Category: Uncategorized

What Causes Myopia to Develop?

Myopia can be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. If one or both parents have myopia, there is a higher chance that their children will develop the condition. Additionally, excessive screen time, lack of outdoor activities, and prolonged near-work activities such as reading or using electronic devices can contribute to the development of myopia. These lifestyle factors can lead to the elongation of the eyeball, resulting in the inability to focus on distant objects.
 

The Importance of Myopia Management

Managing myopia is crucial to prevent its progression and associated complications. High levels of myopia can increase the risk of developing eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment.
 

Additionally, severe myopia can lead to vision loss and significantly impact the quality of life. Early intervention and proper management of myopia can help slow down its progression and reduce the risk of these complications.

Understanding the Causes of Dry Eye

Dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. There are several factors that can contribute to this condition, including environmental factors, certain medications, and aging. Environmental factors such as dry or windy climates, air conditioning, and excessive screen time can all worsen dry eye symptoms. Additionally, certain medications like antihistamines, decongestants, and diuretics can decrease tear production. Aging is also a common cause of dry eye, as tear production naturally decreases as we get older.
 

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and blepharitis are two common conditions that can contribute to the development of dry eye. MGD occurs when the meibomian glands, which are responsible for producing the oily layer of tears, become blocked or dysfunctional. This can lead to an inadequate amount of oil in the tears, causing them to evaporate too quickly. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids that can disrupt the normal functioning of the meibomian glands.

By staying proactive with eye care and seeking timely professional assistance, seniors can enjoy clear, comfortable vision and ongoing eye health for years to come.
 

Common Eye Conditions in Seniors

As we reach our golden years, there are several eye conditions that become more prevalent. These conditions can have a significant impact on our vision and overall quality of life.
 

Dry Eye Syndrome: Seniors may experience dry eye syndrome, characterized by insufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. It can cause discomfort, redness, and fluctuating vision.

Presbyopia: This condition affects near vision, making it difficult to focus on close objects. It is a normal part of aging and is typically addressed with reading glasses or multifocal lenses.

Floaters and Flashes: As the vitreous inside the eye changes with age, it can lead to the perception of floaters (small dark spots or lines) and flashes of light. While often harmless, sudden onset of floaters and flashes may indicate a retinal tear or detachment and should be promptly evaluated.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. It affects the macula, the central part of the retina, leading to blurred or distorted central vision. There are two forms of AMD, dry AMD, and wet AMD, with the latter being more severe.

Cataracts: Cataracts are a common age-related condition characterized by the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. This can lead to blurry vision, glare, and difficulty seeing in low-light conditions.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often due to elevated intraocular pressure. It can result in peripheral vision loss and, if left untreated, may lead to total blindness.

Diabetic Retinopathy: For seniors with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is a concern. It occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision problems and potential blindness if not managed.

Fortunately, they can treat all of the diseases mentioned below, and in some cases, you can do certain things to prevent them from developing. Look at the most recent statistics, and you’ll see why good eye health care matters.

Currently, more than 4.2 million people in the U.S. alone over the age of 40 are partially blind or have poor visual acuity. Although a lot of things cause these problems, the ocular diseases listed below are the most common.

Macular Degeneration

This is commonly referred to as “age-related macular degeneration” because it affects seniors. Not only does it cause blurriness and distortion but left untreated, individuals lose their central vision. In other words, they are unable to see anything through the center portion of the eye.

Two types of this ocular disease exist. First, wet macular degeneration means that abnormal blood vessels that are located behind the retina grow under the macular. Along with leaking blood and fluid, this leads to scarring and, sometimes, permanent damage. Second, dry macular degeneration progresses slowly as part of the natural aging process. Typically, it affects both eyes at some point.

Cataracts

Roughly 20 million people in the U.S. over the age of 40 have cataracts in either one or both eyes. While they can develop in children, teens, and young adults, cataracts are most often associated with age. With this, a film covers the eye, which, in turn, makes everything appear blurry.

Of all the different kinds of ocular diseases that lead to blindness worldwide, cataracts rank number two. Fortunately, an eye doctor can remove the damaged lens, followed by implanting an artificial one. After recovery, patients see amazingly well.

Diabetic Retinopathy

If you have diabetes, then you’re at risk of developing this ocular disease. This particular disease causes progressive damage to the retina’s blood vessels. The first stage consists of mild non-proliferative retinopathy and then moderate non-proliferative retinopathy, which blocks some of the vessels.

Then, it moves into stage three or severe non-proliferative retinopathy, which means more blood vessels become blocked. The fourth and final state, proliferative retinopathy, is the most advanced. Although Diabetic Retinopathy does affect just one eye on occasion, it typically involves both eyes.

Start by improving your overall health. Eat balanced meals, keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels down, and take insulin. In addition, regular exercise, losing weight, and giving up smoking all make a huge difference. From there, a qualified eye doctor can provide you with treatment options to reduce the risk of losing your vision.

Glaucoma

Many people think glaucoma is one type of ocular disease. However, it’s a group of diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve. When that happens, people face the risk of losing their sight completely. With glaucoma, the fluid pressure inside the eyes gradually rises.

There are also two categories of glaucoma: open-angle and closed-angle. Not only is open-angle glaucoma chronic, but it also progresses slowly. Often, a person can have this type without knowing it. Unfortunately, they don’t realize there’s an issue until they have a comprehensive eye exam performed.

As for closed-angle glaucoma, it’s usually painful and it comes on suddenly. In addition, an individual can lose their vision much faster with this kind of glaucoma compared to the open-angle kind. Because this happens fast and involves pain, it’s diagnosed much quicker as well.

For these common types of ocular diseases, it’s important to have your vision checked. If an ocular disease is diagnosed, your optometrist will be able to determine the best treatment plan for optimal eye health and vision.

Optical Coherence Tomography uses light waves to take cross-section images of your retina, which is the area of light-sensitive cells at the back of your eye that is responsible for receiving light and transmitting it into messages that are sent up to the brain. The technology behind OCT enables your eye doctor to see each of the different layers that make up the retina. By being able to see these and measure them, they can obtain a much clearer picture of the overall health and condition of your eyes.

Why are Optical Coherence Tomography scans important?

When you choose to have an OCT scan at fairly regular intervals, such as during your normal comprehensive eye exams, your eye doctor can compare newer results to previous ones. This helps them to build up a picture of the health of your eyes, and spot any changes which may be concerning, early, before they cause symptoms or have a permanent effect on your vision. 
 

Anyone can have an OCT scan, but they are particularly recommended for patients over the age of 25 who are concerned about the health of their eyes, or who are at risk of or already have diabetes, glaucoma or a family history of eye disease. This is because they can be used to spot the early signs of a range of eye diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, disorders of the optic nerve and more – even before you realize that you are affected.

Visual skills needed for sports performance

There are several key visual skills that are enhanced through sports vision programs for athletes that aim to achieve their optimal sports performance, these include:

Dynamic visual acuity: this refers to the patient’s ability to see objects clearly while in motion. This is exceptionally important as hand-eye coordination and reflex reactions are essential for success in most sporting activities.

Contrast sensitivity: good contrast sensitivity is needed to determine the difference between an object and its surroundings. Contrast sensitivity is particularly important in situations where there may be low light, fog or glare that could diminish the natural contrast between objects and backgrounds. 

Eye tracking: this refers to the ability to follow a fast-moving object, such as a ball or puck.

Switching eye focus: athletes need to be able to change their focus quickly and accurately from one distance to another. 

Binocular vision skills: also known as eye teaming skills, these skills determine how well your eyes work with one another to produce a single, clear image.

Processing speed: visual processing speed is defined as the amount of time it takes to make a correct judgement about a visual stimulus – for example, how fast a ball is travelling towards them. 

Peripheral awareness: athletes also need to be able to be aware of what is happening at the edges of their vision while also concentrating on a fixed object in front of them.

Sports vision testing can enable your eye doctor to spot any weaknesses that you may have in any of these key visual skills. By identifying them, it is possible for you to undergo treatment to overcome theses issues and meet your specific goals that will ultimately enhance your overall athletic performance. This is known as sports vision training.

This irregular shape causes light to bend or refract unevenly as it enters the eye, leading to blurred or distorted vision. Astigmatism is often present from birth, but it can also develop later in life due to various factors, such as eye injuries, certain medical conditions, or the natural aging process.

Common Symptoms of Astigmatism

If you have astigmatism, you may experience a range of symptoms that can impact your daily life. Some of the most common symptoms of astigmatism include:

• Blurred or distorted vision, especially at a distance or when reading
• Difficulty seeing clearly at night or in low-light conditions
• Frequent headaches or eye strain
• Sensitivity to glare or bright lights
• Double vision or the appearance of halos around lights
   

These symptoms can vary in severity and may become more pronounced over time, especially if the astigmatism is left uncorrected.

What Are Multifocal Contact Lenses?

Multifocal contact lenses are specialized lenses designed to correct presbyopia, a condition that typically occurs as you age, making it difficult to focus on near objects. Unlike traditional single-vision lenses that correct either near or distance vision, multifocal contact lenses incorporate multiple prescriptions into a single lens. This innovative design allows you to enjoy clear vision at various distances, eliminating the need for separate reading glasses or bifocals.
 

How Do Multifocal Contact Lenses Work?

Multifocal contact lenses employ advanced optical technologies to provide seamless vision correction. These lenses feature distinct zones or concentric rings that correspond to different prescriptions for near, intermediate, and distance vision. As your eyes move and focus on objects at varying distances, the appropriate zone of the lens comes into play, ensuring a clear and comfortable visual experience.

There are two main types of multifocal contact lens designs:

• Simultaneous Vision Design: In this design, the lens incorporates multiple prescriptions simultaneously, allowing your eyes to utilize the appropriate zone based on the viewing distance. This design can take some time to adjust to, as your brain learns to interpret the different visual inputs.
• Alternating Vision Design: Also known as “segmented” or “translating” lenses, these lenses have distinct zones for near and distance vision. As you move your eyes or shift your gaze, the appropriate zone is positioned in front of your pupil, providing the necessary correction.

Eye Conditions That Multifocal Contact Lenses Can Treat

Multifocal contact lenses are primarily designed to address the following vision-related conditions:
 

Astigmatism: Some multifocal contact lenses are designed to correct astigmatism, a condition caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.

Presbyopia: As you age, the natural lenses in your eyes lose flexibility, making it challenging to focus on nearby objects. Multifocal contact lenses can correct this age-related farsightedness, allowing you to see clearly at all distances.

Myopia (Nearsightedness): If you struggle to see distant objects clearly, multifocal contact lenses can incorporate a prescription to correct myopia, while also providing near and intermediate vision correction.

Hyperopia (Farsightedness): For individuals with farsightedness, multifocal contact lenses can offer a solution by incorporating a prescription to improve distance vision, along with near and intermediate vision correction.

OCuSOFT Lid Scrub
One of the most popular product categories in the OCuSOFT line, this lid scrub takes the form of a foaming eyelid cleaner. The instant foaming formula helps to remove oil, debris, pollen and contaminants and should be used with a new, soft, clean cleansing pad for each eye. Choose the Platinum Foam variety for extra-strength and additional anti-inflammatory properties that helps to soothe eyes and remove irritation as soon as it is applied.

OCuSOFT Lid Scrub Pre-Moistened Pads
These extra-strength pads are a leave-on formula. Simply place them onto your eyes and relax. While you do so, the formula cleanses your eyelids and removes any contaminants to provide relief from irritation. This product is recommended for moderate to severe eyelid conditions.

OCuSOFT HypoChlor
This product is available as both a gel and a spray and should be used in combination with a surfactant such as OCuSOFT’s lid scrub for the greatest possible level of cleanliness.

OCuSOFT Dry Eye mask
As the name of this product suggests, this mask is designed to help combat a condition called dry eye. Dry eye occurs when the eyes don’t make enough tear film, the quality of the tera film is compromised or it drains away too quickly. The OCuSOFT dry eye mask is a moist heat mask that contains a patent-pending cross hatch design proven to deliver even heat distribution across the eyes. This warmth helps to break up any hardened oil deposits in the meibomian glands that may be contributing towards dry eye.

For more information on keeping your eyes clean and healthy, or to find out more about OCuSOFT products, please speak to our dedicated and professional eyecare experts.

• Blurry vision or loss of vision.
• Difficulty seeing things near and/or far away and perform basic tasks.
• Flashing light in the eye.
• Eye floaters, or small spots that appear in vision.

Why Should You Have Regular Eye Exams?

While eye exams are important for one’s vision, routine eye exams can also help to identify a variety of problems ranging from cognitive decline to diabetes. Since the eye is an extension of the brain and the only part of the body where blood vessels and tissue are visible, it allows an eye doctor to detect warning signs of the early stages of different health problems, such as diabetes which can present as bleeding in the eye or swelling in parts of the retina.

Besides diabetes, there are several other health problems that may be detected during a routine eye exam such as brain tumors that may cause swelling of the optic nerve and rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune disorders which may be the reason behind dry eyes.

Skin cancer on the eyelid is another health risk as the eyelid is very sensitive to ultraviolet rays and may be one of the first places affected by different types of skin cancers. Any spots or affected areas may be detected before skin cancer can spread to other parts of the body.

Addition, high blood pressure which would show as blood vessels in the back of the eye appearing bent or leaking, the narrowing of the vessels in the retina, swelling of the optic nerve, and hypertensive retinopathy in its earliest stages can be looked for during the exam.

There are also some progressive eye diseases that are not immediately apparent and should be tested for during regular eye examinations including:

• Glaucoma which is the buildup of pressure within the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve and can lead to a loss of peripheral vision or a complete loss of vision. Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive eye disease that doesn’t show any symptoms or pain in the initial stages.
• Macular degeneration is an eye condition that causes damage to the retina.
• Cataracts which is the most common cause of blindness in the world. Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes less flexible with age. Blurred or foggy vision and sensitivity to light are common symptoms. Cataracts are easily corrected with outpatient surgery.

Vision changes can have a profound effect on a person’s day-to-day life, but early treatments can help to slow or stop vision loss and regular eye exams can help ensure a lifetime of clear sightear and intermediate vision correction.