have dropped on the floor or your clothes

20. Don't - Switch to a heat cleaning system after using a chemical cleaning system (and vise versa)



21. Do - Ask your doctor about how to make the transition between cleaning systems safely, without damaging soft lenses

22. Don't - Use any other kind of solutions other than what is prescribed by your optometrist. Even ask an eye doctor before switching brands

23. Do - Close the drain if near a sink or bathtub

24. Don't - Use different brands of solution at the same time

25. Do - Wear eye protection with contact lenses for sports and activities to avoid serious injury or trauma

26. Don't - Touch the solution bottle tip to the inside of a lens or case. It will contaminate the solution

27. Do - Avoid hairspray or aerosols

28. Don't - Try to wear a soft lens that was left out of the solution or has become brittle. Put the lens back in the solution for at least two hours

29. Do - Apply hairspray or other aerosol products before inserting contact lenses. A lens that gets spray on it is uncomfortable and hard to clean

30. Don't - Wet lenses by putting them in your mouth (this has seriously happened before)



31. Do - Stay away from harmful vapors and fumes

32. Don't - Use tap water on soft lenses. Only use saline or solutions for rinsing

33. Do - Wear eye protection in dusty environments

34. Don't - Overfill storage cases. A lens can float to the top and get stuck where the lid closes or snaps

35. Do - Use caution when adjusting to temperature swings

36. Don't - Put eye drops like Murine or Visine in your eyes while you are wearing contacts

37. Do - Hold back eye lashes when inserting a contact to make it easier to put it in

38. Don't - Force apart a folded contact lens. Put solution or saline and gently massage the lens

39. Do - Keep a kit of essentials (case, solution, saline) with you at all times

40. Don't - Rub lenses with towel, tissue or shirt tail



41. Do - Apply cosmetics after inserting contacts, including lotions, foundation, mascara and eye shadow

42. Don't - Wear lenses if you have a cold of the flu

43. Do - Remove contacts before swimming or showering. Water will flush out the contact

44. Don't - Leave contacts near TVs, in glove compartments, window sills or other areas that can warm up. It will warp the lenses

45. Do - Wear eye protection when riding in a convertible car

46. Don't - Sleep in lenses without doctors approval

47. Do - Use water soluble cosmetics. Waterproof mascara is difficult to remove from contact lenses

48. Don't - Use deodorant or cold creme soaps. they leave greasy residues on hands and lenses

49. Do - Apply eyeliner below the lash line. Otherwise, it will block a tear glad that makes contact wear more comfortable

50. Don't - Use eye lash thickeners or lengthener. They contain additives that contaminate lenses

Join The Conversation

This post comes as bit of a PSA for our blog readers. In effort to bring you great news related to caring for the eyes, eye exams and breaking news dealing with optometry, you can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

You can get a hold of us through these methods if you have any questions for our Optometrists. We'll be sure to reply as quickly as we can with accurate information to help care for your eyes. We also want your feedback of the type of content you want to see or, if you are one of our patients, we want to hear how we did on your last eye exam.

We look forward to hearing from you!