What is a red eye picture?
Notice in this picture that the left eye
is reflecting a red dot and the right is reflecting a
white dot. The left eye is how both eyes should look.
We have always been led to believe that
red eye photos are bad pictures.
In fact, they can save a child's vision or life.
*We take red eye pictures in
dim light.
*Our pupil dilates in the dark, therefore our retina is
exposed to the light.
*The retina is supposed to reflect light RED!
*A red eye picture is a picture of the retina and means
that your retina has reflected the light properly.
*If you do not get a red reflection, something could be
blocking the retina from the light.
*It could be a tumor, cataract, Coats' disease, Glaucoma
or various other eye disorders.
*Always look at your red eye pictures and make sure the
eyes have reflected red.
*Any one, any age can have a tumor or cataract and the picture
could save their vision...with children from birth to five
it could also save their life!
*Red Eye Pictures are a very important clue with children.
Because of the amount of pictures we take of our children,
there is a good chance we will photograph the eye disease
if they have one.
The way to detect is with an ophthalmoscope in a darkened
room.
Photos are just a clue to watch for in-between exams.
However, they are a very important clue with children.
Can a white dot picture be nothing?
Yes, sometimes we photograph the optic nerve and it will
reflect exactly like an eye disease. With children from
birth to five years of age we want to rule out retinoblastoma
immediately and pray that it is nothing. Always follow up
if you get a strange photo.
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All of the pictures
to the right would have saved Joey's life!
The white reflection
in his right eye was the tumor blocking the retina
from reflecting red.
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Dark eyed children
sometimes do not have a red reflex in pictures.
The darker the pupil, the harder it is toget
the red reflection. The pupil still dilates
in dim lighting and the eye disease will still
reflect white. This is shown in the adjacent
picture
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Do
both eyes reflecting red mean you have healthy
eyes?
NO. Both eyes reflecting
red indicates you did not photograph an eye
disease; not that you do not have one.
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