What is an eye allergy?
What is macular degeneration?
What are floaters?
What is a cataract?
What is glaucoma?
What is computer vision syndrome?
What is myopia?
What is astigmatism?
What is presbyopia?
What is hyperopia?
What is an eye allergy? An eye allergy is an allergic response to allergens in your environment that cause symptoms such as swollen, itchy eyes. The allergens may be seasonal (for example, pollen from trees, flowers, and grasses) or they may be found in common substances (for example, pet dander, the tiny dandruff-like shreds continually shed by pets, molds, and pollution) to which many people react year-round.
Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis is typically caused by pollen released into the air by flowers, grasses, weeds, and the "cotton" in the air from all our cottonwood trees in Colorado!
What causes allergic conjunctivitis? When you are exposed to a substance that your body considers "foreign," such as pollen, dust, or pet dander, cells in your eyes called mast cells are alerted. These cells in turn release a number of chemical substances that cause the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. What are the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis? Itching is the symptoms allergic conjunctivitis sufferers complain of most. Burning, redness, and watering of the eyes are other common symptoms. You may also experience swelling, puffiness, and/or throbbing, dry, gritty eyes. Some people with allergic conjunctivitis may also be unusually light sensitive.
The best way to minimize the effects of allergic conjunctivitis, including irritation, is to control your exposure to allergens by:
Washing your hands, face, and hair frequently to rid them of allergens. Using air filters indoors and vacuuming regularly. Avoid the outdoors when the pollen counts are high. Closing windows and doors to keep allergens out.
If you have itchy eyes, try to avoid touching or rubbing them because you may introduce the allergen directly into your eyes and aggravate your condition. This may result in further damage to your eyes and/or the development of more serious eye problems. Instead, apply a cool compress to your eyelids, or try using an over-the-counter artificial tear product. There are prescription medications your Optometrist can prescribe that will help to provide relief and alleviate your eyes reaction to the allergen. You are usually able to use these medications regularly for as long as you are exposed to allergens.
Call one of our offices close to you and find out more information about what help your eye doctor may be able to provide to help you with your "allergy eyes"!
What is macular degeneration? This information is designed to help people with age-related macular degeneration and their families better understand the disease. It describes the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related macular degeneration.
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a disease that affects your central vision. It is a common cause of vision loss among people over age of 60. Because only the center of your vision is usually affected, people rarely go blind from the disease. However, ARMD can make it difficult to read, drive, or perform other daily activities that require central vision.
The macula is in the center of the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. As you read, light is focused onto your macula. There, millions of cells change the light into nerve signals that tell the brain what you are seeing.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ARMD Dry ARMD - affects about 90 percent of those with the disease. Its cause is unknown. Slowly, the light sensitive cells in the macula break down. With less of the macula working, you may start to lose central vision in the affected eye as time goes by.
Wet ARMD - Although only 10 percent of all people with ARMD have this type, it accounts for 90 percent of all sever vision loss from the disease. It occurs when new blood vessels behind the retina start to grow toward the macula. Because these new blood vessels tend to be very fragile, they will often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula that can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.
RISK FACTORS: Non-modifiable risk factors:
1. The strongest risk factor is age. Although ARMD can occur during middle age, the risk increases as a person gets older. Results of a large study show that people in their 50's have about a two percent chance of getting ARMD. This risk rises to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75. 2. Family history: It is unknown how much genetics account for ARMD since environmental and dietary factors are likely to be shared by relatives. 3. Females: One study shows that females may be 2.2 times more likely to have ARMD.
RISK FACTORS: Modifiable risk factors:
1. Lack of dietary antioxidants. A diet rich in carotenoids and Vitamin C seems to offer significant protection from ARMD. 2. Smoking seems to decrease the macular pigment density and is universally accepted to increase risk for macular degeneration. 3. Excessive alcohol consumption. This reduces the plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins. 4. Extensive sun exposure.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO DECREASE YOUR RISK?
1. Stop smoking and reduce alcohol consumption. 2. Exercise: Improve your cardiovascular health. 3. Increase intake of following dietary components.
Lutien and Zeaxanthin (spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, green peas, pumpkin, collard greens, parsley and corn) Beta Carotene (sweet potato, spinach, carrots, kale, tomatoes) Vitamin C 500-1000 mg/day Vitamin E 400-800 IU/day Selenium 50mcg/day Zinc 30mg/day 4. Wear sunglasses with good UV-A and UV-B protection. 5. Control high blood pressure, if present.
Although there is no compelling evidence supporting the adjunctive use of vitamins, they, nevertheless, appear safe when used judiciously. There are currently several long-term retrospective studies underway to study the value and effect of vitamin supplements in the management of ARMD.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? Neither dry nor wet ARMD causes any pain. The most common symptom of dry ARMD is slightly blurred vision. Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking more of your central vision.
An early symptom of wet ARMD is that straight lines appear wavy. Another sign that you may have wet ARMD is rapid loss of your central vision. This is different from dry ARMD in which loss of central vision occurs slowly.
HOW IS ARMD DETECTED? Eye care professionals detect ARMD during an eye examination.
One of the most common early signs of ARMD is the presence of drusen. Drusen are tiny yellow deposits in the retina. Your eye care professional can see them during an eye examination. The presence of drusen alone does not indicate a disease, but it might mean that the eye is at risk for developing more severe ARMD.
While conducting the examination, your eye care professional may ask you to look at an Amsler grid. This grid is a pattern that looks like graph paper. While staring at the dot, you may notice that the straight lines in the pattern appear way to you. You may notice that some of the lines are missing. These may be signs of wet ARMD.
TREATMENT OF ARMD No satisfactory treatment is currently available for ARMD. In approximately 10% to 20% of patients with wet ARMD whose lesions are small, well0defned and located ideally outside the macula; conventional thermal laser treatment may be used. This treatment is known as "laser photocoagulation." The heat from the thermal laser light is used to destroy the abnormal leaky blood vessels. However, because this is a non-selective treatment, normal blood vessels are also destroyed, damaging the overlying retina and causing some immediate permanent vision loss. In addition, 50% of patients treated in this way suffer from recurrences which require re-treatment. For the remaining 80 to 90% of patients, conventional thermal laser treatment offers and insignificant benefit in comparison to the immediate vision loss.
Recent approval of photodynamic therapy offers a second treatment besides laser photocoagulation. There are several other new treatments under investigation - macular translocation surgery, prophylactic laser treatment of drusen, transpupillary thermotherapy, radiation therapy, submacular surgery, angiogenesis inhibitors, gene therapy and phoreceptor transplants.
FOLLOW-UP CARE If you have dry ARMD, you should have your eyes examined through dilated pupils at least once a year. This will allow your eye care professional to monitor your condition and check for other eye diseases as well.
You should also obtain an Amsler grid from an eye care professional to use at home. This will provide you with a quick and inexpensive test to evaluate your vision each day for signs of wet ARMD. You should check each eye separately - cover one eye and look at the grid, then cover your other eye and look at the grid. If you detect any changes, you should have an eye exam.
Wet ARMD. If you have wet ARMD, it is important not to delay laser surgery if your eye care professional advises you to have it. AFter surgery, you will need to have frequent eye examination to detect any recurrence of leaking blood vessels.
What are floaters? Floaters are the tiny "specks", "bugs" or "spider webs" that many people see shifting back and forth in their field of vision. They become the most noticeable and annoying when they interfere with clear vision. Usually they are most visible when someone is looking at a plain or light colored background such as the sky or white piece of paper.
The inner chamber of the eye is filled with a clear jelly-like fluid call the vitreous. Floaters are tiny bits of this gel clumped together and floating around. It seems as if they are in the front of the eye, but in reality they are moving around in the vitreous and are seen as shadows by the retina (which is the light-sensing inner layer of the eye).
Floaters are especially common in the nearsighted people and after a cataract operation.
ARE FLOATERS HARMFUL? People may become very concerned when they first notice these little specks floating around in their visual field. Usually, they are just part of the aging process. The vitreous gel shrinks as we get older, pulling away from the retina and causing the floaters. Most often there is no reason for concern.
On rare occasions a tiny amound of bleeding may result from a retinal tear, occurring when the vitreous gel shrinks away from the retina. This is only serious if it worsens into a retinal detachment. Even more rare is the appearance of floaters resulting from crystal-like deposits forming in the gel as a result of an inflammation in the eye.
Your eye doctor can tell whether or not the floaters in your eyes are serious.
WHAT CAN I DO? Floaters can really be bothersome, especially if you're trying to read. About the most helpful thing you can do is to move your eye around. Move your eyes up and down, rather that from side to side. This movement causes the fluid in your eye to swirl which causes the floater to move.
If you notice a sudden onset of new floaters or flashes of light, you should seek advice from your doctor.
WHAT MAKES ME SEE FLASHING LIGHTS? Flashing lights are part of the aging process, caused when the vitreous gel in the eye shrinks and pulls away from the retina. It is the pulling which causes the flashing lights or streaks which seem to shoot across the eye. This same "light" may be seen if you bump your eye or cough heavily. Then you see "stars".
Jagged lines flashes, or "heat waves" are most apt to be migraine in nature. These are present in both eyes and usually last 10 to 20 minutes. Should a headache occur after this, it is called a migraine headache. When these jagged lines or heat waves occur without a headache they are called opthalmic migraine or migraine without a headache.
Any questions you have about the health of your eyes (including the appearance of floaters and flashers) should be communicated to your eye care doctor.
What is a cataract? A cataract is a clouding of the eyes lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eyes focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. Cataracts are very common - one in every seven persons in the United States has a cataract.
The most common form of cataract is age-related, usually starting after age 50. Diabetes, smoking, eye injuries, heredity, systemic diseases, cumulative exposure to ultraviolet rays, and certain medications may also cause cataract development. There is no proven medical treatment available to prevent the formation or progression of cataracts.
SYMPTOMS At first, a cataract starts out small, having little effect on your vision. As they progress, you may observe other symptoms, including:
Blurred vision - sort of like looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Difficulty reading or driving. Sensitivity to light and glare, especially while driving at night. Changes in the way you see colors, or colors seem faded. Cloudy, filmy or fuzzy vision Double vision. Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription. Changes in the color of the pupil Poor night vision.
CATARACT TREATMENT Cataract surgery is very successful in restoring vision. Nine out of ten people who have cataract surgery regain very good vision, somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40. Cataract surgery is usually covered by medical insurance, including Medicare.
When your cataracts have progressed enough to seriously impair your vision and affect your daily life, you should consult with your eye doctor about cataract surgery. Many people consider poor vision an inevitable fact of aging, but cataract surgery is a simple, relatively painless procedure to regain vision.
What is glaucoma? Glaucoma is often called "the silent thief of sight" because you have no warning sign, no hint that anything is wrong, until vision loss has occurred. Early detection is crucial to controlling the disease. Once diagnosed, your doctor can monitor the disease and usually prevent further vision loss.
Your eye has pressure just like your blood, and when this pressure increases to dangerous levels, it can damage the optic nerve, causing vision loss. Unfortunately, once vision loss has occurred it cannot be restored. Glaucoma affects an estimated 3 million Americans, with 120,000 blind due to the condition.
RISK FACTORS Everyone is at risk for this eye disease, however certain factors put some people at greater risk:
High blood pressure Over age 65 African Americans over age 40 A family history of glaucoma A history of a serious eye trauma Use of steroid medication Diabetes Nearsightedness (myopia)
GLAUCOMA TREATMENT The best way to prevent vision loss from glaucoma is early diagnosis and treatment. See your eye doctor at least every year for a complete examination, including an intraocular pressure check.
If you are taking medication for glaucoma, follow your doctor's instructions carefully and don't discontinue it without talking to your doctor. If you experience side-effects that bother you, discuss your concerns and options with your doctor.
Even if you don't believe you are at a higher risk for glaucoma, have regular eye exams to protect your vision.
What is Computer Vision Syndrome? Research shows that up to 88% of people who regularly use a computer suffer from Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
CVS symptoms include eyestrain; dry, burning, irritated or tired eyes; blurred vision and headaches. Pain in the shoulders, neck or back can also be related to the way that we use our eyes while seated in front of the monitor.
CVS eye problems result from insufficient tear flow to the eyes, too much glare and reflection on the monitor, monitor settings that are hard on the eyes and needing glasses. Many people who are suffering from blurred vision while using a computer are middle-aged or older. This is because as our eyes age, it's harder to see things that fall into the "arm's length" intermediate zone of our vision.
Investing in specialized computer glasses can often solve problems with eyestrain and headaches, as well as neck, shoulder and back pain. Why? Many people, particularly those trying to use the bottom portion of their bifocals for computer work, tip their heads into uncomfortable positions in order to see.
However, sometimes your aches and pains are the result of a poor ergonomic set-up. Place your monitor straight-ahead to avoid neck and back strain. Your monitor should be directly in front of you, not off to one side and it should be about 20 to 26 inches away from you. The center of the screen should be four to nine inches below your straight-ahead gaze. You may need to place it on books or raise or lower your chair. If you reposition your chair, keep in mind that your arms should be parallel to the floor when you type, and your feet should be flat on the floor (or a footstool).
Finally, maintain good posture at your desk: keep your back straight and your shoulders back.
Computer glasses and/or ergonomic adjustments should clear up your aches and pains. If you continue to have problems, it's important to see your eye doctor who can make recommendations to help alleviate your individual CVS symptoms, and make your computer much more enjoyable.
What is Myopia? In the normal eye, light bends through the cornea and lens to focus on the retina. With myopia the eye is longer (or cornea is steeper) causing light to focus in front of the retina. The image is therefore out of focus on the retina and vision is blurred.
What is Astigmatism? In the normal eye, light traveling through the cornea in both the horizontal plane (blue) and vertical plane (red) is refracted (bent) the same, so that the image is properly focused on the retina in the back of the eye. Vision is clear. With astigmatism, an abnormal curvature of the cornea in one axis, the horizontal axis (blue) in this example, causes light traveling in this plane to focus in front of the retina. The light reaching the retina in this plane is out of focus and vision is unclear.
What is Presbyopia? With age, a condition called presbyopia causes the lens of the eye to insufficiently change shape when viewing close objects. The light will not focus on the retina. Reading vision becomes difficult. Reading glasses can correct presbyopia by allowing light to focus properly on the retina.
What is Hyperopia? In the normal eye, light bends through the cornea and lens to focus on the retina. With hyperopia the eye is shorter (or cornea is flatter) causing the focal point of light to be behind the retina. The image is therefore out of focus on the retina and vision is blurred.
