Category: eyes

How do you keep your eyes healthy as you age?

AMD (Age-related macular degeneration)  is a condition that affects the macula, the part of the retina with the greatest density of photoreceptor cells. Risk factors are age and genetic predisposition, but we can manage our genetic make-up to avoid harming our eyes and do what is good for them. 

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Photoreceptor cells cluster together in the center of the retina. This is known as the macula, or “point of sharpest vision.” Those who have had their macula damaged can no longer read or recognize faces, but they can usually still orient themselves in space.

Avoid smoking, and drink only occasionally

Smoking hurts blood vessels and can make the retina swell up. It raises the risk of AMD by a factor of two to four, making it one of the most important risk factors that you can control. Alcohol is bad for your cells and nerves, so you shouldn’t drink too much of it. A lot of cancers are also less likely to happen if you don’t drink.

Pay attention to a healthy diet.

Vegetables, fruit, whole-grain foods, nuts, seeds with healthy vegetable oils, fish once in a while, and only a small amount of meat are all part of the Mediterranean diet. This diet has the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and unsaturated fatty acids that the eyes need. In studies, some people who took a mix of vitamins, zinc, and copper were able to slow down the progression of AMD. Before you take it, talk to your eye doctor about the benefits and any possible side effects.

Make sure you get enough exercise

An early form of AMD is less likely to happen if you work out. A recent overview study that looked at how frequently AMD occurs in active and inactive people demonstrated this. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that you should do moderate aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. Also, 20 minutes a day is seen as the minimum for AMD by experts. Motto: More is more.

Watch your weight, blood pressure, and other vital signs.

High blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high levels of fat in the blood can all hurt the blood vessels and cut off blood flow to the retina. When a person is overweight, inflammatory chemicals from the adipose tissue get into the bloodstream and also the retina, which is a very sensitive part of the eye. Losing weight is a good way to protect not only your eyes but also the rest of your body.

Protect yourself from too much sun

Some studies show that UV radiation can hurt the lens and maybe even the retina. But the results aren’t agreed upon. Sunglasses with large lenses and wide arms that have a UV filter (“UV400”) protect against light coming in.

Go to the ophthalmologist regularly

Ophthalmologists recommend that people over 60 have their eyes checked every three years. In the event of changes and, for example, diabetes, also at shorter intervals.

Do the Amsler test regularly

The Amsler test is a grid of straight lines. If they are distorted or blurred, this can indicate changes in the retina, such as fluid accumulation (edema).

Adhere to the therapy recommendations.

When fluid builds up in the retina, which is a sign of “wet” AMD, an ophthalmologist can use medicine to treat the affected area. He decides how often and how far apart these steps need to be taken.

Stay calm

It is not helpful to think that AMD could cause blindness because stress damages the blood vessels and, in turn, the blood supply to the eyes. Most of the time, residual vision lasts for a long time. With special tools to help them see and read, many people with this condition can stay on their own for a long time.

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Do you know the effects of the habit of rubbing your eyes?

The habit of rubbing the eyes is quite common which seems harmless and people feel that it reduces fatigue somewhat.

Don't rub your eyes

But did you know that this habit can be destructive to vision.

According to the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, a minor scratch in the cornea can cause serious damage to the eyes.

The risk of eye infection increases , as a result of this habit, the risk of various eye infections increases.

Eye infection occurs when germs are transferred from the hands to the eyes or for some reason the eyes are affected by worms.

According to experts, the thickness of the surrounding skin increases due to the melting of the eyes, as a result of which wrinkles appear while the skin also becomes dry.

If the eyes are itching due to an allergy, then the chemical reaction called histamine is triggered by melting.

This provides temporary relief, but after that the severity of the allergy becomes worse.

As a result of this habit, the hormone that maintains the color of the skin around the eyes begins to become more, as a result of which black circles begin to appear.

The intensity of cataract can be worse when you blink, the pressure on the inner chambers filled with eye fluid increases, which increases the risk of cataract.

If a person is affected by cataract, the severity of the disease becomes worse.

According to experts, as a result of this habit, redness increases in the eyes, while looking at the eyes, it looks as if you are tired.

According to experts, rubbing the eyes affects the structure of the cornea and weakens the vision, due to which the glasses have to be used.

Experts said that the functions of the blood vessels are affected by often rubbing the eyes, due to which bright light starts to bite.

A simple solution to protect children from near-sight weakness has been found

The weakness of close vision is a problem faced by millions of people around the world.

Especially in the current era, this problem is becoming common among children due to the use of smartphones and other devices.

But it is possible to protect children from this problem of vision by using commonly used eye drops.

This was revealed in a new medical study conducted in Hong Kong.

Research has shown that atropine eye drops relax the eye muscles while the pupils expand.

According to research, the use of atropine eye drops in small amounts can prevent or slow down the weakness of near vision in children.

During this problem, the flexibility of the eyelids starts to disappear, due to which it is possible to see distant objects clearly, but there are difficulties while looking or studying nearby objects.

Researchers said that people with close vision impairment have to use glasses or contact lenses.

In this study, 353 children aged 4 to 9 years were included and they were divided into 3 groups.

One group was given placebo each night, while the children in the other group were given a small amount of eye drops.

The third group was given a higher amount of eye drops.

The study on all three groups lasted for 2 years.

The results showed that the groups that were given eye drops had a lower rate of cases of near vision impairment.

The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

How to diagnose and treat chalazion on the eyelid?

A painless lump in the eyelid that gradually enlarges is known as a chalazion. If it becomes inflamed or superinfected, it might hurt. To hasten the healing process, warm compresses on the eye and light massage are advised. A minor operation might be required if home remedies are unsuccessful. Although sometimes mistaken for barley, chalazion is not the same thing.

A chalazion (Latin: chalazion) is a typically painless lump that can range in size from 2 to 8 mm on the inside or outside of the eyelid. Because a blockage of the meibomian gland is the most common cause, it is known as a meibomian cyst. As a result, the gland’s secretion becomes stagnant and builds up beneath the eyelid.

Treat chalazion on the eyelid

Chalazion develops more often in adults than in children. Such factors as:

  • rosacea,
  • seborrhea,
  • chronic blepharitis,
  • viral infection in the eye.

Chalazion on the eye—symptoms. What does it look like?

An eyelid-concealed lump known as a chalazion. The majority of the time, it doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t always go away on its own. The chalazion might grow bigger. It starts as a small, red, barely swollen spot on the eyelid. A pea-sized lump grows over time.


Chalazion can occasionally be accompanied by superinfection and inflammation. Then there are additional signs, such as skin redness and pain. Possible swelling of the eyelid. Vision haziness may result from a large chalazion. Sometimes the nodule is pierced, allowing fluid to leak into the conjunctival sac.

Chalazion on the eye—will it go away on its own?

Even though it may take several months for a chalazion to fully heal, it may go away on its own within a month. The opposite is not always true. Chronic change is possible. It may occasionally call for topical medication or minor surgery. Chalazion, sadly, frequently comes back.

How is chalazion treated?

A lump in your eyelid that doesn’t go away after a week should be examined by an ophthalmologist. If you have an infection, your doctor may advise you to use steroid medications, antibiotic ointments, or drops. If this is unsuccessful in removing the chalazion, a minor surgical procedure involving the incision of the lesion and drainage of any remaining fluid is required. Home remedies that hasten healing are useful for treating chalazion.

Home remedies for chalazion

The home remedies for chalazion consist primarily of: 

  • warm compresses on the eye – you can use a cotton swab previously dipped only in hot water or make a warm compress with herbal infusion (black tea, chamomile, sage or marigold); compresses should be applied several times a day for 10-15 minutes.
  • massage – the eyelid can be gently massaged several times a day; this can help unclog the duct and remove the fluid,
  • natural ointments containing e.g. honey and warming oils; you can buy them at the pharmacy,
  • proper eye hygiene – giving up make-up, thoroughly removing make-up before going to bed, avoiding the use of cosmetics or make-up accessories that other people have used before us – this reduces the risk of superinfection.

Diagnosing and treating cataracts with contact lenses

Glaucoma is a disorder that can lead to irreversible blindness. To fix this, specialists have developed a sophisticated contact lens that not only monitors the progression of the disease but also regularly dispenses medication.

glaucoma treatment
South Korean experts have developed an advanced lens that can detect green and cataracts, display intraocular pressure, and release medication accordingly over time. 
Photo: Courtesy University of PohangPhoto by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

When an eye’s drainage routes are blocked, fluid builds up inside the eye, raising intraocular pressure. This condition is known as glaucoma. The tiny veins in the eye are now crushed as the pressure increases, gradually impairing vision. This is why it’s so important to pay attention to the eye’s escalating pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP)..

Thankfully, there are drops available to lower this pressure. However, as the IOP rises, its quantity must also increase, necessitating the measurement of the intraocular pressure. These lenses were created for that purpose.

Experts have developed the ability in this lens to automatically release more or less medication by observing the pressure. The lens fits the eye quite well, which brings us to our second point.

It was used on rabbits in the initial phase, and the results were outstanding. Drs. Tae Yoon Kim and Sae Kwang Han of Pohang University in South Korea developed the lens. The same team has already created efficient lenses that guard against diabetes-related vision loss.

Interestingly, this lens has the extraordinary ability to slowly release the drug

Why do your eyes hurt? Find out about 10 illnesses and how to treat them.

Eye pain can be caused by many different things. Even though fatigue or a problem with a body part seems to be the most obvious cause of pain, it could be something else. Depending on where the pain is in the eye and what other symptoms are present, different treatments may be needed.

Why do your eyes hurt?
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Most eye pain is dull, throbbing, or sharp, and it can be accompanied by ocular hyperemia, photophobia, or watery eyes. Aside from eye pain, other alarming signs that you need to see a doctor right away are nausea and vomiting, seeing a rainbow glow around light sources (called exophthalmos), a loss of vision, and general symptoms like chills, fever, and malaise.

Eye pain and foreign body

When one eye hurts when you blink, it’s usually because something is stuck in the eye. You can try to figure it out on your own. First, use lukewarm water or saline to rinse the eye. If you can see something in your eye in the mirror and rinsing doesn’t work, you can push it out with, for example, the corner of a clean tissue. When the blockage is no longer visible, use your fingers to pull the upper eyelid over the lower eyelid and hold for a moment. If that doesn’t help, you should see a doctor.

When an eye hurts because of a foreign object, you should put a clean bandage over it and try not to move or rub the eyeball. Do not try to get something out of the eyeball (e.g. metal shavings). When you blink, if your eye hurts, it could be because of a foreign body, dry eye syndrome, conjunctivitis, or barley.

Eye pain and tear duct inflammation

Pain in the corner of the eye could mean that the tear duct is inflamed. The conjunctival sac drains tears into the lacrimal sac because of how the eye is built. If the canal gets blocked, for example by an infection or dust, it can cause inflammation and other problems, such as a slight pain in the corner of the eye that gets worse when touched, tears, and discharge from the eye. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see an eye doctor. Inflammation of the tear ducts is treated by cleaning and rinsing the tear ducts of the eye and putting in drops that a doctor has prescribed.

Other conditions can also cause eye pain in the corner, such as a stye that develops near the corner of the eye, angular conjunctivitis, or a foreign body getting into the area.

Eye pain and acute glaucoma attack

A glaucoma attack could be the cause of eye pain. Aqueous humor is what fills the front part of the eye. It is constantly made by the ciliary body, and it drains through the so-called seepage angle. This makes sure that the eyeball has the right amount of pressure. When the angle is closed, which blocks the flow of aqueous humor, the pressure in the eyeball goes up. This can hurt the optic nerve and retinal cells. During an acute attack of glaucoma, the pain in the eyes is very bad and is accompanied by headaches, nausea, a rainbow glow around lights, and very red eyes. As soon as possible, the problem should be told to the hospital.

Eye pain and blepharitis

When you have blepharitis, you will feel pain in your eyes. Most of the time, it’s because bacteria got into the eyes from dirty hands or a handkerchief. An eye doctor will tell you what liquids to use to wash sick eyelids. When needed, the doctor gives antibiotics or steroids in the form of ointments. Eye makeup should not be worn while getting treatment.

Eye pain and barley

Eye pain is caused by barley or an acute inflammation of the paraciliary sebaceous gland. If it grows in glands deep in the upper eyelid, barley can cause pain under the upper eyelid. The shape of the lesion looks like a grain of corn. Most of the time, stye is caused by a staphylococcal infection. The inflammation lasts for a few days, during which time you can put warm compresses on the eye. After that, the barley bursts and pus comes out of it. It needs to be cleaned off with clean gauze pads. Most of the time, an ophthalmologist will give an ointment or drops with an antibiotic to treat barley.

Eye pain and bacterial conjunctivitis

Eye pain and redness are symptoms of conjunctivitis . The conjunctiva is a thin membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and the outside of the eyeball. Its infection can be caused by bacteria. This type of inflammation is treated with an antibiotic ointment or drops. You need to protect your eyes (e.g. limit work on the computer and reading, get enough sleep), do not wear make-up and wear contact lenses.

Eye pain and eyelid tumbling

Eye pain also accompanies eyelid tuck. Most often, it concerns the lower eyelid , which rolls up towards the eyeball and irritates it with eyelashes. When this continues for a long time, it leads to inflammation of the conjunctiva or cornea. It also causes dry eyes. The condition is more common in older people and is the result of i.a. sagging of the fibrous tissue. Proper eyelid alignment usually requires corrective surgery.

Eye Pain and Office Eye Syndrome

People who work at computers often have problems with their eyes. If you turn on the air conditioner, it might make things worse. To fix the problem, you should rinse your eyes with saline (best bought in single-use vials) and put so-called “artificial tears” in them several times a day (available at the pharmacy without a prescription). The eyes need to rest after work (you need to limit reading, watching TV, etc.). You can also put eyebright infusion on the sore eye as a compress. In addition to pain, office workers may also feel like there is sand under their eyelids or that their eyes are dry, burning, or red.

Eye pain and iritis

When the iris is inflamed, there is a lot of pain in the eye, as well as photophobia, redness, and tears. It can be caused by things like eye injuries or diseases (including tuberculosis). Half of the time, it is hard to figure out what is causing this condition.

If you don’t take care of it, it can even make you blind, so you need to see an eye doctor right away. The doctor will choose the right medicines for you. During the treatment, the eyes should be kept safe from bright light (it is recommended to wear sunglasses and to limit the lighting at home).

Eye pain and allergic reaction

After coming into contact with the sensitizing substance, eye pain, tears, redness, swelling of the eyelids, and itching or burning of the eyes appear (more: allergy symptoms ). This usually happens at certain times, like when plants are being pollinated.

If we know what makes us allergic, it’s best to stay away from that thing. This is not always possible, so you should talk to the allergist about the possibility of desensitization. Antihistamines (some of which can be bought without a prescription) and rinsing the eyes with saline (up to 10 times a day for a few drops each time) will help in the short term.

Cataract prevention: diet for the eyes

Every year, people over 40 should have their eyes examined. The ophthalmologist should be seen twice a year if there is a family history of eye diseases. Advanced cataract is a disability. For no other reason than the discomfort of the procedure, it is not worth risking vision loss.

Diet for the eyes

Although there is no scientific proof that diet can lower the risk of cataracts, we can “feed” our eyesight by adhering to the adage “you are what you eat.” Simple: the plate should be as colorful as possible for best visual appeal.

How to eat for eye health:

  • Avoid everything white: rice, flour, salt, and sugar,
  • Eat leafy vegetables , sweet potatoes, and carrots – they are sources of vitamin A, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the retina,
  • Let spinach, broccoli, and red pepper land on your plate; they are rich in lutein, which acts as a filter, protecting the eye from harmful UVA and UVB light. The right dose of lutein can reduce the risk of developing cataracts by up to 30%.
  • Blueberries and products rich in omega-3 fatty acids are healthy for the eyes. Fish (halibut, mackerel, and salmon) protect the outer layers of the eye and improve circulation.

Vision defects in children: symptoms, causes

Vision defects in children are quite common. Eyesight is checked at regular checkups, but if we are worried about something, we shouldn’t wait to see an eye doctor. What are the most common problems with a child’s sight?

Vision defects in children:
photo Shutterstock

Vision defects in children and the development of the eye organ

In the fourth week of pregnancy, the baby’s eyes start to form. At birth, the eyeball is about 80% the size it will be as an adult. Up until age 2, the eyes grow very quickly. The second stage of development, which lasts from birth until puberty, is characterized by very slow growth.

A baby can’t see very well right after being born. He can’t do things like keep his eyes on one thing. At the end of the baby’s first month, you can already check to see if his eyes follow the light. By the baby’s third month, he or she should already be able to choose what to look at. It should also help you keep your eyes on one thing and move them along with it. If the mother doesn’t make eye contact with the baby during this time, it could be a sign that her eyesight is bad. The child should be able to move around the house freely until he or she is 12 months old, pay attention to what is going on outside the window, and be able to recognize people and pictures. At this age, 80 percent of children can already see with both eyes.

Visual impairment in children: symptoms

There are whole sets of symptoms of poor eyesight in children that parents should pay attention to. In infancy, indications for contact with an ophthalmologist include:

  • squint (physiological strabismus occurring up to six months of age)
  • not making eye contact
  • presence of genetically determined eye diseases in the family (congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, retinoblastoma)
  • a family history of hyperopia or strabismus (the first eye examination is recommended after the age of one)

In the preschool and school period, the symptoms of visual impairment in children are:

  • closing or covering one eye
  • burning, watery eyes
  • rubbing the eyes
  • quick fatigue and headache when reading
  • poor reading ability
  • low hand eye coordination
  • Difficulty judging distances correctly
  • problems with concentration
  • confusing letters
  • problems with writing between lines

When everything is normal, the eye’s optical system, which is mostly made up of the cornea and the retina, focuses light rays right on the retina. A normal eye looks like this. Because the lens can change shape, it is possible to see well both close up and far away. An irregular eye, also called an eye with a refractive error, is one that can’t focus light on the retina by itself. Most of the time, these kinds of problems show up in children. The word “refraction” means how light bends as it passes through the eye’s optical system.

Use these eye-healthy foods on a regular basis.

If you want to maintain your vision as you age, choose the correct diet.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation provides numerous recommendations for maintaining good vision.

The second most common cause of visual impairment is a collection of conditions known as cataracts.

The organization asserts that a healthy diet is crucial for the eyes in addition to protection from other health issues.

Fruits and vegetables are a wonderful source of vitamins A and C, but they also give the body the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which guard the eye’s neurons from oxidative stress.

Consuming a small amount of fruit or juice each day decreased the incidence of cataracts by 79%, according to a research including 584 women.
Similar to how they lower the chance of cataracts, green leafy vegetables like spinach also lower the risk of inflammation, cancer, heart disease, and aging-related muscle loss.

According to the foundation, nuts and seeds aid in acquiring vitamin E, which maintains cells healthy and defends them against hazardous substances.

Additionally, the foundation suggests eating fish, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and lowers the incidence of cataracts.

The organization also referenced a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology that showed persons who drank hot tea at least once a day had a 74 percent higher chance of developing cataracts than those who did not. Is lower

Bananas, chocolate, pumpkin seeds, and black seeds were also discovered by the company to be beneficial for eyesight.
In addition, those who have cataracts should stay away from items that promote metabolic syndrome, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

In actuality, cataract risk is decreased by a diet that controls blood pressure and blood sugar.

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