Eye Care and Vision Health

Archive for January, 2010

Your eyes may be a tiny part of your body, but they play a large role in how you experience the world. They help you sense motion and color, intuit facial expressions and body language and see the wonders of your life in three dimensions. Here’s what you need to know to keep your peepers in top form.

* Exam Essentials

Even if you have no problem with your vision, regular eye exams are critical to eye health, says Justin L. Gottlieb, M.D., a retina specialist and associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison.

* Who Provides Eye Care?

Ophthalmologists-medical doctors who specialize in eyes-provide total eye care, prescribing corrective lenses, diagnosing and treating eye problems, and performing surgery. Optometrists assess vision, prescribe corrective lenses and diagnose and sometimes treat eye problems. Opticians fill prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses.

* What Happens during an Eye Exam?

In a standard eye exam, the practitioner gives tests that measure visual acuity, or vision; evaluates refraction, which helps determine a person’s prescription for glasses or contacts; and checks for eye problems. An ophthalmologist also checks eye movement and peripheral vision and examines the front and back of the eye.

”Ophthalmologists [and optometrists] use a slit lamp, which shines an intense line of light to illuminate the cornea, iris and other structures located at the front of the eye,” says Dr. Gottlieb. Special drops dilate the pupil and let the doctor view the retina and other structures at the back of the eye with an instrument called an ophthalmoscope. Doctors also examine the skin around the eye.

* When Should I Get a Vision Exam?

If you don’t wear corrective lenses or have a family history of eye disease or a condition that can affect vision, such as diabetes, get an eye exam every two to four years between the ages of 40 and 64. Starting at age 65, get one every year to two years. If you wear glasses or contacts, ask your eye doctor how often you should have an exam. You may need more frequent exams if you have a family history of eye disease or a condition that can affect vision. If you are African American, get more frequent eye exams, since your risk of glaucoma is higher.

* Why is Proper Eye Care Important?

The right corrective lenses can enhance your quality of life. More important, early diagnosis of eye disease can prevent vision loss.

Make an appointment today for an eye exam. Then, you can relax and enjoy the wonderful sights around you.

Writer: Barbara Crow
©MediZine’s Healthy Living, Second Quarter 2007

The senses of sight is perhaps the most important of the five senses nature has give to man. A sightless man is a pitiable sight. Anything that interferes with your vision is irritating and a danger to the capacity to see is the most serious danger of all. You must, therefore, take care of your eyes.

Sometimes eyes do the job of the tongue: a mere flickering of the eyelids may express volumes. They reflect your inner mind. Whether the eyes are big or small is not in your hands, but do care of them. Large eyes ringed with dark circles are ugly, but sparkling eyes, even if they are small, are beautiful. You can disguise your face under a coat of make up, but the only thing that can make your eyes beautiful is their constant care.

The beauty of the eyes depends on cleanliness of the body. Constipation, for example, makes the eyes dirty. The white of the eyes no longer remains white; inadequate intake of water may give them a yellow tinge. In sufficient perspiration gives rise to a accumulation of poisonous humours in the body and dark circles appear around the eyes.

Proper diet:It is the inner cleanliness, which is the key to the beauty of the eyes. Improve your diet, enjoy sunshine and fresh air. Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes in the sun with the minimum of clothing so that fresh air can get into your pores and the heat of the sun can bring out the perspiration.

You food must have all the necessary vitamins. Vitamin A is to be found in abundant quantities in spinach, leaves of turnip, sweet potatoes, milk, butter, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, gourds and carrots.

Vitamin B is to be found in the husk of the wheat seed, soyabeans, milk, peas, unpolished rice, toasted rice, raisin, cucumber, oranges, spinach, cabbage, carrot and pineapple.

The source of Vitamin C are: Green chillies, juice of lime, orange, leaves and stalk of the mustard plant, spinach, leaves of turnip, papaya, leaves of beet root plant, cabbage, tomatoes, mangoes and myrobalan. The cheapest sources of natural Vitamin D are: milk, butter, and sunlight.

Exercises- some exercises for eye care also suggested: Fold your arms with your hands under the armpits and stand in a relaxed manner. Take your shoulders back in a circular motion and resume the earlier position.

Touch the underside of the neck with your chin and then move your head as far back as you can. Move your head in a circular motion so that it touches first the right and then the left shoulder. Then move in the reverse direction touching first the left and then the right shoulder.

Move your head from side to side without moving your body. Keep your head stationary and then move your eyes upward and then downwards. Move your eyes left and right. Repeat this process at least half a dozen shoulder.

Concentrate your gaze on your index finger extended outward and try to view a distant object across it just as you are taking aim. Repeat it twenty times.

Stand with your feet one foot from each other. Close your eye and move your body from right to left. This should be done as you face the early morning sun. Sprinkle cold water over your eyes and then dry them with a soft piece of cloth.

Put your palms on your eyes. Sit with your elbows on your knees and palms on your closed eyes. Do it softly so that no pressure is exercised on the eyeballs.

All the exercises suggested here should be done while your body is completely relaxed and your mind free from worries or thought of things that you have to do during the day. They will help to make the eyes healthier and more beautiful.

Read more information regarding Natural Home Remedies for Eye Care and Natural Home Remedies

Most of us are blessed to have five sensory organs, and of these our eyes are by far the most beautiful and expressive. Many people in America and around the world suffer problems with their eyes and eyesight. There is a misconception that there are only prescription medicines and medications available to treat these sorts of eye problems but this is not quite the truth. In fact there are a many different natural eye care products and exercises that the sufferer can use to help with their problem eyes.

As you are going to need your eyes for the rest of your life it is in your best interest to take proper care of them. Here are a few tips to help you maintain the health of your eyes:

• If you find that you have dark circles appearing under your eyes try gently applying a few drops of almond, coconut or sesame oil around your eyes.

• While reading, using computers or even watching television it is best to do these activities in a well lit room.

• Avoid intense light or using very hot or very cold water on the face and head.

Natural Eye Care Exercises

If you suffer from a lazy eye (Glaucoma), which is a quite common ailment, you can help by performing a number of daily natural eye care exercises. As is the case with our general bodies and well being, our eyes need regular and sustained exercises to stay in good shape and help with any inherent problems.

An excellent exercise for your eyes are head rolls – this is where you close your eyes, take a long deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and as you slowly exhale, drop your chin to your chest slowly. Next as you are about to inhale you slowly move your head around to the left side and then back again, making sure that your neck and shoulders are relaxed the entire time. Then as you exhale fully you roll your head to the other side. Repeat this exercise ten or more times each day.

Another effective exercise for the eyes involves you closing your eyes, and then you massage them with the tips of your fingers using a circular movement. Do this for about two minutes making sure that you are pressing very lightly on your eyes as excessive pressure will be detrimental to your eyes.

Natural Healing Eye Care Products

As well as doing regular eye exercises there is also a range of natural healing eye care products available that will help you maintain healthy eyes. There are a number of excellent all-natural eye drops that you can use to relieve dry eyes. These eye drops are also very useful in treating eyes that have been exposed to irritants such as smoke, dust, ultraviolet rays, excessive sugars, drug use and more.

It is important to remember that our eyesight is one of the most important of our senses and that a medical practitioner should examine any medical condition likely to impact on the quality and effectiveness of our sight. Once you have a qualified diagnosis of any problem you can then consult a naturopath for ideas and help in developing a natural remedy treatment plan.

Los Angeles Lasik center Maloney Vision Institute is hosting an FDA study on the ACI Corneal Inlay, which is an implant that can reduce the need for reading glasses.

Understanding the loss of near vision.

A healthy, young eye is able to focus light from both far and near objects to create a clear image at all distances.  By age 45, the eye’s natural lens is too stiff to focus on near points.  As a result, near tasks like reading or computer work are blurry. This is a natural occurrence that affects us the rest of our life.  The clinical term for the loss of near vision is presbyopia.  It is possible to have poor near vision, but good distance vision, especially if you have already had Los Angeles Lasik surgery to correct this.

Buying a pair of reading glasses is a quick way to improve near vision. While “readers” will help you read a book or dial a telephone number, they will not help you see far objects.  Some find putting glasses on to see near and taking off to see far inconvenient.

The ACI Corneal Inlay no-cost research study.

Smaller than a contact lens, the ACI Corneal Inlay looks like a black ring.  There is a tiny aperture or hole in the center of the inlay.  The inlay can help vision correction Los Angeles patients in two ways.

1. Creates a pinhole effect so near objects are clearer.

2. Focuses light rays so you can see a wider range of vision – near, intermediate (computer) and distance. During an out-patient procedure, the research doctor will implant the inlay in one eye.  If needed, the ACI Corneal Inlay can be surgically removed.

You may be eligible to participate in the study if you are…

Between the ages of 45 and 60. Using reading glasses to read or work on the computer. Not using glasses or contacts to see far objects – Lasik Los Angeles patients are welcome. In good physical health. Able to meet other medical criteria determined by the research doctor.

Improvement in near vision.

The amount of time it takes to see an improvement in near vision varies.  Some see better in a few days.  For others, it takes several months, or there may be no improvement at all.

You can help your eye heal faster by using eye drops as prescribed.  You will also be asked to practice reading without glasses.  This activity will help train your inlay eye how to see near again.

Next steps.

If you are interested in learning if the ACI Corneal Inlay can reduce your dependence on reading glasses, contact Maloney Vision Institute by telephone 310.208.3937 or email  info@maloneyvision.com .  You can also visit www.NearVisionStudy.com for more information.

The information about the ACI Corneal Inlay clinical research study is not intended to provide medical advice.  Always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment.

Caution: Investigational device.  Limited by United States federal law to investigational use.

Vision therapy is perhaps the best-kept secret in vision care. It is an individualized, supervised, treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. It involves visual activities that are designed to correct certain vision problems and/or improve visual skills. The sessions include procedures that are designed to enhance the brainâ??s ability to control eye alignment, eye tracking and eye teaming, eye focusing abilities, eye movements, and visual processing. The best vision therapy exercises include call the ball, follow your thumb, and palming.

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Call the ball is done by writing letters or numbers of various sizes on a softball, kickball, or soccer ball. Hang the ball from the ceiling on a string and give it a push in any direction. As it swings, call out the letters or numbers you see.

Follow your thumb is done by holding your thumbs out at armâ??s length, and moving it in slow circles, crosses, Xs, or in-and-out motions. Without moving your head, follow it with your eyes and keep it in focus as much as you possibly can.

Palming helps relax tired eyes. It is done by briskly rubbing your hands together for fifteen seconds or so until they feel warm. Close your eyes and cup your warm palms over them. Make sure that your palms are cupped enough so that they do not touch your eyelids. Your fingers should overlap and rest on your forehead. Holding this position, breathe deeply and regularly for a few minutes.

Aside from the best vision therapy exercises, visual-motor skills and endurance are also developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms, and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patientâ??s newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.

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