Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)

ARMD - is the result of progressive and often painless damage to the retina.
The problem starts with damage or breakdown of the macula - the part of the
retina responsible for central vision. If you smoke, you're about four times
more likely to develop ARMD and can expect it to happen up to 10 years
earlier.

SIGHT TIPS:
Besides giving up smoking, diet and UV protection also offer some preventive
help, especially if good habits adopted in early life. The dietary indications
are similar to those for cardiovascular health.

Eat less saturated fats and plenty of vegetables - particularly brightly coloured
vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish.

SCREEN STRAIN

SCREEN STRAIN

The effect of staring at your TV or computer is more tiring than damaging.

SIGHT TIPS:
Take regular breaks, look away from the screen often and remember to blink.
To avoid screen fatigue during a movie, sit at least two metres away from your
TV. The best distance to have between your eyes and your computer screen
depends on the type of monitor, but in general, try for at least 40 centimetres.

Dry Eye Syndrome

by: Bluntish

Dry Eye Syndrome - is caused by a reduced quantity or quality of the tears that
your body produces to lubricate your eyes.

It is more likely to affect older women. Besides air-conditioning and forgetting to
blink when at a computer, certain medications, smoking, poor diet and anything
that alters the body's fluid balance can also contribute.

• SIGHT TRIPS:

Ocular lubricant drops are available at your pharmacy, but be careful to choose

lubricants rather than decongestant drops. Make sure you're not having air blown

at your face fron an airconditioner or fan in your office or car, and only apply make-

up to the outer (not inner) edge of your eyelid.

Viral Conjunctivitis

Viral Conjunctivitis can be caused by many different viruses.

- Adenoviruses
- Herpes simplex virus
- Herpes zoster virus
- General intercurrent viral infections - measles, mumps, rubella.

Epidemic viral conjunctivitis is usually bilateral, with marked redness, follicular
reaction, chemosis and copious lacrimation. There is little serous discharge
and pus is generally absent. The cornea is likely to be involved.

Acute Infective Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis means inflammation of the conjunctiva. Most important
conjunctivitis is caused by infection, milder conjunctivitis may be allergic
or from physical irritants such as foreign bodies, sunlight or wind. Rarely,
systemic disease or parasites may be the cause. Conjunctivitis may be
acute, subacute, or chronic.

Bacterial Conjunctivitis - may be caused by a wide range of organisms:

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Streptococcus pyogenes
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Koch-Weeks bacillus
• Morax-Axenfield bacillus
• Pseudomonas pyocynaea
• Neisseria gonorrhoea

Symptoms of Bacterial Conjunctivitis

1. gritty, foreign body sensation
2. photophobia
3. lacrimation
4. eyelids sealed together with discharge on wakening
5. vision is clear and cornea is bright

Signs

1. - diffuse redness of the conjunctiva of the eyeball and the eyelids
2. - purulent discharge - but milder cases are free from discharge
3. - possible corneal complications

Treatment

• Do not pad a discharging eye as by closing the conjunctival sac

conditions are favoured for bacterial proliferation.

• Sunglasses to diminish photophobia.
• Removal of discharges or secretions by the frequent instillation of

antibiotic eye drops.

• Eye ointment applied at bedtime has longer action then eyedrops

prevents sealing of lid margins by discharge.

• Awareness of the danger of spreading the infection to the other eye

or other people.

• Maintain a good personal hygiene.

Chronic conjunctivitis may follow an acute conjunctivitis that has been

inadequately or ineffectively treated, but failure to respond may be due to

some other lesion - viral corneal ulcer, foreign body, infected tear sac.

Sympathetic Ophthalmitis

Sympathetic Ophthalmitis - this is a rare inflammatory response of the normal eye
following trauma to the other eye. The injured eye is referred to as the "exciting eye",
the undamaged eye as the "sympathizing eye". The aetiology is unknown but the
inflammatory reaction is thought to be the result of autoimmune processes possibly
triggered by the release of uveal pigment from the injured eye. The uveitis in the
sympathising eye may commence at any time after the first fortnight from injury. An
iridocyclitis occurs in both eyes with lacrimation, photophobia, and the presence of
keratic precipitates (K.P.).

Management:
Is primarily prophylactic entailing the removal of a "dangerous eye" when the following
indications are present:
- A badly perforated eye with no vision.
- An injured eye not settling by 14 days, and especially where K.P. are present.
- Sensitivity to light or photophobia developing in the uninjured eye.

If sympathetic ophthalmitis has developed, removal of the exciting eye is too late to
benefit the sympathetic precesses. Sometimes the exciting eye ultimately becomes
the better eye so it is not removed.

Treatment:
Prolonged immunosuppression: systemic corticosteroids or others, atropine eye drops.

What Contact Lens Wearers Should Know before the Lasik Consultation (Part 1)

Keeping your informed on various aspects of eye surgery.

It is always better to look before leaping. So read this article on
eye surgery before you claim that you know all about eye surgery.

Saying that all that is written here is all there is on eye surgery would
be an understatement. Very much more has to be learnt and propagated
bout eye surgery.

What Contact Lens Wearers Should Know before the Lasik Consultation
If you wear contact lenses there are some things you should consider
before making the decision to have Lasik surgery.

Variety is the spice of life. So we have added as much variety as possible
to this matter on eye surgery to make it’s reading relevant, and interesting!

Similarities. Both Lasik and contacts are able to correct nearsightedness,
farsightedness and, to some extent, astigmatism. Both Lasik and contacts
can eliminate the effect of minification and peripheral distortion that might
have been evident if and when you wore glasses, because both options correct
your vision right at the surface of your eye.
Coordinating matter regarding to eye surgery took a lot of time. However, with
the progress of time, we not only gathered more matter, we also learnt more
about eye surgery. (to be cont'd.)