Myopia and its treatment.

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common type of refractive eye error. In this disease, close objects appear clearly, but objects that are at a distance, appear blurry.

How does myopia develop?

Myopia develops in eyes that focus images that are in front of the retina instead of on the retina, which results in blurred vision. This occurs when the eyeball becomes too long and prevents incoming light from focusing directly on the retina. It may also be caused by an abnormal shape of the cornea or lens.

Who is at risk for myopia?

Myopia can affect both children and adults. It can be hereditary. People whose parents have myopia may be more likely to get the condition.

What are the signs and symptoms of myopia?

Some of the signs and symptoms of myopia include:

• Headaches
• Eyestrain
• Squinting
• Difficulty seeing distant objects, such as highway signs.

 How is myopia corrected?

Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery

Diabetes can damage your vision irreparably

Nearly half of India’s population is suffering from Diabetes. We know it causes damage to all our organs collectively but what it does to our eye sight  is just irrepairable and can’t be set right by anything. According to a recent study in an approximately, 70 percent of adults above 40 years of age, blindness is due to Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic Retinopathy is a condition in which the blood vessels of the retina get damaged or blocked. When blood vessels get blocked, the blood supply to retina gets stopped, which ultimately leads to vision loss.

Often in the initial years after being diagnosed with Diabetes, the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy are not clearly visible, only mild vision problems are witnessed. And this is the gravest risk. Even physician is unable to diagnose it easily. But it’s a silent killer within few days of this being diagnosed; a patient would not have a chance to stop the damage.

Diabetic Retinopathy is more common in type II(life style diabetes) as compared to Type I cases(from early childhood).  In some rare cases the symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy are seen in the initial stages but generally only  basic symptoms are visible such as dark spots floating in your vision, blurred and fluctuating vision, vision loss, difficulty with color perception; and dark or empty areas in vision.

The best antidote is  patients diagnosed with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam once every year as the chances of having Diabetic Retinopathy increases with the time.  If diagnosed in time, your doctor can help you in preventing its progression. Remember the key is early detection and timely treatment as only this can prevent vision loss.

Diabetic Retinopathy is most common in pregnant women with diabetes. Sometimes, during pregnancy, doctors also recommend some additional tests as pregnancy may worsen diabetic retinopathy.

Managing your blood sugar level carefully is the first step to prevent diabetic retionpathy. Indulge in a healthy diet and religiously spend at least 1 and a half hour daily on physical exercises like walk, aerobics or yoga. Take you medicines on time.If you smoke ,quit it,  as it is an additional hazard. Twice a year, go for a hemoglobin A1C test and get it checked by your doctor. Ideally, your A1C should be under 7 percent. Contact an eye doctor if sudden changes in vision are observed by you, or you are facing blurred or spotty vision. The damage caused can’t be retrieved back but progress can be checked by surgeries like Focal Laser treatment, Scatter Laser treatment, Vitrectomy.

If you have already lost some of your vision due to Diabetic Retinopathy, then ask your doctor for low vision services and devices. This can help you greatly in maintaining your remaining vision.

Lastly, remember if you are diagnosed with Diabetes, then don't panic. Just start living a better lifestyle.

Don't ignore the redness in eyes, it might be Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis or pink eye is the inflammation of the thin tissue like structure that lies over the white part of the eye and membrane on the inner part of the eyelids. It is a viral or bacterial eye infection. It is one of the common eye infections that spreads with the monsoon. Treatment primarily consists of cleaning of the eye and preventing it from spreading.

Causes of Conjunctivitis:-
Main causes of pink eye Viruses and bacteria. Allergens like pollen, perfume, cosmetics, smoke, dust and eye drops also contribute to the common causes of Conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis:-
Its symptoms generally depends on the cause and differs accordingly. But some of the symptoms may include:-
Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid, increased amount of tears, thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes especially after sleep, green or white discharge from the eye, itchy eyes, burning eyes, blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light.

The treatment totally depends on the cause of the conjunctivitis. If you are undergoing any symptoms, don't wait and rush to the eye specialist.

Uveitis, one of the leading causes of blindness

Uveitis is a major eye disease which affects the uvea, middle layer of the eye beneath the white part. The uvea includes the iris, ciliary body and choroid. It is one of the most important parts of the eye which transports blood to the other parts of the eye. It affects the middle coat of the eye, which extends from iris at the front of the eye to the retina and choroid at the back of the eye.

Uveitis is the inflammation of the uvea, the internal inflammation of the eye. In many cases the cause of the uveitis is unkown but some of the potential causes are infection such as bacterial, virus, syphilis, tuberculosis and Lyme disease. Autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, reiter’s syndrome, sarcoidosis and ankylosing spondylitis also contribute to the cause of uveitis.  Other than this, past eye problems like injury can also cause uveitis.

Many cases of uveitis are chronic, and they can produce numerous possible complications, including clouding of the cornea, cataracts, elevated eye pressure (IOP), glaucoma, swelling of the retina or retinal detachment. These complications can result in permanent vision loss, if not treated on time.

Its classification usually depends on the area where it occurs. By this one can get to know which type of Uveitis a person is suffering. Anterior Uvietis occurs in the front part of the eye while Intermediate Uvietis occurs at the centre. Posterior Uvietis is another type which occurs at the back while Pan Uveitis usually affects all the three parts of the Uvea.

However, its symptoms are same as that of an eye infection. But it is not just an infection but can lead to a major eye disease or even blindness. Paining eyes are the most common sign of any infection. It also includes redness of the eye, watery eyes, light sensitivity, blurred vision and small or distorted pupil.

Coming to the treatment, some of the common treatments of uveitis include periocular steroid injections, it is the form of therapy which may be uncomfortable, yet very effective in acute uveitis. Other method of treatment is systemic or oral administration of steroids or anti-metabolite drugs. The dose required to penetrate and treat uveitis in the eye is frequently associated with side effects in the rest of the body (including Cushing's syndrome, renal, liver and bone-marrow damage). Cycloplegic medication is another method of treatment in which eye drops are given to dilate the pupil to prevent it sticking to the lens of the eye. These drops reduce the risk of scarring between the pupil and the lens.

Catch early symptoms of Uveitis

Uveitis,of which we are among very few super specialists in the city,is a serious eye disease in which middle part of the eyes get inflammed. Infections,immune disorder ,arthritis are among known causes,roughly in about forty percent cases causes are not known.If not treated in time,it can even lead to blindness.Treatment involves effort to control inflammation and specific medicine.This needs effective monitoring too.

Early symptoms of this disease are irritation and redness in  eyes. Other symptoms include pain in the eyes, blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light, floaters in the eyes, watery eyes etc. Mostly only one eye at a time is affected and the middle-age people are generally affected by this disease.

It is important to get this eye disease treated at early stage. It can only be easily diagnosed through eye examinations and needs routine check up .

Go and see an eye specialist of you notice any change in your eyes.


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Photophobia, not a fear but a mojor eye disease

Photophobia is not any fear or phobia but a condition in which discomfort or pain in eyes is experienced due to light. It is a very common symptom during migraine, and a criteria to depict migraine. The bright light like sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light all can cause discomfort to the eyes. Its treatment depends upon the severity of pain.

Symptoms of Photophobia:-

It causes symptoms like any infection, swelling, migraine, squint or close the eyes, and headache, nausea, or other symptoms may be associated with photophobia.

There are two possible connections associated with Photophobia:-

Migraine:- Many people who have migraine suffers from photophobia. Infact, it is one of the common symptoms of the migraine.

Blepharospasm :- Photophobia is commonly known to be associated with blepharospam. Every one among the two people suffering from blepharospam have photophobia.

Treatment of Photophobia:-

It can be treated by medications and rest for migraines, eye drops, keeping sim lights inside, etc.