Posts Tagged ‘eye care professionals’

Eye Care Professionals Help With Seeing Clearly

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Having healthy and accurate vision is something that no one should take for granted. There are many people in this world who have poor vision or have some form of eye disease that keeps them from seeing properly. Eye care professionals are your frontline in the war against eye problems. They are the ones to turn to when you are having difficulty seeing. That is why it is important to visit an eye care professional at least once a year to keep your eyes healthy.

Eye care professionals are divided into three categories. You have the ophthalmologist, the optometrist and the optical technicians. The ophthalmologist can perform routine vision tests, give you an eye examination and even operate on your eyes. They are licensed to prescribe medical ointments for any type of eye problem. The optometrist is similar in all the job duties of the ophthalmologist, except they are not trained to operate on the eyes. The optical technicians are the ones who will get your glasses or contacts prepared and have you fitted.

For vision care to work you must have a vision care plan. The vision care plan is a scheduled set of visitations for routine checkups for the entire family. If something is found, such as glaucoma, then you will have to visit the doctor more often. He or she will probably want to see you at least every six months and sometimes as frequently as every three months just to check on the condition of the eyes.

Once you have seen the doctor, it may be time to get a fitting for glasses, custom lenses or a contact lens fitting. This is done by the optical technicians. They will measure your face to find out the specific measurements in order to fit you with glasses. In the case of contact lenses, the technician will take the doctor’s orders and find you contacts based on your ocular fit. This is the point that you may be able to pick out certain brands and colors to wear but don’t buy from here, you will find contact lenses far cheaper online.

Eye care professionals are important to your vision. They are your frontline in keeping your eyes healthy and your vision accurate. It is always important to let your eye care professional know how your health is doing. Many health issues can affect your eyes and cause you to lose your vision. High blood pressure and diabetes are two health issues that can cause serious problems with your eyes. Always keep your doctor informed of any family history of diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma, so he or she will know to monitor you for any signs of these diseases.

Eye care is relatively simple. You make yearly check-up visits with your eye care professionals and you purchase the recommended eye glasses or more likely, contact lenses. However, are you aware that you can buy contact lenses online far cheaper than offered to you by your eye care professionals? To compare just how much you can save on contact lenses by buying online: “Click Here

Contact Lenses – Can lenses be harmful?

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

Contact Lenses – Can lenses be harmful?

Modern contacts are manufactured to extremely high standards. Millions wear them daily and for years without health problems or even discomfort. Still, about 4% of all contact lens users experience some type of health issue at some point. Risks of wearing contact lenses, while very low, are not zero. Your odds can be improved by proper use, though.

One overall issue is the fact that any contact lens will restrict the amount of air that gets to the eye. That increases the odds of infection, even when lenses are well sterilized. With the popularity of 7 day or even 30-day continuous wear lenses, that problem (while small) is larger than it was in the past.

Apart from infection, discomfort and blurred vision can occur when a lens is worn for more than a few days. That irritation can occur to the eyeball itself, and also to the lens and surrounding tissues. One possible result is GPC (Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis).

GPC produces itching and redness on the surrounding tissue, the result of protein buildup on the surfaces of the lens. Swelling occurs on the interior surface of the eyelids and can produce a sticky discharge as well. When this occurs, you should discontinue use until your eye care professional declares the lenses are safe to wear again. Regular, careful lens care and proper use can reduce the odds of any re-occurrence.

Corneal abrasions, while uncommon, are also far from unknown among contact lens users. A small scratch on the clear tissue over the pupil can happen when small particles of grit get between the lens and the eye, usually as a result of poor cleaning or handling. But it can occur even to the most careful, as airborne or finger-borne material lands on the surface of the eyeball.

Small pieces of eyelash, cotton threads, airborne plant material and much more can all wind up in the eye. In the absence of contacts these things are normally washed away by the tears and eyelid working together. Contacts can interfere with that process. In many instances, antibiotics are called for since infection is common under these circumstances.

Pollen and other material can also produce allergic reactions that are sometimes amplified by contact lenses. The eyes become red and irritated and excessive tearing can occur, leading to blurred vision and discomfort. Sometimes the reaction is the result of preservatives in the lens cleaning solution. It happens more often with soft contact lenses. Treatments include removing the lens for a time, changing solutions and using different storage methods.

The lenses themselves can cause problems if they change shape. While rare, previously well-fitting contact lenses can be affected by temperature and age, causing tears and oxygen to less efficiently make it to the eye. This so-called Tight Lens Condition can cause pain, redness and even swelling of the cornea. Correction consists of remeasuring the eye and fitting new contacts after the eyes have recovered.

The cornea itself can change shape, as can the whole eyeball. The change is subtle, but with contact lenses the tolerances are small. If corneal warpage (as it’s called) does happen the result can be discomfort and an increase in the odds of infection. The condition is more common with gas permeable and hard lenses, which are less flexible than soft contact lenses.

If this happens, healing can take weeks or months, during which time contact lenses can’t be worn. As the eye resumes its normal shape, vision can change. More than one glasses prescription may be required for optimal sight. In rare cases the astigmatism is permanent.

In all cases, following the manufacturer’s and your eye care professional’s guidance about cleaning, insertion and removal, contact lens care and wear are your best bet to avoiding problems.