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News for Eye Health 2012

Friday, February 10th, 2012

The race is on in many areas of medical research to try to improve the lives of patients with eye disease, so what’s in the news so far this year?

The incidence of Macular Degeneration increases with age, and this disease is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. University College London’s Institute of Ophthalmology have been looking into the use of Vitamin D to help to prevent the disease. Trials have so far suggested that it may be successful in safeguarding blood vessels that supply the retina.

A new camera has been developed for use within the National Screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy. Diabetes givers rise to many debilitating symptoms, and can also affect sight. Patients should attend for regular eye examinations and retinal screening. The new camera, produced by Haag-Streit UK will offer users a range of screening options and easy transfer of images between eye care professionals.

Stargardt’s disease is a type of macular degeneration that causes sight loss in young people. Moorfields eye hospital has been given permission to perform a trial into retinal stem cell treatment for this debilitating disease. The technology was developed in the USA, and involves injection of stem cells into the retina. Trials are going ahead on 12 patients this year.

Cardiff University are looking at the treatment of clinical depression in patients with visual impairment. The study will examine the results of different treatments on these patients – whose mobility and independence can be severely restricted by their sight problems and their mental health. The study will enlist the help of patients at St Thomas Hospital London, and patients from clinics in Wales.

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Tags: eye disease, macular degeneration
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February’s Five Tips for Eye Health!

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Are your New Year resolutions a distant memory? Have they been hastily swept under the carpet along with the dusty Xmas decs and curling Christmas cards? Well never fear, here are our top five tips for eye health, and they might even inspire you to resurrect some general health goals for spring too……

1. Rather than promising to visit the gym three times a week, just promise to visit your optician – once every two years for most people. This ensures your sight is as good as possible, and is up to the driving standard. It also checks eye health, and can spot signs of some general health issues too.

2. Give up smoking – if you haven’t already! It’s bad for your sight as well as everything else, and has been implicated in the development of several eye diseases, including cataracts and Macular Degeneration.

3. Take moderate exercise – it doesn’t have to be circuit training or wearing the dog out on weekly half marathons – just some fresh air on brisk walks, swimming or gentle stretches like Pilates or Yoga will get the blood flowing, bringing fresh oxygen to the eyes.

4. Eat a variety of fresh fruit and vet, in a mixture of colours, so munch on all peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and kale, carrots, and blueberries, and all as fresh as possible. The vitamins and minerals safeguard the eye from disease such as Macular degeneration – and it’s all good for your waistline!

5. Wear up to date specs and contact lenses – this prevents eye strain, makes you safe on the roads, and can reduce headaches and fatigue. And there’s no excuse – get online to the IGC for economical specs if you think you can’t afford to update your prescription!

So there you go – easy-peasy, and you can feel virtuous about having a healthy 2012 without breaking into too much of a sweat!

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I Can See Clearly Now?

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

All patients dread that moment when the Optician tells them…..you’ve got cataracts which are ready to be treated……because of course none of us look forward to the thought of an operation. Nowadays however it’s easier than having a tooth removed, and the vast majority of patients sail through surgery. After recovery however, there are a couple of possible pitfalls that all Cataract patients should be aware of……

As both eyes are treated separately, in some patients there will be a time period where the two eyes need different correction. This can lead to you feeling disorientated when it comes to walking around, slight double vision and a problem knowing how far away things are. The key here is to remember that this will be corrected when you are prescribed glasses after the eye has healed, so patience as a patient may be required! Your Optician may be able to prescribe specs for this interim period, and as they’re only temporary, you may need to call on the services of the IGC for an economical pair!

25% of patients suffer glare and distorted sight after surgery due to deposits forming in the ‘lens capsule’. The Cataract forms in the first place due to a lens inside your eye, which becomes gradually opaque, usually due to age or trauma. The surgeon removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a synthetic one, using the original capsule that held your own lens for the implant. After surgery the capsule can get cloudy itself as deposits form on it. This is treated by a quick zap with a laser, a speedy procedure which solves the problem and restores clear sight again.

People with general health issues such as Diabetes may suffer other complications after surgery, which are thankfully rare and are treatable if caught early. The important things to remember are to follow post-operative instructions carefully, using drops as prescribed and attending all follow up appointments. If you notice any new symptoms, such as blurred or distorted vision, have it checked out immediately by your Optician or GP.

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In the Pink!

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

Sore, tired, gritty, irritated eyes can create more misery than many other minor health issues, leaving the sufferer feeling tired, uncomfortable and of course worried. There are several causes of ‘pink eye’, so here are some pointers…..

Dry Eyes – Eyes feel dry, gritty, may sting, sight will be normal, no discharge or stickiness.

Can be due to – hormonal changes, air conditioning or central heating, overuse of contact lenses.

What can you do? – Speak to your Optician or GP to rule out contact lens problems. You may be prescribed artificial tears. Move desks away from vents or radiators, drink plenty of water.

Acute Conjunctivitis – Eyes feel sore and irritated. May be some watery discharge. Vision ok.

Can be due to – Eye strain, smoky or polluted air, lack of sleep and overusing a computer screen.

What can you do? – Speak to your GP to rule out infectious conditions. Rest eyes, drops may help to soothe irritation and restore natural tear function. Avoid contact lens wear until the eye recovers.

Bacterial or Viral Conjunctivitis – Eyes look very pink, lashes stick together, discharge which may be very fluid or sticky. Lashes stuck together when you wake up, vision may be blurry until discharge clears.

Can be due to – Contagious bacterial or viral infection.

What can you do? See your GP for prescribed drops. Take contact lenses out immediately and replace disposable lenses, sterilise any others. Replace mascara and eye make up brushes. Don’t share towels or flannels with other family members. Finish course of prescribed drops.

Irritant in the Eye – Eye slightly pink. Vision ok but eye watery.

Can be due to – foreign body trapped in the eye, i.e. under the lid, or reaction to foreign body after removal.

What can I do? Lift the lid gently away from the eye and look all around you, to let the tear layer wash the eye. Try an eye bath. Seek medical help if problem persists.

If you can’t decide what the problem is yourself, then the general rule is simple for any pink eye condition – take contact lenses out, check things out with your GP, have some specs to hand to allow eyes to rest and recover. Then you’ll be in the pink, and your eyeballs won’t be!!

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Tags: Acute Conjunctivitis, Bacterial or Viral Conjunctivitis, dry eyes, Irritant in the Eye
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Driving Through the Ages

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

We’re lucky to live in a time when we can all hope to enjoy a longer life span and we would all like as many healthy, productive years as possible. For most people driving is a vital tool in maintaining independence and contributes hugely to quality of life. But as we age there are several changes that can occur in formerly healthy eyes, which could have an impact on safe driving. So for you or an elderly person near to you, let’s just make sure we’re aware of what to look out for…..

Our standard of good vision can decrease with age, and if changes are gradual then it takes the patient a while to notice potential problems. Regular eye examinations are vital to ensure that all is well. The normal process of ageing can lead to drivers not seeing road signs clearly, not recognising hazards, or being able to judge speeds and distance.

How well we can see around us – our peripheral vision can also have a huge impact on our safety. Problems with mobility of the neck and shoulders and eye disease such as Glaucoma can lead to poor judgement when pulling out of junctions, less awareness of cyclists, and is generally considered to be one of the biggest potential problems for older drivers. Again, regular eye exams will spot the earliest signs of visual field loss.

Eye conditions such as cataract, and general health problems such as Parkinson’s disease can lead to problems with contrast sensitivity – this affects our colour perception and depth perception. During day and night driving sufferers may also be less able to see hazards, signage and pedestrians.

Eye health problems related to age such as cataract and macular degeneration can leave patients with clear vision in one eye only, leading to narrower peripheral vision and poor depth perception in some cases. This may not be a huge problem if patients are aware that they need to turn their heads more and their general health and mobility are good.

The key as always is vigilance to potential health problems, and regular assessment for signs that GPS or opticians may spot that the patient has not noticed yet. Then we can all enjoy safer roads and many years of happy motoring!

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Eye Wear Solutions

Friday, August 19th, 2011

In the past the high cost of glasses and contact lenses meant that for the majority of patients they could only afford one or the other. Limited choices also meant that many people couldn’t find contact lenses that suited their eyes, jobs or hobbies or prescription. It’s all change now however, thanks to services like the Internet Glasses Company – we increasingly deal with patients who need more than just one solution to their eye care needs…..

Alison, 39, new mother – “I’m short sighted and have needed glasses since I was twelve. I switched to contact lenses in my teens, and during my career they suited me really well. Now I have a baby and need to get up in the night, I’ve switched to weekly extended wear lenses, so I can see as soon as I wake up! I leave them out all day on a Sunday to give my eyes a break, so I have some funky specs to wear then. I’ve also got non-prescription sunglasses to wear over my contacts.”

Jake 27 – IT Consultant and weekend tennis coach – “I’m short sighted enough to need specs for driving, and on the tennis court, but I don’t need them in the office. I keep a clear pair of anti-reflection coated glasses in the car for driving at night, and wear Oakley prescription glasses with a tint when I’m playing tennis. These are great for driving in the day too. I also keep a few throw away one day contacts which I wear if it’s cloudy, or sometimes I put them in to go out in the evening.”

Peter 62 – GP – I didn’t need specs until I was 43, when I started to find small print difficult. I had half frames but felt they were intimidating to my patients! I also began to find the computer tricky, so I had varifocals made up, with no distance power, just close up and computer distance. These are good in the car for the Sat Nav, so I wear them all the time, in conjunction with a dark tinted pair for the sun. I keep that original half frame pair by the laptop at home, they’re great for the screen.

So have a think about your lifestyle needs and take a browse on the Internet Glasses Company site – you can find your eye wear solutions stylishly and at low cost!

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Low Vision Aid

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

As Opticians we pride ourselves on providing a service as well as offering the best and newest designs in frames, lenses and contact lenses. Sometimes we pass patients onto consultants for treatment of problems such as Glaucoma, Cataract or Macular Degeneration. There is also a less well known step in the process where we can look after patients suffering from low vision who need a special type of magnifier or visual aid rather than corrective treatment.

In the UK there are more than two million people registered as blind or partially sighted. We can help these patients by assessing the standard of vision they can achieve, and prescribing devices that make life easier. These may be simple hand-held magnifiers, lenses or telescopes attached to spec frames, large print books and clocks, or computer based viewing systems to enable the patient to read once more. Tinted lenses or special filters may be prescribed, or high illumination lamps. Technology plays a part too, with electronic magnifiers and e-books with an enlarged image.

If you are a carer for a relative with a visual defect that can’t be corrected, then using Low Vision services may significantly improve their quality of life, and allow them more independence. Advice on using a white stick or referring them on to Guide dog services may be a life changing experience. Different devices help patients to get around more easily, manage day to day living, or enjoy hobbies once again. If the Optician says that specs won’t help the patient any more, then ask if a referral to a Low Vision clinic would be suitable. There is often much trial and error to find the solutions that will suit each individual, and patients may need a combination of aids to help them. Annual assessment is recommended, to make sure that as sight changes the patient still has the best aids.

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Tags: cataract, Glaucoma, macular degeneration, Opticians
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Fighting Fatigue

Friday, August 12th, 2011

For many of us our working life now revolves around staring at the computer screen all day, and if you’re over forty you’ll need specs for close and middle distance rather than the far distance glasses required in the past. Baby boomers are now around age 60, and lead busy and dynamic lives, again often involving long periods of time at the computer. According to statistics over 100 million Americans spend over 50% of their working day at the VDU. Then add in mobile phones, i-pads, gaming consoles……our world is getting closer to us all the time…….

Few people wear specs made for their computer, which means they’re struggling for huge amounts of time every day with glasses not designed for purpose. This is a contributing factor to a collection of symptoms called visual fatigue syndrome, which affects up to 83% of the US population at some point in their lives. This is due to a combination of environmental, physical and physiological factors, leading to tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision, neck and shoulder pain. A vague collection of problems that will fluctuate, and it takes some detective work by your GP or optician to discover your problem.

If you are a computer user over age forty, there are many products out there to give you better vision and make life more comfortable. You can have single vision glasses just for the screen, but they won’t benefit you in using laptops, tablets, or mobiles. Vocational lenses combine a wide reading area with mid-distance, like a simplified varifocal lens, and will allow you to do everything up to arms length. Some designs give a small amount of far distance vision too. For general purpose lenses and sporadic computer use, varifocals let you do everything, but you may have to adjust your screen.

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So if the visual fatigue syndrome symptoms sound familiar to you, have a chat with your optician. Take a list of which devices you use, how long you use them for, and your working distance for your computer.

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Calculating the Cataract Risk

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

Cataracts are a pesky problem that as our population ages, we’re all more likely to suffer from. They’re a change in the clear lens that sits in your eye behind the pupil, where the lens becomes more like a frosted window than a clear one, and as the cataract progresses you’ll need surgery to remove the faulty lens and replace it with an implanted artificial one. While this surgery is simple and pretty painless nowadays, it’s best all round if avoided, so what are the risk factors for cataract, and can you avoid them?

1.Age – a fact of life that as time goes by, so does your cataract risk. At age 75 you’ll have a 37% chance of it. You can reduce this likelihood by keeping to a healthy BMI, taking moderate exercise, and wearing a UV filter in your specs.

2.Diabetes – As well as everything else Diabetics have to contend with, they are also at higher risk of a particular type of cataract, and at an earlier age than the rest of the population.

3.Gender – sadly girls, due to hormonal fluctuations, cataract risk is higher for the fairer sex.

4.Genetics – as well as cursing your forebears for your knobbly knees or male pattern baldness, you can also thank them for your cataracts!

5.Geography – You’re more likely to develop cataract if you live nearer to the equator because of…………

6.Light – UV gives the highest risk, so don’t forget your sunnies, especially for children, who spend up to three times more time outside than adults.

7.Steroids – use of steroids carries an associated risk.

8.Myopia – Not only are very short sighted people at higher risk of retinal detachments, they’re also at more risk of cataracts. Life just isn’t fair!

9.Smoking – although this is dependent on other factors too, there is evidence that beside all the other problems caused by the evil weed, cataract can be added to the list.

So there you go – some factors you can do something about, others you can’t – but don’t say we didn’t warn you!!

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The Perfect Pupil

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

If eyes are the window to the soul, then pupils must be the vital heart of things, a dark window that allows opticians and ardent suitors the opportunity to really look deep into the eyes. The pupil is a central hole, surrounded by a ring of muscle that controls it’s size, allowing the pupil to widen or constrict, depending on light conditions and how much you like what you’re seeing!

If you’re in bright light, your pupil closes down; stopping damaging UV rays from reaching the delicate internal structures inside the eye that make up your visual system. The lens just behind your pupil may suffer from cataract at some stage of life, and one of the reasons for this is UV exposure. Macular degeneration is also partly caused by UV. Never buy a cheap pair of sunglasses without full UV filters – they will make your pupil open up, flooding the exposed eye with UV.

Pupils are usually the same size, responding equally to stimulus. A difference of up to a millimetre between the two is however common, and usually it’s just because the two eyes are slightly different. Now for the science bit – different size pupils have the cool medical name of anisocoria. If this is normal for the patient then when we dim the lights and examine the pupils we’ll see that they both react in the same way, at the same time.

If pupils remain at different sizes under different lighting conditions, then there may be an underlying problem. This could be due to a fault in nerve supply to the eye, or an anatomical problem. Medication (or recreational!) drugs may also affect pupil size. If it’s suddenly apparent that pupils are different sizes, then this should be investigated. There are several medical conditions that can give rise to this symptom, some more serious than others, so seek advice if you suddenly notice this problem.

If you gaze into the eyes of that special someone who makes your heart beat a bit faster – no not your optician! - Then your pupils will dilate, so it’s a useful indicator if you’re out on a blind date! You might want to cover up with sunglasses if you want to keep your feelings to yourself!

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Archive for the ‘Eye Health’ Category

News for Eye Health 2012

February’s Five Tips for Eye Health!

I Can See Clearly Now?

In the Pink!

Driving Through the Ages

Eye Wear Solutions

Low Vision Aid

Fighting Fatigue

Calculating the Cataract Risk

The Perfect Pupil