Latisse is an FDA-approved prescription treatment used to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker. If you're considering trying Latisse, be aware of these side effects that may occur during use.

Join the AMD Alliance International in the Great American Smokeout on November 19. Smokers are urged to participate to save their eyes and protect their vision from the debilitating effects of macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease that causes the loss of central vision.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness among those older than 50. The disease is two to three times as frequent among tobacco smokers, and the more you smoke, the greater the risk and the faster the progression of the disease.

Suggested Reading:

• Macular Degeneration 101
• Top Risk Factors for Macular Degeneration
• Tips for Living With AMD

_{Photo © Mario Tamas / Getty Images}

Tuesday, November 17th is Premature Awareness Day. One in eight babies born in the US is premature. The rate of premature birth in America is higher than that of most other developed nations.

ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) is a condition that can blind premature babies. ROP is an abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye. ROP can lead to bleeding and scarring that can damage the eye's retina. This can result in vision loss.

_{Source: March of Dimes}

_{Image © National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health}

This month is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. If you have been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, what symptoms led to your diagnosis? Please share your symptoms with others.

A small group of patients with severe Graves' eye disease saw improvement of symptoms and vision following treatment with the drug rituximab. Inflammation around the eyes and optic nerve damage were greatly reduced.

Rituximab has been used to treat patients with other autoimmune diseases. It works by depleting B cells the body's normal antibody-producing cells that appear to go awry in autoimmune diseases.

Learn more about Graves' Eye Disease.

_{Source: University of Michigan Health System. Researchers Find New Way To Attack Inflammation In Graves' Eye Disease. Medical News Today, 07 Nov 2009.}

Thinking of trying Latisse? If you want to try Latisse eyelash treatment for longer, lusher lashes, it will come at a price.

This November, during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, the AOA (American Academy of Ophthalmology) is reminding people that a yearly dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. Along with its partners, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Macula Society and the Retina Society, the AOA has launched EyeSmart: EyeCommitted, a social media campaign to encourage people with diabetes to get an annual eye exam.

Diabetes can have a devastating impact on vision, but the good news is that regular dilated eye exams by an ophthalmologist and timely treatment, if needed, can save vision for the vast majority of diabetics," said David W. Parke II, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the Academy. "That is why we're urging people with diabetes to get EyeCommitted. By taking charge of their eye health, Americans can greatly reduce their risk of losing their sight from diabetes."

Suggested Reading:

• All About Diabetic Retinopathy
• What Causes Diabetic Retinopathy?
• Symptoms of Diabetic Eye Disease

_{Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology (AOA). American Academy Of Ophthalmology Announces New Drive For Thousands To Get Diabetic Eye Exam. Medical News Today, 01 Nov 2009.}

Latisse is an FDA-approved prescription eyelash treatment that claims to make your eyelashes longer, fuller and darker. Although rare, potential side effects may occur while using the treatment including allergic reactions, excess hair growth outside the treatment area, and permanent changes in iris and eyelid pigmentation.

If you would consider using it, despite the known risks and side effects, why would you do so? If you've used Latisse, why did you decide to use it?

_{Photo © Photodisc / Getty Images}

You may not think about eye safety in your home, but the average home is full of potential hazards to your eyes and vision. Here are a few tips for keeping your eyes and vision safe in the home.

A new study reveals that the brain can be trained to consciously see stimuli that would normally be invisible. The study, highlighted in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's Journal of Vision, suggests that although we assume we can see everything in our field of vision, the brain actually picks and chooses the stimuli that come into our consciousness.

If we gain the ability to "train the brain" to consciously see, people with blindsight, whose primary visual cortex has been damaged through a stroke or trauma, may be helped. Blindsight patients can't consciously see, but their brains process their visual environment at least on some level .

Suggested Reading: Vision 101

_{Source: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Can We "Learn to See?" Study Shows Perception of Invisible Stimuli Improves with Training?. Newswise, 21 Oct 2009.}