The pressure in your eye is known as intraocular pressure (IOP). If it is higher than normal levels, you may be suffering from ocular hypertension. Usually, doctors consider high eye pressure as a symptom of Glaucoma. Even though ocular hypertension does not hamper vision, it may lead to serious problems that cause optic nerve damage or vision loss.

Many patients detected with ocular hypertension do not feel any prior signs or symptoms. In fact, there are no outward problems like redness of eyes, blurring of vision or pain. The only way to find out if you have this ailment is to get your IOP measured during regular eye examination.

While ocular hypertension may happen to any person, it is most common among:

• Diabetic patients
• People over 40 years of age
• African-Americans
• Family history of ocular hypertension
• People with nearsightedness

If your eye pressure exceeds 21 mmHg (mercury millimetres), it is considered high eye pressure or ocular hypertension. There may be an increase in IOP due to too much fluid generation or lack of drainage in the eye. Moreover, personal trauma and strong medications may also lead to high IOP. When high eye pressure is not treated within reasonable time, it may increase and damage the optic nerve inside the eye. This causes a major eye disease, known as glaucoma.

Patients of ocular hypertension must take proper treatment to avoid glaucoma or other serious eye troubles. Ask your doctor about the right medication for reducing your IOP level. During the course of treatment, your doctor will monitor the IOP levels and check whether it is normalized. By taking the recommended steps for curing ocular hypertension, you can save yourself from the dangers of glaucoma and retain the health and vision of your eyes.

Killeen Eyecare Center provides complete eyecare solutions and serves Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights in Texas.

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For many years, people have been using eye glasses for vision correction. The lens in your eyeglasses brings clarity as well as safety to your eyes. Traditionally, eyeglasses were available in the form of pince-nez, monocle, scissor glasses and lorgnette but the latest designs include nose and temple padding for greater comfort.

Along with the style, there has been a change in the materials used for making eyeglasses. While glass is still used, new synthetic materials like plastic, CR-39 and polycarbonate have been incorporated to increase the durability and ease-of-use for eyeglasses. These materials also offer protection for the eyes against harmful UV rays, fix higher eye abnormalities and transmit light in a much better way than glass lenses.

Scratch resistance and anti-reflective coating are also new features of modern eyeglasses. These are very effective for glare reduction and improved night vision. Buying hydrophobic glasses allows you to resist dirt and water barring your vision and makes it easier to clean your eyeglasses.

Before you buy any particular eyeglasses, ask your optometrist or doctor for advice. The purpose of eyeglasses is to correct vision by combining the lenses in glasses with your eye lenses. Usually, vision problems like farsightedness, astigmatism and nearsightedness require prescription glasses.

On the other hand, safety eyeglasses may be needed to shield the eyes from chemicals, flying debris or other dangerous materials. People working in laboratories or heavy equipment industries must wear eyeglasses to safeguard their eyes from hazardous exposure.

While eye glasses for vision correction are highly recommendable, it is also important to buy good sunglasses to protect the eyes against UV rays. These may be prescriptive or non prescriptive. In recent times, photo chromatic lenses are being used in eyeglasses to serve the dual purpose of vision correction as well as keeping out the sun.

Contact Killeen Eyecare Center for all kind of Eye Glasses.

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Proper care should be taken while using and storing contact lenses. Below are few important guidelines for taking care of your contact lenses.

• Always wash your hands with warm water and soap while handling your contact lenses. After washing your hands, you should dry them with a clean towel. It should be made sure that no soap particles or chemical remains sticking to your hands which can cause pain and vision issues in your eyes.
• You should follow doctor’s prescription for contact lenses. If specific timings to wear them have been mentioned then you should wear them accordingly.
• Always use eyecare products recommended by your doctor as different types of contact lenses require different/ special care.
• Always clear your contact lenses after every use with sterile solution.
• Never use plain water directly on contact lenses.
• Clean your contact lenses by gently rubbing them with index finger. With “no rub” solutions you can rinse contact lenses without rubbing.
• If there occur irritation or any kind of infection like burning feeling, redness or tearing; discontinue the usage of lenses and talk to your eye doctor immediately about the issue. Wearing infected/ contaminated lenses can damage your eyes.
• Never wear contact lenses used by other persons.
• Do not sleep with contact lenses; unless you have been prescribed “Extended Wear” eye lenses. If you fall asleep while wearing contact lenses, do not remove them immediately, put eye drops and wait a few minutes before removing them.
• Always put the contact lenses before applying makeup else it may get contaminated with makeup chemicals or lotions and may damage your eyes. If you are wearing eye lenses after applying makeup, thoroughly wash your hands before handling the lenses.
• Protect tip of solution bottle from getting contaminated by touching other surfaces like finger tips, contact lenses etc.

Following these tips can make sure your contact lenses stay infection free and good to use. Contaminated or damaged contact lenses can be harmful for eyes.

You may contact Killeen Eyecare Center for complete diagnosis, and treatment for different eye problems. You can also procure contact lenses.

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Usually when a person leaves the clinic of eye specialist after an appointment, he/she suddenly remember a lot of things which were to be asked or shared/ confirmed with the doctor. But the irony is that people usually forget them on their next visit as well. Here is a solution to this common problem.  Provided in this article is a list of all the things, however minor, which one has to keep in mind while paying a visit to their eye specialist. Take a peak:

During the appointment call

Keep the following points in mind while making the call for an appointment at the clinic of the eye specialist:

• Make sure to make a mention of all your visionary problems.
• If special tests are to be conducted, do ask at the desk in the clinic during your appointment call whether you will be able to drive yourself home or not. If not, make arrangements for a driver, a cab or a taxi driver to drive you home.
• Make sure to ask over the call itself, the tentative cost of the consultation and the treatment, if any. It helps you be prepared for the amount of money you will have to shed out.

Before you go in for the treatment

Before preparing yourself for the eye treatment, make a thorough list of all the following, lest you forget any important thing:

• Keep handy a list of all the signs and symptoms of eye problems that you have been facing, for example flashes of light, difficulty seeing at night, temporary double vision, loss of vision etc.
• Any kind of eye injury due to accident or mishap, or the history of any eye operation that you have ever undergone, including all details like approximate dates, hospitals concerned etc.
• Make a mention of the drugs and precautions being undertaken.
• Your general health condition and history of health, including your allergies, chronic health problems, operations etc.

Carry along with you

Make sure to carry the following things with you for the treatment:

• Your contact lenses, or eye glasses, or both, whichever you are using.
• The prescription of your previous course of medicine, the medicine itself and any other self recommendation drugs which you are taking or have ever taken in the past.
• Also carry along with you, your medical health plan or health insurance which you are taking.

During the examination

Keep the following things in mind during the examination:

• Do not go back with any doubts in your mind. Ask anything from the doctor without hesitations.
• Ask when it would be the best time to call back for any queries.
• Find out from the doctor when further treatment is required and when you have to return for your next visit.

We at Killeen Eyecare Center provide expert eyecare solutions. We serve Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights in Central Texas.

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