Archive for the ‘Eye Diseases’ category

What is glaucoma

March 7th, 2010

Glaucoma is an eye disease caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP) resulting either from a malformation or malfunction of the eye’s drainage structures.  The eye constantly produces aqueous, which fills the anterior chamber, the space between the cornea and iris. If the aqueous can’t filter out of the anterior chamber through a complex drainage system, glaucoma occurred. If left untreated, glaucoma may lead to permanent damage of the optic nerve and resulted in vision loss. Normal people’s IOPs fall between 8 and 21 when the patients will be much higher, and it can be a signs for developing glaucoma.

There are several types of glaucoma, common types including open angle, acute angle closure, secondary glaucoma and congenital glaucoma. Some types of glaucoma such as angle closure and congenital have symptoms, for example, sudden decrease of vision, extreme eye pain, headache, or light sensitivity. But in most case, glaucoma does not have symptoms. This is reason why glaucoma has been called the “sneak thief of sight” causing the loss of vision gradually over a long period of time and is often recognized when the disease is quite advanced. So people with symptoms or those who are more than 40 years old should have an annual examination including the screening for glaucoma, for example measuring the intraocular pressure, or if necessary doctor will evaluate the health of optic nerve by ophthalmoscopy and the peripheral vision and the structures in the front of the eye by gonioscopy.

Most patients with glaucoma only need to control the eye pressure. They may use one or several medications, usually eye drops, to reduce the pressure. Surgery may be carried out when medical treatment fails to control the pressure, in order to allow fluid to drain from the eye efficiently.

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A list of eye diseases

February 19th, 2010

Human Eyes are important organs that detect light and allow light to enter it and project onto retina, at the rear of the eye, and then send signals along the optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain. The eye includes a lens that is very similar to lenses of optical instruments such as cameras. The muscles around the iris can relax or tighten the pupil to regulate the amount of light that enters the eye.

Every parts of the eyes may be disordered, thus different kinds of eye diseases occurred. The WHO divided eye diseases mainly into several parts. Cataract and glaucoma are two of the most common eye diseases, the former one is due to the opaque of lens, and the later eye disease is belong to optic neuropathy.

The eye disease of disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body, including scleritis, keratitis, corneal uler, snow blindness – a painful eye disease caused by exposure of bright light, corneal neovascularization, fuchs’ dystrophy, keratocunus, Keratoconjunctivitis sicca – an eye disease usually called dry eyes, iritis, and uveitis.

Other eye diseases are disorders of choroid and retina. For instance, retinal detachment – a kind of eye disease refers to the detachment of retina from the choroid, retinoschisis, hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and macular edema.

Floaters is an eye disease dur to the disorders of vitreous body and globe with shadow-like shapes appare sometimes in the field of vision.

When ocular muscles are out of control, many common eye diseases arise, such as strabismus, progressive external ophthalmoplegia, esotropia, exotropia, hypermetropia, myopia, astigmatism, anisometropia, presbyopia and internal ophthalmoplegia.

Many eye diseases belong to visual disturbances, for example amblyopia – an eye disease also called lazy eye, scotoma, color blindness, achromatopsia and nyctalopia.

Blindness is the most severe eye disease in which the brain can’t receive optical information.

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Eye treatment methods for common eye diseases

January 4th, 2010

Eyes are easy to be affected by bacteria, fungi or viruses, or to be injured, with exposure to a foreign body or chemical. There are hundreds types of diseases related with human eyes.

Eye treatment is the method that an ophthalmologist adopt to cure eye diseases in his office or an emergency department. Eye treatment can also be carried out at home by your own, for example, flushing the eye with great amounts of lukewarm tap water or commercially prepared eyewash solution under eye infection by chemical or eye injury. However, when a foreign body gets into the eye, you should not rob your eyes, and eye irrigation is usually not recommended. Eye treatment methods are usually different according to different types of eye disease. Following listed some medical eye treatment methods for common eye diseases.

Viral conjunctivitis and bacterial conjunctivitis are usually treated with antibiotic eye drops, when allergic conjunctivitis is normally treated with antihistamines.

The eye treatment for corneal abrasions and ulcerations includes antibiotic eye drops, eye ointment, and pain medication.

Chemical eye burns should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist besides an eye treatment of eye irrigation.

Scrubbing the eyelid edges with mild shampoo is the eye treatment method for curing blepharitis by removing excess oil.

The eye treatment method for styes or chalozions is usually conservative, by placing warm compresses for 15 to 20 minutes with cloth with hot water several times a day.

The eye treatment method for glaucoma is more complex. Treatment for severe glaucoma usually begins with several types of eye drops, such as a topical beta-blocker, a topical steroid drop, and a pupillary constricting eyedrop. Emergency surgery may be carried out for acute glaucoma.

Traumatic events to the eye should be managed by ophthalmologists and need immediate evaluation in the emergency department.

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Knowledge of cataract

December 23rd, 2009

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which is behind the iris and the pupil. Cataracts affect vision of more than half of the old over 80. A cataract may happen to either or both eyes. But it is not contagious. Three types of cataracts are commonly recognized: subcapsular cataract, nuclear cataract and corticl cataract.

There are many clear symptoms of a cataract, such as cloudy and blurry vision, fading colors, poor night vision, glare and double vision or multiple images in one eye. Patients show these symptoms more or less according to the size of the cataracts.

The lens is a part of the eye that is responsible for focusing light onto the retina and adjusting focus. Nerve signals are formed once light reaches the retina and then sent to the brain. As people age, some of the proteins clump together and cloud a part of the lens, then a cataract is formed. Over the time, cataracts may grow larger and cover more of the lens, making the vision worse. So cataracts are always related to aging. But according to many studies, ultraviolet light and cosmic radiation are associated with cataract development. People with diabetes are more probably to suffer from cataracts. Bad habits such as cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption may also cause a cataract.

How to treat cataracts? At the early stage of a cataract, glasses, strong bifocals and magnifier may be enough. But when the cataract has progressed enough that seriously impairs the vision, Cataract surgery is needed. Cataract surgery is simple and safe and will effectively restore your good vision.

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Differences between hyperopia and presbyopia

December 6th, 2009

Hyperopia is also known as farsightedness or farsighted eye. It is the opposite eye condition of myopia or nearsightedness. Hyperopia is a defect of vision that has difficulty in focusing on near objects that can see distance objects, or in an extreme situation cause a patient to be unable to focus on object at any distance. When the eyeball of the farsighted patient is too short or when the power of the cornea and lens is insufficient that the lens of the eye cannot become round enough, farsightedness or farsighted eye appears, and the vision will be blurred. People with hyperopia or farsightedness can also suffer ashthenopia, amblyopia, strabismus, accommodative dysfunction and binocular dysfunction.

Hyperopia is often confused with another kind of eye disease — presbyopia, which is also referred to as farsightedness or farsighted eye, since presbyopia just like hyperopia can’t focus on near objects. Their causes are totally different, although their signals may very similar. The causes of hyperopia are typically genetic and involve the eye structure. When the causes of presbyopia are related with a reduced accommodative amplitude by natural aging changes with the crystalline lens.

Hyperopia or farsightedness can be corrected by convex lenses in eyeglasses or contact lenses, which should be provide by an eye doctor (such as ophthalmologists, optometrists, or orthoptists) or opticians, after an eye examination. A few amounts of hyperopia may be left uncorrected. In other conditions, if eyeglasses or contact lenses are not favorable by the patient with farsighted eyes, refractive surgery procedures may be carried out for correcting farsightedness.

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Age-related diabetes

November 27th, 2009

Retinal problems caused by diabetes are called microvascular abnormalities. Bleeding is also possible resulted from both natural blood and new blood vessels. These blood leaks damage the retina and cause vision loss. In some cases, diabetes leads to diabetic retinopathy.

Visual symptoms of diabetes include double vision and droopy eyes and so on. Usually, a medical doctor can determine diabetes with a blood sugar measurement but an eye doctor is supposed to treat vision problems caused by the disease. Diabetes appears in high sugar count in the blood and insufficient insulin production. Actually, it causes vision problems because there is a lack of oxygen in diabetic patients’ eyes. This lack of oxygen is in turn caused by new blood vessel growth.

Diabetes has been the leading cause of blindness in America. Early detection and treatment are essential to control the disease, thus decreasing the risk of vision loss. What’s more, it is also important for diabetic patients to maintain regular visit to the doctor’s. Yearly exams are highly recommended, in case of blood leakage. Once any leakage is detected, the doctor will use a laser to seal the bleeding vessels or destroy unnecessary retinal areas.

In fact, natural aging is associated with other visual problems such as presbyopia, in addition to diabetic retinopathy. Eye liquids also change in color and density, resulting in dim vision. Dry eye problems can be caused by tears change in old people. Eye droopiness is quite common in old individuals and their pupils become smaller and move slowly. While most of these changes are natural and require no worry, those serious ones should be under regular monitor, including diabetes, high blood pressure, macular degeneration and glaucoma.

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A Revolution to Treat Blepharitis

November 19th, 2009

Do you know blepharitis? Have you ever heard about it? Blepharitis is an eye disease that maybe far from or near us. Generally speaking, it is one of the most common disorder of the eye, or specifically speaking the disorder of the eyelid margins, which may cause red eyes, itching and irritation of the eyelids. The patient will sometimes experience white flakes sticking to eyelashes.

Normally, in the past the treatments of blepharitis are simple and easy to be done by patients themselves, things like cleaning eyelid with hygiene wipes regularly; removing the greasy and scaly crusting; and taking antibiotic to treat bacterial inflammation.

Those methods, now, have been out dated and do almost little effect to blepharitis, but the good news is that it has been researched that a new treatment, has been developed. With this method, not only blepharitis but also the underlying cause of it and the conditions concerned are able to be cured at once.

And then what is this revolutionary? It is called the Warm Compress Mask Treatment. The reason why it outweighs other traditional treatment, for example the historically recommended “hot flannel treatment”, toward blepharitis is as follows:

Warm Compress Mask is more able to sterilize than hot flannels, which may, on the contrary, prolong inflammation.

Warm Compress Mask works long than hot flannel, which stay hot enough for a few moments, while WCM treatment requires 40C warmth for 10 minutes

What is more, WCM is easy to apply and pleasant to apply, and most importantly it is natural. No drugs are contained to destabilise your tear film.

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About Myopia

November 18th, 2009

You may be unfortunately one suffering from myopia, however, do you know how myopia occurs. Generally speaking, there are two main reasons for the formation of myopia. The first one is the hereditary factor. Researches reveal that if parents are both nearsighted, their children have a 33% chance to develop into myopia, which normally tends to show up when children get their 8 to 12. The second one should be the environmental factor. If you spend most of your time on close work, such as watching TV, and working before a computer, etc., you will probably develop into nearsightedness. Close work will also aggravate condition if you’ve already have a myopia. However, what makes things strange is that some people will not get shortsighted even if they often do close works. This is what researchers are exploring.

In theory, myopia occurs when eyes are larger than normal eyes in size. Thus, bigger and elongated, eyes project the light rays from faraway objects to a mid point of the eye but not onto the retina. Such images often come to be blurry. This is the so called refractive error in the eye. The roles eyeglasses and contact lenses perform in nearsightedness is to help make image project to the place, that is the retina, where they suppose to be, in which way image come back to be clear.

Apart from blurry vision, nearsighted person would often suffer from other symptoms, such as burning or tired eyes, headaches and restricted tolerance to reading. Similarly, when someone sits closely to the television to enjoy programs, he is not surely myopic but maybe his or her specific interest or habit. Moreover, a middle aged person who suddenly finds things become fuzzy in vision is also not sure to be myopic. He is more probably recognized as an early symptom of cataracts which is a common eye problem for the middle aged. What is more, it also can be an indication of keratoconus, which would make the cornea of the eye change shape and may be a inducement of diabetes. Therefore the best way to know whether you are nearsighted or not is to have an eye check in doctor’s office.

Myopia is not a must procedure one will suffer from in his or her life. If you are not a nearsighted person, spend more of your time out in the fresh air. A study shows that those who do so often are less likely to get myopic than those who spend most of their time on close work; if you are a nearsighted person, there are also effective treatments. Besides wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses, eye surgical corrections are another options which are more preferable, among which LASIK is doable. Lasik, or say PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy) is a kind of eye surgery which is accomplished by removing a small piece of tissue prior to the flap being reattached. In this way the eyes can focus objects on the retina again. However, in view that each surgery is a big step for everyone, therefore to consult related information in details and take side effect into consideration is necessary.

Anyhow, no matter whether you are shortsighted or not, and if you are, no matter what kind of treatment you are going to take, it is important to have frequent eyes examinations. It is suggested to test eyes for any changes on an annual basis as for children and to test every two or three years as for adults.

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Causes of eye pain

November 9th, 2009

Eye pain is a feeling of ache in or around the eye, sometimes behind the eye. There are mainly two types of eye pain, ocular pain and orbital pain. People with eye pain may describe their eye disease as burning, dull, gritty, aching, or stabbing, according to different patients as each person may interpret pain differently.

Ocular pain is eye pain caused by infections, such as bacteria, fungi, virus, chemical or injury. These kinds of eye disease include conjunctivitis, corneal abrasions, comeal ulceratioins, chemical bums and flash burns, blepharitis and sty or chalaziion. When this kind of eye pain occurred, especially caused by chemical, such as acid or alkali, home eye treatment can be carried out, for example, flushing the eye with great amounts of lukewarm tap water or commercially prepared eyewash solution under to reduce the eye pain.

Orbital pain is a deep, dull ache behind or in the eye, and the eye pain is usually caused by diseases of the eye, for instance, glaucoma, iritis or optic neuritis. Other diseases may also cause eye pain involving sinusitis and migraines.

Besides eye pain in or around eye, the patient with these eye diseases may suffer partial or complete loss of vision, light sensitivity, double vision, a feeling of pain with movement of the eye in different directions, or severe headache associated with eye pain.

Eye pain is a common eye problem that leads the patients to visit eye doctors. Common treatments for eye pain including antibiotic eye drops, eye ointment, and pain medication. Eye surgery may also be carried out in emergency condition.

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What is double vision?

October 17th, 2009

Double vision is the simultaneous perception of two images, usually overlapping of a single scene, or non-matching images. Technical term for double vision is called diplopia. If someone is suffering from double vision, he maybe has visual impairment or has drunk too much alcohol. And diplopia may disappear when one eye is covered.

There are mainly two reasons of being double vision or diplopia. Misalignment of the two eyes is the most common cause of double vision. This means the eyes have functional problems that need medical evaluation of the optical system or treatment. This type of double vision is called binocular diplopia. And this type of double vision can be caused by an accident or head trauma. The other cause of double vision is a structural defect in the patient’s vision system. For example, cataract might be the reason of being diplopia. In this case, double vision may appear in only one eye, so this type of eye disease is called monocular diplopia.

Double vision can be a signal of many visual diseases such as strabismus, convergence insufficiency and the loss of vision, or it may be a symptom of head injuries. So when double vision appears, it is necessary for you to visit your eye doctor. Your eye doctor will get you vision therapy, or carry out an eye muscle surgery or orthoptics if needed.

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