| Ultraviolet Hazards |
Ultraviolet (UV) rays carry more energy than do visible light rays. Thus the eye has a greater risk of damage from absorbing UV radiation than from absorbing other forms of visible light. Two types of UV rays reach the earth s surface: UV-A and UV-B. UV-A rays are the rays emitted from the sun that contribute to premature aging and they are present year-round. They contribute to early wrinkling of the skin the development of cataracts and the progression of age-related macular degeneratio...Read More
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| Ultraviolet Light: Health Hazard |
Most people know that ultraviolet (UV) light can cause premature aging of the skin, sunburn and some skin cancers, but UV is also dangerous to the eyes.
Aside from the skin damage that occurs in the sensitive eyelids, UV radiation has been found to be a significant factor in the development of cataracts, as well as progression of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. In addition, UV is an underlying cause of certain types of exposure damage to the conjunctiva...Read More
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| Understanding and Avoiding Contact Lens Complications: Allergic Reactions |
People who suffer from allergies can find it almost intolerable to wear their contact lense. The itching, tearing and blurred vision can seem overwhelming at times.
Like infections, allergies can affect not just the cornea but also the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that covers the whites of the eyes and lines the insides of the eyelids.
Allergens can be seasonal, like hay fever or the springtime reactions some of us endure each year. In addition, contact lens patients can devel...Read More
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| Understanding and Avoiding Contact Lens Complications: Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis |
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that covers the whites of the eyes and lines the insides of the eyelids.
Giant papillae are large nodules that form on the inside surfaces of the eyelids, usually as a result of an inflammation from protein deposits on contact lenses, a sensitivity to the lens material itself, or a mechanical irritation from the lens edges.
Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) is a type of allergic reaction to the triggers listed above. It is s...Read More
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| Understanding and Avoiding Contact Lens Complications: Overwear Syndrome |
Contact lenses are a wonderful mode of vision correction and provide an excellent alternative to eyeglasses, but patients should remember that they are medical devices, available by prescription. Like many other medical interventions, they are subject to complications and risk of adverse events.
Most contact lens-related complications involve either decreased oxygen levels getting to the cornea or lens care and cleaning issues. By following instructions as to wear schedules, lens replac...Read More
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| Understanding and Avoiding Contact Lens Complications: Polymegathism, Neovascularization and the Endothelial Pump |
Avoiding complications related to contact lens wear is easy: keep the lenses as sanitary as possible, clean and care for them as your eyecare practictioner recommends, and wear them as directed.
Three big long words describe a set of interrelated complications of contact lens wear that are the result of a decrease in oxygen levels at the surface of the eye. The cornea, the clear, dome-shaped structure that allows light to enter the eye, is sensitive to the flow of oxygen, which normally c...Read More
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| Understanding Conductive Keratoplasty |
Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) can improve your near vision allowing you to see clearly like you could 10 years ago
It seems to happen overnight. You suddenly can’t read a menu see your alarm clock or review the scores on your golf card. Rest assured you’re not alone. Millions of baby boomers like you are losing their near vision as part of the natural aging process.
Why The Loss of Near Vision With Age?
When we turn 40 our eyes begin losing their ability to easily focus...Read More
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| Understanding Contact Lens Complications: Infection |
An infection of the eye related to contact lens wear is rare; however, if it occurs, it must be treated as a vision-threatening emergency.
Handwashing before handling your contact lenses will help prevent infections.
Most contact lens solutions are composed of chemicals with preservatives that break down over time once they are exposed to air, such as being squirted into the well of a contact lens case. This is to decrease the incidence of solution-related sensitivities and al...Read More
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| Understanding Floaters |
Understanding Floaters in the Eyes Life s little annoyances...there are many. And it seems as though the older we get the more there are. One common age-related nuisance that is particularly bothersome appearing around the fifth or sixth decade (often much earlier) is the vitreous floater.
It usually goes something like this. You re reading the newspaper or a book and suddenly you see a speck of
something fly across the page. When you move your eyes to follow the speck it moves out of vision. ...Read More
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| Understanding Your Eyewear Prescription |
Refraction
As part of a comprehensive vision examination, along with checking the eye for physical disorders such as glaucoma or dry eye syndrome, your eyecare practitioner will perform a refraction, which is the process that finds the right amount of lens prescriptive power that will be put into a pair of eyeglasses (if you need them). This process is called the refraction; it is usually done with the use of an instrument called a phoropter orrefractor, whi...Read More
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| Using the Right Contact Lens Solutions |
Proper lens cleaning and disinfection is critical for healthy and comfortable contact lens wear. Just because the packaging says “ultimate lens cleaner” or “no-rub lens solution”, does not mean that any contact lens care system will do. There are hundreds of different brands of soaps and shampoos, each containing different ingredients for different skin and hair types – contact lens solutions are just as varied. Particularly in recent times, the contact lens m...Read More
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| Using your Eyes and your Computer |
Using Your Eyes and Your Computer To minimize discomfort when working at your computer avoid looking at the monitor for long periods of time. It’s 1:00 p.m. and you’ve been working at your computer since 9:00 a.m. Your eyes feel irritated and fatigued your vision is blurry and you still have several hours of work ahead of you.
The symptoms you are experiencing are common among people who do considerable “near” work including those who work with computers. The symptoms ...Read More
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| Uveitis |
Iritis is an inflammation of the iris and is sometimes linked to certain systemic conditions infections previous eye surgery or injury. The iris of the eye is composed of pigmented tissue that gives the eye its colour (i.e. - hazel eyes) and regulates the amount of light entering through the pupil. Iritis is an inflammation of the iris and is sometimes linked to certain systemic conditions infections previous eye surgery or injury. A flare-up of iritis often occurs for unknown reasons but ...Read More
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