Thursday, April 26, 2012

Simple Tips for Healthy Eyes


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.

Follow these simple steps for maintaining healthy eyes well into your golden years.

Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages. During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye the same way an open door lets more light into a dark room. This enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best.

Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too. Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.

Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some sporting goods stores.

Quit smoking or never start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.

Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain.

Clean your hands and your contact lenses—properly. To avoid the risk of infection, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate.

Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are required to provide a safe work environment. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times and encourage your coworkers to do the same.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Summer tips for your eyes.

Now the sun's out, take extra care to keep eyes healthy

Eye is one of the finest gift God has given to the mankind. Beautiful eyes sparkle if you take care of your eyes with some attention and regular checkups. It begins with lifestyle issues like what you really eat. Green leafy vegetables, carrots, liver, cod liver oil, nuts and red or yellow fruits are essential. The food should be fresh and natural. There is no point in loading oneself with self prescribed supplementary doses of Vitamin-A. Protection of eyes and its maintenance should be given utmost importance.

The rays from the sun are divided into three categories: Ultra Violet C, Ultra Violet B and Ultra Violet A rays, all of which can have some affect on your eye health.

UVC rays are the most powerful UV rays and could be most harmful to your eyes. Fortunately the ozone layer blocks nearly all UVC rays.

UVB rays are filtered partially by the ozone layer, but some reach us on the earth. Eyes can become sunburn due to UVB rays.

UVA have a lower energy than UVB and UVC. However UVA rays penetrate the cornea and reach the lens and retina inside the eye. It may lead to development of macular degeneration and cataracts. Sunglasses that block 99–100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays; a wide-brimmed hat; and for those who wear contact lenses, Wrap-around sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats add extra protection because they help block UV rays from entering the eyes from the sides and above.

Allergic disorders of the eye increase during summer. Increased temperature and the traffic pollution make a person (especially children) prone for eye allergies.

There is lot of itching and redness of eyes along with burning sensation. Washing of eyes with cold twice a day, avoiding rubbing of eyes, avoiding walking in dusty areas.

Infection in the eye in the form of conjunctivitis is also common in summer. This is characterized by redness of eyes, pricking sensation, discharge and watering in eyes. Immediate treatment from eye specialist is important as it will prevent the spread of infection to other person and worsening of the eye condition.

Eyelid swelling, redness and pain occur when there is bacterial infection of the eyelids like stye. In such cases again proper eye hygiene along with hot compress, analgesic tablets and antibiotics (oral) will help under medical supervision.

Dry eye syndrome has become very common in summer due to increased temperature and rapid tear film evaporation.

For any of the eye condition, it is important that the person consult a qualified eye specialist (ophthalmologist) in order to assess the situation and get proper treatment. Self medication should be avoided.

It is possible to prevent or minimize these harmful effects of summer by taking the following precaution:

1. Avoid going out in the sun, especially in peak hours, unless necessary

2. Wear appropriate goggles when going out, it is more useful to have goggles that cover the side of temples. This will limit exposure not only to heat and ultra violet rays, but will also prevent dust from entering the eye and any foreign body damaging the eye

3. It is advisable to avoid contact with animal dung and going to dump areas, or areas with thick vegetation and trees, in order to limit exposure to possible allergens.

4. Care of personal hygiene is important. Regular washing of hands and face is recommended. However, frequent washing of eyes is not advisable, as it washes away antibodies present in tear. Rubbing of eyes with dirty hands can aggravate the problem, leading to infections, pus formation and boils over eyelids, known as sties.

5. Air conditioners help to filter air and to limit exposure to allergens. However, if one has irritation in eyes, then sitting directly in front of the air conditioner is not advisable.

6. It is important to limit the use of contact lenses in dusty environment. Proper cleaning and storage should be followed.

7. Use of makeup, especially eye makeup, should be avoided as far as possible, especially if already there is itching and irritation. It is important to remove all trace of make up before sleeping. Even if one uses make up, select appropriate brands and once opened, discard the particular cosmetic within six month. Remember not to share make up with others.

8. It is advisable to take lots of fluids to avoid dehydration, which can indirectly affect tear formation.

9. Lubricant eye drops can be used on a regular basis, after consultation with your eye specialist.

10. It is important to consult an eye specialist at the earliest, if there is redness, watering or itching of eye. If the infection or recurrent condition like vernal keratoconjunctivitis is not treated appropriately, they can cause further damage to the cornea.