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Product Knowledge |
Most people will experience some eye
trouble at one time or another. Eyes
can be tired, dry, bloodshot,
infected or itchy to name a few
conditions. Call or see an eye care
professional for any of these
problems that last more than a day
or two.
Medical science has proven that 90%
of the eyes diseases are the result
of hypoxia (lack of oxygen). When
oxygen and water supply to the eye
ball is low, which slow down
metabolism and detoxification
process around the eye ball, a host
of eye-related diseases such as
astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts,
myopia, presbyopia, floaters, dry
eye, etc began to develop. |
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common eye diseases caused by
hypoxia |
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Conjunctivitis (Sometimes Called
“Pinkeye”) |
 Conjunctivitis
is an inflammation of the
conjunctiva, the membrane that lines
the eyelid and wraps around to cover
most of the white of the eye. The
eyes will appear bloodshot and
tearing, sometimes swollen. They
often itch and are irritated. The
infected membrane is filled with pus
so the eyelids may stick together
after being closed for a while (like
while you are sleeping). Carefully
splash them with some cool water to
loosen any "gunk" so you can open
them.
This condition can be caused by
allergies, bacterial infection,
viral infection, makeup, contact
lens solutions or another physical
irritant. Conjunctivitis is VERY
contagious if it is caused by a
viral infection. It may start in one
eye and then spread to the other. Be
careful after washing and drying
your face -- don't let anyone else
use that towel, as it is contagious.
It often spreads from one family
member to another. Make sure you
wash your hands after touching or
rubbing your eyes.
Conjunctivitis that is associated
with hay fever (allergies) may be
treated with prescription eye drops.
It is not contagious and is often
worse in the morning. Let your
health care provider know you are
having this problem, there are OTC
and prescription eye drops that may
lessen your symptoms. If you think
you have viral or bacterial
conjunctivitis call your eye doctor
or health care provider. Sometimes
with viral conjunctivitis no
prescription is given, as it has to
just run its course. But if it is
very uncomfortable your health care
provider may prescribe eye drops to
make you more comfortable. Bacterial
conjunctivitis can be treated with
prescription eye drops. |
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Corneal Ulcer |
If the cornea (the membrane that
covers the front of the eye) is
damaged, the eye becomes inflamed
and often very sensitive to light.
Damage may occur as a result of an
injury, often you get a scratch on
your eye from a foreign object or
from something else like if you walk
through some tall bushes and get
scratched in the eye by a branch.
Or, if you fall in some dirt while
rollerblading or cycling and your
eye gets scratched by a pebble. Call
your health care provider right away
if you do get a scratch like this on
the surface of the eyeball. An
infection can occur from the
ulceration. You will be given
prescription eye drops and sometimes
oral medication to prevent
infection. The eye can heal very
quickly, but you must seek attention
quickly with this kind of injury.
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Eyestrain |
Eyestrain causes a dull, aching
sensation around and behind the eyes
that can progress into a generalized
headache. It may feel painful or
fatiguing to focus the eyes.
Eyestrain is commonly a result of
overuse of the eyes for activities
requiring close and precise focus,
such as reading, embroidering,
sewing or using the computer! This
has become a common problem for
people who work or surf the net
often. Its important to look away
from the screen from time to time
and buy one of those UVA filters for
you computer, it really helped my
eye strain!
 What
to do?
Lie down, close your eyes, place a
cold compress (cold, clean, wash
cloth is fine) over your eyes. Relax
your eyes for at least ten minutes.
Try to avoid eyestrain by taking
periodic "focus breaks". About every
twenty minutes try to look away from
your work and focus on something in
the distance for a minute or two.
ALSO... get enough sleep, your eyes
will get eyestrain easier if you are
very tired. If you have severe pain
with blurred vision, call an eye
care professional or other
professional help at once. |
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Sty |
A sty is a bacterial infection
within an oil gland on the edge of
the eyelid. The sty takes on the
appearance of a small pimple from
being inflamed. This pimple will
gradually come to a head, open and
drain. Early treatment helps the sty
to heal faster and prevents any
complications. They are very common
in children and teens who often rub
their eyes with dirty hands.
What to do?
Apply a hot compress to the area for
about ten minutes to help relieve
discomfort and bring the sty to a
head so that it can drain and then
healing can begin.
In stubborn cases you may need to be
treated with antibiotics, call your
health care provider for further
instructions or to see if he or she
wants to prescribe an antibiotic for
you. |
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Serious Eye Problems |
Detachment
Of The Retina -- Serious Stuff
Detachment of the retina usually
occurs from trauma to the head. This
means trauma is usually a blow to
the head, or if you fall off you
bike and bump your head, or even
bump your head hard enough on
something at home. If you experience
ANY distorted vision, see flashes of
light or any vision loss after a
blow to the head, get medical
attention as soon as possible! There
is no pain with a detached retina;
just light flashes, vision loss or
distortion. A detached retina
usually requires surgical
reattachment, otherwise you can have
permanent blindness! This is often
why professional boxers have to
retire. After the many blows they
take to the face and the head, they
often have detached retinas and risk
blindness if they continue to fight
after surgery.
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Aging and
Your Eyes
Did you know that many older people
have good eyesight into their 80's
and beyond? Growing older does not
always mean you see poorly. But age
brings changes that can weaken your
eyes.
There are some easy things to try
when these changes happen. You might
add brighter lights in more places
around the house--like at work
counters, stairways, and favorite
reading places. This may help you
see better and can sometimes prevent
accidents caused by weak eyesight.
While older people have more eye
problems and eye diseases than
younger people, you can prevent or
correct many of them by:
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Seeing your doctor regularly to check
for diseases like diabetes, which could
cause eye problems if not treated. |
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Having a complete eye exam with an
eye specialist every 1 to 2 years.
Most eye diseases can be treated
when they are found early. The eye
doctor should enlarge (dilate) your
pupils by putting drops in your
eyes. This is the only way to find
some eye diseases that have no early
signs or symptoms. The eye doctor
should test your eyesight, your
glasses, and your eye muscles. You
should also have a test for
glaucoma. |
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Taking extra care if you have diabetes
or a family history of eye disease. Have
an eye exam through dilated pupils every
year. See an eye doctor at once if you
have any loss or dimness of eyesight,
eye pain, fluids coming from the eye,
double vision, redness, or swelling of
your eye or eyelid. |
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Common Eye Complaints |
Presbyopia
(prez-bee-OH-pee-uh) is a slow loss
of ability to see close objects or
small print. It is a normal process
that happens over a lifetime. You
may not notice any change until
after the age of 40. People with
presbyopia often hold reading
materials at arm's length. Some get
headaches or "tired eyes" while
reading or doing other close work.
Presbyopia is often corrected with
reading glasses.
Floaters
are tiny spots or specks that float
across the field of vision. Most
people notice them in well-lit rooms
or outdoors on a bright day.
Floaters often are normal, but
sometimes they warn of eye problems
such as retinal detachment,
especially if they happen with light
flashes. If you notice a sudden
change in the type or number of
spots or flashes, see your eye
doctor.
Dry eyes
happen when tear glands don't make
enough tears or make poor quality
tears. Dry tears can be
uncomfortable, causing itching,
burning, or even some loss of
vision. Your eye doctor may suggest
using a humidifier in the home or
special eye drops ("artificial
tears"). Surgery may be needed for
more serious cases of dry eyes.
Tearing
having too many tears can come
from being sensitive to light, wind,
or temperature changes. Protecting
your eyes (by wearing sunglasses,
for instance) sometimes solves the
problem. Tearing may also mean that
you have a more serious problem,
such as an eye infection or a
blocked tear duct. Your eye doctor
can treat or correct both of these
conditions. |
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Eye Diseases and Disorders Common in
Older People |
Cataracts are cloudy areas in part
or all of the eye lens. The lens is
usually clear and lets light
through. Cataracts keep light from
easily passing through the lens, and
this causes loss of eyesight.
Cataracts often form slowly and
cause no pain, redness, or tearing
in the eye. Some stay small and
don't change eyesight very much. If
a cataract becomes large or thick,
it usually can be removed by
surgery.
During surgery, the doctor takes off
the clouded lens and, in most cases,
puts in a clear, plastic lens.
Cataract surgery is very safe. It is
one of the most common surgeries
done in the United States.
Glaucoma results from too much fluid
pressure inside the eye. It can lead
to vision loss and blindness. The
cause of glaucoma is unknown. If
treated early, glaucoma often can be
controlled and blindness prevented.
To find glaucoma, the eye doctor
will look at your eyes through
dilated pupils. Treatment may be
prescription eye drops, oral
medications, or surgery. Most people
with glaucoma have no early symptoms
or pain from increased pressure.
Retinal disorders are a leading
cause of blindness in the United
States. The retina is a thin lining
on the back of the eye. It is made
up of cells that get visual images
and pass them on to the brain.
Retinal disorders include
age-related macular degeneration,
diabetic retinopathy, and retinal
detachment.
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Age-related
macular degeneration.
The macula is part of the eye with
millions of cells that are sensitive to
light. The macula makes vision possible
from the center part of the eye. Over
time, age-related macular degeneration
can ruin sharp vision needed to see
objects clearly and to do common tasks
like driving and reading. In some cases,
it can be treated with lasers.
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Diabetic retinopathy.
This disorder can result from
diabetes. It happens when small
blood vessels stop feeding the
retina properly. In the early
stages, the blood vessels may leak
fluid, which distorts sight. In the
later stages, new vessels may grow
and send blood into the center of
the eye, causing serious vision
loss. In most cases, laser treatment
can prevent blindness. It is very
important that people with diabetes
have an eye exam through dilated
pupils every year.
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Retinal
detachment.
This happens when the inner and outer
layers of the retina become separated.
With surgery or laser treatment, doctors
often can reattach the retina and bring
back all or part of your eyesight. |
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Conjunctivitis happens
when the tissue that lines the
eyelids and covers the cornea
becomes inflamed. It can cause
itching, burning, tearing, or a
feeling of something in the eye.
Conjunctivitis can be caused by
infection or allergies.
Corneal
diseases and conditions
can cause redness, watery eyes,
pain, reduced vision, or a halo
effect. The cornea is the clear,
dome-shaped "window" at the front of
the eye. It helps to focus light
that enters the eye. Disease,
infection, injury, toxic agents, and
other things can damage the cornea.
Treatments include changing the
eyeglass prescription, eye drops, or
surgery.
Corneal transplantation is used to
restore eyesight when the cornea has
been hurt by injury or disease. An
eye surgeon replaces the scarred
cornea with a healthy cornea donated
from another person. Corneal
transplantation is a common
treatment that is safe and
successful. The doctor may prescribe
eyeglasses or contact lenses after
surgery.
Eyelid
problems can come from
different diseases or conditions.
The eyelids protect the eye,
distribute tears, and limit the
amount of light entering the eye.
Pain, itching, tearing and
sensitivity to light are common
eyelid symptoms. Other problems may
include drooping eyelids (ptosis),
blinking spasms (blepharospasm), or
inflamed outer edges of the eyelids
near the eyelashes (blepharitis).
Eyelid problems often can be treated
with medication or surgery.
Temporal
arteritis Causes the
arteries in the temple area of the
forehead to become swollen. It can
begin with a severe headache, pain
when chewing, and tenderness in the
temple area. It may be followed in a
few weeks by sudden vision loss.
Other symptoms can include shaking,
weight loss, and low-grade fever.
Scientists don't know the cause of
temporal arteritis, but they think
it may be a disorder of the immune
system. Early treatment with
medication can help prevent vision
loss in one or both eyes. |
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Low Vision Aids |
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Many people with eyesight problems
find low vision aids helpful. These
are special devices that are
stronger than regular eyeglasses.
Low vision aids include telescopic
glasses, lenses that filter light,
and magnifying glasses. Also, there
are some useful electronic devices
that you can either hold in your
hand or put directly on your reading
material. People with only partial
sight often make surprising
improvements using these aids. |
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others useful link |
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