Quality Eye Care

There are many causes of vision impairment, most associated with the ageing process. Some of these conditions include Cataracts, Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration.

There is evidence to suggest that Bilberry, Lutein and Vitamin A can support the health of the eyes.

Bilberry is an antioxidant that helps to reduce cell damage caused by free radicals and helps to maintain the healthy function of the retina. The recommended daily dosage of Bilberry is 5-10mg per day.

Lutein is a Carotenoid that is concentrated in the macular area of the retina. It forms a layer of pigment that helps to filter damaging light before it reaches the retina. It’s also an antioxidant that helps to reduce age-related macular degeneration caused by free radicals. The recommended daily dosage of Lutein is 6mg.

Selenium is an antioxidant that helps reduce damage to the cells in the eyes that is caused by free radicals. It’s recommended that a theraputic dose of 26mcg be taken per day.

Vitamin A is essential for vision and night vision in particular. The recommended daily dosage of Vitamin A is 2,500iu.

Whilst all of these nutrients and vitamins are said to support healthy eyes, you should not under any circumstances substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this article. The author does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so.

Recently, Nintenod has been promoting a new game package for its handheld DS system. The package, called Flash Focus, is a series of exercises for your eyes, ostensibly to stave off vision loss that occurs as we age. Very popular in Japan, Nintendo is hoping to target a different sector of the American market with this product. The question is: if you want better vision, can eye exercises help?

When we are young, our healthy eyes work well in seeing both near and far. As the eyes age, problems with nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia may begin to appear. And while eye exercises might seem like a logical way to improve vision strength, in reality they seem to be of little value.

Presbyopia is of particular concern to older individuals. Although no one knows the exact cause of the disease, It has also been postulated that a weakness in the muscles makes them unable to compress and bend the lens as necessary to make it focus on objects at different distances. However, since eye exercises seem to be of little use in correcting the disease, it seems unlikely that the muscles are the problem. The most common theory for the cause of presbyopia is that the lens loses elasticity, making it harder for the muscles to bend it to focus up close. Fortunately, remedies exist.

Many people wear reading glasses to cope with presbyopia. Thankfully, modern technology now offers the intraocular lens, also called an artificial lens, to solve this aggravating vision problem.

The intraocular lens works when implanted in the eye, replacing the stiffened crystalline lens. Intraocular lenses can be multifocal so that patients are able to see both up close and at a distance.

If you’re struggling with presbyopia, why continue when the problem can be solved so quickly and easily? The Sacramento LASIK surgeons at Griffin & Reed Eye Care would be happy to discuss your vision needs in a private consultation.

What do you do when you get dry eyes? Especially when it gets red, itchy and irritable? Most people treat the symptoms because, frankly, dry eye syndrome does not usually get cured. So, one resorts to putting drops into the eyes and that reduces the redness. Unfortunately, this is more of a symptomatic treatment than a cure so one has to keep repeating it every time the eyes get dry and red.

What these drops do is to constrict the blood vessels in the eyes to make them less red. Prolonged use, however, necessitates using more and more of the eye drops till it usually stops working altogether. The blood vessels obviously get used to the medication and refuse to co-operate and constrict.

One does not really know what causes dry eyes but you could take some precautions so it does not get worse. Try and protect them with dark glasses when you go out in the sun. If the dust outside irritates your eyes, make sure your dark glasses have a foam sealing at each end and all around, so it fits snugly against your skin and does not allow the dust to go into your eyes. Inside the house, too, you can minimize dust with an air cleaner and use a humidifier so the air is not too dry.

Talk to your ophthalmologist or optometrist about what drops to use. They might advise you against buying over the counter eye drops because it will not do anything for your dry eyes. Instead, you might be asked to buy eye drops that are called ‘artificial tears’ which lubricate the eye or maybe even Restasis which actually makes tear production in your eye increase.

Just in case you wear contact lenses, don’t put any kind of drops in your eyes when you have them on. Take them off, put the drops in, wait for a while - it might be mentioned on the label for how long you should wait - and then put your lenses back on. Here, too you can check with the specialist what eye drops contact lens wearers can use. If you do have a major problem, discuss it with the eye care specialist and maybe he will change your lenses. If the irritation gets unbearable, you might have to discontinue wearing them at least till the condition has become better.

Remember that if you are scheduled for eye surgery or LASIK, you might not be able to go through with it until your dry eyes have cleared up as it causes complications after the procedure. It would be better to wait till the problem has subsided before you go in for any kind of eye surgery.

Maybe some of the drugs you are taking right now are responsible for your dry eyes. Well, the doctor could maybe change the medication if possible. Don’t, however, tamper with changes in medications on your own. Your eye care physician would be the one to go to in case it is due to an eye infection. Conditions like blepharatis have been known to cause dry eyes. This will necessitate medicated eye drops.

There is ongoing research to find a cure for dry eyes. Products like trehalose have tested positive but further studies are needed before any of these products can be introduced in the market.

Puffy eyes are a condition where the eyes begin swelling due to different factors. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is full of blood vessels which make it very sensitive. Usually puffy eyes will go away after a little bit of time or some treatments done at home. Generally puffy eyes disappear inevitably after sometime or the problem can be dealt with treatments done at home. However, puffy eyes are also indications of additional eye condition that may necessitate scrutiny by an eye care expert. In instances where puffy eyes are critical and continual or are associated with pain, uneasiness, indistinct vision, or additional conditions the advice of a professional eye care specialist should be sought.

Symptoms of Puffy or Swollen Eyes:

* Puffiness or swelling of the upper and lower eyelids, usually in the morning.
* Occasionally accompanied by itching and/or redness.
* Not able to open or close the eyes.

Puffy Eyes Causes

What causes puffy eyes? There are all manner of insidious reasons people develop puffy eye syndrome. Here are some typical causes for puffy eyes:

* Fluctuating hormone levels, increasing the likelihood your body will retain fluid around the thin skin underneath your eyes.

* Edema or fluid retention throughout the body. Some causes for this include illness, inflammation and fatigue. Pregnancy also causes increasing edema in women.

* Dehydration, whether from drinking too little water or from a hangover. Either way, the only cure is more water.

When attempting to get rid of puffy eyes, eye creams and gels may or may not work. However, a variety of cold compresses are known to show dramatic improvement in short periods of time. Ice cold milk, ice cold water, ice cubes, eye creams and gels chilled in the refrigerator, and cold facial masks can all help to get rid of puffy eyes when used as a compress. When using liquids such as milk or ice water, use a cotton ball and then squeeze out nearly all the liquid before applying. Compresses usually require about 10 to fifteen minutes to get rid of puffy eyes while ice cubes should not be used for more than is readily tolerated by the skin.

Using cold remedies to get rid of puffy eyes tends to work faster with longer results. This is simply because the colder temperatures reduce swelling, which is part of the cause of a puffy eyed appearance. By reducing swelling, many people find their puffy eyes disappear altogether while other people find their puffiness has reduced but discoloration remains.

Fruits and vegetables such as strawberry, apple, cucumber, and potato slices can help with both the puffiness and the discoloration. Each has its own variety of nutrients which can ultimately feed the eyelid and under eye area. These nutrients are healthy for the skin when applied to the outside of the eye as well as when eaten.

Bags under the eyes are often due to fluid retention and again there are ways to reduce the problem other than turning to surgery.

The appearance of those bags can often look worse on waking in the mornings and that’s because the fluid builds up overnight. You might like to try a little exercise in jumping up and down or just running up and down the stairs as gravity can help pull down the excess fluid and lessen their appearance.

There are other well know remedies such as lying down with cucumber or potato slices over the eyes and of course the application of ice or cold teaspoons.

You might also like to try tapping lightly with your finger in the under eye area for a minute or so to try and disperse the fluid.

If you believe that those bags under the eyes are as a result of your lifestyle or diet you could run a check on whether or not they are worse after eating certain foods or when you have been consuming too much alcohol or have been in a really smoky atmosphere. Try avoiding some of these things and see if it does make a difference.

Prevention

Elevating the head while sleeping can prevent the gravitational redistribution of fluid that is associated with eye swelling. A low-carb diet can prevent eye puffiness by preventing water retention. Eating foods rich in vitamins, especially A, C and E, helps to reduce eye puffiness and to maintain clear, moist skin

Severe problems with eyes should always be referred to a specialist, but alternative therapies can support orthodox treatment and may be very useful in conditions that affect the eyelids and tear glands. When treating infections and inflammations of the eyes, wash your hands between treating each eye, and use fresh materials so that you do not transfer infection from eye to eye.

There is a family of viruses that are all called herpes virus. Two of these viruses can cause infections in the eye, which is called herpetic eye disease. These two viruses are not the same virus that causes genital herpes, and herpetic eye disease is not a sexually transmitted disease.

One virus that causes herpetic eye disease is called the vermicelli-zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox and also the nervous-system disease known as “shingles.” When this virus affects the eye, it is called herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

The other virus that causes herpetic eye disease is called herpes simplex type 1. Herpes simplex type 1 is the same virus that causes cold sores on the lips and mouth. In the eye, it usually causes an infection of the cornea. This infection is called herpes simplex keratitis.

Prevention is the key

Working on a table with proper distance between object and eye.
Wearing protective glasses while welding, working at very high temperatures, with chemicals, in contact sports.

Wash eyes with lots of water, if any foreign body or chemical enters.
Never instill any ‘drops’ without doctor’s advice. Read labels on medicine bottles carefully. Always keep medicines in a separate cabinet, so no confusion can ever arise.

Apply ice or cold compress for a black eye. This decreases the bleeding and swelling.

Home Remedies for Eye Problems

Mix one part of rose water and one part of lime juice. Store in a bottle and use it as an Eye drop this is very useful home remedy for eye care.

Triphala is a good herbal eye tonic. Steep one tablespoonful of powder in an 8 ounce glass of water overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion through a clean cloth. The resultant tea is used to sprinkle over the eyes or used in an eye wash
Avoid Jams, cakes, pastries, white sugar, white bread, confectionery, tea, Coffee, meat, fish, and eggs play havoc with the digestion and the body and should therefore be avoided.

Medications: Medications which cause dilation of blood vessels cause dark circles under eyes. Dilated blood vessels allow more blood to flow through them and these blood vessels look prominent through under eye skin which is very thin.

Bathe your eye for 10 minutes several times a day with cotton wool that has been soaked in warm water. This can help the stye to come to a head and discharge any pus that may be forming inside.

A handful of acacia or guava leaves that have been warmed in water can be placed on a damp cloth. This is an excellent compress which will reduce the redness and swelling caused by eye styles.

Aloe leaves are known for their healing properties and these can also be used in herbal remedies for eye stye cures.

Eye pain is a common reason for people to seek care from their ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery). Eye pain may be described as burning, sharp, dull, gritty, “something in my eye,” aching, throbbing, or stabbing.

Causes of eye pain fall into 2 broad categories: ocular pain and orbital pain.

Ocular pain is eye pain coming from the outer structures of the surface of the eye.

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common eye problems. Conjunctivitis can be an allergic, bacterial, chemical, or viral inflammation of the conjunctiva (the delicate membrane lining the eyelid and covering the eyeball). Pinkeye is a nonmedical term usually referring to a viral conjunctivitis. Pain is usually mild, or there is no pain. Itching, redness, and drainage may be seen.

Corneal abrasions and corneal ulcerations are also common causes of eye pain. The cornea is the transparent surface of the eye. Abrasions occur from scratches to the surface of the cornea, such as a foreign body in the eye or overuse of contact lenses. Ulcerations occur from infections or abrasions.

Foreign bodies, usually located on the cornea or in the conjunctiva, are objects or material that give you the sensation that something is in your eye. Foreign bodies produce eye pain similar to that of corneal abrasions.

Chemical burns and flash burns are significant causes of eye pain. Chemical burns come from eye exposure to acid or alkali substances. Flash burns occur from intense light sources, such as arc welding or tanning booths, when improper eye protection is worn.

Blepharitis causes eye pain when an inflammation of the eyelid is caused by plugged oil glands at the eyelid edges.

A sty or a chalazion causes eye pain because of local irritation. Both cause a lump you can see or feel within the eyelid formed by a blocked oil gland. This lump causes irritation to the eye.

Orbital pain is described as a deep, dull ache behind or in the eye. This pain is often caused by diseases of the eye.

Severe glaucoma can cause orbital pain, although most glaucoma is painless. Glaucoma is caused by an increase in intraocular pressure (pressure inside the eye), which can ultimately lead to defects in vision and blindness if left untreated. Intraocular pressure can increase because of a blockage of outflow or increased production of aqueous humor (fluid that bathes the inner eye).

Iritis is an inflammation of the iris (the colored part of the eye) that causes deep eye pain.

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. The optic nerve connects to the back of the eye. The cause of this inflammation can be from multiple sclerosis, viral infections, or bacterial infections.

Sinusitis, which is a bacterial or viral infection of the sinuses, can cause a sensation of orbital pain.

Migraines are also a very common cause of orbital eye pain associated with headaches.

Traumatic events, such as a penetrating injury to the eye, a blow to the eye with a foreign object, and motor vehicle collisions, are causes of significant eye pain and injury.

Pain is a variable measure. Each person may interpret pain differently.

They correct vision with no distortion, but they are the least comfortable type of contact lens. In other cases, your doctor may recommend using reading glasses in combination with contact lenses that correct for distance vision. For those who are short-sighted a number of contact lens products are now available to restore sharp, clear distance vision. Patients who require correction to improve vision may wish or even need to wear contact lenses to maximize their vision.

Apart from cosmetic lenses, contact lenses allow normal vision for people with a wide range of medical conditions. Infants and young children often have various visual conditions that require a contact lens so that their vision system can develop normally. The main concern with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection, a potentially serious condition that can lead to loss of vision. Soft contact lenses are available that will change the color of your eyes, even if you don’t require vision correction. Correcting vision is not the only use for contact lenses.

Colored contact lenses are available with no vision correction, and an even more stylised version, called Halloween contact lenses, goes one step further. Nowadays almost all those who need vision correction and want to wear contact lenses can do so. Crazy Eyes novelty contact lenses are available both for those who need vision correction, and those who don%u2019t! High Myopia Patients with a high degree of nearsightedness are known to attain better vision with the use of contact lenses. The Contact Lens specialist will determine what your fee will be based on the type of lenses desired and your particular vision needs.

People who have chronic or recurrent infections or sores on the cornea cannot wear contact lenses. 1982: Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution. Unless you have been instructed otherwise, remove your contacts at night, even if you wear disposable lenses. Almost anyone with astigmatism can now wear contact lenses. But he isn’t keen on forking out over Rs 1,000 for a pair of contact lens he may wear only once.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert to health-care professionals and patients who wear soft contact lenses of the risk. Following a thorough ophthalmic examination, a patient’s potential for successful contact lens wear is objectively evaluated. editor Neil Fowler said: “Many people who wear long-life contact lenses may be paying over the odds. For some people who haven’t been able to wear contacts and want to, implantable lenses may be an option.

Wear your contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor. Toric lenses correct this problem just as well as wearing glasses does, and come as disposabls, extended wear and even colored contact lenses. Safe contact lens wear For most people, contact lens wear is safe and completely trouble free. There are also many practical advantages to contact lens wear for sports and recreational use.

Contact lenses that you can put in and wear continuously for many days are the dream of many contact lens wearers. No fuss about cleaning, storing , inserting or removing them -sounds convenient, doesn’t it? But is it safe? Find out if extended wear contacts are right for you.

How do extended wear contact lenses work?

Most contact lenses are daily wear - you wear them during the day and take them out for the night. Lenses have to be taken out because they partially block the flow of oxygen to your cornea. In other words, your eyes need a rest without contacts.

However, many contact lens wearers wish that they didn’t have to remove their lenses every evening. Knowing this, contact lens manufacturers have worked really hard to develop a contact lens material that doesn’t block oxygen and would allow you to wear your lenses for several days - or even weeks - without risk to your health.

Modern technology allows the production of contact lenses that let through approximately six times more oxygen than ordinary soft contact lenses. Lenses intended for extended wear are made of extra-permeable silicone hydrogel materials and “breathe” so well that oxygen deprivation is no longer a problem, even if you wear your lenses for several days.

Are extended wear contact lenses safe?

Lenses that are FDA approved for extended wear, like Focus Night and Day or Acuvue 2, are safe if you follow your doctor’s instructions. They feel quite comfortable for many days, unless you have very sensitive eyes.

The only problem with extended wear contact lenses is that since you don’t clean them every day, tiny particles of dust can accumulate on them.

To prevent this keep to the following rules:

- Avoid dusty rooms - Stay away from cigarette smoke - Try to keep the water away from your eyes when showering and wear tight goggles while swimming - Never wear your contact lenses longer than your doctor recommends. Remember weekly disposable extended wear lenses should be thrown away once a week and 30 day wear lenses can only last a month, not a day longer.

Also to minimize the risk of eye infection it is very important to pay attention to how your eyes feel and not to ignore any unpleasant symptoms. If your eyes feel irritated or simply uncomfortable, take the lens out immediately and give your eye 6-8 hours rest. Rinse the lens well before putting it back in. And if discomfort continues, don’t ignore it, see your doctor. Maybe extended wear lenses are not for you after all.

Which extended wear contacts are available on the market?

Two brands of extended wear contact lenses are FDA approved for 30 day continuous wear - Focus Night and Day by Ciba Vision and PureVision by Bausch & Lomb. Other lenses can be worn for a week without removal. The most popular of these is Acuvue by Johnson and Johnson

Are extended wear contact lenses more expensive than the regular contacts?

Surprisingly, the price difference isn’t that big. Extended wear contact lenses are slightly more expensive that the usual weekly or monthly disposable contacts, and they are cheaper than daily disposables. Also, since you will wear your contacts for a week or a month and then discard them, you save on cleaning and storing solution. So cost is not an issue when it comes to extended wear contacts.

If the idea of wearing contact lenses continuously for several days appeals to you, ask your doctor if extended wear contacts will work for you.

People use disposable contact lenses for a variety of reasons. Although a fairly recent innovation when compared to standard contact lenses they have still been around for nearly twenty years. Although not every condition is suitable they are now available for nearly as many conditions and variables as standard contact lenses.

Disposable lenses generally refer to contact that are replaced every day. Although this can also be extended to include contact lenses that are replaced every week or every two weeks. The main reason being that they are still disposable and are not reused as with traditional contact lenses.

Most users like the practical nature of disposable contact lenses. At the end of the day you just take them off and throw them in the bin. No washing in sterilized water or cleaning and replacing. And if you lose them you certainly will not have to go looking around for hours on end to find your valuable lenses. Just pop in another one and off you go.

It is the daily chore of washing and cleaning conventional contact lenses that puts many wearers of glasses of buying contact lenses. But with disposable lenses you have all the convenience of glasses with no maintenance and with all the style of contact lenses. Possibly even more so as there is no chance of sitting on them when trying to read a book!

Of course it does work out to be a little more expensive to use disposables as opposed to traditional contact lenses. But the difference between the two is narrowing all the time as production techniques for disposables and the economy of scale due to the increasing popularity of these lenses keeps lowering the prices. There are also other costs to be added to the equation when comparing the prices of disposable and traditional lenses.

Buying traditional contact lenses may seem a much cheaper alterative but you, of course, must add on the extra cost of cleaning materials and insurance. It may not matter if you lose disposable contact lenses worth a dollar or so but if you lose one of your traditional lenses then its a whole different ball game and a very different priced range. A pair of standard contact lenses can cost up to and well in excess of a hundred dollars.

Another good reason for wearing disposable rather than traditional contact lenses is that it is very good for the eye to have fresh lenses and if you are not very careful about cleaning normal lenses it is possible to get residue build ups that can affect the eyes and lead to discomfort. That said if they are regularly cleaned with the correct materials there is unlikely to be a problem.

Disposable contact lenses are available for most prescriptions now and can also be bough in a wide variety of colors. Disposables are obtainable for bifocal and some of the more usual variations such as astigmatism but they are not as yet available for all. It is worth asking around if you have a difficult to fill prescription but it may be that not all conditions can as yet be catered for.

It is a matter of choice as to whether you choose to buy standard or disposable contact lenses, they both have their advantages and disadvantages and as with all things related contact lenses the best person to ask for advice is your local optometrist.

Sales of contact lenses are regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.) Always buy from a reputable company; you can buy discount contact lenses without a prescription, but then the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device, in violation of FTC regulations - selling you lenses without having a valid prescription from you. The choice of which lens is right for you should be based only on an examination by your eye doctor or eye care professional, not over the phone.

There are many kinds of contact lenses available: novelty, colored, crazy, Halloween, special effects, theatrical, costume, scary, glow in the dark, wild eyes, mirrored, black, white, red and many others. Before you buy contact lenses from anyone other than your eye care professional, it pays to become a wise consumer first.

In some models, both lenses correct for near and distance vision and in others, one lens is for near vision, and the other is for distance. Extra thin soft lenses are on the market for very sensitive people. The length of continuous lens wear depends on the type and your doctor’s evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear.

If you plan to wear lenses for more than 18 hours a day for the purpose of eye color change, then buy colored soft lenses. It is important for your eyes to have a rest, without lenses, for at least one night following each scheduled removal. And bifocal correction is possible with both soft and rigid lenses.

Soft lenses are much easier to adjust and are much more comfortable than rigid lenses, because they conform to the eye and absorb and hold water. Newer soft lens materials include silicone-hydrogels so as to provide more oxygen to your eyes. Also there are also a few rigid gas-permeable lenses that are designed and approved for overnight wear. Rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are more durable, resistant to deposit buildup, and generally give clearer, crisper vision.

When you place your order for contact lenses, request the manufacturer’s written patient information for your contact lenses; it will give you important risk and benefit information as well as instructions for use. Buy your contact lenses from a supplier that you’re familiar with and know is reliable or has name familiarity. When you receive your order, if you think you’ve received incorrect contact lenses, check with your doctor or eye care professional right away; don’t accept substitutions unless your eye care professional approves it.

Make sure you have a current, valid prescription when you order your contact lenses. Compare prices - get quotes from two, three or more online and offline suppliers. Before you buy online, check to see if there are any testimonials on the online supplier’s website.

Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand and specifications you ordered, the name of the lens, the power, sphere, cylinder, if any, axis, if any, diameter base curve, and peripheral curves, if any. Wherever you buy, shop for quality and value and don’t forget you want to do what is best for the health of your eye. Rebates may be available from the seller or from the manufacturer, for first-time contact lens wearers and for individuals who buy lenses and also get an eye exam.

Don’t wear lenses any longer than they’re prescribed for, nor when sleeping unless you are otherwise directed to. Under the binding down of a rigid contact lens during sleep, the flow of tears and oxygen to the cornea is reduced; lack of oxygen leaves the eye vulnerable to serious infection. One sight-threatening concern is the infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by improper care of the lenses; this difficult-to-treat parasitic infection’s symptoms are similar to those of corneal ulcers.

Microorganisms may be present in distilled water, so always use commercial sterile saline solutions if you plan to use enzyme tablets in water for any disinfection. Daily-wear lenses are removed each day for cleaning and are a safer choice, provided they aren’t worn during sleep. Be careful about extended-wear rigid lenses because they can cause unexpected, undesirable, reshaping of the cornea.

If you lead an active lifestyle, contact lenses can provide you with almost natural vision. No matter which lenses your doctor prescribes, be sure to ask for oral and written instructions and follow them carefully. It is becoming easier and easier to shop online and often the shipping is free.