Glaucoma is a group of diseases that causes damage to your eye's optic nerve and gets worse over time. The optic nerve is a bundle of millions of nerve fibres which carry visual impulse from the retina at the back of eye to the brain. The increased eye pressure, called intraocular pressure, can damage the optic nerve and fasten the natural nerve fibre loss. Since nerve cells can't regenerate this damage is permanent and irreversible.

Without treatment, glaucoma can cause total permanent blindness within a few years. Because most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from this increased pressure, it is important to see your eye doctor regularly so that glaucoma can be diagnosed early and treated before significant functional visual loss occurs.

If you are over age 40 and have a family history of glaucoma, you should have a complete eye exam with an eye doctor every one to two years. If you have any risk factors, you may need to visit your eye doctor more frequently.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

For most people, there are usually few or no symptoms of glaucoma. The first sign of glaucoma is often the loss of peripheral or side vision, which can go unnoticed until late in the disease. This is why glaucoma is often called the" sneak thief of vision" or" silent thief of eye sight.

If you have any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical care:

Seeing halos around lights
Vision loss
Redness in the eye
Eye that looks hazy (particularly in infants)
Nausea or vomiting
Pain in the eye
Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)
Risk factors-

There are several risk factors, which may lead to glaucoma, such as

Age of the individual
Ethnicity- african, caribbean, hispanics and asians are at higher risk
Increased eye pressure or iop history of glaucoma in family or relatives
Presence of myopia or hyperopia
Previous eye injuries
Use of steroids- as injections, tablets, eye or ear drops or ointments or protein supplements for muscle building in gyms or inhalers
Previous history of anemia
Individuals conditions affecting blood flow like hypertension, diabetes or high blood sugar, migraine etc are also at risk.
Treatment-

The treatment for glaucoma relies on the nature and seriousness of every case. Generally, glaucoma cannot be totally cured, but it can be controlled. Eye drops, pills, laser strategies, and means of surgery are utilized to maintain and prevent further harm from happening. Talk to your eye doctor to find out if you are at risk of developing glaucoma.

Are You at a Risk of Glaucoma? What You Need to Know?

Eye allergy or allergic conjunctivitis is an adverse immune response of the body that occurs when it comes across an irritating substance or allergens like smoke, dust or pollen. The body assumes these to be harmful substances and releases chemicals called histamine to fight against them.

Symptoms of an eye allergy-

Allergy in the eyes causes the occurrence of certain symptoms-

  Itching in the eyes

  The sensation of burning in the eyes

  Redness

  Watery discharge

  Swollen eyelids

  Light sensitive

What triggers it?

An eye allergy is usually triggered by the following components-

  Pollen

  Dander

  Dust Mites

  Mould

  Pet Dander

  Exhaust from vehicles

What to do if you suffer from eye allergy-

  Consult an eye specialist or allergist - It is important to consult a physician since the symptoms may pertain to other allergies like asthma or eczema that have different treatment.

  Take proper medication - Take the prescribed eye drops, oral histamines or decongestants to alleviate the symptoms.

  Avoid the allergen - It is difficult to do so if the allergies are seasonal, that means if the eye allergies always occur during specific seasons of the year. If they are not seasonal, you can avoid the allergens if you

Keep the doors and windows closed at home and while riding the car
Take a shower or change your clothes after coming back home from outside
Wear an allergy-relief mask while outside to filter the smoke, dust, etc.
Wear glasses to protect eyes from the allergens
Wash hands after petting any animal
Use a dehumidifier to protect against mould
  Take allergy shots - These are good precautionary measures for seasonal allergies. These increase the tolerance for the irritants. Similarly some eyedrops can be given to decrease the frequency, severity and intensity of allergy episodes.

  Natural remedies - If nothing else works you can use a cold compress to relieve the itchy eyes. Eat walnuts, fish oil and flaxseed oil that contain Omega- 3 fatty acids to reduce inflammatory substances in the body.

What not to do if you are having an eye allergy-

  Avoid rubbing your eyes; that will further irritate your eyes and damaged the eye surface

  Do not keep your indoor surroundings dirty and dusty

  Do not dry-sweep the floors

  Do not pet any animal if you are allergic to animal dander

There is no permanent cure for eye allergies yet but the proper treatment and precautions can help to reduce many of the symptoms. Over-the-counter medications may work out for some people but others may require severe treatment. Remember in spite of prophylactic or therapeutic treatment if u are exposed to a high load of allergens, you will develop symptoms of allergies but they will be milder than if u had no prophylaxis.

Eye Allergies - What To Do & What Not To Do?

Blurred vision is most often a sign that you need corrective spectacles for near sightedness, far sightedness or astigmatism but it could also be a sign of a bigger problem including eye diseases or neurological problems. Blurred vision involves the loss of sharpness of vision and objects appearing hazy and out of focus. It can affect one eye or both eyes simultaneously.

Whatever be your age, it is a good idea to consult a doctor as you begin to experience a blurred vision. To measure the extent of your vision problem, a doctor will do a comprehensive eye examination including spatial contrast sensitivity and a standard eye chart test. Some of the factors that trigger blurred vision are:

1. Myopia or nearsightedness
2. Hypermetropia or farsightedness
3. Astigmatism caused by an irregularly shaped cornea
4. Presbyopia - the diminished ability to focus on objects due to the hardening of the lens in the eye
5. Dry eyes or the lack of lubrication on the surface of the eyes
6. Hormonal changes during pregnancy
7. Migraine headaches
8. Temporary floaters in the eye formed by the liquefying of the gel in the eyes
9. After effects of lasik surgery
10. Eye drops or medication
11. Overuse of contact lenses
12. Diabetes

Blurred vision can also be a symptom of a serious condition such as cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases.

Treatment for blurred vision depends on the factors triggering it. Wearing corrective glasses can cure blurred vision caused by myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism. These conditions can also be treated by lasik surgery. For blurred vision related to diabetes, check your blood sugar and get it into its optimal range.

Exercises for the eye muscles can also help sharpen vision and lower the rate of eye muscle degeneration. Some of these exercises are:

1. Alternately focus on an object close to you and another far from you for ten seconds each.
2. Blink your eyes and hold for two seconds
3. Roll your eyes clockwise and anticlockwise. Repeat 15-20 times.
4. Rub your palms together to generate heat and place over your eyes to relax them.

A healthy diet with plenty of vitamin a can help keep your eyes healthy and prevent blurring of vision. Wearing sunglasses can also protect your eyes from harmful uv radiation and lower their rate of wear and tear. Lastly avoid reading in moving vehicles and holding a book too close to your face.

Is Your Vision Blurry? What Should You Do?

Astigmatism is a typical vision problem that occurs when the shape of the cornea is distorted due to injuries or other causes. With astigmatism, the lenses of the eye or the cornea curves. This irregular curve can change the way light refracts or passes through your retina. This causes hazy, fluffy, or twisted vision. Farsightedness and partial blindness are two different sorts of issues with the way light goes to your retina. Farsightedness is called hyperopia. Partial blindness is called astigmatism.

Types: There are two types of Astigmatisms. These are:

1. Corneal astigmatism
It happens when your cornea itself is distorted.

2. Lenticular astigmatism
Lenticular astigmatism happens when your lens is distorted.

Risks: Astigmatism can happen in youngsters and grown-ups. Your danger of creating astigmatism might be higher if you have any of the following:

1. A family history of astigmatism or other eye issues like dislocation of the cornea.
2. Scarring or diminishing of your cornea
3. Excessive partial blindness, which makes foggy vision at a separation
4. Excessive farsightedness, which makes hazy close-up vision
5. A past of eye surgeries, for example, cataract surgery (surgical expulsion of a blurred focal point)

Symptoms; The side effects of astigmatism include:

1. Hazy, Bended, Or Fluffy Vision At All Separations (Close-Up And Far Away)
2. Trouble seeing during evening
3. Lazy eye
4. Squinting
5. Irritation in the eye
6. Cerebral Pains

Diagnosis:

Visual Acuity Assessment Test

Patients are required to read letters from a graph at a particular distance to decide how well they can see the letters.

Refraction Test

A refraction test uses a machine called an optical refractor. The machine has various remedial glass lenses that are used to read an outline while looking through lenses on the optical refractor.

Treatment:

Keratometry

Keratometry is a route for your specialist to measure the bend of your cornea. They will do this by taking a look at your eye through a keratometer.


Corrective Lenses

Remedial eyeglasses and contact lenses prescribed by a specialist are the most well-known and least obtrusive solution for astigmatism.


Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology is a treatment that uses contact lenses to correct the deformation and flow of your cornea. You will wear inflexible contact lenses for certain time-periods. It is easier to wear them while you are sleeping and remove them during the day.


Surgery

Your specialist may suggest refractive surgery if your case is a serious one. This kind of surgery includes use of lasers or little blades to reshape your cornea. This will correct astigmatism permanently. The three basic surgeries for astigmatism are:

1. Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)
2. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
3. Spiral keratotomy (RK).

All these surgeries might carry some risks depending upon the symptoms of your problem. As innovation advances, it is very important for the patient to explore more options before choosing which refractive surgery is a good fit for him or her.

Types and Treatment for Astigmatism

With technology at your fingertips, it is hard to think of times when the existence of laptops and television sets was unimaginable. Technology is common enough to be taken for granted in present times. TV and laptops are especially in widespread use. The primary reason could be entertainment, an urge to connect to the larger world, or the need to kill time. Such dependability leads to severe health hazards. Read on to find out more:

Effects of TV and laptops on your health:

    Sleep deprivation: Long hours of exposure to artificial light can lead to sleep deprivation.
    It can also lead to serious vision problems: Watching TV or using laptops for long hours can make your eyes vulnerable to constant glare. You fail to realize, but changing lights of a computer screen or of a television set in a dark room can be extremely strenuous for your eyes to adjust. Constantly changing lights can lead to glaucoma. However, dry and itchy eyes, headaches and poor vision are the commonly noticed effects.
    It causes obesity in children and adults: Since all your work can be done on the internet, you tend to become lethargic. You are too lazy to go to the market or to the bank. Even if you are not watching you use the television for background music. Adults therefore do not make qualitative use of their free time. Children are addicted to playing games and browsing sites on the laptop. They hardly indulge in outdoor games. This leads to obesity in adults and children all the same.
    Propels your desire to eat fast food or packaged food: Binge eating is a very common practice while watching TV or using laptops. Chips, pizzas, burgers, ice- creams, cold drinks and absolutely anything junk devoid of nutritional value are more liked by us. Junk food not only leads to weight gain but is also detrimental to our digestive system.
    Can increase the risk of infertility in men: Laptops heat up when used for a long span of time. This heat can increase scrotum temperature which results in reduced sperm production, leading to infertility.   

As is said, nothing in excess is good for your health. It is therefore, best to make controlled use of TV and laptops to avoid its harmful effects.

Watching TV and Using Laptop: How it Affects Your Health?

5 myths about eye health and the real facts behind them

Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. However, there are a number of myths regarding what you should do and what you shouldn't do when it comes to maintaining good eye health.

Here are 5 of those myths busted:

Myth #1: reading in dim light and sitting too close to the tv hurts your eyes

Fact: sitting too close to the tv, you may feel eye strain or get a headache from reading in the dark, but it will not weaken your eyes. It fatigues your eyes but does not harm your eye health in any way.

Myth #2: eating carrots will improve your vision

Fact: carrots are rich in vitamin a, a nutrient essential for good vision. But eating carrots will only provide a small amount of vitamin a. To get the optimum amount, you need to include other sources of vitamin a in your diet as well, some of which are milk, cheese, egg yolk and liver. Spinach is best for eye health. It has lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can help prevent cataracts.

Myth #3: if you wear glasses or contacts for a continuous period, your eyes will weaken

Fact: your eyes will not grow weaker by using corrective lenses. The prescription may change over time due to aging or absence of disease but it has nothing to do with your current prescription. Some children have correctable eye problems that do require glasses to improve the condition.

Myth #4: when you get something in your eye, rub it out

Fact: this is not true for everything that gets in your eyes. If any particle falls in your eyes dust it off. But if it is sand and small debris that gets in your eye, don't touch it. Use an eye wash for flushing it out. If an object gets stuck in your eye, don't remove it or rub your eye constantly. Visit a doctor at the earliest because some serious injuries may seem minor at first.

Myth #5: dark sunglasses can protect your eyes from the sun

Fact: the color of sunglass does not ensure eye protection. Look for sunglasses that block both uva and UVB rays. Exposure to the UV-rays of sunlight can have cumulative effects on your eyes. It increases your risk for cataracts, solar retinitis, and age-related vision loss. Even if your contacts have UV protection, wear sunglasses that block 100% of uva and UVB rays for full protection.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Here's What CRYING Does to Your Body

Sitting Too Close To TV Will Weaken Your Eyes? FALSE.

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