GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve at the back of the eye is slowly destroyed,
resulting in progressive loss of vision. In most cases, it is associated with an increase in pressure inside the eye as a result of blockage to the circulation or drainage of fluid inside the eye.

While any damage is irreversible and any any loss of vision permanent, early detection and treatment can prevent progression. It is vital to have regular eye checks from the age of 40, so any signs of glaucoma such as:
- increased intra-ocular pressure
- loss of peripheral vision or damage to the optic nerve
can be detected as early as possible. For individuals at increased risk of glaucoma, eye check should begin no later than age 35.

The risk of glaucoma increases with age.

Other risk factors include:
* having a family history
* diabetes
* short-sightedness
* high blood pressure
* taking steroids
* eye injuries
* being of Afro-American or Asian descent.

Once glaucoma is detected, treatment options include:
* eye drops
* laser treatment
* surgery

Eye drops need to be used regularly, in conjuction with regualr eye checks. If eye drops alone are unable to prevent deterioration of vision, laser may be considered. If eye pressure remains uncontrolled after drops and laser, surgery may be offered.

Talk to your doctor about your risk of glaucoma and whether you should have an eye check-up.

Eating well....to help with eye disorders

Eating well continues the focus on health issues where food and nutrition have a critical role.

The role of antioxidant nutrients and bioflavonoids in vision loss and other degenerative problems associated with ageing is becoming better understood. With advancing age, the production of free radicals, those unstable molecules that form when the body uses oxygen, increases. Free radicals can cause eye damage similar to that resulting from exposure to radiation and can also contribute to such disorders as cataracts and macular degeneration.

More or Less...
Eat plenty of:

• Carrots and sweet potatoes for betacarotene
• Citrus fruit and broccoli for vitamin C
• Salmon, sardines, herring and full cream dairy products for vitamin A
• Nuts and sweeds for vitamin E
• Seafood, meat, poultry and beans for zinc
• Leafy greens, peas, corn, capsicums for lutein and zeaxanthin

LIMIT:

• Saturated and trans fats

Sun may save sight..

Sunshine may prevent children from becoming short-sighted. A comparison of children of Chinese origin living in Singapore and Sydney found the rate of myopia in the Singaporeans was ten times higher. The key difference was that the Sydney kids spent almost four times longer outdoors.

The researchers say sunlight is the key - it increases dopamine levels which inhibits excessive eye growth, a known myopia cause.

Study co-author Dr. Kathy Rose still recommends sunglasses, as they don't seem to stop the dopamine release: "Protecting children's eyes from UV is the appropriate thing to do."

Look smart to save your sight

Eyesight is a precious gift that is too important to neglect...

Eye care is an aspect of health that is often over-looked. But considering how important good vision is to daily
life, there are no excuses for not taking care of your peepers.

There are a number of serious eye conditions that, if left untreated, can permanently damage your vision.

There are four common eye problems that people should be aware of.
One of the commonest problems (is) Pterygium, which is a fleshy growth on the inside part of the white of the eye..related to sunlight exposure. It can be largely prevented by the use of hats and sunglasses and it's treatable with surgery.

Another serious condition is cataracts, a cloudy "lens" over the eyes that mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people.

Fortunately, cataract sufferers can have their vision restored with day surgery, and many will not even need glasses afterwards. It's the most common operation in our community.

Perhaps the most serious common eye disease is glaucoma, which can cause permanent blindness if left untreated. It's a disease of the optic nerve, which is partly due to raised pressure in the eye and partly due to poor blood supply at the back of the eye.

In its early stages, it is largely asymptomatic and can be only detected by routine testing.
People need to be tested from the age of 40. It's a very strongly genetically determined disease and people should ask their relatives if they have had it.

Glaucoma is a controllable with eye drops and sometimes curable by surgery, but once the damage has occurred, it is permanent. It can cause side vision loss and then later blindness if not detected.

The fourth disease of concern is macular degeneration. It affects mainly old people and is also genetically determined in many cases, and a few years ago caused people to lose their central vision (reading vision) permanently.

Fortunately, new treatments can halt this in some people. If detected early, injections into the eye can stop the abnormal blood vessels growing. Knowing how to detect an eye abnormally can save long term damage, as well as being aware of your family history.

The first thing people can do is have regular checks for glaucoma, which is the thief of sight that creeps up without you knowing.

Glaucoma has no symptoms, so if it's in your family history, you have to get checked. Being aware of conditions that can harm the eyes is the first step to preventing permanent damage. Exposure to UV rays can cause eye damage while smoking is strongly related to macular degeneration. Eating well can help maintain good vision.

Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, orange-colored vegetables and fish, as well as a handful of nuts a week.

Rocks, Paper, Scissors...preventing eye injuries in children

Scissors, knives, pens and glass continue to be the leading causes of preventable eye injuries in children according to the latest research.

Parents need to be particularly vigilant with children to avoid damaging eye injuries.

Kids are curious creatures and often don't understand the risks associated with certain items.

Often the most dangerous objects are everyday household items such as scissors, pens, knives and sticks which are hard to avoid. Boys are more likely to experience eye injuries during childhood.

Boys are three times more likely than girls to suffer injuries to their eyes, particularly between the ages of four and nine years old. However, this is a high risk age group for both girls and boys.

Boys also are at increased risk between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.

Whilst it's impossible to prevent all eye injuries occurring in children, increased parental supervision particularly during high risk age groups and increased awareness of implements that cause injuries is recommended.

It is not just parents that need to be aware of the risks. Family members and friends also need to be educated about items that could unintentionally cause harm to children.

Parents also need to start educating their children at an early age about the dangers associated with certain
items.

Fifty percent of children involved in the study have significant long-term impairment to their vision.

Eye Exercises

The yoga practitioners attached special importance to eye exercises, for two reasons.

Firstly, a lot of eye problems in later life are due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles. These muscles become rigid, and this loss of elasticity reduces the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different distances. It also causes the eyesight to become weaker. These exercises tone the eye muscles up and keep them elastic. If you already have eye problems when you begin these exercises, you will find your eyesight improving after a few months.

Secondly, any eye tension present will tend to produce a general feeling of tension, due to the eye's connection to the brain via the optic nerve. What happens is that eye tension produces an increase in the nerve impulses in the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses travels along the optic nerve and bombards the brain, causing a general feeling of tension and anxiety.

The eye exercises will reduce tension in the eye muscles, as well as reduce general tension.It is best to do these eye exercises while lying down after you've finished the asanas. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do your yoga routine.When doing the eye exercises, keep your eyes open and don't move your head. Sitting (as in the exercises for the neck given above), open your eyes, then check on your posture. Is your spine erect? Hands on the knees? Body relaxed? Head straight? That is how you should always remain while doing eye exercises. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes. Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes.Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathing should be normal. In other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.

Exercise 1
Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise 2
Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.

Exercise 3
Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Exercise 4
This exercise should not be done until three or four days after you have begun eye exercises given here. Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise.Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.

Exercise 5
Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly.Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.

Exercise 6
Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.

Exercise 7
This exercise is called 'palming' and is very relaxing to the eyes. It is also most important for preserving the eyesight. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system.It's an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises.Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing while palming your eyes.If you are going to do the palming for longer than a few minutes, better sit down at a table, place some books or pillows in front of you to support your elbows so that you will be able to keep the neck straight, and palm the eyes in this position. If the palming is done for only a short period one can do deep breathing for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing it every week.Benefits: This exercise helps to do away with eye strain, and tension. Your vision will get better and clearer as the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves receive a richer supply of blood. Some people use this to improve their vision.

Shocking facts on how smoking causes blindness..

See how smoking causes blindness...(while you still can).

Every time you inhale cigarette smoke, thousands of chemicals enter your bloodstream and are carried to every part of your body.

Delicate organs such as your eyes are among those most at risk.

Research has now confirmed that smoking is the major preventable cause of an irreversible form of blindness called macular degeneration.

It can occur in one or both eyes and creates a permanent blind spot directly in your line of sight. Everyday tasks such as reading, driving, or even recognising faces become difficult if not impossible.

Here's how smoking causes irreversible blindness.:
The most sensitive part of the eye is the surface at the back called the retina. The most sensitive part of the retina is the macula. Chemicals from cigarette smoke can causee tiny blood vessels to burst through the macula; they can also cause the cells within the macula to die. Either of which leads to loss of vision.

If diagnosed early, laser surgery can prevent further deterioration. However, in 50% of cases, the condition comes back after treatment (and in virtually all cases if the patient continues to smoke).

If you quit, your risk of blindness by macular degeneration is greatly reduced although existing damage can never be undone.

Quittin smoking isn't easy and most smokers make several attempts before they succeed.

All about Amblyopia

What is it?
A reduction in vision caused by a squint which occurs in three per cent of children. Squints lead to double vision, the child's brain learns to suppress the image coming from one eye, causing that eye to become amblyopic or 'lazy'.

Treatment:
This involves covering the 'good eye' with a patch which forces the child (and the brain) to use the lazy eye. The earlier the treatment, the greater chance of regaining normal vision.

Simple Tips for Better Vision

Our eyes are two of our most precious possessions - yet, all too easily, we can take good eyesight for granted. Protect your peepers with these low-effort actions.

EAT FISH twice a week.
Fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids - proven to reduce the risk of dry-eye syndrome. If you can't stand fish, try fish-oil supplements.

Always wear GOGGLES
When swimming or doing carpentry. A properly fitting pair of swimming goggles will protect your eyes from chlorine, while carpentry goggles will prevent debris from causing corneal abrasions.

Aim your CAR VENTS down at your feet - not your eyes. Dry, air-conditioned air sucks the moisture out of eyes like a sponge, so aim the vents in your car away from your face. Serious dryness can lead to corneal abrasions and even blindness.

Cook with RED ONIONS, not yellow. Red onions contain more quercetin, an antioxidant that is thought to protect against cataracts.

Put on SUNGLASSES whenever you leave the house. Not only will they block out the harsh glare of the sun, but they'll also protect your eyes from the drying effects of wind.

Have SWEET POTATOES for dinner tonight. Rich in vitamin A, these spuds are especially good at improving your night vision.

Remove EYE MAKE-UP every night. This prevents small pieces of make-up from winding up in your eye and possibly scratching your cornea.

Take a BILBERRY supplement every morning. The berries contain compounds called anthocyanosides, which can help protect the retina against macular degeneration. Bilberry supplements are sold at most pharmacies.

Use a FRESH TOWEL every time you wipe your face. Sharing face towels and washers with others is a guaranteed way to get the highly contagious eye infection called conjunctivitis (pinkeye).

Wear a LARGE HAT or cap along with your sunglasses. A wide-brimmed hat will block roughly 50% of UV radiation and reduce the UV rays that may enter your eyes from above or around the sunnies.

Have SPINACH twice a week. It could be steamed, sauteed in some olive oil with garlic or perhaps in a quiche. It doesn't matter how you get it, just be sure to have it regularly. Studies have shown that lutein, a nutrient abundant in spinach, may prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

When you're WORKING or reading, set your alarm to beep every 30 minutes. Use this as a reminder to look up and away to some distant point for 30 seconds. This helps prevent eye fatigue and eyestrain.

Check your BLOOD PRESSURE every month. You can do this at home with a do-it-yourself monitor cuff. HIgh Blood pressure, if unchecked, can damage vessels in the eye.

Turn down the HEAT in your house. Heat dries out the air which, in turn, dries out your eyes. You might also try adding some humidity with a humidifier or even bunching a lot of plants together in the room where you spend the most time.

Tilt your COMPUTER SCREEN to just below eye level. This will make your eyes close slightly while you're staring down at the monitor, minimising fluid evaporation and dry-eye syndrome.

Replace your MASCARA every three months and other eye make-up once a year. Eye make-up is a great repository for bacteria, which can easily be transferred to your eyes and cause infection.

WALK at least four times a week. Some evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the intraocular pressure, or IOP, in people with glaucoma. In one study, glaucoma patients who walked briskly four times per week for 40 minutes lowered their IOP enough so they could stop taking medication for their condition. It's also possible - although there's no proof yet - that walking could also reduce your overall risk of developing glaucoma.

Use HERBS AND SPICES instead of salt. Studies have found that high-salt diets increase your risk of certain types of cataracts, so stay away from the salty stuff. And while you're de-salting your diet, don't forget the salt in processed foods. Check labels for 'no salt' or 'low sodium' tags when buying canned and other prepared foods.

Grey or amber SUNGLASSES?
Answer: Grey.
Grey lenses provide the least color distortion - important when you're driving.

Blindness

Being obese can result in serious eye conditions, many of them due to diabetes, raised
cholesterol levels or high blood pressure.

TIP:
Make sure you have regular eye tests, especially if you have diabetes or a family history
of eye problems.

Don't be blind to Macular Degeneration

With Macular Degeneration Awareness Week coming up from the 25 June to 1 July this year, it is disturbing to note that the majority of the people have never had their macular checked. Macular degeneration (progressive damage to the retina) is currently the leading cause of blindness, but inmany cases it can be prevented.

Reduce the risk of blindness due to MD by:

• Wearing sunglasses
• Not smoking
• Eating fish, dark green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits
• Having regular eye-checks every two years
• Eating foods that contain zinc
• Exercising regularly

TO REMOVE A SOFT LENS

Never use forceps

1. Wash hands carefully.
2. Check that the lens is on the cornea.
3. With patient looking up, place the index finger on the lower edge of the lens and slide it laterally.
4. Pinch the lens between thumb and index finger - this allows air beneath the lens so that it can be withdrawn.

5. Clean the lens with normal saline by placing it in one palm and gently massaging with the other index finger.

6. Place in the carrying case in saline, or in a vial or bowl with saline. Soft lenses must not be stored dry.

TO CHECK WHETHER A SOFT LENS IS INSIDE OUT

Place the lens concave side up on an index finger. If the lens is correct, the edges turn in slightly.

If the lens is inside out, the edges turn out. If the lens is inside out, it should be pressed to reverse the surfaces, then rechecked to make sure it is correct.

Insertion of Soft Lens - the correct way

1. Wash the hands thoroughly, soft lenses are readily contaminated.
2. Remove the holder of the lenses from the solution in the carrying case, and identify
the lenses for the right and left eye.
3. Lenses that have been soaking in germicide must be washed thoroughly in saline-
not over a basin without a plug.
4. Wipe the right lens off the holder onto the pulp of the index finger of the right hand.
5. Check that the lens is right side out. If it is very floppy, wait about a minute for it
to dry a little.
6. Retract the lower lid with the middle finger (same hand as holding the lens).
7. Looking up, roll the lens onto the lower conjunctiva and express any air,
8. Close the eyelids, then massage the closed upper eyelid to help center the lens.
9. Repeat for left eye.

CONTACT LENSES - The correct way to wear them

Hard contact lenses are smaller than the cornea. Sorft contact lenses cover the cornea or extend onto the sclera. Hard lenses are firm while soft lenses are like a tiny sponge. Their management is different.

If a lens is lost under the upper lid, reassure the person that it can cause no harm. Gently press over the upper lid to move it down. If it is stuck, irrigate with saline.

Never use forceps on a contact lens.
Never instill fluorescein eye drop in an eye wearing a soft lens.
Never wash a contact lens over a basin without a plug.

HOW TO INSERT A HARD LENS:

1. Wash the hands.
2. Check which is the right and which is the left lens.
3. Place the lens in the palm of one had and apply contact lenses wetting solution.
4. Place the lens concave, or bowl side upwards on the pulp of the index finger of the master hand.
5. Have the patient look down, retract the upper lid with fingers of the other hand.
6. Place the lens above or to the side of the cornea and move it centrally. Blinking should then center the lens.

Instead of insertion with a finger, a small suction cup holder may be used. Moisten the tip with saline to obtain a good grip.

HOW TO REMOVE A HARD LENS - 3 methods:

Method 1

Squeeze the lens off the eye by placing one thumb on the upper lid and one on the lower lid. Apply some pressure and bring the lids together. The lens should be displaced onto the lower eyelid or onto the hand.

Method 2

1. Wash the hands.
2. Place an index finger at the outer canthus and cup the other hand just below the eye.
3. Have the patient open the eyes widely.
4. Don't blink hard and at the same time, you pull the eyelids back in the direction of the top of the ear.
5. The lens should pop out into the cupped hand.

Method 3

The lens may be removed with a moistened suction cup holder.

How to insert Soft Lens?.....to be cont'd.

What Your Eyes Reveal

DIABETES:
- Your optometrist may identify subtle changes in your eyes caused by unstable
blood sugar levels. With severe untreated diabetes, there's the risk of diabetic
retinopathy. The blood vessels inside the retina, become damaged and this can
lead to permanent blindness. A healthy retina is needed for good vision.

HEART DISEASE AND STROKE RISK:
- High blood pressure affects 3 in 10 adults, and many don't even know they have
it. It's a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Looking directly at the blood
vessels in your eyes an optometrist can identify haemorrhages and leaking vessels,
as well as changes such as hardening of the arteries.

BRAIN TUMOUR:
- An eye test can show a bulging optic nerve caused by increased pressure inside the
skull - one symptoms of a brain tumour.

DARK UNDER-EYE CIRCLES

THE CAUSE: While a lack of sleep can worsen the appearance of dark under-eye
circles, their most likely cause is kidney function: If the kidneys aren't eliminating
the body's waste products as they should be, it can contribute to a dark colouring
beneath the eyes.

THE SOLUTION: Help kidneys by drinking enough water 0 at least one liter per day
and start eating phosphorus-rich foods. Phosphorus is found in wholegrain foods,
chicken, eggs, seeds and nuts.

BEAUTY FIX: An eye cream containing vitamin K can help strengthen delicate
under-eye capillaries. Vitamins K and A in a gradual, controlled manner, helping
the vitamins to repair blood vessels and reduce pigmentation without causing irritation.

OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM

OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM - previously an important cause of impaired vision or blindness, now rare due to better hygiene, good antenatal supervision and efficient treatment of venereal disease; but it may occur when these factors are deficient. Forms for a "Notifiable Disease" need completion.

The most severe cases occurred from Neiseria gonorrhoea; the more moderate from chlamycia (TRIC), and common bacteria.

These cases can be highly infectious and extreme care must be taken. Be most careful lest splashes of pus occur when the eyelids are opened. Corneas may be ruptured by forcibly opening the eyelids.

SIGNS:

• Swollen eyelids
• Purulent discharge
• Corneal clouding or ulceration

TREATMENT:

Smear and culture, but begin intensive treatment while awaiting results.

Benzylpenicillin extemporaneous irrigation with Normal Saline (irrigate freely and

frequently until pus stops forming, continue 4 to 6 hours, then use eyedrops as indicated.

The mother will need investigation and treatment.

ROUTINE EYE CARE AFTER BIRTH - cleansing the eyelids only with sterile water and

swabs.

CATARACTS

CATARACTS happen when the crystalline lenses inside the eye become
cloudy as part of the ageing process. If left untreated, they can sometimes lead
to blindness.

We will all have cataracts eventually,however, not everyone gets to where they need
to do anything about it. Where treatment is necessary, it's very effective - it involves
surgery to replace the lens with a plastic implant, often as day surgery.

SIGHT TIPS:
Although cataracts are inevitable if you live long enough, early on, you can slow the
progression and minimise the damage. Not smoking, protecting your eyes from UV
rays, and a healthy diet are all helpful.

GLAUCOMA

GLAUCOMA - this condition is the result of increased pressure in the eye
causing damage to nerves in the retina (the eye's inner lining). It usually
has no symptoms, so it often robs people of their slight slowly and painlessly.

SIGHT TIPS:
Glaucoma can be treated if picked up early. People who have risk factors
for glaucoma (family history is a key contributor) should be regularly assessed
by an optometrist.

Glaucoma can affect people of all ages but becomes more prevalent as you get
older, so anyone over 40 should have a full eye check at least every two years
even if they don't have any obvious problems.

SUNBURN - A Cause of Eye Damage?

One of the most common causes of eye damage is sunburn.

We need to remember that sun protection means slip, slop, slap and slide on your
sunglasses. UV damage can cause serious eye problems, including pterygium, which
is tissue damage involved in the development of cataracts.

SIDE TIPS:
Whenever in the sun, both adults and children should wear sunglasses. If you wear
glasses, there are tinted lenses available, although most prescription lenses absorb
a large amount of UV light.