New Eyewear May Help Treat PTSD

New eyewear may help treat PTSD

September 22, 2010

Soldiers returning from war may benefit from these new glasses

Soldiers returning from war, as well as people who have experienced other recent trauma, may suffer from an illness known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many health professionals have struggled to treat this mental disorder, and recently researchers at the Open University in the UK developed a pair of glasses that may help combat the illness, reports the BBC.

The researchers fitted a pair of regular sunglasses with blinking lights on the corner of he lenses. The small lights flash when a person is processing information with the right side of their brain, something common among people with PTSD . However, using the right side of the brain to process information could cause a person to confuse memories with reality, triggering traumatic flashbacks.

According to lead researcher Dr Peter Naish, the glasses could be helpful to bring those suffering from PTSD away from stressful or frightening hallucinations. He told the news source that he will soon look into treating people who have severe vision problems to see if he can find similar results.

Those who are having trouble seeing should visit their doctor for an eye exam. According to the American Optometric Association, adults should visit an optometrist at least once every two years.

New eyewear may help treat PTSD

September 22, 2010

Related Stories

Lens Type News

Email
Password