Health Guidance: Eye Disorders

Showing posts with label Eye Disorders. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Advice For Your Eyes - Part 2

Dark Circles Around Your Eyes - Many may suffer from this problem as the first thing you try hide during a make-up session is the dark circles around your eyes. Some very common factors play an important role in developing this kind of a problem. These factors are: your increasing age - as the skin becomes thin making it more vulnerable and saggy, some kind of an allergy which affects your nasal passage, lack of sleep, pregnancy, smoking, menstruation and heredity.

Home Remedies for Dark Circles

You can open up a vitamin E oil capsule and apply it over the skin. This would help you to get rid of the dark circles.

Apply cream containing Vitamin C which is very beneficial for your eyes.

Yoga plays an important role to overcome the dark circles problem. Sarvangasana and Jal Neti are one of the best and natural ways of treating this problem. Doing sarvangasana everyday and Jal Neti five times a week would serve its purpose.

Have cod liver capsule everyday to strengthen your eyes.

You can make a fine paste by mixing teaspoon of tomato juice, drops of lemon juice, pinch of turmeric powder and little flour. Apply it under your eyes. Keep it for 15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.

Keep yourself hydrated by consuming eight to ten glasses of water per day.

Apply cucumber, potato or tomato slices over your eyelids for 10 minutes and relax. This encourages the blood circulation and helps remove the dark circles. You can also use cucumber juice for this purpose. Dab cotton pods in the cucumber juice and place it over your eyelids. This would work too.

You can also place used tea bags over your dark circled eyes. If these are herbal tea bags well and good, if not, ordinary ones will also do.

A mixture of potato and cucumber juice in 1:1 ratio applied on the eye with cotton pods and kept for 20 minutes; prove to be very useful for your eyes.

Equal parts of lemon and tomato juice used in similar fashion as above also helps to clear dark circles.

A paste of turmeric powder and pineapple juice is very good for dark circles.

Use crushed mint over your eyes to treat dark circles.

Massaging almond or saffron oil daily around your eyes for two weeks before going to bed helps in discarding the dark circles.

Use grated potato wrapped in cheesecloth to be applied over your eyelids for 15-20 minutes to lighten the dark circles. After 15 minutes dab yourself dry and apply an eye cream.

For bright and shiney eyes free from dark circles dip two cotton pods in fig juice, rose water or cold milk to be placed on your eyelids. Keep it for 10 minutes and later see the difference on continuous use.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Kevin Pederson

Advice For Your Eyes - Part 1

Eyes are one of the finest assets which help us see the world in a better manner. With the vision we have found enough ways to nourish it too. Over exertion makes our eyes saggy, covered by dark circles, puffy and tired. With the different ways and means we can protect our eyes and also enhance our vision.

Eyestrain - A very common problem which causes dullness in your eyes as well as a pain due to continuous strain put on your eyes through TV or your personal computer. This kind of a strain leads to a headache which can be stopped once you switch off your TV or your PC. This mainly happens because your eyes have been over-worked. Other than TV or PC your eyes get strained due to reading, minute work such as embroidering, or sewing.

Self-Care Measures

Have good amount of sleep i.e. at least eight hours.

Lie down in a dimly lit room and apply a cold compress over your eyes. Relax and continue with this process for minimum ten minutes.

Keep taking enough intervals to avoid any strain.

In every half hour you can focus on something in a distance for 1 or 2 minutes to avoid the strain.

Puffy Eyes: A common reason for our eyes is to go through so much is mainly due to stress. If we avoid stress many of our eye problems will be solved. Puffiness has many causes and some of them are heredity, fluid retention due to weather changes and hormonal imbalance. With minor changes in your routine life you can make a lot of difference to benefit your eyes.

Home Remedies for Puffy Eyes

Raise the head-level of your bed as this would prevent puffiness by avoiding fluid retention around your eyes during your sleep.

You can dip cotton in a mixture of rosewater or milk or almond oil to keep your eyes refreshed.

Soak couple of cotton pads in Witch Hazel to be placed on your eyelids. Due to the good starch content, potatoes work greatly to minimize puffiness and redness.

The first thing in the morning you see in the mirror is the puffed eyes. You can use ice, chilled spoons or tea bags on your eyes to get rid of that look.

Lavender oil is another soothing agent which helps to keep your eyes fresh and radiant. Add a drop of this oil in two and a half cup of water. Shake it well before use. You can use two cotton pods as eye pads which are dipped in this solution to be placed on your eyes.

Easiest of all the solution is to wash your face with cold water. This helps in making your face clean and clears your face from any inflammation and also moisturizers it to avoid any eye problems.

You can use egg whites which have been stiffly beaten then add a drop of witch hazel to it. Apply this under your eyes to avoid the puffiness and to keep your skin tighter.

Some of the remedies for dark circles and puffy eyes are similar. You can use these remedies to help clear both the problems.

Contact Lenses or Spectacles?

While plenty of people still wear glasses, there seems little doubt that they're on the way out. There's no doubt that putting them in and taking them out can be scary at first, but once you're used to it they are much more convenient than having bulky glasses on your face, not to mention almost invisible, even to people who get close to your eyes.

Vanity isn't the only reason to wear contact lenses, though. For many people, it is simply more practical - they work better for sport or any kind of manual work, for example, where glasses could easily get damaged. Contact lenses are also not subject to the many things that can go wrong with glasses, such smashing, breaking, or being affected by the weather (when they get rained on, for example).

If you're just entering the world of contact lenses, though, it can feel like a bit of a maze. What should you get? Hard lenses or soft? Daily lenses or monthly? Each option comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

The easiest question to tackle is probably that of hard lenses. While hard lenses are still used in many parts of the world, this is mainly down to reasons of habit - people who are already using them are unlikely to switch. To the new user, hard lenses offer no advantages, and they are incredibly uncomfortable until you get used to them. It is much better to simply go with soft lenses.

When it comes to the question of whether daily disposable lenses are better, however, there is some controversy. Once you factor in the cost of cleaning solution for monthly lenses, there is little difference in price, but some people simply prefer not to buy and throw away so many lenses. Ultimately, though, daily disposables tend to be thinner and therefore more comfortable, as well as costing you less if you happen to lose one, which makes them better suited to the beginner.

John Gibb

Conjunctivitis, The Ailment Behind Those Pink Eyes

Conjunctivitis is an eye ailment characterized by soreness and redness of an eye or both eyes in a person. The inflammation occurs in the clear covering that coats or protects the white portion of the eye.

Conjunctivitis also affects the lines which are inside the eye lids. This infection of the eye sometimes quickly manifest, but it may be a consolation that the duration of the infection would only last for just a short period of time.

Conjunctivitis, or more popularly known as pink eye, is not curable, only treatable. That means, even without medication the infection would subside.

The body will mostly do its work in curtailing this eye ailment. It should be noted, however, that people with conjunctivitis should seek immediate medical help to ease and relieve the discomfort that will surely arise from its onset.

Otherwise, further infection or complication might surface, making the infection more painful and more discomforting.

Causes of conjunctivitis

Doctors and medical professionals cite three causes for the onset of conjunctivitis. One, the infection would be viral or caused by virus. Second, conjunctivitis can be caused by allergic reactions to substances, called allergens, that cause adverse reactions from the body's protective immune system.

Lastly, conjunctivitis can be bacterial in nature. Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria are the fastest- healing. Such kind of conjunctivitis will also tend to become less distracting.

Other than three mentioned, experts attribute conjunctivitis to other causes that may include vitamin deficiency, allergy to chicken meat, contact lens overuse, chemical contacts, intrusion of foreign substances into the eye and ultraviolet or thermal burns.

Treating conjunctivitis or pink eye

The usual home remedy advised to patients or victims of conjunctivitis may be somehow discomforting and scary. But the thing is, although medical and modern science fail to provide specific and exact reason for it, is surprisingly effective.

Adhering to simple home remedies, the conjunctivitis victim is advised to put a mild slat solution into the infected eye. If it will be uncomfortable and too painful, opening the eyes in a small tub containing a little pinch of salt in it would be an alternative measure.

Upon doing so, be sure to wash your hands after. That is because conjunctivitis is spread and communicated through touching things that may also be touched by other people, especially your housemates and loved ones.

It would be imperative to consult or seek help from the doctor to determine or pinpoint the cause of the infection.

Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria can be relived by antibiotic eye ointments or eye drops. If the cause is viral or allergens, then the infection would not be immediately relived, but the doctor can try to prescribe other practical medications to soothe out.

Conjunctivitis caused by allergens or allergy-causing substances could also be relived by taking in antihistamines, which is the usual and most common drug prescribed to people with asthma and other allergies.

Conjunctivitis Prevention

It is observed that people are more prone to the eye infection immediately after recovering from colds. Remember that conjunctivitis is contagious, and you should be responsible to give out your share in curtailing the infection's spread.

Always wash your hands and avoid making physical contacts with objects that may be in constant physical contact with other people.

Prevention is better than cure. Help prevent the spread of pink eyes. Will you?

Charlene J. Nuble

Ocular Nutrition And Eye Health

Understanding ocular nutrition and eye health can be one of the ways to support your vision. As early as age 30, our eyes and vision can begin to deteriorate. Wind, dust, chlorine fumes, automobile fumes, smoking, freezing temperatures and physical injury are examples of threats to healthy eyes and good vision. Long hours spent at a computer screen and the vibration from driving have a cumulative negative impact on eye health over time.

Healthy vision is related to the health of the individual parts of the eye - the cornea, iris, macula, lens, optic nerve, pupil, retina and the vitreous humor. And making good ocular nutrition and eye health food choices are one of the ways that good vision can be supported. Information provided by the U.S. National Eye Institute and the results of other ocular nutrition and eye health studies have shown that using nutrition to improve and support eye health definitely happens.

Here are foods that are known to support and improve eye health:

Collard greens, kale and spinach - studies on ocular nutrition and eye health show that eating foods rich in carotenoids is associated with reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Foods rich in carotenoids are leafy green vegetables such as spinach, collard greens and kale. Macular eye nutrition becomes increasingly important as we get older.

Green vegetables and corn - another study on ocular nutrition and eye health has shown a reduced risk of developing cataracts for persons having diets higher in lutein and zeaxanthin. Foods high in these two carotenoids include broccoli, collard greens, corn, green peas, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens and zucchini. Lutein is also found in egg yolks. Persons with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin were also less likely to need cataract surgery. In another study done on persons ages 40-59, those with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin experienced a reduced risk of developing adult macular degeneration.

Apricots, bilberries and blueberries - apricots are rich in beta carotene and lycopene that help promote good vision. Beta carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A as needed, an important antioxidant that resists oxidative stress damage to cells and tissues including the eye lenses. Continued oxidative stress may result in the development of cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and lead to macular degeneration. Eating blueberries has been associated with the reduction of eye fatigue.

Blueberries are related to cranberries, and both also help the body resist urinary tract infections. Bilberries are a form of wild blueberry that grow on small bushes. Bilberries were used by British pilots to improve their night vision during World War 2. Fresh bilberries and bilberry jams would be sources of this ocular nutrition and eye health food. Bilberry seems to improve eye health by increasing the blood supply to the eyes.

Our eyes are considered to be the most important of the senses. By knowing which ocular nutrition and eye health food choices support the eyes, you can include more of these foods in daily meal planning.

David Buster

Your Expectations for Laser Eye Surgery

Laser eye surgery is one of those elective surgeries that you may have your own ideas of what the outcome will be that may not necessarily be the true outcome. As with any type of elective surgery you must realize what your expectations, ideas, and hopes are for the outcome of the surgery. Is it your expectations that your vision will be 20/20 as it was when you were a child?

Before any type of elective surgery including laser eye surgery, you should discuss your hopes and expectations with your ophthalmologist. He should be able to explain that not all of your ideas are true with laser eye surgery. Yes, your blurry vision will be improved but maybe not to the extent that you desire.

Normally, individuals with very poor vision to the extent that their vision is so bad that they cannot be fitted with contacts are very pleased after laser eye surgery. Any improvement over wearing those thick ugly glasses is a lifesaver. However, if you are one of those individuals who are mild to moderately nearsighted then you must know that 90 percent of patients are able to drive during daylight hours without wearing glasses or contacts. The other 10 percent still need to wear corrective lenses. Out of the 90 percent that can see to drive without their glasses during the day, the majority, still have to wear glasses at night to see to drive.

When you think of good vision, you may not really be considering all the aspects of good eyesight, which include such things as depth of field, night vision, color vision, contrast sensitivity, and bi-ocular vision. The depth of field is if you can see clearly from near to far. Color vision is if you can differentiate between the colors of red and green. Contrast sensitivity is the ability to differentiate between the various shades of gray. Night vision is the ability to see in low lighting conditions. Bi-ocular vision is your eye working together properly.

To ensure if you will be happy with your laser surgery you should of course talk it over with your eye surgeon. Remember, you may not receive perfect vision, but your eyesight will be improved over what you now have without wearing glasses or contact lenses full time. The choice is yours, just be sure that you will be happy with the results.

Nicky Pilkington

Home Remedies For Bloodshot Eyes

As the name suggests bloodshot eyes makes your eyes blood colored. The blood vessels in the white portion of the eyes are enlarged and irritated causing the redness. Some common reasons for the redness of the eyes are due to coughing, eyestrain, dry air, over exposure to sun, dust, foreign body, an allergic reaction, infection, trauma, fatigue, alcohol consumption, lack of vitamin B2 and B6 and high blood pressure.

You can get bloodshot eyes by

Blepharitis - Caused by skin bacteria that leads to itching and turns your eyelid greasy and crusty.
Conjunctivitis - Also known as pink eye is caused by a virus, bacteria and allergy or skin irritation. It is very contagious if caused by an organism.
Corneal ulcers - It is caused by viral infection affecting the outer cover of the eye.
Uveitis - It causes inflammation of uvea, including iris, ciliary body and choroids. It is related to autoimmune disorder, infection or exposure to toxins.

Home Remedies for Bloodshot Eyes

Reduce the redness by splashing cold water over closed eyes. This soothes the eye and shrinks the blood vessels as in case of an allergic reaction.

You can apply cold compress to your eyes by using an ice pack wrapped in a towel.

Use warm compress for red eyes without any itching. This may be due to fatigue or tiredness.

Put three drops of rose water in your eyes.

Soak cotton pad in a mixture of rose water, milk and Aloe Vera juice. Place these cotton pads over your closed eyes for 10-20 minutes in a dimly lit room. This will help in reducing the redness.

You can try the hot and cold compress on your eyes, alternately.

Stay away from allergy triggering agents which may lead to bloodshot eyes.

Goldenseal is a native medicinal plant that contains berberine which compresses blood vessels and helps in reducing the bloodshot effect. You can use it as a compress or wash to get rid of the pain.

To get relief from bloodshot eyes have two ripe tomatoes first thing in the morning on empty stomach. The vitamin C and flavonoids in the tomatoes makes the blood vessel walls stronger.

You can also use non-preservative artificial tears, this helps in soothing your eyes and clearing the redness.

Wear genuine preservative-free contact lenses. The ones with preservatives can cause redness and other related infections.

Kevin Pederson

A Quick Fix for Sagging, Heavy Eyelids

Droopy eyelids are a sure sign that Mother Nature has arrived to make your face look old.

You know the look and the feel of heavy lids – they seem to have a mind of their own. You constantly lift your forehead when you are speaking and your eyes may begin to feel a tiredness that just doesn't go away.

Not only are your eyes bothering you, those forehead wrinkles may have you thinking that a paralyzing injection might be required or even more drastic measures such as surgery may be needed.

The medical community wants you to believe that you need to consider this route to look younger but in reality – this is not a fact!

The upper eye lids, the brow and upper forehead are connected under the skin with muscles that weave over and under each other. The actual forehead muscle is vertical and it originates in the hairline.

Usually by age 40, gravity has affected the forehead resulting in poor muscle tone and its downward slide pushes into the eyebrow muscles which then affects the upper eye lid and creates crow's feet. This downward movement of loose skin can impair one's vision if the lid puddles onto the eyelashes.

There are only a few options available to enjoy younger looking eyes.

Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to correct sagging upper and lower eyes. The upper eye procedure involves actually cutting the eyelids, removing excess tissue and then suturing the eyelids usually in the existing crease. The surgery is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia although there are other types of local and oral anesthesia's available; the procedure takes about 2 hours to complete and just like any other invasive procedure there are risks to consider.

Electro-stimulation devices, using minute electrical currents, claim they can lift eyelids and brows. According to some well-paid physicians they do work but there is a healthy amount of skepticism from their peers.

Overuse can cause spasms, headache, irritation, redness and burning. Electro-stimulation is very time consuming as each area requires about three minutes to treat so it's not unusual to spend an hour or more trying to lift your face every other day.

The above mentioned options are not only costly; they're very temporary. Yes, temporary! Surgery does not correct poor muscle tone and neither do injections or electro-currents.

What's the solution?

Facial exercise is the smartest thing you can do to stop the cause of aging in your face but not all facial exercise programs work. Why? Because scrunching and contortions are not exercises!!! When there is no resistance or anchoring to create a contraction, your face cannot lift or look younger. Genuine facial exercise is not about scrunching or making contortions, rather, they are bone fide, precise movements that treat the cause of aging in your face.

How long until you see results? Well, most people see results immediately and you should know that it takes about three to four weeks to see permanent results. Permanent results occur when the muscles are sufficiently strengthened to retain their new positions. If you do not regularly exercise the muscles in the face, you will look older.

Our entire body needs exercise, and that includes our faces and necks. From head to toe, you can look healthier and vibrant without ever thinking about surgery, injections or electricity. Exercising your face requires only minutes per day and in less time than it took for your morning shower, you can have a face that looks 10-15 years younger.

Cynthia Rowland

Health Guidance