Dr. Prajwal Neelkanth

Your eyes are one of the most important sense organs, which help in perceiving up to 80 percent of all major impressions. All your important daily activity like reading, internet surfing, driving etc are done with the help of your eyes. You should never take your eyes for granted. There are many ways in which you can take care of your eyes to ensure that you see and experience the world at its very best.

1. Quit Smoking: Smoking makes you vulnerable to a majority of health related problems. When it comes to the health of your eyes, smoking can place you at a risk of uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of your eye which includes ciliary body, iris and choroid) and cataracts (clouding of the lens in your eyes leading to a blurry vision).
2. Wear sunglasses: Proper sunglasses can protect you from the harmful ultra violet (UV) rays of the sun. You should still use sunglasses even if your contact lenses offer UV protection. Too much of UV rays can cause pingeucula (yellow bump on the eyeball) and other serious eye problems. Polarized lenses can help to give your eyes proper protection while driving.
3. Screen time: Minimize the amount of time staring at the computer screen as it can cause
   • Eye strain
   • Dry eyes
   • Head ache
   • Back and shoulder pain
4. Anti- Glare:  Use an anti-glare screen on your computer at work so that the strain and pressure on your eyes are less.
5. Regular exercise: Exercise such as walking can prevent degeneration of the macula (present in the center of the retina in your eyes) which typically occurs by the time you reach the age of 60.
6. Don't Ignore: You should look at changes in your vision as an early warning sign. The changes would include difficulty to see in low light, hazy and double vision, along with abnormal swelling and severe pain in your eyes.

You should visit your eye doctor for check ups at least once every two years. Eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy have no early warning symptoms and can only be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. You should also ensure that the prescription for your contact lenses and eye glasses are up to date. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a general physician.

1. Eating about half a serving a day of soya-based foods could lower a men's sperm count.

2. Look at the relationship between semen quality and a plant form of female sex hormone oestrogen known as phytoestrogen, which is plentiful in soya-rich foods

3. Researchers from britain analysed the intake of 15 soya-based foods in 99 men. They were asked how much and how often in the prior 3 months they had eaten soya-rich foods. The researchers divided the men in to groups according to the soya consumption levels. Men in the highest group on average ate half a serving per day. It was found that men in the highest intake category had 41 million sperm/ml less than men who ate no soya foods.

4. A normal sperm count ranges from 80 million and 120 million per ml, and a sperm count of 20 million per ml or below is considered low.

5. The associtation betwwen soya foods and lower sperm count was stronger in owerweight men.

6. This was attributed to the presence of higher levels of androgen-produced oestrogen in overweight men.

7. The finding suggest that soya foods could affect the male reproductive system, especially sperm production. However, more studies are needed to check whether soys food could cause infertility. (human reproduction, july 2008)