Friday 7 June 2019

10 Pink Eye Facts and Symptoms

June 07, 2019 3


Pink eye, medically known as conjunctivitis, is a fairly common eye infection caused either by bacteria or by viruses that causes the conjunctiva to have an irritated reaction. The conjunctiva is a clear membrane that is in your eyelids as well as on the white parts of your eyeballs. Pink Eye causes are abundant around us leading to an average person’s familiarity with this disease. Yet, there might still be things you may not about it.

Here are some facts for you about Pink Eye:

1. You can be born with Pink Eye:-  Some babies are born with Pink Eye, here known as neonatal conjunctivitis. It can be caused either by bacteria, viruses, irritation in the eyes blocked tear ducts, etc.

2.   Not all redness is actually, Pink Eye:- Redness of the eye is a symptom of many types of problems in your body ranging from high blood pressure to uveitis, thus not all redness is conjunctivitis.

3.  There is no immunization to Conjunctivitis:- Whatever may be the cause of your Pink Eye, nothing actually immunizes your eye against it. If you’ve had conjunctivitis, it does not affect your chances of having it again in any way.

4.   Pink Eye doesn’t always fix itself:- While it commonly goes away on its own in a few days, Pink Eye treatment doesn’t always follow this pattern. Sometimes professional medical intervention is required before it permanently affects vision.

5.    Different types of Pink Eye exist:- There are different types of Pink Eye like bacterial, viral, allergic, chemical, etc. Only the bacterial and viral conjunctivitis out of these are contagious by nature, while others are not.

6.  Conjunctivitis doesn’t always spread from rubbing eyes:- While eye-to-hand touch is one of the easiest ways by which conjunctivitis is spread, it is not the only one. Other objects near infected eyes can also spread like make-up, lenses, specs, goggles, lotions, etc.

7.   Pink Eye is not limited to children: - Conjunctivitis usually occurs in children because of their less hygienic habits but it is not limited to just them. Pink Eye happens is in adults and people of all ages as well.

8.   Pink Eye is treatable: - Conjunctivitis is easily treatable with eye drops to reduce dryness, cool compress to reduce inflammation and allergy medication to reduce redness and other symptoms.

9.  It is a short-term disease: - Pink Eye is usually not a severe condition and persists until about a week at the maximum in normal cases.

10.   There are many causes of Pink Eye:- Pink eye causes are many and varied including bacteria, virus, allergic reaction, pollution, amoeba, fungi, chemicals, blocked tear ducts, etc. Based on these different causes, pink eye treatment is also specific to the type that you have caught.

The most common symptoms of Pink Eye are:

  1. Redness of the cornea and inner parts of the eyelid
  2. Teary eyes
  3. Swelling of Conjunctiva
  4. Yellow discharge that often crusts on eyelashes after sleep
  5. Burning sensation in eyes
  6. Itchiness near eyes
  7. White or green discharge
  8. Blurred eyesight
  9. Lymph node swelling
  10. Light sensitivity

The general case of Pink Eye does not adversely affect vision or damage your eyes permanently, but one can never be too sure. Take full precaution to protect your eyes from conjunctivitis and if you do get it, take the proper treatment to be rid of it as soon as possible.

Monday 25 February 2019

Is Computer Vision Syndrome Really A Major Problem At Work?

February 25, 2019 2
Staring at your screen for a long period of time can lead to muscle aches, headache, tired eyes, eye strain, blurred vision, eye irritation and other symptoms of CVS (computer vision syndrome). What appears surprising is, CVS can also result in decreased productivity and can cause more work mistakes. According to the research, around 50% to 90% of people working at a computer screen has few symptoms. What seems to be a bigger threat is, not just working adults but kids too who spend a long time staring at tablets or using a computer can have issues too, especially if the posture and lighting are incorrect.

Computer vision syndrome occurs because the eyes follow the same path in a repetitive motion. The longer you continue the movement, the worse it gets. Working on a requires focusing and refocusing all the time, therefore the eyes react to changing images on the screen to create so that the brain can process as per the image. To add to the woes, computer screen adds glare, flicker, and contrast. As you age, computer work gets harder as the eye lenses become less flexible and the ability to focus on the near and far object significantly reduces. This condition is termed presbyopia.
  
Regular use of computer causes discomfort and eye strain, however, there is no proof that it can result in long-term damage to the eyes. If you continue to ignore the symptoms, it can take a toll on your work performance along with the eyes. Simple changes in the workspace can improve the symptoms like- adjusting the contrast, brightness and font size, visiting an eye doctor for a regular examination, following 20-20-20 rule and blinking often to keep the eye moist. It is also advisable to keep the monitor below eye level and around 20-28 inches away from the face. You should also change the lighting around to decrease the effect on the computer screen.

Sunday 28 October 2018

How Smoking Can Affect Your Vision

October 28, 2018 4


Studies reveal that most chronic ocular diseases are usually associated with smoking. When a person takes a puff of a cigarette, the smoke is inhaled into the lungs and the toxic elements entering the body travels to other parts through blood or tissue. Since the eye is made of fluid and tissue, and it constantly absorbs nutrients and oxygen from the tears as you blink. If there is pollution in the air, it affects your eyes; so the more you smoke, your eyes are exposed to the pollutants.

There are around 600 ingredients in cigarettes and they produce almost 7000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, several of them are toxic. Some of the chemicals are - Butane, Carbon monoxide, Methane, Acetone, Formaldehyde, Cadmium, Arsenic, Tar, Benzene, Ammonia, Methanol, Lead, etc.


Reasons, why one should kick the habit as early as possible, are - Tobacco chemical damage blood vessels in the eyes; it causes biological changes in the eyes that can lead to vision loss. Smoking causes oxidative stress and damages retina, it is also a key factor for AMD. The chemicals interfere with the production of tears and also reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the macula.

Smoking is one of the major risk factors in the development of cataract and also diabetic retinopathy. It also increases the risk of dry eye syndrome and is also associated with the development of thyroid eye disease. Nicotine poisoning also leads to color vision deficiency and are also twice as likely to suffer Uveitis as non-smokers. Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of your child having a squint, also your loved ones risk of suffering sight loss increases.

Tuesday 18 September 2018

High Blood Pressure Can Damage Your Eyes

September 18, 2018 2


Our eyes contain several tiny blood vessels, so when a person is suffering from high blood pressure for a long period of time a lot of complications might arise and harm the vision. The anatomy of the eye is under threat, also high blood pressure might cause stroke which damages the area of the brain responsible for processing images besides impairing the optic nerve. Over time, retina’s blood vessel can also be damaged, limiting the function of the retina and putting pressure on the optic nerve thereby causing vision problems.

High blood pressure might damage the blood vessel also known as, retinopathy which restricts the blood flow to the retina leading to blurred vision or even complete loss of sight in extreme cases. The result of blocked blood flow damages the optic nerve, which can result in killing the nerve cells in the eyes leading to temporary or permanent vision loss. High blood pressure also causes fluid buildup under the retina, which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball resulting in distorted and sometimes impaired vision. This condition is called choroidopathy.

It is therefore necessary to keep the blood pressure under control with the help of medication and lifestyle changes. Doctor might suggest medications like ACE inhibitors, beta blockers or diuretics keep the blood pressure under check. 

Lifestyle changes include including fruits and vegetables in the diet, reducing salt intake, regular physical activity, limiting intake of alcoholic beverages and caffeine. It is also important to quit smoking and lose weight in case you are overweight. 

Friday 27 July 2018

Protect Your Eyes This Monsoon

July 27, 2018 1





















Monsoon does instill a sense of relief in our hearts mostly because; it marks the end of the scorching summer heat. Nevertheless, this season is as well captivated with the possibility of developing various viral or bacterial infections. Thence, the season often causes eye infections to many of us. 

During the monsoon season; red & swollen eyes, itchiness, and irritation accounts to be certain common symptoms of problematic eye conditions. 


Ensure adequate hygiene for your eyes. Keep them clean and free of dirt. In order to do so, make it a habit of washing your eyes well with cold water. Also, do not rub or touch your eyes with dirty hands. 

Monsoon season often causes dryness to the eyes. Therefore, you must blink more often. Blinking helps in keeping the eyes fresh & rejuvenated. 

Keep yourself hydrated. It helps the eyes feel moist and prevents irritation. 

Take note of the cleanliness of your contact lenses and eyeglasses. The corrective lenses are prone to bacterial contamination during the rainy season. Therefore, if not managed properly, they can be the most prominent source of eye infections. 

Always keep your eye drops handy and use them in any condition when you experience itchiness, irritation, or redness in the eye. Also, in such a condition, first rinse your eyes well with cold running water and then apply the eye drops. 

Avoid dust and contaminated water. Rain-water can be harmful to your eyes. Thus, you mustn’t let the rain water get into your eyes. If it so happens, make a point to cleanse your eyes with fresh water, immediately.

Monday 21 May 2018

Five Simple Eye Test Can Detect Glaucoma

May 21, 2018 3











The key to protecting your eyes from the damage which glaucoma can cause lies in the early detection of the problem. The process of diagnosis of Glaucoma involves 5 examinations of eye health. Here is a list of the following and how they help us to detect the eye problem. 

Tonometry – Tonometry is an eye test to measure the pressure on the inner eye. A device named tonometer is used in the process. The presence of glaucoma is diagnosed if the pressure on the inner eye exceeds 20mm Hg.

Ophthalmoscopy – Ophthalmoscopy, also known as the examination of the dilated eye, is conducted to test the color and shape of the optic nerve of the eye. The optic nerve appears unusual if the pressure on it exceeds the stipulated range.

Perimetry – It is the test of the visual field. Perimetry helps in ascertaining the visual field of the eye’s complete vision. According to the test procedure, the patient is asked to look in the direction of its head and judge the lights passing through their peripheral vision. Thence, it maps the vision.

Gonioscopy – The coordination between the iris and cornea of the eye can be highly affected by glaucoma. Thus, this test examines the angle where the iris and cornea meet to check if the angle has widened, reduced, or seize to exist anymore.

Pachymetry – It is a simple test conducted to check the thickness of the cornea. It is done because the thickening of the cornea possesses the ability to determine the judgment of inner eye pressure.

Although these tests are simple and effective, you must only rely on an experienced optometrist of a promising eye center to conduct the tests for you.

Also Read: If You Have These Five Symptoms, It Is Glaucoma

Saturday 17 March 2018

SUMMER IS HERE! Foods to help your eyesight in Summer

March 17, 2018 1




















Healthy eating is essential for healthy eyes. You should understand that what you eat heavily affects your eyesight. This means that you need to consume food which is rich in nutrients as they improve your eyesight and help in avoiding any development of vision problems in the long-term. 

The antioxidants known as lutein and zeaxanthin are known to resist the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration. Omega-3 helps in reducing the chances of getting dry eyes and maintain eye health during old age. Fishes like Tuna and Salmon are great sources of Omega-3.  Along with them adding food rich in Vitamins C, E and zinc help in mitigating the age-related macular degeneration’s symptoms. Milk, cheese, and other poultry products are good sources of zinc.

Spinach

When we take a cup of spinach pack, it consists of around 20.4 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin. It can be added to different dishes as an ingredient like a salad starter, make green smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, etc. Your body absorbs lutein better if the greens are cooked. 

Corn

It’s just not for adding a taste to the food. It contains nutrients like zeaxanthin and lutein. Research has shown that longer cooking results in an increase of lutein level. 

A lot of water consumption

The issue of dehydration becomes common in summer and it affects the eyesight as well. If the dehydration reaches a critical state, the tear-producing power of the body is degraded and leading to vision problems as well as dry eye symptoms. The best solution is to drink as much water as possible and prevent the negative effects of dehydration. The normal flow of water in the body provides the fluid for normal eye function. The nutrient-rich food which is good in taste can be added in the diet of everyone.