If your eyes suddenly look reddish and feel extremely itchy, you may be suffering from allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is triggered by exposure to allergens like pollen or mold spores. An allergy to eye drops or contact lens solution can also trigger this condition. Allergic conjunctivitis is a very common health condition and more common during the hay fever season.

There are two types of allergic conjunctivitis; acute allergic conjunctivitis and chronic allergic conjunctivitis. Acute allergic conjunctivitis is characterized by the swelling of eyelids and intense itchiness and burning. Amongst the two, this is a more common condition. Chronic allergic conjunctivitis can occur during any season and has symptoms that come and go. It is a milder response to allergens such as dust, food, pollen, chemical scents etc.

On presenting the symptoms of conjunctivitis to a doctor, he may ask for an allergy skin test, a blood test or a scraping of the conjunctival tissue to understand the type of conjunctivitis you are suffering from. Allergic conjunctivitis can be treated with a combination of medication and home care.

Antihistamines are the most common form of treatment for this disease. This can reduce and block the release of histamines in the body. Artificial eye drops may also be used to create a screen over the eye and prevent the eye from coming in contact with the allergen. Eye drops may also be used to shrink swollen blood vessels in the eye. Steroid eye drops may also be used along with anti inflammatory eye drops.

Home care to treat allergic conjunctivitis focuses on preventing the trigger. Today, apps on your phone can update you n the pollen levels in the air. Close your windows every time you notice a higher than normal pollen count and keep your home as dust free as possible. You could also use an air purifier in your home. Also, avoid exposure to strong chemicals, dyes, perfumes etc.

To avoid the condition from worsening, avoid rubbing your eyes and wash your hands every time you touch your eyes. Disinfect your towels, sheets and pillowcases that come in contact with your eyes every few days with hot water. Wash eyes with cold water twice daily especially after coming home from outside. Do not share your make up or brushes with other people. This is a healthy habit to follow even when you are not suffering from this condition. While you suffer from pink eye you should also not wear contact lenses. Once the eye has healed, discard the old lenses and replace them with a new pair.

Allergic Conjunctivitis - How It Can Be Treated?

The most common vision problems are shortsightedness and farsightedness. Shortsightedness is when a person sees close objects clearly while distant objects appear blurry. It is more common than farsightedness and affects about 70% of the Asian population.

When there is a refractive issue, the prescription usually has a plus/minus with it and also a number. A  minus  symbol is used to represent shortsightedness; the greater the number of the glasses, the higher the shortsightedness. High myopia is a more severe form of shortsightedness where the power is -6.0 or higher.

Symptoms: 

As mentioned, the person will be able to see nearby objects but will have difficulty seeing far off objects.

Difficulty reading signs and boards
Squinting
Straining to reduce the strain on the eye
Tired and fatigue due to this eye strain, especially when in constant move like playing sports or travelling
How it happens?

Vision can be explained by a physical process where light passes through a lens and falls on the retina in the posterior portion of the eye where it forms an image. This is then sent to the brain where it is read and interpreted as a particular object. When the lens becomes elongated, the image that is formed is distorted in that it is formed in front of the retina and not on the retina. Though it gradually settles down with adulthood, in most cases, it progresses and requires corrective lenses. The corrective lenses ensure the image falls on the retina and visual perception is improved.

Treatment:

Corrective glasses are the most commonly used measure for nearsightedness. The lenses could be used either as spectacles or as contact lenses.
Laser surgery can also be used to correct the problem. A thin layer of the cornea is removed and the image formation is corrected.
Artificial intraocular lenses are also being used to treat this condition. They work like contact lenses and may need periodic replacement.
The most common technique, especially for high myopia is the use of surgery to correct the problem. This is a one-time correction and is a more durable solution than the earlier mentioned options.
Appropriate calculations are done to identify the lens to be used so that proper vision is restored.
Complications: 

Though not common, retinal detachment and variable postoperative refractive error can occur during the surgery.
It is very important to set realistic expectations with the patient in terms of what to expect before, during, and after surgery. If only one eye is going for repair, the chances of mismatch in vision could be present in the early stages. Being clear about what to expect will help in successful correction.

Myopia or Nearsightedness - How It Can Be Treated?

Styes are normally caused by a proliferation of natural bacterial flora within the eye. This causes an inflammatory reaction and is known to affect children more than adults. It resembles a pimple in exterior appearance and may grow both inside and outside of the eyelid. The symptoms of styes include redness, pain, swelling and tenderness. Though the styes do not lead to any kind of visual problems, they can cause significant discomfort.

What can cause styes?
Your eyelids have lots of tiny oil glands, which can become clogged by dead skin, dirt, or oil buildup. When a gland is blocked, bacteria can grow inside. This is what causes a stye to develop.

What are the symptoms of styes?
The most common symptom of styes includes swelling of the eyelid, redness, pain, tenderness, eyelid crusts and burning in the eye. It frequently leads to a yellowish-white discharge which becomes very uncomfortable and may also continue to drain out of the eye. Doctors recommend not to press or squeeze the styes as it may lead to further complications.

You should call your doctor if:

The child`s eye is swollen shut
He has a severe pain
He has a high-grade fever
Swelling lasts for more than 20 days
Pus continues to drain from the eye
His eyelid bleeds
He has problems with his vision
Homeopathic medicines for sty are safe and effective with no side effects. They play a vital role in improving the health and immune levels of the body. The recurrence of any symptoms in a body can be prevented by homeopathic medicines. These medicines are easy and comfortable for all age groups as they taste sweeter and give quicker results.

Styes tend to dry out on its own although applying homeopathic medication can aid in hastening the process of healing.

Amalki: This homeopathic medicine aids in repairing damaged tissue which in turn aids the stye infection to dry out. It is recommended to add a teaspoon of Amalki, which is available in most homeopathic outlets, into a glass of pure water. Then the mixture must be left on its own for the whole night for at least 10 to 12 hours. The mixture should then be filtered and used for washing the affected eye.
Heper Sulphur: Heper sulphur aids in speeding up the rupture of styes so that the pain is instantly relieved. This remedy is particularly suited for the styes that cause significantly red and swollen. It also aids in reducing the tenderness and swelling. In the case of some children, styes tend to secrete a liquid discharge and are extremely painful. Heper sulphur along with warm compress can be extremely helpful in relieving the pain. 
Pulsatilla: Some styes do not cause any pain but cause significant swelling and secrete a yellowish discharge. People affected with such type of styes can be significantly benefited by the use of homeopathic remedy called pulsatilla. It has also been found useful in preventing reoccurrence of styes.
Staphisagria: Staphisagria is for chronic or recurrent styes that appear mainly on the upper eyelid. The eyes are very dry and have rheum. The corner of the eye and the edges of the eyelids may be chapped and infected.
It is important to keep the eye clean and flush it with cold water. If the pain and related symptoms do not go away after 3 to 4 days, it is best to consult a doctor for further treatments.

Styes - How Homeopathic Remedies Can Help?

7 Ways To Care For Your Eyes 

Eyes do more than we give them credit for and require more care than what we actually give them mostly. It isn't very difficult to ensure that your eyes are healthy and taken care of.

Here are 7 ways to care for your eyes everyday.

1) Splash water - Always clean your eyes with cold (filtered) water, from time to time. The clean water washes the eyes and keeps them healthy and free of diseases.
2) Don’t look into the sun - Never look into the sunlight directly. In fact, avoid looking at any sort of light that is harsh on the eyes. Direct rays of any kind of bright light can have damaging effect on the retina.
3) Get eyes examined - Have regular eye exams to check for diabetes and high blood pressure, if these health problems already exist in the family.
4) Do not smoke - People who smoke are more risk of having age-related eye problems.
5) Exercise your eyeballs - Roll the eyeballs up and down, and lift and right without moving your position. Repeat this exercise about 5 to 10 times. This helps relax the muscles in your eyes.
6) Distance eyes from screens - If you work on the computer, make sure there is enough distance between the screen and your eyes. Sit at least 22-28 inches away from the screen. The same applies while using smartphones and tablets. Do not view the screen from too close. Viewing the screen from too near as well as from too far; can increase the strain in your eyes.
7) Give them a break - People who work on the computer all day should ensure that they rest their eyes after regular intervals. Look in a long distance every few minutes. 


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7 Ways To Care For Your Eyes Without Making Any Effort

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!

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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