Vision, Eye Care & You
 

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  • Understanding Eye Care
    Routine eye exams are important even for people who are not experiencing eye trouble. These are in-depth procedures that are usually performed by either an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist. How often a person needs an eye exam depends on a number of factors including age, overall health and whether or not eye disorders run in the family.

    • Vitamins & Nuitrients
      You know that proper nutrition is essential to good health. But did you also know there are certain nutrients that help keep the eyes working properly and that help prevent the onset of certain vision problems and disorders? Well it's true and all you need to do to reap the benefits is make sure you eat nutritionally-balanced meals.

    • Low Vision
      Low vision is a condition that results in a partial loss of vision. It is not considered blindness, which is a total loss of vision, but it is an impairment that can drastically alter a person's quality of life. Basically Low Vision is a problem having to do with a person's vision that cannot be corrected using traditional remedies such as corrective lenses, surgery, medication or contact lenses.

    • Computer Vision Sydrome
      Your work environment could be hazardous to your health! Computer Vision Syndrome is a very real eye problem that affects many individuals who spend a good part of their days staring at computer monitors. But it's not just the computer monitor that is causing this eye problem.

  • Color Deficiency
    A color deficiency is what most people mistakenly refer to as color blindness. Labeling an individual as color blind is inaccurate because overall a person's eyes function properly. The individual is able to detect, focus on and process images. Except for the condition called monochromacy, an affected person is not blind to color.

    • Color Blindness
      Color blindness is a condition in which a person cannot distinguish color properly. There are several variations of color blindness and each one relates back to a problem with the functionality of the cells inside the retina that deal with processing light sensitivity. The rod cells are activated by low light while the cone cells are activated by daylight.

  • Corrective Surgery
    Several types of correct eye surgery exist today and these different types of corrective eye surgery fall under two main categories: Excimer Laser procedures and Non-Excimer laser procedures. As is the case with other conditions that affect the body, major technological advances have been made in recent years in the field of corrective eye surgery. The following is a brief introduction to the two categories.

    • Lasik Surgery I
      Understanding LASIK Surgery LASIK is the acronym for laser in-situ keratomy, eye surgery involving use of a powerful laser called an Excimer. The Excimer has been designed especially for working in the delicate eye area. The laser works quickly to reshape a person's cornea, which generally is all that is needed to correct myopia (known also as nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatisms.

    • Lasik Surgery II
      The different types of LASIK Surgery There are two basic types of surgery: Standard LASIK and Custom LASIK. With either type, the preparation work and post-operative procedures are similar. The difference between the procedures involves the customization of the laser.

    • PRK Surgery
      Another popular laser eye surgery is PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy. As with other types of laser eye surgery, PRK is a procedure during which the cornea is reshaped. Reshaping of the cornea with PRK is highly effective at restoring vision to 20/20 or better. And for approximately 80% of the patients, quality vision is achieved without the need to wear eye glasses or corrective lenses.

    • EPI-Surgery
      The most advanced of the surgical eye procedures using laser technology, Epi-LASIK laser eye surgery combines the best of traditional LASIK surgery with the best of the LASEK and PRK laser procedures. Epi stands for Epithelial and LASIK stands for Laser in situ Keratomileusis. Basically this newest procedure involves gently separating the epithelial from the top of the cornea using an epikeratome rather than slicing the top of the cornea and creating a hinge as is the case with LASIK.A good candidate for Epi-LASIK laser eye surgery is someone who has a very thin cornea and who also has mild to moderate farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism. As with the other types of laser eye surgery, best vision is achieved by using laser beams to reshape the cornea.

    • Cataracts & Surgery
      Symptoms of Cataract Vision that is cloudy or blurred is the most obvious symptom of a cataract. Nearsightedness can increase and images that were once clear can appear distorted when cataract is present. Less noticeable symptoms include the need for more and brighter light when reading, sensitivity to light, trouble seeing at night, double vision and colors that fade or seem 'yellow'. These symptoms develop because the cloudiness on the lens prevents it from refracting light properly.

  • Diseases & Other Conditions
    Fortunately, many common eye (ocular) disorders disappear without treatment or can be managed by self-treating. Various products--from artificial tears and ointments to ocular decongestants--are available over-the- counter (OTC). These products can help with dryness, itching, or excessive watering of the eye.Many safe and effective OTC products for eye disorders are available for self-treatment. Two important factors to remember when considering self-treatment are: (1) if the problem appears to involve the eyeball itself, you should consult a physician immediately; and (2) if you use an OTC eye care product for 72 hours without improvement of the condition being treated or the condition worsens, you also should see a doctor immediately.

    • Diabetes & Eyesight
      Loss of eyesight in people with diabetes is a national health problem. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to become blind than those without diabetes, and diabetic eye disease can cause as many as 25,000 new cases of blindness every year, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health.

    • Glaucoma
      When it seems your world is closing in on you, it may be Glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve slowly deteriorates. As this nerve deteriorates, diminished side or peripheral vision is usually the first noticeable symptom. Unfortunately, by the time the peripheral vision is affected, Glaucoma has already taken hold.this eye disease is a major cause of blindness because once the optic nerve has been damaged there is no known treatment capable of repairing it. A build-up of pressure in the eye generally triggers Glaucoma. In order to focus light and deliver a sharp image to the retina, the pressure inside the eye must always be maintained which enables the eye to maintain its shape.

    • Dry Eye Sydrome
      Dry eye syndrome is a common eye problem. In fact, it is estimated that more than 10 million people in the United States alone suffer from dry eye syndrome. A person who has dry eye syndrome generally has a problem with the quantity or quality of the tear film which is responsible for properly lubricating the eyes.

    • Floaters & Spotters
      In the majority of instances, floaters and spots really are harmless. And believe it or not, as is the case for most individuals, floaters and spots have been present all throughout life. For some, the appearance of these tiny flecks may be a nuisance, but overall, they are simply a fact of life.What has come to be known as floaters and spots are particles of protein that break apart and float around the clear, gel-like fluid within the eyes. Because they break apart, no two floaters or spots are like in shape or size. They can have ragged edges, they can appear as tiny threads or cobwebs, they can appear as black or white flecks, and they sometimes appear as flashes of light.

    • Conjunctivitis
      Conjunctivitis is an eye problem in which the conjunctiva, which is the mucous membrane that covers the eyelid and the white part of both eyes, becomes inflamed. There are two main types of Conjunctivitis, or pink eye as it is more commonly referred to. The first results from a bacterial or viral infection and the other results from an allergic reaction.

    • Astigmatism
      Astigmatism is a common eye problem in which a person's cornea or lens has an irregular shape. These problems are known as Corneal astigmatism and Lenticular astigmatism respectively. The cornea is a clear layer that completely covers the part of the eye that has color. Ideally, the shape of the cornea is round, like a tennis ball. The cornea's job is to bend rays of light that enter the eye so that these light rays can be better focused on the lens enabling the retina to produce a clear image.When the cornea has a more oval shape, like that of a football, light cannot focus properly. Instead of one focus point, as is what happens when the cornea is properly shaped, the misshapen cornea focuses light onto two areas of the retina. That is what results in blurred vision and/or the appearance of doubled vision.

    • Blephritis
      When the eyelids can become inflamed, the problem in most cases is a chronic eye disease called Blepharitis. Similar in nature to the skin condition called eczema, in case of Blepharitis, the eyelids become red, scaly and irritated.There are two basic types of Blepharitis: Seborrheic Blepharitis and Staph Blepharitis. The most notable symptom of either type is inflammation on and around the eyelids that can be accompanied by irritation and painful itching. In some cases, tiny ulcers develop along the eyelid margins which are the areas that touch one another once the eyelid closes.

    • Allergies
      When a person has an allergic reaction, the eyes frequently become affected. Eyes turn red, become itchy and irritated, and they can also become watery. Rubbing the eyes seems to offer comfort, but the reality is that rubbing eyes that are responding to an allergic reaction often compounds the discomfort.What are Eye Allergies?Most often, eye allergies accompany nasal allergies, but they can occur without involving the nose. Eye allergies are triggered when an allergen makes contact with the eyes. The mast cells, which are cells inside the eyes, release histamines and other chemicals and their release triggers symptoms including irritation and inflammation.

  • Contact Lenses
    Today, contact lenses are as much for vision as they are for fashion. Giving wearers the ability to change eye color and design in literally the blink of an eye, contact lenses are no longer only for the nearsighted. But before you run out and purchase a pair sporting your favorite team's emblem you need to carefully consider all that is involved in this seemingly harmless decision.

    • Types of Contacts Lens
      The types of contact lenses available today are nearly as numerous as the corrective issues they're designed to correct. But today's contact lenses don't even need to be corrective in nature. Many are purely aesthetic, enabling a wearer to change eye color from brown to violet, for example, or to change from the appearance of human eyes into eyes that resemble that of a cat or wolf or even an alien!

    • Bifocal Contact Lens
      Up until recently the only choice that people affected by presbyopia had was an eyeglass prescription. The look at first was quite noticeable, with a line cutting horizontally across each lens. People wearing bifocal eyeglasses tended to keep the glasses perched towards the tip of the nose and the head would adjust upwards or down, depending on whether the person was looking close up or far away. The line along the lens gave way to clear lenses, and that was a huge improvement. Then finally, the bifocal contact lens was created.

    • Colored Contact Lens
      Changing your eye color to match your mood or your outfit with colored contact lenses has never been easier! They are a great fashion accessory and even if you don't need them for vision correction, that doesn't matter. You can still get colored contact lenses in an assortment of vibrant colors.

    • Kids Contacts
      There's no age restriction on contact lenses for kids. In fact, even very young children can wear them and many do for a variety of reasons. How can one decide whether contact lenses for kids make sense? Like any decision, it's important to consider the benefits against the disadvantages.

    • Daily Wear or Not
      One of the biggest advancements in contact lens technology has been the development of the extended wear lens. Extended wear contact lenses can be left in place around the clock for seven days (and longer depending on the type of material used) before needing to be removed. Prior to that, only daily wear contact lenses were available.The key difference between daily wear and extended wear contact lenses is the flow of oxygen. Extended wear lenses can transfer oxygen from the air through the contact lenses and onto the cornea so that it can breathe. When the cornea doesn't get an adequate supply of oxygen, it is susceptible to a number of different eye problems including giant papillary conjunctivitis and corneal edema.

    • Gas Lens
      Gas permeable contact lenses offer the best of both worlds. Rigid but less so than traditional hard contact lenses, gas permeable contact lenses are extremely comfortable. And because they're more rigid, they are better at correcting vision than soft contact lenses. It all has to do with the structure of the polymers used to make these lenses. The oxygen-permeable materials are better able to hold onto the lens shape and better shape means that vision is crisper and clearer.

    • Hard or Soft Lens
      Hard contact lenses are so seldom prescribed that they are almost obsolete.Fortunately, technological advances led to the creation of a more comfortable lens – the soft contact lens. These lenses are prescribed most often because practically anyone can wear them. Soft contact lenses are made with water so they float more freely on the surface of the eye. Because they're so comfortable, it's easy for people to get used to wearing them. In addition, the lens is very porous which means that oxygen can freely pass through the lens where it can reach the cornea.

    • Prosthetic Lens
      Prosthetic contact lenses are perfect for people who have suffered an eye injury that has caused the eye to become somehow disfigured. They're also worn by individuals who have lived with an eye defect since birth. Such injuries and defects can leave the eye looking abnormal. For example, sometimes there is one big black circle where normally there would be a dark pupil surrounded by an eye color. A condition known as albinism might result in one eye being lighter in color than the other. The pupils might for some reason be misshapen or a person may have a deficiency in his or her color vision.

    • Silicon Hydrogel Lens
      The latest improvements to hit the contact lens market are silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Categorized as a soft contact lens, this new material is surpassing rigid gas permeable contact lenses in the areas of comfort and clarity. What is it about silicone hydrogel contact lenses that give them such capabilities?It all comes down to the material that's used. Unlike standard soft contact lenses which are made using a considerable amount of water, these contact lenses contain silicone.

    • Where To Buy
      The biggest advantage of buying contact lenses directly from the eye doctor is convenience. Should the prescription not be right, the problem prescription can be remedied right away. While such a scenario isn't common, it does happen. The downside is that you generally won't get the best deal price-wise. The costs of such personalized attention likely will be built into the cost of the contact lenses. So what's really most important to judge is the overall value of shopping at the office.

    • Care for Lens
      More often than not, contact lens maintenance involves using one of the commercially-available multi-purpose solutions that take care of cleaning, disinfecting, rinsing and storage. After removing a contact lens, with hands that have first been washed using non-moisturizing soap, shoot the lens with a steady stream of the multi-purpose solution for a minimum of 20-seconds (or as directed), making sure that both sides of the lens are sprayed. S

  • Eyeglasses
    Choosing Eyeglass Frames that Complement not Confuse Diamond, triangle, round, square, oval, oblong – this isn't an introduction to geometry. It's the first step in figuring out which type of eyeglass frame best complements your face shape. Step number 2 is to determine your skin tone, either warm or cool, so that you can select the right eyeglass frame color.

  • Designer Eyeglasses & Frames
    ebay auctions for vision care products

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