Bloodshot eyes aren't exactly the best feature of a person! When a person's eyes are bloodshot, it is quite easy to 'see' that something is wrong! Eyes are possibly the most delicate organs of the body, and are all the more vulnerable to infections such as 'subconjunctival haemorrhage'. However, as dour as such terms may sound, there is a lot which really should be known about them!

The eye has a thin layer which goes by the name of the conjunctiva, which covers a part called the sclera. Many a times, especially in the case of children, if an injury unfortunately occurs in the eye, there are chances that it may form subconjunctival haemorrhage.

The reason why this occurs is that there are some of the very small blood vessels in a person's eye break. The reason for this, apart from an injury could also be on account of a sudden increase in the blood pressure of the person. This usually takes place due to some very strenuous lifting exercise but also can occur due to laughing or sneezing!

The occurrence of a subconjunctival haemorrhage can also be closely linked to the consumption of pills which thin the blood such as aspirin.

Treating Subconjunctival Haemorrhage

Now, considering the fact that such a haemorrhage has the potential to look quite scary, it may be natural for a person to react proactively. However, in many cases this is not required at all. As a matter of fact, the issue clears up within a couple of weeks at the maximum and a week and a half, on average. If this does not happen to be the case, it is a signal that a medical professional should take a look at the patient's eye.

In many instances, a person may not even get to know that he or she is suffering from a subconjunctival haemorrhage as there is no effect on the vision of the person and he or she would probably get to know that this is the case by taking a look in the mirror or being informed of his or her eye looking red.

In order to treat a subconjunctival haemorrhage in an effective manner, the first thing to be done by a person is to avoid any medication which could be causing it. Also, it is quite important not to rub one's eye as this really does slow down the healing process.

Artificial tears help soothe the eye but they do not hasten the rate of repair. A subconjunctival haemorrhage may occur, but if a person follows the right steps, his or her vision can consistently remain 20/20!

All About Subconjunctival Haemorrhage

Eyeglasses and contact lenses are both used for vision correction. Both of the options have their advantages and disadvantages but a number of factors like lifestyle, comfort and age etc. are important while deciding which one to choose. Here is a list of the fundamental differences between using spectacles and using contact lenses:

1. Distance from the cornea
Lenses are worn directly on the eye and are in constant physical contact with the cornea while glasses are worn over the eyes. Contact lenses may cause infections in the eye because the user has to touch the eye in order to wear them and to take them off.

2. Difference in vision
Since the lenses of spectacles are a little distance away from the eye, vision can be slightly distorted but contact lenses can provide natural and accurate vision. Also, side vision is not improved by glasses as you have to turn your head to see what is beside you. The contacts move around with your eyeballs and the peripheral vision is in focus.

3. Ease of use
Some people find eyeglasses difficult to use because of the constant weight on the face and the obstruction caused by the frames of the glasses. There may also be a constant need to adjust the frames. Often eyeglasses slip down the nose when you sweat or engage in rigorous physical activity. Contact lenses are free from all these hassles - they are not distracting or obstructive and so they are extensively used by dancers and athletes. Spectacles is very uncomfortable to wear during the rains or in humid weather because they fog up.

4. Infections and complications
Contact lenses can get displaced inside the eye and they can be difficult to reposition. They also cause the eyes to itch and water if you wear them for a very long time at a stretch or if tiny dust particles enter your eyes. The use of eyeglasses is far more flexible in this respect - they can be removed in case your eye itches or burns, but regular use of glasses causes dark circles and bags under the eyes.

5. Aesthetic differences
People often prefer contact lenses as they do not change the physical appearance - they help you look natural and you can also use colored lenses to change the color of your eyes. Glasses may look slightly unnatural but some people also prefer them for the fashion quotient.

Lens Vs Specs

Do your eyes get tired easily? Do they look sore or sandy? If yes, then it s time to worry for your eyes now. There is every possibility that you might have developed a dry eye. It is a common disorder of the eyes that occurs due to aging. It causes discomfort as you end up feeling scratchy or gritty all the time. The eyes turn red and have a burning sensation and feel itchy. Things get worse when you tend to stress your eyes by spending extra hours in front of the computer or read texts. In fact, the discomfort increases as the blinking frequency of the eyes get reduced.

One may also develop blurred vision due to dry eyes. An individual feels as if there is some particle inside his or her eyes, but finds nothing. Though this condition doesn t lead to very dangerous consequences, it is always a wise decision to seek medical help. The medical term for this condition is keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Once you develop dry eye, there is always a tendency to get it back again. But, the good news is that it can be treated to get some relief.

Causes
Dry eye is caused due to problems related to tear formation. When we blink our eyes, a film is formed over it. This thin layer is called a tear film. Tear film is responsible for clarity in vision. In case, enough tear is not produced, one tends to suffer from dry eyes. It is mainly caused due to ageing. 
If you don't produce enough tears, if your tears aren't of the right quality or your tears aren't spread across the front of your eye properly then you may develop dry eye. The glands producing tear or the tear film get inactive with age. Sometimes, the tear film is also affected by certain medicines, contact lenses, diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome.

Treatment
Dry eyes caused due to ageing cannot be cured completely. You must see a doctor for treatment but there are no permanent cure remedies. However, there are ways to help you get some relief. Here are the ways:

Try to increase the natural tears: There are certain home-based remedies to get some relief from the problem. You can keep the temperature of your room lower to get rid of the symptoms of dry eyes. Higher temperature leads to the evaporation of the tears. You can keep a humidifier in your room that adds more moisture to the air inside the room. This prevents drying up of the eye due to evaporation of tears. It is also found that when one blinks less, tear formation is reduced. The blinking is reduced while working on computers and reading. One must be careful while doing such things and try and blink as many times as possible.
Use eye drops: One needs to use eye drops called  artificial tears.  They are an alternative to the natural tears. If usual drops are not effective, gel-based thicker drops or overnight ointments are prescribed.
Block tear ducts: Another way of tackling dry eyes is by reducing the drainage of tears. For this, the tear ducts are blocked by plastic pieces called punctual plugs. The process is termed as punctal occlusion.
Take food supplements: Certain oils and Omega 3 and 6 are known to be beneficial in treating dry eyes. Include these supplements in your diet to keep your eyes healthy.

Dry Eye Syndrome - 4 Ways to Treat It!

7 Easy ways to get relief from computer eye strain

Do you spend long hours in front of the computer? If you do, you may be experiencing eye strain on a regular basis. Eye strain is a common problem and is characterised by fatigue, decreased productivity, red eyes and eye twitching. You can get rid of eye strain by making use of any one of these simple tips. 

1. Ensure that your workplace has correct lighting
Often eye strain occurs as a result of improper lighting. This can be caused by exposure to bright sunlight coming in from the windows and doors or excessively dazzling indoor lights. You can avoid extra lights by keeping blinds or shades closed and by avoiding high-intensity bulbs or fluorescent lights. Alternatively, opting for incandescent or halogen lighting can be beneficial.

2. Minimise glare
You can install an anti-glare screen on the monitor of your computer to minimise glare. Keep the windows covered to reduce glare caused by outdoor sources.

3. Modify the display settings of your computer
You can modify the display settings of your computer in the following manner to reduce eye strain:
• Brightness-Set the brightness of the display to a level, which equals the brightness of your workplace.
• Text size and contrast-Modify the text size and contrast according to the comfort level of your eyes. For most people, black text colour on a white background ensures minimum eye strain and maximum convenience.
• Colour temperature- The spectrum of visible light, which a colour display usually emits is its colour temperature. Blue light is considered to cause more eye strain. So, you should decrease the colour temperature to minimize the amount of blue light emitted by your computer’s display.

4. Try some eye exercises
You can practise some easy eye exercises to prevent your eyes from getting tired. Try staring at a distant object for 10-15 seconds and then looking at any nearby object for another 10-15 seconds. Return your gaze to the first object. Repeat 10 times.

5. Opt for some computer eyewear while working
Try wearing a pair of computer glasses while working. They ensure that your eyes remain correctly focussed on the computer screen, while reducing strain to a minimum. Computer glasses also prove to be very effective in diminishing glare. 

6. Take short breaks at regular intervals
Apply the 20-20 rule to your work regime. After each 20 minutes of work on the computer, give your eyes a 20 second break by looking away from the screen towards any object located 20 feet away from you.

7. Go for a comprehensive eye exam
Make sure that you go for a comprehensive eye exam every year to reduce vision problems caused by computers. This will also help in detecting the root cause behind your problem, so that you can effectively employ curative or preventive measures to control eye strain.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

7 Easy Ways to Get Relief from EveryDay Computer Eye Strain

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in people across the globe. It damages the optic nerve that carries sensory images from the retina to the brain. A faulty eye pressure is responsible for damaging the very delicate optic nerve fiber causing small blind spots in the retina. Unfortunately, for most patients this disease only gets diagnosed when the number of blind spots is on the higher side.

Types of Glaucoma

Open angle: This is a type of Glaucoma which results from the blockage of the drainage angle of the eye resulting into an increased eye pressure.
Angle closure: This is the kind of Glaucoma which results from the narrowing down of the drainage angle leading to complete blockage.
Target segment of Glaucoma

Family history: Inheritance surely plays a role in case of Glaucoma too. If Glaucoma runs through families of an individual, there are higher chances of getting this disease. Although there is no hard and fast rule about it, the risks of inheriting this disease are on the higher side.
Eye injury: If there is any history of previous eye injuries, the probability of the onset of Glaucoma cannot be turned down. Specially, if the injury is related to optic nerve, there are very high risks involved.
Bilateral Oophorectomy: Dual Ovary removal before the age of 40 results in deficiency of estrogen resulting in Glaucoma. Although most surgeons warn their patients of the possible risk of these procedures, many surgeries such as these have resulted in patients losing eyesight in the form of Glaucoma.
Patient with Diabetes: In case of acute diabetes, retina gets damaged and the eye starts producing new blood vessels on the iris resulting into an increased eye pressure. This condition often leads to Glaucoma due to blockage of fluid flow in the eye.
Eye Conditions: Myopia, multiple surgeries to the eye, blunt trauma etc. can lead to Glaucoma. A patient who has undergone any kind of eye surgeries suffers from inflammation. However, major inflammation is often found twisting blood flow in the eye resulting into Glaucoma.
If a patient is 40 or above: After a person reaches 40 years of age, a lot of diseases start cropping in to the body. Studies show that Glaucoma has a higher frequency in people who is more than the age of 40 or above.
High eye pressure: A patient with an eye pressure of above 21 mm HG is also at a very high risk of getting glaucoma. For a normal person the IOP lies between 10 to 21 mm HG.
Blood flow related disease: Diseases such as acute migraine, hypertension and low blood pressure which involves blood flow related problem often aggravate to glaucoma.
Ethnic Background: Statistics show that people from Afro American, Hispanics, Asian and Caribbean background have greater chances of being affected by Glaucoma.

Glaucoma - Are You at Risk?

A common headache can have a number of reasons behind it, such as defective vision, hetrophoria or convergence deficiency, etc. Now, the question arises as to how they can cause headache. Read on to know more...

Q. Why should defective vision cause headache?

To attain a perfect vision, eyes with defective vision have to make sustained extra efforts, which results in headache. Even if the refractive error is very small, it can be the cause of headache. More prolonged the working and smaller the print, higher the incidence of headache.

Q. Can this occur at all ages?

Yes, it can occur at all ages. However, with age, the resistance decreases and hence elderly people are more prone to get headache. More the use of computer, mobiles, TV or prolonged studies precipitates headache

Q What is Hetrophoria?

Normally, both eyes always remain parallel, but in some cases, eyes have slight tendency to develop minor squint, may be convergent or divergent. This is called Hetrophoria or Latent squint. Such patients have to take extra strain to keep the eyes straight

Q. What is convergence deficiency?

For reading, both eyes have to converge and if there is weakness of convergence, extra strain has to be put on the eyes, which cause headache.

Q. What is the ideal method of refraction in young patients, I,e below 40 years?

Ideal method is to dilate the pupil with Tropicasyl plus drops. This has the advantage that the doctor can see the retina and Optic Disc. This is important to exclude any involvement of brain as the cause of headache. It also relaxes accommodation and hence provides correct refraction. In cases of Hypermetropia, it is extremely essential to dilate the pupil.

Q. What is the role of Autorefractmeter (a computer) in refraction?

It is a very important instrument to provide correct refraction, but it cannot be totally relied upon. Some opticians rely on it and give wrong numbers.

Q. What is acceptance Test?

You have refracted the eyes with Autorefractmeter or Streak Retinoscope but exact power is what a patient accepts. This is very important.

Q. What is astigmatism?

There is a difference in refraction in different meridians and it is important that a cylinder number is prescribed in correct axis. This is a difficult task and needs lot of experience.

Q. Is it important to correct astigmatism?

To relieve headache and strain on the eyes, it is very important that exact cylinder is prescribed.

Q. What is the role of exact centring of Optical Lenses?

You may give correct number, but if the centre of the Optical lenses and cornea do not coincide, satisfactory results are not obtained. To dispense correct lenses is a big art and the Optician must be qualified and well experienced.

Q. Does the quality of lens affect the visual comfort?

Yes, it is important that quality of lenses should be good, preferable fibre lenses which are Ant reflect coated. Crizal coating with capability to block the UV rays are very popular.

Conclusion: Refractive errors are important cause of headache and needs proper examination of the eyes, preferably after dilating the pupil. Astigmatic error even if too small may be the cause of headache. Spectacle dispensing is an art and a patient must select proper optician. Spectacles if advised for constant use must be used constantly to get full relief.

Defective Vision - Can it be a Cause of Your Headache?

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