May is Vision Health Month.

 

A familiar saying tells us eyes are the windows to the soul. They are also the windows to the body—your eyes reveal clues to your health beyond your field of vision. “Non-mydriatic retinal imaging can detect hypertension, blocked veins and arteries, advanced stages of zika virus, and ocular tumours in children (retinoblastoma) and adults (choroidal melanoma). We can also [use it to] detect certain sexually transmitted infections and even predict Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Ben Szirth, a medical consultant for Canon Canada. Szirth is the director of the Applied Vision Research Laboratory at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and the program director of the Ophthalmic Telemedicine Program for the State of New Jersey.

 

Half of all individuals with a vision-threatening disease are unaware that anything may be wrong. “Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are defined as part of the main causes of blindness,” says Szirth. There is no pain or discomfort involved until the later stages of the disease, when vision can become compromised. “Yearly eye screenings play an important role in the early management of these ocular conditions.”

 

Healthcare has always been a part of Canon’s DNA. Takeshi Mitarai, a medical doctor by training, cofounded the company in 1933. His goal was to develop and produce the world’s best camera. Canon is now widely recognized as a leader in digital imaging technology. Most people associate that with cameras, lenses and copiers. However, the company leverages that same digital imaging technology in its medical systems, including its retinal photography solutions. Here are four Canon eye-care systems you may see at your next optometrist appointment.