Optometrist emphasizes danger of improperly fitted decorative contact lenses.
The Des Moines Register (10/29, Sagrio) reports that "consumers might get scarier results than they bargained for if" they purchase "decorative contact lenses" from "the Internet or beauty salons" without a doctor's prescription. Optometrist Mandy Mataya, O.D., pointed out, "The risk of wearing a contact lens that does not fit your eye properly is that it can limit the amount of oxygen" to the eye. Improper fit "can result in permanent scarring of the eye, or permanent loss of vision." She emphasized the importance of having "an optometrist evaluate and fit...eyes for contacts." In addition, optometrists teach consumers "to properly care for" contact lenses, as well as "how to insert, remove, and disinfect" lenses "to prevent infection and mechanical damage to the eye." Earlier this month, the American Optometric Association (AOA) "issued a consumer warning about the dangers of buying decorative eyewear without consulting an eye doctor."
Children's vision for school
In continuing coverage from previous editions of First Look, the Des Moines Register (10/1, Sagario) reported that "vision problems in children can delay their development, affecting walking, learning in school, and socializing with other kids." Therefore, "health professionals say it's important that parents have their child's vision checked by a professional to catch diseases early -- shortly after birth, at six months, before kindergarten, and periodically during the school years." Jeanne Burmeister, executive director of Prevent Blindness Iowa, emphasized that correcting eye problems "matters, because vision is vital to learning. Eighty percent of what a child learns before age 12 is through seeing." Currently, "Prevent Blindness Iowa performs about 20,000 vision screenings statewide every year for free, using certified volunteers. The majority of screenings take place at child care centers because of the high number of kids under age five." Parents of children who need further care are recommended to take their youngsters "to an eye doctor." The Register also noted that "amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' is the most common cause of vision loss in children." Early diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia "before age eight" is essential "to get the best results."
Eye Care
Article explains color blindness.
The U.K.'s FemaleFirst (10/1) reported that "color blindness is the reduced ability to distinguish between certain colors," although "vision itself isn't affected." The condition is "usually inherited, and is more common in men, affecting about one in 20." The "most common form" of color blindness "is red/green color blindness, which involves the confusion of red and green. It's passed on through a faulty color vision gene on an X chromosome as a recessive disorder." Color blindness can be detected by a test "that uses one color of dots to spell out numbers that can be read by someone with normal vision, while color-blind people only see a random pattern." The eye's retina contains "color-detecting vision cells, called cones, which are necessary to see color properly. There are three types of cone cells sensitive to red, blue, or green light. If one or more of these types of cells is faulty, then color blindness" ensues. The condition also may occur "because of diseases, such as macular degeneration," or as a side effect of some medications. Because "inherited forms of color blindness are harmless, no treatment is needed." But, if color blindness is caused by "underlying eye disorders or medication, then it can sometimes be treated and stopped."
Group says cataracts affect more than 22 million Americans older than 40.
HealthDay (8/29, Preidt) reported that according to the group Prevent Blindness America, "cataracts -- the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States and the world -- affect more than 22 million Americans aged 40 and older." The group estimates that "more than 30.1 million Americans will have cataracts by 2020." In fact, "cataract is the most common age-related eye disease." HealthDay explained that "cataract, a clouding of the eye's lens, is caused by the build-up of old cells. Symptoms include blurred or double vision, sensitivity to strong light, or the perception that lights seem too dim." Some patients "with cataract may have a noticeable milky or yellow spot in the eye." Cataracts may also be caused by "long-term exposure to" ultraviolet "rays from the sun," smoking, genetic factors, or "long-term steroid use."
Antioxidant-rich foods may protect against macular degeneration, researchers say.
In continuing coverage from previous editions of First Look, HealthDay (8/29, Preidt) reported that "eating plenty of antioxidant-rich food such as blueberries, artichokes, and pecans may help protect against macular degeneration, the leading cause of age-related blindness in the United States and other developed countries," according to a study published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Researchers from the University of Utah's Moran Eye Center "found that antioxidants disrupt a link between two processes in the retina that, in combination, contribute to macular degeneration." In addition, antioxidants appear to "extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells."
|
