Often we think about keeping physically fit, how about keeping your eyes health as part of your health goals.
This infographic provides 8 great tips for keeping your eyes healthy.
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Do you have a family history of vision problems? Are you unsure how to tell if your child is seeing right? This is a common problem which both new and experienced parents are faced with since babies can’t understand what they are seeing may not be how the image really looks.
Babies are very resilient and can adapt to handle their surroundings but there are some ways to tell if an exam is needed for your child. Eye care professionals can often start what is called a baseline eye exam as early as 6 months, and even detect problems with their vision this early.
Below you will find a few helpful hints to determine if your child needs a vision screening:
Family History – One of the most important things to know is the family history of both parents. If one or both parents have hereditary eye conditions or visual problems, a screening should be done when your child becomes old enough. This screening should be repeated every 2 years thereafter, unless the child is found to have a chronic or progressive eye problem that requires annual visits.
Hand- Eye Coordination – When your child reaches for a bottle or toy do they need a few tries to get it right? This may seem cute, but it can also indicate that the child is not seeing the image right. Sometimes we think it’s because they are learning and developing, and it could be in some cases, however it may be because they are having difficulty seeing what’s in front of them.
Straining & Squinting – On occasion a child may squint their eyes when looking at something, a squint with a smile maybe nothing to worry about but if you are noticing this frequently it may be a problem. Having their eyes examined may be necessary as they could be straining to see.
Clumsiness – Do you think your child is a bit clumsy? Do they frequently bump into things? This is a classic sign of struggling with depth perception. While it could just be them learning to walk or get around, you should take them in for an eye exam. It won’t hurt and it could help them greatly in the future.
Our children’s vision is important and unfortunately it often goes unchecked until their school years when more symptoms show up. Keep in mind that early detection is not just an adult concept. Finding eye conditions early can help with treatment options and best quality of vision.
With so many eye conditions out there, examining your family history should be your first step to find out which you might be at risk for. You can be at higher risk for several of these conditions through injury, environmental exposure, and a positive family history. For those patients concerned, the highest development of many eye conditions is related to the genetic component, so reviewing family history is very important.
Below are a few common conditions to be aware of:
Cataracts
Cataracts are a condition that clouds the natural lens of the eye and progresses over time. For those who have already experienced it, they know that it typically progresses over years and eventually will require surgery. Generally the main treatment option is Cataract extraction surgery, which requires the natural lens to be removed and replaced with an artificial lens. In many cases, a prescription lens can be used to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye. This often develops as a child or can be incurred by injury to the eyes. Astigmatism now has many great treatment options. Some well-known procedures to help improve astigmatism are LASIK, PRK, and ICL.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related Macular Degeneration (also known as AMD) often occurs when the macula is damaged. How fast it progresses is dependent on the individual’s history and the cause of the AMD. A few symptoms of AMD you should watch for are:
• Blurred vision in the center of your vision field
• Blank spots in your vision
• Distortion of vision
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is another progressive condition that causes vision loss over time. Keratoconus is a thinning of the cornea which causes difficulties with vision by creating distortion. It can cause you to change your daily habits, including being able to see to drive at night, and can require a cornea transplant if not treated in a timely manner.
The best way to avoid these conditions, or to be proactive in their treatment, is to have regular exams for screening.
Eye exams are an important part of our yearly health maintenance. Not only do ours eyes help us see the world around us, but through eyes we can often see other problems pertaining to our health. Regular eye exams can improve your chances of detecting other health concerns early, including conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Here are a few ways to improve your eye health:
Some eye conditions can come on suddenly, such as acute glaucoma, retina detachment or floaters. Other conditions occur slowly, Cataracts or Keratoconus. Yearly eye exams can often result in identifying early signs.
Any changes to your vision should be reported to your eye care professional immediately. There are many signs of serious vision problems that can be detected early. Ensuring that you pay attention to blurred vision, dry eyes, or constant eye strain will help you preserve your vision. We only get one pair of eyes, so it is important you take care of them.
There are several people suffering from both Cataracts and Macular Degeneration today. Both conditions are degenerative to the eye and can cause severe visual loss. Their only real difference is what visual areas are affected by each condition.
In Cataracts the vision is affected slowly over time as the internal lens becomes cloudy. In some cases of Cataracts the vision can decline quickly over six months to a year.
Blurred Vision
Increased trouble with night vision
Increased sensitivity to light
Halos or Spots
Double Vision
Difficulty reading paperwork even with reading glasses
Decline in brightness of colors
Macular Degeneration is also a progressive condition generally affecting those who are 50 plus. The most common form is Age-related Macular Degeneration [or AMD]. This condition affects the area of the retina that controls the central vision field or the macula. The Macula covers 2.1 % of the retina. It controls your ability to recognize faces, separate dark from light colors, etc.
Visual acuity drastically decreasing
Blurred vision
Usual shadows or missing areas within vision
Drusen
Pigmentary Atecutions
Exudative changes, hemorrhages in eye
Atrophy Incipient and geographic
Having one of the above conditions can be managed with proper care. However, not having regular eye exams can pose problems later as they work to interrupt vision. This can cause a severe decline of vision and can lead to severe vision loss.
Our eyes need help as we age and making sure that you take care of them and get a yearly eye exam will ensure your vision stays with you.
Free Report available about Advanced Cataract Surgery: http://www.boxerwachler.com/freereport_nlr.htm
For more information on eye health visit: www.nioeyes.com
Quite often we forget about the aliments we can’t see. Often if it’s not bothering us regularly, or in the tabloids we forget to get them checked our eyes are one. However there are 3 common symptoms that should prompt you to get an eye exam. While eye care professionals recommend that you get a general eye exam annually, many of us don’t go in until something changes drastically.
There are several things that can cause blurred or double vision. If the symptom suddenly appears you should get it looked at by the Emergency room. If you have had vision problems in the past and this is a new symptom you should contact your eye care professional.
Keratoconus
Cataracts
Glaucoma
Astigmatism, Nearsightedness, or Farsightedness
Diabetes Mellites
Some of these conditions can develop quickly and cause severe vision loss. Getting it checked out can save your quality of vision.
Eye pain is one of the most common symptoms today. The truth is eye pain is a symptom that something is not quite right but it can be anything from dry eye to Glaucoma causing it. So while getting any new symptoms checked out by your eye care professional is important you shouldn’t panic until the doctor tells you what’s wrong.
Red eyes is another common eye complaint and it can be caused by Pink eye, an blood vessel, or even a change in color on your eye. Getting your concerns checked out is an important thing but making sure you check on them even when there is not a problem can provide early detection. Physical conditions like Diabetes, or Hypertension can even be seen early by seeing you eye care professional annually.
For more information regarding general eye health visit: http://www.youreyesite.com
Taking care of your eyes is more than just an annual exam. Making sure that you take care of your vision between exams is just as important if not more than the exam itself. Many of us feel that if we go to our annual eye exam everything is alright. But the truth of the matter is quite often we can spot problems with our vision much faster than in our trip to the eye doctor.
Each and every one of us knows how our body works. We can pick up on the slightest variances before anyone else. Making sure that we know the common signs of eye complications is important. Below you will see some of the signs to look for and when to get them checked out.
Blurred Vision
Eye pain
Decreased night vision
Increased squinting
Spots (black squiggly dots, often referred to as floaters)
Halos
Frequent Headaches
Frequent need to rub your eyes
Frequent changes in prescriptions
Annual eye exams are important and eye care professionals can pick up on other conditions besides those of the eyes like; Hypertension, and even Diabetes. That is why it is so important to visit your eye care professional regularly. Asking questions during your visits and finding out what to look for can also help you with early detection of conditions like Keratoconus, cataracts, glaucoma, hypertension, and yes even Diabetes.
If you don’t feel comfortable with your current eye care professional, or they are not answering your questions in a way you can understand them it is ok to find a new one. Making sure you can communicate is one of the most important things you can do for your eye health.
Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, MD is a renowned eye surgeon specializing in eye care, eye health, Keratoconus and other vision correction procedures, such as LASIK or Visian ICL.
For more information on your eye care visit www.AllAboutVision.com
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