Eye problems and injuries in Teenagers

Every year more than one million people get eye injuries, out of which ninety percent are preventable if safety eyewear is used. One hundred and twenty five thousand eye injury cases are caused by household products.

It is a good habit to wash hands regularly, especially after handling household chemicals. When using detergents and hazardous solvents, the handler must wear chemical safety goggles. Also, no children must be around while handling chemicals. While spraying, the nozzle must be turned away from the face. Fertilizers, pesticides and paints must be stored away from reach. While doing household activities proper protective gears such as goggles, gloves, boots and helmet should be worn, if required. The house must be illuminated adequately to avoid accidents in the dark. Stairs should also be illuminated and the rails must also be installed. The instructions for opening the tops of bottles must be read carefully to avoid them from popping and injuring other people. Children and teenagers should read instructions before handling operating equipment before playing games. All power equipment must be installed with guards. While playing outside, the eyes must be protected by UV protective goggles and it is a bad idea to look at the sun directly.

Precautions should not only be taken indoors, but outdoors too. This is because; more than forty thousand people get eye injuries outdoors. Ninety nine percent of the injuries are caused while playing sports. So it is necessary for the youngsters to wear protective eyewear while playing sports or when involved in outdoor recreational activities. A special helmet is designed with wire shield or polycarbonate face mask which is not only safe, but comfortable, too. Protective eyewear should also be worn while performing experiments in science lab. Fireworks must only be handled by adults.

Because of increasing use of computers, more and more youngsters are getting eye strains. The symptoms of eye strain caused by computer are red & watery eyes, focusing problems, aching & tired eyelids, eye muscle spasm, backache and headache. In such an environment, eye exercise must be done regularly. The eyes must be made to focus on distant objects and should be rotated from side to side. It is extremely important to give ample rest to the eyes. Glasses with UV shield must be worn when looking at the computer screen. Eye strain can be avoided by increasing the distance from the monitor.

Eye hazards are also caused when cosmetics are used improperly by contact lens wearers. Some of the adverse reactions are injury, eye irritation, allergy, dryness, infection, and lens deposition. That is the reason why teenagers must be made aware of the risk they will face when opting for contact lens. Girls should understand that they should buy hypoallergenic cosmetics and especially the non-scented variety, manufactured by big brand names. Cosmetics should not be shared with anything else. The applicator brushes must be washed regularly and old mascara must be disposed and not refilled. Eye shadows which are glittery, pearlized, frosted or iridescent contain ground tinsel or oyster shell, which should be always avoided. Eyeliner should not be applied in the inner lid edge. Loose powder should be avoided. Cream should not be applied near the eyes. The wearer should wash hands while handling contact lens. No crying, washing of face or bathing should be done with the contact lens on.

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Conjunctivitis or Pinkeye in Children

Conjunctivitis or pinkeye is a common problem in school going kids. The eyes become red, itchy, and swollen. There can also be a discharge of gooey liquid from the eye which can be of the color white, clear, green or yellow. Conjunctivitis is also known as pinkeye because the eye’s white part turns pink or red. When the child experiences itchiness and redness in the eyes, he/she should inform the elders as soon as possible, as pinkeye is very contagious and spreads very easily.

It is possible that only one eye can get affected by conjunctivitis, while the other eye dose not. In usual cases, both the eyes get infected. Conjunctivitis doesn’t hurt usually, but the eyes sure do itch badly. There can be a sensation similar to an eyelash or tiny particle getting in the eye, which can be very annoying. The infection lasts for about a week and usually goes away by itself. But if the itching is very troublesome, it should be treated with medicine. Some children can have conjunctivitis accompanied with ear infections, as the bacteria responsible for causing pinkeye is also responsible for causing ear infection.

Conjunctivitis is caused by virus or bacteria. Viruses which cause conjunctivitis are also responsible for cold. Bacteria which cause conjunctivitis also cause ear infection. Conjunctivitis spreads by touching. If a person touches the hand of the infected person, who has recently touched his eyes, also gets the infection. And since infected children deal with their parents and children, they also pose the risk of getting the infection. The prevention in this case is to wash hands often with warm water and disinfecting soap. Conjunctivitis when caused by bacteria & virus, and is contagious is known as infectious conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can also be caused due to allergies or because of entry of irritating foreign body into the eyes. Conjunctivitis caused by this medium is not contagious.

A doctor should be approached upon if the itchiness is very irritating. The doctor will check the eyes for redness and liquid discharge. The doctor would ask about the encounter with any friend or known person who seemed to have pinkeye or whether the conjunctivitis was caused because of some allergy or entry of foreign object into the eye. The doctor can also check the ears for the possibility of ear infection. If the pinkeye is caused because of bacterial infection, the doctor will recommend antibiotic eye ointment or drops. Usually infants are given eye ointment, whereas children and adults are given eye drops. The parents should put the drops or ointment into the child’s eyes four to five times a day for nearly seven days or so. The dosage and timings should be maintained to get rid of the infection completely.

If the conjunctivitis is caused due to virus, there is nothing much the antibiotics can do. And if the pinkeye is caused by allergies or any foreign object, the doctor can recommend special eye drops to deal with the allergy symptoms. Warm water can also be splashed on the eyes to ease the itching. A cool or warm washcloth can be used to clean the discharge. Parents can clean the eyes carefully with cotton balls and warm water and remove the crusty stuff which is formed at the ends of the eyes. The towels and washcloths used for cleaning should head straight to the laundry so that the infection doesn’t spread to other family members.

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Eye Care After a Lasik Procedure

A person that is considering a Lasik procedure to improve their vision has two major responsibilities: selecting the best surgeon possible for their budget, and understanding and keeping up with eye care after the Lasik operation is done.  Most Lasik procedures go very smoothly, and more than 90% of the patients are happy with their improved vision and have no permanent side effects.  Part of this success is due to good care at home once the Lasik procedure is complete.

The first step in having the best care after a Lasik procedure is to understand exactly what is directed by the Lasik physician.  The prospective Lasik patient should be given a good understanding of the entire process when they first visit a Lasik center to interview the physician and the staff.  On the day of the procedure, a member of the staff should very carefully go over exactly what steps should be done to encourage optimal eye health and healing after the Lasik operation.

One thing that the patient should ask is what side effects are to be expected directly after the Lasik procedure, how long they should last, and which symptoms should be promptly told to the Lasik physician or member of the staff.  A number of symptoms, such as fluctuating vision or halos around lights, are to be expected and are not a cause of worry.  Ask the staff about any postoperative symptoms that are unclear, to make sure that they are thoroughly understood.

Each Lasik physician has their own recommended procedures for their patients, but here is a list of typical suggestions that most Lasik centers recommend.  First, get some sleep as soon as possible after the Lasik procedure is done.  This gives a great boost to the healing process.  Second, avoid any contact, bumping, or rubbing of the eyes for at least five days after the Lasik procedure.  Most Lasik centers have some kind of eye guards to wear at night to prevent patients from rubbing their eyes in their sleep.

Third, try to avoid eyestrain for some days after the Lasik procedure.  It is tempting to try to read all of the signs and words that were previously blurry, but avoid this temptation at least for the large part.  If any light sensitivity or glare is noticed, wear dark sunglasses for several days until this problem resolves itself.  Some common Lasik side effects are temporary halos around lights, especially when viewed at night, but this is not a problem to be concerned with.

It is very important to keep the eyes well lubricated in the days following a Lasik operation.  Every Lasik physician will give eye drops to help this, and patient should be especially aware of this before going to sleep.  A Lasik procedure may increase eye dryness temporarily, and during sleep this may make the eyelid stick slightly to the eye.  When the patient wakes up, opening the eyelid is equivalent to rubbing the eye.  The physician should be notified if this happens, for there are other varieties of eye drops that will solve this problem.

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How is Wavefront Technology Used in Lasik Vision Correction?

The wonderful results of Lasik surgery have been improved by research adding new methods, such as Wavefront technology.  This technology gives a Lasik physician the ability to see and accurately map even slight variations in the surface of the eye.  This gives the physician the ability to more accurately tailor a Lasik operation to the individual, and result in even clearer vision.

The concept behind Wavefront technology was originally developed by astronomers, in order to indicate if a mirror or a lens had slight imperfections in it.  It is very important in astronomy to get near perfect optics in order to clearly see the small light sources million of miles away in the universe.  In the 1970s a sensor was created to electronically check these surfaces, and a type of this sensor is now used in the Wavefront guided Lasik procedures.

The idea to apply this technique, or to use this sensor, to the field of ophthalmology and later to the specific area of Lasik vision correction, was begun in Germany.  The physician Josef Bille began using the sensor in his practice, and this started others to refine the sensor and how it is used and to apply it to Lasik technology.  In 1997 the improved sensor, with greater accuracy and speed, was announced to the Lasik laser manufacturers.  This allowed the companies that manufacture the Lasik equipment to develop tools using the Wavefront concept for each of their own laser systems.

The FDA approved the first Wavefront guided Lasik vision correction system for general use.  Initially, the Wavefront sensor makes a map of the eye’s imperfections, and this map is sent to the laser that is used in the Lasik vision correction portion of the operation.  This allows for precise eye alteration in order for Lasik to present the best vision correction possible.

The Wavefront technology used in Lasik can be described easily at an informal level.  A small, flat sheet of light (called a wavefront) is passed through the eye, reflected off of the retina, and passed back through the eye and is captured by the Wavefront machine.  If the eye were perfect, the light would return as a flat sheet and be captured that way by the Lasik machine.  However, any imperfections changes the way that the light returns, and this is detected by the Wavefront part of the Lasik process.

A number of these small, flat sheets of light are sent into each eye from various directions and the results returned generated a three dimensional map of the eye to be used in the Lasik vision correction process.  In addition to the commonly known problems of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, there are more than 60 other patterns that are known and can possibly be corrected for.

All of this information generated by the Lasik sensor is converted by software into a set of directions to be carried out by the Lasik excimer laser.  Ask your doctor about this exciting advance in Lasik vision correction, and see if this procedure is right for you!

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Lazik (laser eye surgery): potential side effects

Laser eye correction surgery, or Lazik, can correct near-sightedness and enable you to live without glasses or contact lenses. First of all, you should be aware that the correction is not permanent; your vision will keep changing with age and eventually you’ll need to have the procedure again or go back to wearing corrective lenses. That said, it can still be life-changing in a very positive way.

There are some potential side effects. Most patients will experience dry eyes temporarily after surgery, returning to normal after a few months. But for some patients this can be a permanent condition. Fortunately, there are some tests they can run to determine how likely it is you’ll suffer from dry eyes; if it’s likely, they should not advise surgery. There are also a couple of treatments for dry eyes: punctal plugs which are inserted into the tear ducts (the procedure is easy and painless, even though it sounds scary) and a prescription eye drop called Restasis.

Some people begin to see halos or glares around lights at night or, if they were already seeing those with their corrective lenses, the effect may be worsened. Unfortunately there is no way to test who’s likely to develop this problem. Treatments are being developed, but there is no certain way to prevent or treat this effect.

Seeing mild haze around objects is not uncommon, but does not impact the quality of vision. Haze that’s more severe and does impact vision can occur as well.

Over- or undercorrection can also be an issue. Despite continual advancements in the accuracy of the technology, there are too many unpredictable factors to guarantee that your vision will be restored to precisely 20/20. However, many patients are still quite happy with the prescription they end up with, and other can have it adjusted with a re-treatment.

Pain and light sensitivity are common in the first few days. If the condition becomes intense, it can be treated with anti-inflammatory eye drops.

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