Archive for the ‘Eye Injuries’ Category
If you wear contact lenses, you MUST do this if your eye is red or painful!
08.17.2010Researchers found that contact lens wearers may be 9 times more likely to develop ulcers of the cornea than those who do not wear contacts. The cornea is the clear front layer of the eye. Viral or bacterial infections can cause the open sores which are known as corneal ulcers. The result of such ulcers can be severe pain and redness, and potentially permanent vision loss.
Over a million patients were studied and information was collected on the presence of corneal ulcers along with contact lens use, eye trauma or disease and HIV status. Contact lens wearers only accounted for 12 percent of the patients in the study but more than half were diagnosed with corneal ulcers.
The increase in corneal ulcers is being attributed to the increased availability of disposable and overnight contact lenses. All contact lenses reduce oxygen transmission to the cornea. Since a normal cornea has no blood vessels to bring oxygen, it depends on getting oxygen directly from the surrounding air.
If you wear contact lenses, they need to be properly fitted by an eye care professional. And regular follow-up care is very important. In most states, it is illegal for a contact lens retailer to mail you new contact lenses without a prescription that it updated on a yearly basis. Although widely ignored by Internet contact lens companies, the law exists to ensure people are getting annual eye exams.*
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
The Symptoms and Causes of Peripheral Vision Loss
12.02.2009Peripheral vision affects many areas of our lives, including driving. It is also an integral part of team sports such as football and basketball. Unlike other visual problems, peripheral vision loss cannot be fixed by using glasses or contacts.
The two components of vision are central vision and peripheral vision. These two components are independent of one another. Indicators of a problem with peripheral vision include difficulty in seeing in dim light or difficulty navigating when walking. When people suffer a lack of peripheral vision, they rely upon their central vision to compensate.
And people are frequently unaware of peripheral vision problems, because they are expecting the blind area to appear black, when more frequently, its symptoms are no different from being unable to see behind our heads. We don’t consider the area behind our heads to be “black” or “blind.” We only know we can’t see there.
The blind area is called a “scotoma.” Because scotomas can be very small, they are frequently unnoticed until they grow larger.
Computerized Visual Field machine, which measures peripheral or "side" vision
Damage to the optic nerve, high intraocular pressure (IOP) and eye strokes are among the causes of peripheral vision loss. Concussions and detached retinas can also lead to peripheral vision loss.
An eye doctor will need to conduct a visual field test once you have discovered a peripheral vision loss. The visual field test will be able to pinpoint the position of the suspected blind spots.
For glaucoma patients, it is imperative that they follow their prescribed regimen of eye drops to control their IOP to avoid permanent peripheral vision loss.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Flashes or Floaters Can Be Indicators of Retinal Tear
11.30.2009A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that one in seven patients experiencing a sudden onset of flashes of light or floaters in their line of vision have suffered a retinal tear or a retinal detachment.
A retinal tear occurs when the thin layer of light-sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye begins to peel away from the supportive tissue. Retinal tears occur more often as people age. It can also be associated with those suffering from degenerative myopia or people who have experienced an 
injury to an eye.
If left untreated, retinal tears can lead to retinal detachment and loss of vision. A dilated retinal exam performed by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist is required if you have flashes (photospsias) or a new onset of floaters. It is imperative that a retinal tear be diagnosed early in order to avoid it becoming a retinal detachment. Approximately 50% of eyes that have a retinal tear develop a retinal detachment without treatment.
While many people do experience floaters which are a natural part of the aging process, the sudden onset of dots or floaters that have a cobweb-like appearance that don’t go away should immediately be referred to an ophthalmologist for a complete retinal exam. Sudden flashes of light like fireworks also demand urgent attention.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Symptoms of Iritis Should Not Be Ignored
11.09.2009Iritis is an inflammation of the iris. Iritis can be caused by an underlying condition such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus, Sarcoid, Shingles or inflammatory bowel disease or trauma to the eye, among others. In approximately half of cases, iritis occurs spontaneously without a known cause.
Symptoms of iritis include pain in the eye or the brow region which worsens under bright light (photophobia) , tender red eye without discharge, blurred vision and small or irregularly shaped pupil. Left untreated, iritis may result in glaucoma and/or cataracts.
Iritis, which causes the eye to be red, is frequently misdiagnosed as allergy or conjunctivitis by physicians who don’t have access to a slit lamp biomicroscope, as is found in an eye doctor’s office.
The first line of treatment for iritis is steroid eyedrops. Careful monitoring of the eye pressure on this medication is required. If the eye fails to respond to steroid eyedrops, oral medications may be required.
Treatment may be required for days or weeks, and uncommonly months.
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, you should inform your eye doctor promptly.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Be Careful of those Flying Champagne Corks
01.20.2009As this season’s football teams celebrated their respective division championships with champagne, with corks flying around the room painting each others’ faces with the pressurized spray, I was motivated to warn my readers about avoiding a potentially devastating eye injury.
Just three months ago, I received a phone call from one of my office employees. Her brother-in-law had inadvertently gotten struck in his eye by a champagne cork and had lost vision. He was in upstate New York, a few hours away from my office. Because it was Sunday, all the local doctor offices were closed and he could only get treatment in an emergency room.
I ran through all the possibilities in my mind. Bleeding inside the eye (anterior chamber hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage), inflammation (uveitis), corneal abrasion, retinal detachment or tear, swollen retina (commotio retina and macular edema), traumatic glaucoma and even a ruptured globe. Read the rest of this entry »
