HEALTH - EYE CARE - 12

Do I REALLY Need an Eye Exam?

It is a real shame when a patient comes to the office for a ‘first exam’ and already has damage to their vision. Many eye problems that can lead to damage or loss of vision can be slowed down, or even prevented if caught early enough. So the real key is to inform people about when to start, and how often to repeat eye exams. Luckily, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has standards for adult eye exams.

For adults, it is recommended that patients over 40 receive eye exams every 2 years. After 50, yearly exams are necessary. While some people wonder if that frequency of exams is necessary, we know that certain disease states will progress significantly in that amount of time. In fact, once a patient is diagnosed with glaucoma, they must be examined every 3 MONTHS!!

Glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration all begin to show up when patients are in their 40’s and 50’s. This is why the yearly exams are a must. I have 2 patients in my practice that never needed glasses until they were in their 40’s. At that time, they began to need reading glasses, so they bought them at the local dollar store. Fast-forward 25 years. On a whim, these patients decided to come for an actual eye exam. They were unpleasantly surprised to find that they had lost 80-90% of their vision to glaucoma!! An entirely preventable/treatable disease, that went undetected due to lack of routine eye exams.

And for the kids….an eye exam before the age of 6 is best. School screenings are fairly good, but sometimes subtle problems that can become larger issues can be missed. And the window of opportunity to fix those problems closes around the age 0f 8 or 9. If everything is normal, then exams every 3 to 5 years is probably acceptable.

So….kids AND adults need regular eye exams!! Call your ophthalmologist today!!


II. Dry Eye – Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Dry eye produces discomfort and reduces vision when the tear film becomes chronically table or unavailable thereby leading to dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea. Sometimes, a person with a dry eye will have excess tears running down the cheeks, which may seem confusing. People who have Chronic Dry Eyes are diagnosed by a doctor and usually have a decrease in the amount of tear production. Many people also find their eyes become irritated when reading or working on a computer. Stopping periodically to rest and blink keeps the eyes more comfortable In addition, because these emergency tears tend to arrive too late, the eye needs to regenerate and treatment is necessary.

Dry eyes are caused by a lack of tears. A sad movie or a wedding can make your tears flow. But tears aren't produced only on those occasions. It is usually caused by a problem with the quality of the tear film that lubricates the eyes. Tears are a combination of water, for moisture; oils, for lubrication; mucus, for even spreading; and antibodies and special proteins, for resistance to infection. People with dry eyes often feel discomfort in a variety of forms. Sometimes even if the eyes are dry they may feel as though they 'water'; this is due to poorly spreading tears.

When your eyes become irritated by dust or are bothered by wind, smoke or fumes, extra tears form to help wash away the foreign material. In response, the eye is flooded with tears to try to compensate for the underlying dryness. However, these tears are mostly water and do not have the lubricating qualities or the rich composition of normal tears. The eye depends on the flow of tears to provide constant moisture and lubrication to maintain vision and comfort. Dry eye syndrome is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye.

Causes of Dry Eyes

The common Causes of Dry Eyes :

· Side effects of using certain medications such as antihistamines and birth control pills.
· An eye injury or other problem with your eyes or eyelids (like a drooping eyelid or bulging eyes ).
· Diseases that affect the ability to make tears, such as Sjogren's syndrome , rheumatoid arthritis and collagen vascular diseases.
· Smoking or second-hand smoke exposure.
· A very dry environment - try using a humidifier.
· Cold or allergy medicines.

Symptoms of Dry Eyes

Some common Symptoms of Dry Eyes :

· Itching .
· Discomfort in the eyes.
· Stringy mucus in or around your eyes.
· Burning.
· Itchiness.
· Irritation.
· Redness.
· Sensitivity to light .
· Difficulty wearing contact lenses.
· Increased eye irritation from smoke or wind.

Treatment of Dry Eyes

Here is the list of the methods for treating Dry Eyes :

· Other medications, including topical steroids, may also be beneficial in some cases.
· Anti-inflammatory medications, such as steroids, antimetabolites and cyclosporine A, as well as tetracyclines and hormones, are used to treat more severe forms of dry eye surgical techniques used to preserve tears include punctal cautery, punctal plugs, and tarsorrhaphy
· Excessive air movement dries out your eyes avoid having excessive air movement by decreasing the speed of ceiling fans and/or oscillating fans.
· If you notice your eyes are dry mainly while you are reading or watching TV, taking frequent breaks to allow your eyes to rest and become moist and comfortable again is helpful.