Future problems of eyes and the reason........

Importance of Eye & Vision

·         Make to see this amazing world of beauty – rainbows, mountain, seashores, etc. In addition, helps to feel it and enjoy it.

·         Protects from injuries – helps to prevent accidents of any form during driving, during work, during playing, etc.

·         Eye muscles that adjust and help to see things those are close up, far away, bigger things, smaller things, brighter objects, darker objects, colored or black/white and more.

·         Helps to express our feelings (sad and happy), tears also helps to clean the eye.

·         It starts working immediately at wake up and stop working at sleep.

·         It fetches a lot of information around the world – shapes, colors, movements and more.

Important causes of blindness in two eyes

There are many causes of blindness. Three important ones are:

Cataract

This is the cause in 20% of cases where children are affected. A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. In children it may be due to hereditary causes, or due to infections like rubella during pregnancy. Whatever the initial cause, blindness due to cataracts can be prevented by early detection and treatment.

Retinopathy of prematurity

This is the cause in 20% of cases affecting children. Retinopathy of prematurity is the scarring of the retina at the back of the eye that may occur when high levels of oxygen are administered to premature babies. Blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity can be prevented by early detection and treatment.

Corneal scarring

This is the cause in 10% of cases affecting children. Corneal scarring refers to scarring of the window in the front of the eye. It may be due to infections, Vitamin A deficiency, and the use of harmful traditional eye medicines. Blindness due to corneal scarring can be prevented by early detection and treatment.

Other Most Common Causes of Vision Loss

Age-Related Macular Degeneration - (AMD)

This is a degenerative disease of the macula; the macula is the part of the retina responsible for central vision. There is no way yet of repairing the vision that has been lost, but if detected early laser surgery can help slow the progression of the disease. (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65. Eight million people are legally blind from macular degeneration worldwide and as the population ages this number is expected to grow.

Glaucoma

This disease increases the fluid pressure inside the eye, leading to loss of side vision and eventually total blindness. The increased pressure destroys the optic nerve. With early detection, it can be kept under control with pressure reducing eye drops and surgery. Chances of developing it increase with age. There are over five million people blind from glaucoma worldwide.

Diabetic Retinopathy

This complication of diabetes is a leading cause of blindness among middle-aged Americans. The longer a person has had diabetes the more apt they are to develop diabetic retinopathy. Laser surgery can slow the progression of this disease along with management of blood glucose levels. There are 2.4 million people blind from retinopathy worldwide.

Retinitis Pigmentosa - (RP)

This rare inherited degenerative disease slowly destroys the retina. Signs of (RP) first show up in early childhood. The side vision is lost first. The Disease progresses over many years leaving the person with only a small portion of their central vision. There is on cure for (RP) yet. There are 1.6 million people blind from (RP) worldwide.

Eye Injuries

Over 1 million people are blind worldwide from eye injuries. 90% of injuries can be avoided by using proper eye protection. If you are reading this page now because you or a loved one has an eye injury, turn your computer off and get medical attention. Any eye injury is a medical emergency.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia

With this birth defect the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain has not developed properly, it is underdeveloped. This happens before birth leaving the child with mild to sever vision loss. In most cases, there is no known cause.

Neurological Visual Impairment (NVI)

Children with (NVI) have normal eyes, but a part of the brain responsible for seeing is damaged. It can be caused from a lack of oxygen before, during, and after birth. Diseases like meningitis or traumatic brain injury can also cause it. Many of the children with (NVI) are multihandicapped. Vision loss can be temporary or last a lifetime.

Ocular Albinism

With this inherited birth defect, people have no pigment or reduced pigment in their eyes, skin and hair. This pigment called melanin is needed for the full development of the retina. Children with this condition have mild to sever vision loss and are very light sensitive.

Coloboma

Coloboma is a Greek word, which means mutilation. People with Coloboma are missing a portion of the structure of the eye. The human eye develops between the fourth and fifteenth week of pregnancy. As the eye starts to develop, a gap opens on the underside of each eye bud. This gap provides a way for the developing eye to be nourished. This gap, called the optic fissure, has to close before the eye is fully developed. Coloboma is the incomplete closer of the optic fissure. Gaps can occur in the eyelid, iris, ciliary body, lens, retina, macula, choroid and optic disc. It can cause from mild to sever vision loss. Coloboma occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births.

Preventable Vision Loss

Over 90% of the world's blind people live in developing countries. Many diseases can be prevented with education in basic hygiene, proper nutrition and medical care. Conditions unheard of in the modern world like: Trachoma, Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and nutritional blindness (vitamin A deficiency), are the leading causes of vision loss in these countries.

Home Care

See your doctor if you have any problems with your eyesight.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

·         You experience partial or complete blindness in one or both eyes, even if it is only temporary.

·         You experience double vision, even if it is temporary.

·         You have a sensation of a shade being pulled over your eyes or a curtain being drawn from the side.

·         Blind spots, halos around lights, or areas of distorted vision appear suddenly.

·         You have eye pain, especially if also red. A red, painful eye is a medical emergency.

Call your provider if you have:

·         Trouble seeing objects to either side

·         Difficulty seeing at night or when reading

·         Gradual loss of the sharpness of your vision

·         Difficulty distinguishing colors

·         Blurred vision when trying to view objects near or far

·         Diabetes or family history of diabetes

·         Eye itching or discharge

·         Vision changes that seem related to medication (Do NOT stop or change a medication without talking to your doctor.)

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your provider will check vision, eye movements, pupils, the back of your eye (called the retina), and eye pressure when needed. An overall medical evaluation will be done if necessary.

Your provider will ask questions about your vision problems, such as:

·         When did this begin? Did it occur suddenly or gradually?

·         How often does it occur? How long does it last?

·         When does it occur? Evening? Morning?

·         Is the problem in one eye or both eyes?

·         Is your vision blurred, or is there double vision?

·         Do you have blind spots?

·         Are there areas that look black and missing?

·         Is side (peripheral) vision missing?

·         Are halos (circles of light) seen around shiny objects or lights?

·         Do you see flashing lights or zigzag lines?

·         Do you have sensitivity to light?

·         Do stationary objects seem to be moving?

·         Are colors missing? Is it difficult to differentiate colors?

·         Is there pain?

·         Are your eyes crossed? Does one or both of your eyes "drift"?

·         Have you had an injury, infection, allergy symptoms, added stress or anxiety, feelings of depression, fatigue, or headache in the last few weeks to months? Have you been exposed to pollens, wind, sunlight, or chemicals in this time frame? Have you used any new soaps, lotions, or cosmetics?

·         Is your vision better after you rest?

·         Is it better with corrective lenses?

·         Are there other symptoms present like redness, swelling, headache, pain, itching, discharge/drainage, a sense that something is in the eye, increased or decreased tearing, etc.?

·         What medications do you take?

·         Do you have diabetes, or is there a family history of diabetes?

The following tests may be performed:

·         Slit-lamp examination

·         Refraction test

·         Tonometry

Treatments depend on the cause. Surgery will be recommended for some conditions (such as cataracts). Diabetics must control theirblood-sugar level.

Prevention

Regular eye checkups from an ophthalmologist or optometrist are important. They should be done once a year if you are over age 65. Your doctor will recommend earlier and more frequent exams if you have diabetes or if you are already showing early signs of eye problems from diabetes, high blood pressure, or other causes.

The pressure in your eyes will be measured at some visits to test for glaucoma. Periodically, your eyes will be dilated to examine the retina for any signs of problems from aging, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

These important steps can prevent eye and vision problems:

·         Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

·         Don't smoke.

·         Limit how much alcohol you drink.

·         Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

·         Keep your blood sugars under control if you have diabetes.

·         Eat foods rich in antioxidants, like green leafy vegetables.

Future eye problems...

About 30 per cent of those over 50 have dry eye but numbers are rising, with many more young people affected.

 ‘As a nation we are getting older, which means the proportion suffering age-related dry eye is increasing, where the tear film over the surface of the eye deteriorates with age,’ Dr Purslow said. 

‘But younger people are experiencing problems because of the modern office, with computers and air conditioning making it worse, as well as home use of display screens.

‘Using a screen on your lap, the iPad for example, has a similar effect to using a screen on your desk – you blink less.’ Dr Purslow, director of the contact lens and anterior eye research unit at Cardiff University, said soft contact lens wearers were particularly at risk.

Clinical trials show that tear substitutes can remedy the problem by stabilising the tear film within two to three months.

Other DIY measures include having a screen break, changing the focus of the eye by looking into the distance regularly, and making a concerted effort to blink more

Increasing dependence on iPads, computers and smartphones has left many young people with an eye problem that usually affects those much older.

Millions are developing ‘dry eye’, a condition that results in gritty, itchy, inflamed eyes, thanks to hours staring at a screen.

When we use such devices, the mind focuses so strongly on the screen we can ‘forget’ to blink, according to  dry eye specialist Dr Christine Purslow. This can affect the eye’s lubrication system, she said. 

Worrying: Eye problems more associated with the older generation are being discovered in the youth due to a high concentration of the eyes on new technology