Synapse News: February ❤

Synapse News: February View this email in your browser

We've come to the end of the month of love!
This heart shaped retinoschisis OCT we shared on Facebook on Valentines day was our top post for this month. Thanks for all the Facebook-love!
Regards
Nina

This month the USA celebrated President's Day and South Africa got a new president. Let's have a look at some Presidential Eyewear.

Harry Truman was frequently photographed wearing his spectacles.

Ronald Reagan started wearing CLs in his acting days & continued throughout his presidency, the first US president to wear them.

Reading glasses have been used by many presidents, including the current POTUS.

Closer to home, past president Zuma is known for frequently adjusting his eyewear.

Teddy Roosevelt had several pairs, including this pince nez. He survived an assassination attempt in 1912 when his metal spectacle case deflected the bullet. Who says eyecare doesn't save lives!

Lyndon Johnson, a high hyperope, was probably the top presidential spectacle collector owning at least 53 pairs over the years. Apparently he enjoyed matching them to his outfits.

AREDS supplements or not?

Some people do better taking the AREDS formulation and some progress (get worse) faster. According to this study, it depends on our genes so we should be customising supplements for the patient's genotype. This article in Ophthalmology says there's no point. This article gives both sides. Testing for CFH and ARMS2 (high risk alleles) is commercially available, but blanket testing is costly and does not give clear management direction. For now...

Synapse Academy members: Have you completed these?

AMD: Introduction
Diagnosis and Management
Technology in AMD

Contact optometry@synapse.org.za
to register for
Synapse Academy online CPD.

R700 for 30 points.

Synapse Conference
20 - 22 July
Clarens Golf & Lifestyle Estate
Clarens

Friday 20 July*
Dr Stef Guglielmetti (Ophthalmologist)
Keratitis: What gives?
Martelie Burger (Optometrist) Binocular Vision: What, when, how?
Dr Vicky Nicolaou (Endocrinologist) Ocular manifestations of endocrine disease
Dr Claude Botha (Psychiatrist) TBC
Veronica van Niekerk (Physiotherapist) Practitioner Problems

Saturday 21 July*
Prof Andre Venter (Pediatrician) ADHD
Dr Francois van Niekerk (General Practitioner) Age appropriate?
TBC (Dermatologist) UV

Sunday 22 July*
Dr Mandie Cilliers (Radiologist) Seeing what I see
Dr Jaco Cilliers (Neurologist) A clinical approach to gait disorders
Optometrist, ophthalmologist, radiologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, endocrinologist...
The A-team: Case studies.
* Programme subject to change

17 CPD points will be applied for.
Cost: R4500

Accommodation: Please book directly with the Clarens Golf and Lifestyle Estate
www.clarensgolfvillas.co.za

When it's not Dry Eye.

Ocular symptoms of fibromyalgia are very similar to those of dry eye, including increased corneal sensitivity (measured with a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer) and high scores on the dry eye questionnaire. TBUT and Schirmer is normal. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that can affect any part of the body, including the eyes. It's not well understood, but has a genetic and environmental basis, affects women more than men,
and seems to revolve around an imbalance of the pain modulating substances, serotonin and substance p.
Click here for a great 5 min video summary explaining fibromyalgia.