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What You Can Do to Protect Your Eyes From Bad Air Quality
Exposure to pollution and other airborne irritants increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including heart disease, asthma, stroke, respiratory illnesses, and lung cancer. Unfortunately, your eyes may also suffer when the air quality is bad. Taking a few of these steps will improve your eye comfort and reduce the risk of vision problems.
How Air Quality Affects Your Eyes
The moist tissues in your eyes easily absorb pollutants in the air. Short-term exposure can cause irritation and inflammation, while long-term exposure can lead to age-related macular degeneration. Your risk of eye problems increases if you spend a significant amount of time outdoors when the air quality is poor.
Airborne Pollutants Can Trigger Painful Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, or "pink eye," affects the conjunctiva, a layer of tissue that covers the whites of your eye and the insides of the eyelids. Redness, itching, burning, foreign body sensation, and light sensitivity are common symptoms. Although conjunctivitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or chemicals, air quality is also a factor, particularly among people who have allergies.
Cases of allergic conjunctivitis among Japanese ophthalmologists and their families increased when nitrogen dioxide, a common pollutant was high. Results of the survey of Japanese eye doctors appeared in the December 3, 2019 issue of Scientific Reports.
In a study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science in January 2012, high levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter increased outpatient visits for non-specific conjunctivitis in Taiwan.
Pollution Could Be the Reason Your Eyes Feel So Dry
Do your eyes feel itchy and uncomfortable after spending time outdoors? You may be suffering from dry eye. The condition may also be to blame for blurry vision and redness. Pollution dries out the tear film that lubricates the sensitive tissues of your eyes, which causes the symptoms. Korean researchers discovered that higher ozone levels and lower humidity levels increased dry eye. Their conclusions were based on results obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Poor Air Quality Increases Your Chance of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes blurry vision or loss of vision in the center of your eye. AMD affects the macula, the center part of the retina responsible for color and central vision. You're more likely to develop AMD if you're over age 60 or have a family history of the disease, although pollution may also play a part in AMD, according to a recent research study.
Exposure to fine particle air pollution increased the risk of AMD in a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Some study participants also experienced changes in the thickness of their retinas due to pollution.
How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Pollution-Related Eye Issues
Although you may not be able to avoid pollution completely, these tips can help you protect your eyes:
Check Air Quality Forecasts. Take a look at the air quality forecast if you plan to spend time outdoors. If the air quality is unhealthy, it may be best to reschedule your activities if possible. Air quality forecasts are available on many weather websites.
Cover Your Eyes. Sunglasses or eyeglasses prevent pollutants from reaching your eyes. Wrap-around sunglasses offer the most protection.
Use Eye Drops. Lubricating eye drops keep your eyes moist and comfortable while reducing dry eye symptoms.
Increase Humidity. Use a humidifier in your home to increase moisture and prevent your dry eyes from feeling even worse.
Wear Your Glasses Instead of Contact Lenses. Contact lenses trap pollutants against your eye and increase your risk of developing dry eye and conjunctivitis. If you do wear your contacts on a day when the air quality is unhealthy, remove the lenses as soon as you return home and clean them immediately.
Contact Your Optometrist. Let your optometrist know if eye irritation or inflammation doesn't improve after a day or two. Your eye doctor can prescribe eye drops that will reduce irritation, redness, and other symptoms.
Are your eyes dry or inflamed? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
American Lung Association: The Terrible 10: Air Pollution's Top Ten Health Risks, 4/6/17
American Optometric Association: Conjunctivitis
National Eye Institute: Dry Eye, 1/22/20
Healthline: Common Cause of Vision Loss Linked to Air Pollution – What to Know
How the Human Eye Works
Seeing is possible thanks to a complicated series of events that start in the eyes and end in the brain. The entire process happens almost instantaneously and is only successful if every part of your visual system works properly.
It All Starts with the Cornea
Your cornea, a clear, rounded layer of tissue that covers your pupil and iris, helps light reach your eyes by bending the rays as they enter your pupils.
The iris and pupil work together to let light into the eye. Have you noticed that your pupils look bigger when the light is dim? Tiny muscles in the iris make the pupil bigger when it's harder to see, allowing more light to enter your eyes. The muscles shrink the size of your pupils when it's bright outside or inside.
The Lens Is Essential for a Clear Picture
Light rays pass through the lens and the vitreous humor after entering the eye. The lens is a transparent disc located inside the eye under the iris and pupil, while the vitreous is the clear gel that gives the eye its shape.
The muscles that control the shape of the lens relax, causing the lens to flatten when you look at an object in the distance. The opposite happens when you look at something nearby. The muscles contract, thickening the lens. The ability of the lens to change shape allows you to shift your focus from near to far objects and back again.
The lens focuses light rays on the retina in the back of the eye. If your eyeball is too long, the rays will focus in front of the retina, causing myopia, or nearsightedness. If you're nearsighted, close objects are easy to see, while everything in the distance looks blurry.
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when your eyeball is too short. Light rays focus beyond your retina and make your near vision blurry.
As you get older, the lenses of your eyes become less flexible. The loss of flexibility affects your ability to see near objects clearly. This condition, called presbyopia, usually begins in your early- to mid-forties, according to the American Optometric Association. Fortunately, a pair of reading glasses will make it much easier to read a book or thread a needle.
The Retina Transforms Light Rays
The retina covers the back of the eye and contains two types of photoreceptor cells. The rods, found in the outer part of the retina, are essential for side vision and help you see in dim light. Cones, the other type of photoreceptor cells, are located in the macula, the center part of the retina. Cones are needed for color vision and also help you see fine details easily.
The retina turns light rays into electrical impulses, then sends the impulses to the occipital lobe of the brain through the optic nerve. Problems with your retinas or optic nerve can affect your vision.
If you have macular degeneration, a common age-related eye condition, your central vision may be blurry or you may notice blank spots in the middle part of your vision. Increased eye pressure due to glaucoma can damage your optic nerve, causing partial or total loss of vision.
How Your Brain Helps You See
The visual cortex in the brain's occipital lobe serves as the vision command center. The cortex processes and stores images and helps you make sense of what you see. Thanks to your brain, you can recognize faces, colors, letters, and shapes. You can also see fine details, avoid obstacles, keep your balance, predict the speed of moving objects, remember the things you've seen in the past, and easily recall information after reading it.
Your brain also controls the muscles that move your eyes and turns the slightly different information received from each of your eyes into one clear image.
If a stroke, tumor, infection, disease, or head trauma injures the brain, your vision and your ability to understand what you see can be temporarily or permanently affected.
Annual visits to the optometrist help you ensure that every part of your visual system is working properly. Contact our office if you're ready to schedule your next eye exam.
Sources:
American Optometric Association: Adult Vision: 41 - 60 Years of Age
National Eye Institute: How the Eyes Work
American Optometric Association: How Your Eyes Work
American Macular Degeneration Foundation: How the Eye Works as a Camera
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Eye Anatomy: Parts of the Eye and How We See, 3/9/2
How to Avoid Stress-Related Eye Conditions
Stress doesn't just affect your mental health but may increase your risk of ailments ranging from diabetes to high blood pressure to vision problems. Fortunately, vision issues usually improve once you feel less stressed.
What Types of Vision Problems Can Stress Cause?
If you frequently feel stressed, you may have noticed one or more of these vision issues:
Twitching. Twitching eyelids can be very annoying and may even interfere with your vision. When you're feeling stressed, it's not unusual to notice tight muscles or knots in your neck, shoulders, and head, including the muscles that control eye movements. When the muscles tighten, twitching is more likely to occur.
Blurred Vision. Stress could be the reason that your vision is blurry. High adrenaline levels can increase pressure on the eyes, causing blurry vision, according to All About Vision. Adrenaline is released when you feel stressed and is known as the "fight or flight" hormone. The hormone gives you the energy to either run away or fight enemies in a dangerous situation. Production of adrenaline increases when you feel stressed.
Eye Pain. Sore, painful eyes may also be caused by stress. Your pupils get bigger as part of the fight or flight response. As the pupils dilate, more light enters your eyes, making it easier to see well in a potentially dangerous situation, according to Newsweek. If you're chronically stressed, your pupils remain dilated, which could increase your sensitivity to light and make your eyes feel sore and strained.
Dry Eye. Dry eye can also be related to stress. Frequent blinking spreads tears across your eyes. The tears moisturize your eyes, remove debris, and help keep your vision sharp and clear. If you're feeling stressed, you may blink less often, which can cause your eyes to become dry and uncomfortable. Dry eye can also be a factor in blurry vision.
Can Chronic Stress Cause Serious Vision Problems?
Although most stress-related vision problems are minor and go away in a few hours, stress can cause long-lasting symptoms in some cases. Chronic stress may be a factor in a condition called central serous chorioretinopathy.
Vision problems occur when fluid builds up in the choroid, a layer of tissue under the retina. The retina is made up of light-sensing cells that line the back of the eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, stress is a major risk factor in central serous chorioretinopathy.
If you have the condition, you may notice blurry central vision, dim vision, or dull colors. Lines that should be straight may appear bent or crooked, and objects might seem to be farther away than they actually are. Luckily, these symptoms usually go away on their own in a few weeks, although you may need to take medication or have laser treatment if you continue to have vision problems.
How Can I Avoid Stress-Related Issues with My Vision?
Keeping stress under control can help you avoid vision issues and protect your health. If you frequently feel stressed, try one or more of these stress-busting techniques or activities:
Exercise. Exercise naturally lowers cortisol, a hormone produced when you feel stressed, while increasing the production of endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that reduce stress naturally and help you feel calm.
Deep Breathing. Inhaling deeply, then exhaling slowly can help you keep calm and centered when you feel your stress level rising. According to The American Institute of Stress, practicing deep breathing for just 20 minutes per day can help relieve both stress and anxiety.
Meditation. Meditation helps you clear your mind and focus on the present. Although it may take a little practice to master meditation, the practice offers a simple way to control and relieve stress.
Lifestyle Changes. Eating a healthier diet, getting more sleep, and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and other stimulants may also help you lower stress.
Have you noticed a change in your vision? Although stress could be the cause, it's important to see your optometrist any time your vision changes. Contact our office to schedule a convenient appointment.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, 9/4/19
The American Institute of Stress: Take a Deep Breath
APA PsycNet: Loss of Vision Due to Central Serous Retinopathy Following Psychological Stress
How to Protect Your Eyes at the Swimming Pool
There's no better place to be than a swimming pool on a hot summer day. Although swimming is an excellent way to relax and get a little exercise, spending time in a pool could cause eye discomfort or increase your risk of an eye infection. Fortunately, you can protect your eyes by following a few simple guidelines.
Wear Swim Goggles
Chemicals used to kill bacteria in pools can irritate your eyes, making them red and itchy. Interestingly, irritation may not be caused by the chemicals alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the combination of pool chemicals and sweat, urine, feces, personal skin products, dirt, and skin cells in the water may be to blame.
When these substances mix with chlorine, irritants called chloramines are created. Chloramines can cause skin and eye irritation, coughing, nasal irritation, and wheezing. Chloramines are reduced if everyone showers before entering the pool and, of course, doesn't use the pool as a toilet.
Swim goggles also help you protect your eyes from the irritating effects of chloramines and also reduce dry eye symptoms. Make sure your goggles fit comfortably but are tight enough to prevent water from entering your eyes. If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses, prescription swim goggles, available from your optometrist, are an excellent option.
Don't Swim in Contact Lenses
Does it take you 10 minutes to find your beach towel because everything looks blurry without your contact lenses? Swimming without your contacts definitely makes locating your spot in the sun difficult. Although wearing your contact lenses in the pool might seem like a good solution, you're more likely to develop a painful eye infection if you don't remove your lenses before swimming.
Contact lenses trap water against your eye. If the water contains bacteria or micro-organisms, you could develop a serious infection that could damage your vision. Bacteria and micro-organisms can be found in pools, lakes, ponds, the ocean, or any body of water.
It's best to leave your contacts in their case when you swim. If you do wear swim goggles with your contact lenses, daily disposable lenses are the best and safest option for your eyes. Make sure the goggles fit well and don't leak. Should your contact lenses come in contact with the pool water, take them out immediately and dispose of them. If you wear reusable lenses, sure to disinfect them before using them again.
Put on a Pair of Sunglasses
Sunbathing without sunglasses can increase your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and skin cancer around your eyes. Before you head to the pool, make sure your beach bag includes sunglasses that offer 100 percent protection from Ultraviolet (UV) A and B rays. Any style of sunglasses will be helpful, but wraparound glasses offer the most protection.
Sunglasses also reduce your risk of developing photokeratitis, or sunburn of the eyes. Symptoms of photokeratitis include redness, pain, tearing, blurry vision, and sensitivity to light. Although photokeratitis symptoms usually go away on their own in a few days, wearing sunglasses is an easy way to avoid the uncomfortable condition.
If you wear goggles in the water, make sure the eyewear offers UV protection and reduces glare. When you're out of the water, wear a hat to shade your eyes, in addition to wearing sunglasses.
Do you need a new pair of sunglasses? Contact our office to schedule an appointment for an eye exam.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Photokeratitis - Including Snow Blindness, 6/3/21
U.S. Masters Swimming: Answers to Several Common Eye-Related Health Questions, 3/4/15
Ocular Hypertension Causes and Treatments
Ocular hypertension occurs when the pressure inside your eye begins to rise. Although the increased pressure doesn't damage your eye, it could increase your risk of developing glaucoma. If you've been diagnosed with ocular hypertension, treatment may help prevent the condition from worsening.
Why Does Ocular Hypertension Occur?
Aqueous humor, a clear eye fluid, nourishes the lens inside your eye and creates pressure that helps your eyeball maintain its round shape. Although the pressure usually remains the same, slow drainage or excess fluid could increase it.
If the pressure is too high, you could develop glaucoma, a condition that occurs when high pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve. Light impulses travel from the retina at the back of your eye to the brain via the optic nerve. Once the brain receives the impulses, it converts them into recognizable images. If the optic nerve is damaged, the signals never reach the brain, resulting in partial or complete vision loss. Unfortunately, by the time you notice that something is wrong with your eyesight, it's too late to save your vision.
Who Gets Ocular Hypertension?
You may be more likely to develop ocular hypertension if you are over 40, are extremely nearsighted, or are Hispanic or African American. If family members have glaucoma or ocular hypertension, you may be more likely to develop the condition as well.
Your risk of ocular hypertension increases if you've taken steroid medications for a long time, had an eye injury or eye surgery, have high blood pressure, or diabetes. Low blood pressure and a thinner central cornea could also increase your risk, according to Bright Focus Foundation.
How Can I Tell if I Have Ocular Hypertension?
Ocular hypertension has no symptoms. In fact, you won't notice any changes in your vision if the pressure inside your eye rises. Fortunately, your optometrist can tell if your pressure is too high by performing a simple test during your annual eye exam. Your eye doctor uses an instrument called a tonometer to take an eye pressure reading. The tonometer produces a puff of air that briefly flattens your cornea, the clear tissue that covers your iris and pupil.
How Is Ocular Hypertension Treated?
An ocular hypertension diagnosis doesn't automatically mean you will require treatment or develop glaucoma. In fact, only 25 percent of people who participated in a national ocular hypertension study ever developed vision loss from glaucoma. Researchers who followed up on participants in The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study 20 years later were surprised by the results, as they expected to see much higher rates of vision loss.
You will need to visit your optometrist more often for checkups if you have ocular hypertension. Regular follow-up visits help your eye doctor spot the early signs of glaucoma and offer treatment before the condition can damage your optic nerve and destroy your vision.
If you are eventually diagnosed with glaucoma, your eye doctor may recommend daily prescription eye drops that lower pressure. If blocked drainage channels in your eye are the reason for the pressure increase, you may need a surgical procedure to improve drainage.
Regular eye examinations help your optometrist diagnose and monitor ocular hypertension. Exams are a simple way to protect your eyesight and reduce your risk of vision loss. Contact us if you need to schedule an appointment for an eye exam.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Ocular Hypertension?, 3/9/21
American Optometric Association: Ocular Hypertension
Bright Focus Foundation: Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma, 4/23/18
How Your Daily Habits Could Be Harming Your Eyes
Using old makeup, forgetting to wear your sunglasses, or even rubbing your eyes could increase your risk of developing an eye injury, disease, or infection. Fortunately, it's easy to avoid many types of eye problems by making a few changes to your usual routine. Your risk of eye issues could be higher if you do any of these things.
Rub Your Eyes
Like most people, you probably rub your eyes without even thinking about it when you're tired or your eyes feel a little uncomfortable. Rubbing your eyes may seem like a harmless habit but can cause several eye issues, including:
Corneal Abrasions. These painful scratches develop on the cornea, the clear layer of tissue that covers your iris and pupil. You may be more likely to develop a corneal abrasion if there's a small piece of dust or debris in your eye when you rub it.
Dark Circles Under Your Eyes. Vigorous rubbing may break small blood vessels under your eyes, causing the skin to look darker. Rubbing may also cause puffiness and wrinkles.
Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a condition that occurs when your cornea thins and becomes cone-shaped. The condition distorts your vision and makes it hard to see clearly. Rubbing your eyes, particularly if you use your knuckles, may raise your risk of keratoconus, according to a French research study that appeared in the February 2020 issue of Cornea.
Touch Your Eyes Without Washing Your Hands
Washing your hands before touching your eyes is an easy way to avoid eye infections caused by bacteria, viruses, dirt, and other substances. Handwashing can also keep you healthier. Many viruses, including influenza, enter the body through the eyes and other mucus membranes.
It's particularly important to wash your hands before you put in or take out your contact lenses. If you handle your lenses with dirty hands, you might develop a severe infection that could cause permanent vision issues.
Leave Your Sunglasses at Home
Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) light year-round. Exposure to UV light increases your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, cancer, and growths on your eyes. When you shop for sunglasses, read labels before you make your purchase. Sunglasses that offer 100 percent protection from UVA and UVB rays are the best choice.
Don't Wear Safety Glasses
Safety glasses protect your eyes on the job and at home. Wearing the glasses keeps chemicals, and slivers of wood, metal, glass, and other materials from damaging your eyes. Wear the glasses any time you work with dangerous chemicals or use machinery, including saws, sanders, drills, and lawnmowers.
Never Clean Makeup Brushes or Use Old Makeup
Your makeup habits may be the reason you develop a painful eye infection. Protect your vision by:
Cleaning Brushes and Applicators at Least Once a Week
Disposing of Eye Makeup After Three Months
Throwing Out Eye Makeup if You've Had an Eye infection
Avoiding Applying Eye Makeup in a Moving Vehicle
Not Sharing Eye Makeup
Changing the way you apply eyeliner may also help you keep your eyes healthy. University of Waterloo researchers discovered that eyeliner migrated into the tear film of the eye much more quickly when it was applied to the inner part of the eyelid. Eyeliner can cause redness, discomfort sensitivity, and eye infections if it enters the tear film. The product can also build up on contact lenses, making them feel uncomfortable.
Spend Too Much Time Viewing Digital Screens
Dry eye, eyestrain, blurred vision, and headaches can occur if you don't take breaks from your digital screens periodically. The American Optometric Association recommends following the 20/20/20 rule to improve eye comfort. After viewing a screen for 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet in the distance for at least 20 seconds.
If you've been working steadily for two or three hours, take a half-hour break that doesn't involve screens of any kind. Adding anti-glare filters and screens to devices and wearing computer glasses that block blue light can also be helpful.
Improving your daily habits and visiting the optometrist for checkups can help you protect your eye health. Has it been a while since you've had an eye exam? Contact our office to schedule your appointment.
Sources:
PubMed: Cornea: A Case-Control Study of Keratoconus Risk Factors, 6/20
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Corneal Abrasion and Erosion, 9/17/20
American Optometric Association: Computer Vision Syndrome
University of Waterloo: Study Finds Eyeliner Application May Cause Eye Problems, 4/1/15
American Academy of Ophthalmology: The Sun, UV Light and Your Eyes, Jun. 11, 2020
What is Low Vision?
Low vision affects close to 3 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. You may have low vision if you have vision loss that can't be improved with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Fortunately, a variety of aids and devices can help you make the most of your usable vision.
What Causes Low Vision?
Low vision can be caused by:
Eye Diseases: Macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy can cause loss of vision if treatments aren't successful.
Genetics: You may have inherited an eye disease that affects your vision, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis, or optic atrophy.
Injuries: Injuries to your eyes or brain may also be responsible for low vision.
Retinal Detachment: If your retina separates from the back of your eye and can't be reattached, you may experience permanent vision loss. The retina is a layer of light-sensing cells at the back of the eye that sends light rays to the brain for processing. You may notice a blank spot in your field of vision at the spot where the detachment occurred.
Prematurity: If you were born too early, you may suffer from retinopathy of prematurity, a condition that causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in your retinas.
How Do I Know If I Have Low Vision?
Your optometrist will determine if you have low vision after performing a few tests. Although your ability to see the letters and numbers on an eye chart will be part of the exam, he or she will also consider the way your vision problem affects your life.
Low vision may make it difficult to do many things you used to take for granted. Due to your vision problems, you may have trouble reading, using a computer, watching TV, using machinery, driving, shopping, seeing the board at school, and recognizing friends and family members.
The cause of your vision problem determines the type of symptoms you'll experience. Vision loss may affect your central or side vision, or alter your depth perception or ability to spot differences in colors. You can have low vision or in one or both eyes.
What Type of Help Is Available?
Low vision doesn't have to completely change your life. Thanks to innovative vision technology, you can learn new ways to carry out your daily tasks. Your optometrist may recommend one or more of these technologies, devices, or aids:
Magnifiers. Whether they're attached to a pair of glasses or held in your hand, magnifiers can make reading, sewing, and other tasks easier.
Screen Readers. Special software converts the words on the computer screen to spoken language, allowing you to "read" a computer screen even if you have severe low vision.
Telescopes. Telescopes can also be handheld or mounted on eyeglass frames. They're helpful for seeing objects in the distance or watching a TV or movie screen. Some telescopes can even help you drive.
Book Alternatives. If you have trouble reading the words in a book, selecting books and magazines that offer large print versions may offer a simple solution. Audiobooks are another option, as are electronic books. When you read an electronic book in an eReader, you can select the font size, background, and text color.
Apps. There's an app for almost everything these days, including low vision issues. You can find apps that describe the icons on your Apple phone or match you with volunteers who help you read the directions on a package by using the camera on your phone.
Everyday Items: Alarm clocks, telephones, watches, needle threaders, calculators, thermometers, timers, TV remotes, and other products are available in large print versions.
Do you need help dealing with low vision problems? Contact our office to schedule a convenient appointment.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Eye Health Statistics
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Low Vision Assistive Devices, 2/25/19
How Your Family History Affects Your Vision
You may have inherited more than your hair color and height from your parents. The tendency to develop nearsightedness, glaucoma, lazy eye, and other conditions can also be passed from generation to generation.
Exploring the Way Inheritance Affects Your Eyes
Eye diseases can be passed on through recessive, dominant, or X-linked inheritance. Both parents must pass along copies of a faulty gene if a disease is inherited through recessive inheritance, while only one parent must carry the gene in dominant inheritance. In X-linked inheritance, diseases are passed from mothers to sons.
You may also inherit certain physical characteristics that increase your risk of eye issues or make it more likely that you'll need glasses. The shape of your eyeball affects your ability to see near and far objects clearly. In hyperopia, the eyeball is too short, which makes it difficult to see near objects clearly. A longer-than-normal eyeball is the cause of myopia (nearsightedness), which causes blurry vision when you look at distant vision. If your parents have myopia or hyperopia, you may be at increased risk for developing these vision problems, known as refractive errors.
Just because your parent has a refractive error, doesn't necessarily mean you'll develop one. Many factors are involved in vision issues. For example, exposure to sunlight and the amount of time spent reading or focusing on near objects during childhood may also play a role in myopia.
Do You Know Your Family Eye History?
Although refractive errors are easily corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, other vision problems may not be so easy to treat. Learning about the eye conditions and diseases that run in your family can help you protect your vision. Eye diseases don't always cause symptoms in the early stages. Unfortunately, despite the absence of symptoms, permanent damage may occur if you don't notice any changes in your vision or don't see your optometrist for regular vision exams.
Families often know information about relatives with cancer, high blood pressure, or heart disease but forget about eye diseases and conditions. The next time you attend a family gathering, ask if any of your relatives have had any of these inherited conditions and diseases:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD currently affects approximately 15 million people in the U.S., many of them older Americans, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The disease causes blurriness or blind spots in the central part of your vision.
Glaucoma. Increased pressure inside your eye and damages your optic nerve, causing permanent vision loss if you have glaucoma. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, your risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma increases by four to nine times if a close family member has this form of glaucoma.
Cataracts. You may be more likely to develop cataracts if other family members have them. Cataracts occur when the normally clear lenses inside your eyes become clouded.
Diabetic Retinopathy. Although diabetic retinopathy itself isn't inherited, type 1 diabetes, and in some cases, type 2 diabetes, can be passed on through the genes. Diabetic retinopathy damages your vision when blood vessels leak or abnormal blood vessels form in the retina. The retina, the light-sensing layer of cells at the back of your eye, sends images to your brain for processing.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an inherited eye disorder that causes gradual loss of peripheral vision and night blindness.
Color Blindness. Color blindness can also be inherited. People who are color blind have difficulty recognizing certain colors. Some have trouble recognizing red and green, while others can't see blue or yellow shades.
Strabismus. Also called "crossed eyes," strabismus occurs when the eyes aren't properly aligned. As a result, the brain receives conflicting images from the eyes. Strabismus can cause blurred or double vision and depth perception issues.
Amblyopia. Ambylopia, or "lazy eye," occurs when the brain ignores the information it receives from one of the eyes. You may be more likely to develop amblyopia if you don't receive treatment for strabismus.
Do you have a family history of eye disease? Regular comprehensive vision examinations can help you protect your vision and ensure you receive prompt treatment if you develop a disease or condition. Contact our office to schedule your exam.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Glaucoma Research Foundation: Are You at Risk for Glaucoma
Cleveland Clinic: Eye Disease Inherited & Genetic
PubMed: Ophthalmology: Risk Factors for Incident Myopia in Australian Schoolchildren, 10/13
Foundation Fighting Blindness: Genetics 101: How Some Retinal Diseases Are Inherited, 10/10/14
What You Need to Know About Astigmatism
Astigmatism causes blurred vision whether you're looking at an object that's close by or far away. Approximately 33 percent of the population is affected by astigmatism, according to the American Academy of Opthalmology.
What Causes Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a refractive error that changes the way light rays focus on your retina. The light-sensing layer of cells at the back of the eye sends light impulses to the brain, which processes them into recognizable images.
Two eye structures help keep light rays properly focused on the retina. The cornea, a rounded layer of clear cells that covers the iris and pupil, bends (refracts) light on to the lens inside your eye. The lens, a clear, disc-shaped structure, focuses light on the retina and constantly changes shape as you use your near and far vision.
An irregularly shaped cornea or lens will distort light rays and prevent them from focusing on the retina correctly. If you have astigmatism, your cornea may be more oval-shaped than round, or your lens might be irregularly shaped.
Anyone can develop astigmatism, but it's more likely to occur if you injured your eye, had eye surgery, or have keratoconus, a condition that causes the cornea to become cone-shaped and thin. In some cases, a change in the shape of your lens can occur before you develop cataracts, according to the American Optometric Association.
Astigmatism is particularly common in babies but usually goes away on its own during the first year. You may be more likely to develop astigmatism if other people in your family also have this refractive error.
Can You Have Astigmatism If You're Nearsighted or Farsighted?
Many people who are nearsighted (myopic) or farsighted (hyperopic) also have astigmatism. Fortunately, prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses can help you avoid blurry vision.
What Are the Treatment Options for Astigmatism?
Astigmatism treatment involves altering the way light rays focus on your retina. One or more of these options may help you see clearly if you have astigmatism:
Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses. Both glasses and contact lenses offer a good way to counteract the effects of astigmatism. If you look at your prescription, you'll see that your optometrist has made a notation in the CYL (cylinder) column of the prescription. The number indicates the lens power needed for the part of the lenses that corrects astigmatism.
Orthokeratology. Orthokeratology, or ortho-k, offers a temporary solution for astigmatism. During the night, you'll wear special contact lenses that improve the shape of your cornea. Thanks to the rigid lenses, you may not need to wear glasses or regular contact lenses during the day. The effects of ortho-k usually only last a day or two. For the best results, you'll need to wear the contact lenses every night.
Laser Surgery. Laser surgery offers a more permanent treatment method for irregularly shaped corneas. During this treatment, a laser removes a small amount of tissue from the cornea to reshape it. The surgery can also be used to improve your vision if you're nearsighted or farsighted.
Are you struggling with blurry vision? You might have astigmatism. The refractive error can be diagnosed during a comprehensive eye examination. Contact our office to schedule your exam.
Sources:
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Eye Health Statistics
American Optometric Association: Astigmatism
American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Astigmatism?, 8/31/18
Have you ever tried to decipher your eyeglass prescription? Although the numbers and abbreviations written on the script may be meaningless to you, your prescription provides valuable information for the type of corrective lenses you'll need.
What O.D. and O.S Mean
No one may speak Latin anymore, but the language is still used in the medical field. In fact, the first things you'll notice on your prescription are abbreviations for two Latin terms in the column labeled "Rx." Oculus dexter (O.D.) translates to "right eye," while oculus sinister means "left eye." Your optometrist uses these terms to note the prescription for each eye. It's not unusual to have a slightly different prescription in each eye.
Other Measurements and Abbreviations
Eyeglass prescriptions also contain these measurements and abbreviations:
Sphere. This number determines the lens power needed to provide clear vision for each eye. A minus sign before the number indicates that you are nearsighted, while a plus sign means that you're farsighted. Lens power is measured in diopters. The higher the number, the stronger the prescription. For example, "-5.00" written under sphere means that you are very nearsighted and need a five diopter correction. You may also see diopters expressed in decimals, such as 1.25 or 4.75.
Cylinder. The cylinder column is only used if you have a common eye condition called astigmatism. The condition occurs if your cornea isn't perfectly round and is shaped like a football instead. The cornea is the clear tissue covering your iris and pupil. An irregularly shaped cornea affects the way light rays reach your retina, distorting your vision. Changing the power in one part of your eyeglass lens will help you see clearly if you have astigmatism. Your eye doctor will note a measurement in diopters in this column.
Axis. The axis measurement gives information on where to alter the power in the lens to correct astigmatism. Axis numbers range from 0 to 180 degrees.
ADD. ADD is short for addition. Your eye doctor will use this category to note the additional lens power needed if you wear bifocal, trifocal or progressive lenses. The lenses are often used to improve vision in people who have presbyopia, an age-related vision change that affects the ability to see near objects clearly. Bifocals, trifocals, and progressive lenses are separated into zones that contain separate lens powers, which make it easy to view both far and near objects.
Prism. The prism column will be blank for many people. Prism lenses may be prescribed if you have double vision caused by conditions that affect the eye muscles, nerves or brain. The lenses bend the light that enters the eye, ensuring that it's focused on your retinas correctly. If you need this type of lens, the prescription will note the amount of prismatic power needed in diopters.
Pupillary Distance. You may also see pupillary distance (PD) included somewhere on your eyeglass prescription. PD is the distance between the centers of your pupils in both eyes. It's used to ensure that your prescription is correctly centered in your eyeglass lenses.
Has it been a while since you've seen the optometrist? Yearly visits are essential for clear vision and good visual health. Contact us if you're ready to schedule your checkup.
Sources:
All About Vision: How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription, 7/19
WebMD: How to Read Your Eyeglass Prescription
American Optometric Association: Astigmatism
National Eye Institute: Your Eyes Are the Windows to Your Health
Hunter's Creek
- Address: 4101 Hunters Park Ln #400
Orlando, FL 32837 - Phone: (407) 855-6132
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- Sunday Closed
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- Thursday 9:00am - 6:00pm
- Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm
- Saturday By Appointment Only
- Sunday Closed
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