Posts Tagged ‘eye exams’

The Eyes Have It: Eye Care Product

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

The human body is graced with five senses.  Those five senses are hearing, touching, smelling,  tasting and seeing.  In regards to the importance of these five senses, arguments could be made as to why one would think that one sense is more important.

Specifically, one could argue that seeing is absolutely critical.  Those arguments could assert that seeing could make up for the loss of other senses.  For example, if a person could not hear they could read lips or if a person could not taste they could at least see the food that they are eating.

Therefore, it is important to take care of one’s eyesight.  This commitment could be accomplished through regular eye exams and a host of eye car products.

Eye Care Product ForRegular Eye Exams

There are many quality eye care products that are available to the consumer on the market today.  However, as with all things, prevention is the best way to avoid major illnesses in one’s life.  This is certainly true when it comes to eye care.

Therefore, it is important to have regular eye exams.  This should be accomplished by not only using an optometrist to make sure that any corrective measures are taken to secure maximum eyesight, but also consulting with an ophthalmologist.An optometrist helps an individual with basic eye treatments and provide the individual with corrective lenses for good sightedness. 

Whereas, an ophthalmologist, is a doctor who attends to individuals who have the potential or are diagnosed with diseases of the eye.  Some of those diseases that affect an individual’s vision could be diabetes or macular degeneration.

Also, when it comes to regular eye exams it is important that individuals have their eyes tested if there is a history of vision problems in the family or if there is a family history of diabetes.  Additionally, it is highly recommended that individuals ranging from the age of 3 to 19 have their eyes examined once every two years.  As these individuals age it is equally important that regular eye exams are conducted. 

Also, a good rule of thumb is when the individual reaches age 40 they should have an eye exam accomplished.  This will allow that particular eye exam to be the baseline for future examinations and possibilities of degenerative eye illnesses.

Utilizing Eye Care Products

When utilizing eye care products it is important that the best eye care products are purchased.  For example some eye care products may indicate that they will help to reduce the possibilities of an individual having a particular eye disease.  Therefore, it is important to conduct research on those claims and whether there is any merit in taking these supplements.

In addition, when considering eye care products it is important that any products used on or near the eye should be tested on the skin.  This is important to make sure that there is no sensitivity or possible allergic reactions to the product that may adversely affect the eye.

Therefore, it is important that the individual take care of their precious vision.This can be fulfilled by following the various safety measures which prevent your eyes from getting damaged.Going through the safety measures while operating any machinery or using chemical or putting anything near the eye can save your eyes from injury.  This can be accomplished by using safety glasses or protecting one’s eye sight from the harmful rays of the sun.

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What Is Open Angle Glaucoma?

Friday, March 13th, 2009

eye disease

If you are serious about the health of your eyes, then you should make sure that you see your optical doctor on a regular basis. Making sure that you have regular optical exam, for example your yearly exam for glaucoma, will go a long way towards insuring that you keep your vision. Open angle glaucoma affects more than 80 percent of the people that contract glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that can be cured if found in the early stages.

There are other types of glaucoma but open angle is the one that affects the eyesight of most people. The sad fact is that there are more than 3 million Americans who have glaucoma but are not aware of it yet, based on statistical research. Glaucoma works by damaging the optic nerve through pressure in the eye or decreasing the blood supply to the optic nerve. If it is caught early enough by scheduling eye exams, then glaucoma can be arrested, and a person’s vision can be saved. However, any damage that glaucoma has caused up to that point is not fixable. The people who are most at risk of contracting glaucoma are black people, people over 40, or anyone that has a history of glaucoma in their family.

Open angle glaucoma is one of the most common forms of glaucoma and also one of the most treatable. The problem with glaucoma is that there are generally no symptoms other than a gradual loss of vision. Unfortunately, this loss of vision is many times not obvious to the person who has contracted glaucoma. The reason for this is the other eye will generally pick up the slack for the eye that is being affected by glaucoma. If both eyes happen to have glaucoma, then they’re both working in conjunction with each other and it is harder to be aware that there is any loss of sight. This type of glaucoma starts by affecting the peripheral vision. If left untreated it will eventually cause a person to have something called tunnel vision, which means they will not be able to see anything out of the sides of their eyes.

Open angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. Glaucoma is at once the most treatable disease of the eyes, as well as the one that causes the most cases of blindness. This is a sad fact that does not have to continue. If people make sure that they have regular eye exams, then glaucoma would not be able to do all of the damage that it does.

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Macular Degeneration - Discussing Its Different Types

Monday, March 9th, 2009

eye exams

If you are age 65 or older, then it is your best interest to have regular eye exams. Senior citizens are more at risk for contracting a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. This disease targets the macula, which is a part of the rest of the eye that is needed for vision. As a greater percentage of the population ages, there will be more cases of degeneration of the macular. This is why it is important to take health issues seriously and make sure eye exams are done regularly.

There are two types of macular degeneration (AMD). Dry, which is also known non-neo vascular and wet, also known as neo vascular. Wet refers to the growth of new blood vessels in the macula, where they are not suppose to be. The dry form is much more common and affects about 85 to 90% of all AMD patients. While both forms are not good to have, the wet form is much worse than the dry. Dry AMD is usually an early stage of the disease and can result from the macular tissues getting older and thinning out.

Dry AMD causes loss of vision in the central part of the eye. Sometimes dry AMD can progress on to wet AMD. Wet AMD is when blood vessels grow underneath the retina and then leak fluid and blood. This leakage will cause permanent damage to the cells of the retina. This damage is severe and causes the cells to die, which creates blind spots in the central vision. The growth of the blood vessels is the body’s misguided attempt to try and correct a problem that it knows is happening. Unfortunately, this just makes things even worse for the health of the eyes and is what causes AMD to really do its damage.

Macular degeneration is usually a slow and painless process, which results in loss of vision. The early signs of AMD will include shady areas in the central vision or fuzzy and distorted vision. Doctors link this type of eye disease with the aging process. There have also been studies done which have shown that a type of gene, known as complement factor H, is associated with about 50% of all potentially blinding cases of AMD. Of the two types of AMD, wet and dry, the wet is the worst. There are many different causes, and doctors and scientists do not have all of the answers yet. Hopefully, they will have them one day. Aside from the aging population getting AMD, Caucasians, females and people with a family history of macula degeneration are the primary groups that contract this disease. As of yet there is no cure for this disease but there are some treatments that can delay its progression or even improve vision.

If you suspect you or a loved one has contracted macular degeneration, then you must see a vision doctor immediately. It is crucial to begin treatment for AMD as soon as you know that you have it. It will progress until more and more of the vision is destroyed. AMD has no known cure as of yet but treatments can go a long way to helping someone keep their sight for as long as possible.

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Taking Care Of Your Eye Health Is Important

Friday, March 6th, 2009

eye exams

Taking care of your health, including your eyes, is very important. Yet sometimes, even with the best actions bad results can occur. Glaucoma can affect anybody; even people who diligently take care of their eyes. There are separate eye diseases that make up glaucoma, and they work by damaging the nerve located at the back of the eyes. Glaucoma works by causing the optic nerve to be destroyed.

Anyone who is serious about eye health issues and about keeping their eyes healthy will make sure that they get regular eye exams. As we get older, parts of our body breakdown and the eyes are especially vulnerable. A glaucoma test is done once a year and is basically a puff of air blown into each eye. While this is not the most comfortable test, it is a very important test because glaucoma works slowly and can sometimes do a lot of damage before it is detected. If detected early, then there is a better chance of successful treatment. Once the damage has occurred, it is irreversible and that is why it is important to take your doctor visits seriously. This is also why it is important to have regular screenings for glaucoma and it usually starts with the peripheral vision. Without regular screenings for glaucoma it is possible for a large part of the nerves to be destroyed before anyone realizes what has happened.

Increased pressure and/or a damaged blood supply to the bundle of optic nerves is how glaucoma causes its damage. The way glaucoma attacks the eyes and indeed how quickly it progresses will vary per person. The health of our eyes, as well as being healthy in general, declines as we get older; however, glaucoma can strike at any age. People with a history of this eye disease in their family seem to be at a higher risk of contracting the disease. So anyone who has had a mother, father, grandparents or anyone else in their family history diagnosed with glaucoma should be especially serious about having any problems checked out. The damage that is done by glaucoma cannot be reversed and all doctors can do is salvage what is left of optical system. However, the good news seems to be a that if it is caught early, then the disease can be slowed down or even stopped for some people.

Problems with your eyes can happen at any age; therefore, it is important that you take the health of your eyes just as seriously as you take other health issues. Making sure that you let your doctor know if you have any concerns or if something is bothering you with your eyesight is crucial. Early detection of problems is always in your best interest.

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Taking A Look At The Treatments Of Glaucoma Eye Disease

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

eye health information

No one wants to get an eye disease, but unfortunately it can happen, yet glaucoma is a disease that can be treated. Catching the development as early as possible is the best way to get successful treatment for glaucoma. This is why regular eye examinations are crucial to the health of your eyes.

Glaucoma is really the term given to four different but similar diseases of the eyes. All of the different types of glaucoma do basically the same thing; they increase pressure in the eyes. All of the different treatments for this eye disease are aimed at reducing this high-pressure. This is not to say that pressure in the eyes will always cause glaucoma, but once glaucoma has developed, the high-pressure will speed up the process. Some of the different treatments of glaucoma include eyedrops, medication and surgery. The fact that more and more eye health information is readily available to the public about glaucoma and the damage that it can do to eyes, means that treatment will be more widespread and successful.

Once a person has been diagnosed with glaucoma, it is important for them to begin immediate treatment. The first line of defense in treating glaucoma is medicated eyedrops. The medications in the drops can consist of beta blockers, prostaglandins, alpha-stimulators, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, miotics and epinephrine. Doctors will only move onto oral medications if the eyedrops do not work effectively. Oral medications for glaucoma treatment have a high percentage of side effects, which is why doctors like to try the medicated eyedrops first. If all else fails, then surgery is a last resort. A glaucoma patient could either receive traditional surgery or laser surgery; it will depend on what their doctor thinks is best. The main goal of surgery is to reduce the pressure in the eyes.

The three main treatments for glaucoma have a high success rate, if it is caught in a timely manner. This is the reason why regular medical checkups and eye exams are so crucial to a person’s well-being. If glaucoma is allowed to progress, then it will eventually cause blindness, yet if caught early, then it can be stopped.

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You And Eye Diseases

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

eye infections

No one wants to get eye diseases but it can happen to anyone. If you listen to health news, then you will understand that there are many different issues that can affect the eyes. The only way that you can help yourself is to make sure that you are following a healthy lifestyle. This is not a guarantee that you will never get sick, but it is a step in the right direction.

There’s so many diseases that can affect the eyes that it is hard to keep track of them all. Luckily, there are trained professionals, such as eye doctors, who are specialized in this area. Sometimes eye problems can happen due to eyestrain or a person not taking care of their eyes correctly, yet there are others who are genetically predisposed. Open angle glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye, pink eye and eye infections are some of the many things that can affect just about anyone. Some diseases are curable and some are not. There are some that can be stopped in their tracks and stopped from advancing, and there are some diseases that can be reversed totally. If you are having any type of eye trouble, then you need to have an eye exam and determine what your specific condition is. Once determined by an eye specialist, you will gain the knowledge of how to take care of whatever eye health issue you have.

Glaucoma and cataracts are two very serious types of eye diseases. These are the two main diseases that come to mind for most people when they think about diseases having to do with the eyes. While not every eye disease that you can contract is serious and can cause blindness, some can be very annoying and irritating. The good news is that with regular eye exams and taking care of your health, any disease or infection can usually be eradicated totally in a short matter of time. There are some eye problems that cannot be taken care of quickly or easily, and early detection is the key to having the best results. If you’re going to need to have any type of surgery on your eyes, then you’ll want to know that as early as possible, so the surgery can be successful.

Taking care of your body and your eyes should be your first priority in life. Eyesight is considered one of the top rated of the five senses, and you don’t want any eye diseases destroying your vision. Making sure that you get regular eye examinations is the first offense and the best defense against any type of eye problem.

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