Computer Vision Syndrome

by Administrator 20. June 2010 10:04

Thousands of people spend a major part of their day in front of the computer screen. Often, they complain of headache or eyestrain from constant staring at the monitor. Sometimes, it may become difficult to focus on distant objects. If you are having any of these symptoms, you may fall prey to computer vision syndrome (CVS).

Millions of people are unaware of the existence of this problem and still suffer from it. Apart from the discomfort and reduced vision, computer vision syndrome may lead to permanent vision damage. If your work involves frequent computer usage, it is important to take various precautions and avoid this eye problem.

Commonly, individuals spending more than two hours a day in front of a computer screen experience computer vision syndrome. The main symptoms include:

  • Burning sensation in eyes
  • Constantly tired eyes
  • Headaches
  • Lack of focus
  • Blurred vision
  • Shoulder and neck pain

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it is important to consult an eye doctor who specializes in treatment of computer vision syndrome. They can also tell you about the correct computer working distance and provide a prescription for corrective computer eyeglasses.

People with regular eyeglasses do not bother to use another set of vision correction glasses for doing computer work. This is not a good idea. If you have computer vision syndrome, you may need computer glasses for mid-range vision clarity. Also, you must ensure that your workplace has adequate lighting to avoid squinting and strain on your eyes.

Computer eyeglasses are not very different from normal eyeglasses in appearance. Basically, the difference lies in the lenses and not the frames. Most people are prescribed with multi-focal lenses that are specially designed for computer work. When seated at the correct computer screen distance, these allow vision enhancement, both short distance and long distance.

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Knowing More About Coloboma

by Administrator 14. June 2010 13:18

Derived from a Greek word, Coloboma means “curtailed” and is used to describe the eye problem which is caused by missing tissue inside or around the eye. There are various kinds of Coloboma that affect different parts of the eye, mainly including:

  • Eyelid – This kind of Coloboma happens when a piece of the upper or lower eyelid is missing. Usually, eyelid Coloboma is a genetic problem or caused by underdeveloped eyelids in a baby.
  • Macula – Located at the center of the eye, the macula may have Coloboma when it does not develop normally. Interruption in normal eye development in a baby or inflammation in the retina may be followed by this disorder.
  • Lens – When a piece of the lens is absent in your eye, it can lead to Coloboma. This means that your vision will be unclear as the lens will not focus light on the retina properly.
  • Optic nerve – Coloboma of the optic nerve may be caused by an abnormal optic nerve that is deeply hollow. Another reason for this eye problem may be a uveal Coloboma that extends to the optic nerve.
  • Uvea – Alos known as Iris Coloboma, this condition occurs when the retina in the lower insider corner is missing. This gives a cat eye appearance to the iris.

In terms of demographics, Coloboma is an eye disease that is found in about one in 10,000 births. Common reasons for its occurrence include genetic problems, eye surgery or trauma.

Symptoms of Coloboma

People who have Coloboma experience reduced vision. The extent of vision impairment depends on the size of Coloboma and the impact on macula and optic nerve. In certain cases, it appears as a black indentation at the pupil’s edge while in other patients, it forms a split in the iris from the pupil to the edge of the iris. Apart from blurred vision, Coloboma leads to the appearance of a hole or odd-shaped pupil.

Diagnosis of Coloboma

A professional optometrist will diagnose whether an individual has Coloboma or not. This involves a physical exam and a detailed eye checkup by an optometrist. The symptoms, effected eye area and size of darkened area in the eye will be observed to know the kind and level of Coloboma. Several procedures like visual acuity test and refraction test may also be conducted.

Treatment Options

With no specific treatment for this problem, doctors can recommend corrective procedures for vision improvement. The use of cosmetic contact lenses, eye patches and personalized sunglasses can help in dealing with the symptoms.

For Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses contact Killeen Eyecare Center; provider of complete range of eyecare solutions in Killeen, Harker Heights, Fort Hood areas.

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Exercising Tips For Proper Eyecare

by Administrator 7. June 2010 15:33

Those who constantly work in front of the computer are bound to suffer from a variety of eye diseases in the long run. Nowadays, it has become unimaginable to have perfect vision and healthy eyes. Still, it is possible with a good exercising routine and quality lifestyle.
While prescription glasses and contact lenses help in vision correction, certain exercises are also essential to get effective results. Listed below are easy exercises for making your vision better and keeping your eyes healthy.

  • Find a comfortable chair and sit on it. Rub your hands together and cover your eyes with cupped palms. Make sure that your nose remains uncovered and no pressure is applied on the eyeballs. Place your hands in a way that light does not enter the eyes and there are no gaps between fingers or between the palms and the nose. With closed eyes, you need to imagine blackness and focus on it. Visualize a scene or peaceful incident while taking deep breaths. Once you see deep blackness, remove the palms from your eyes and repeat the process for 3 minutes.
  • Shut your eyes tightly for three to five seconds and then open them for the same amount of time. This exercise must be repeated 7 to 8 times.
  • Massage your eyes with circular movements of your hands for 1 to 2 minutes. You must press closed eyes lightly to avoid hurting the eyeballs.
  • On your upper eyelids, press three fingers of each hand and hold the position for 1-2 seconds before releasing them. This exercise has to be repeated 5 times.
  • In a sitting posture, relax your body and then roll your eyes. This has to be done clockwise and counter-clockwise, 5 times. Between each time, you can blink your eyes.
  • Find a place about 6 inches from a window and make a mark on the glass at eye level. Now, you must focus on some far away object for 10-15 seconds through the mark on the window.
  • At arm’s length, hold a pencil and move your arm towards your nose. While doing this, keep your eyes focused on the pencil. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
  • Up and down eye movements are also a good eye exercise. This can be done 8 times, starting from up to down. Similarly, you can move the eyes from left to right.

Following these exercising tips for eyes can help you with eye strain and prevent diseases related to eyes.

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Taking Care Of Contact Lenses

by Administrator 31. May 2010 12:09

Maintaining good vision is more than just buying the right prescription contact lenses. You have to take care of them to avoid long term damage to your eyes. Like other synthetic materials, contact lenses are prone to deposit of dust particles and microorganisms. These have to be regularly removed and should be cleaned to ensure comfort in visibility.

In order to kill the microorganisms that lead to eye infections, you must disinfect the contact lenses. Eye specialists recommend medically approved solutions to store contact lenses. Re-wetting drops can also be used to remove dryness from lenses. Apart from cleaning of the contact lenses, you need to disinfect and replace the case to prevent infections.

During application, it is essential to wash your hands and avoid soaps that contain oily ingredients. These may stick to the surface of contact lenses and lead to irritation in the eyes. Sometimes, the lenses get stuck in the case. Soak it in solution and gently shake it loose. Remember that the lenses have to be rinsed thoroughly with appropriate solution before and after application.

For women, it is important to take precautions while using contact lenses. Put them in before you start applying make-up and try using non-allergic, natural products only. This makes sure that your contact lenses remain comfortable. You can go for cream eye shadow instead of powder products or water-based creams rather than oil-based ones. Similarly, removal of makeup needs to be done before taking off the lenses.

Using tap water to clean contact lenses can be very harmful. It contains minerals, chlorine and metal particles that can be disastrous to your eyes. Even distilled water or home-made saline could cause irreversible damage to your lenses. The use of prescribed solution is the best way to ensure proper disinfection of contact lenses and clarity of vision.

Contact Killeen Eyecare Center for eye sight check up and for procuring correct vision lenses for your eyes.

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Healthy Lifestyle For Eyecare

by Administrator 24. May 2010 15:59

If you want to retain the health and wellness of your eyes, it is very important to eat the proper foods containing essential vitamins and minerals. People with bad eating habits are prone to get eye diseases much more easily than health conscious ones.

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of eye problems is to enhance the amount of antioxidants in your meals. These are good for protecting your heart, eyes and even the immune system. Major antioxidants like Vitamin C, E and A help in avoiding eye disorders like cataract, macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Mainly, the natural sources of antioxidants include vegetables and fruits, especially with high pigmentation. You must buy fruits and vegetables with more color and eat them raw to gain maximum benefits. However, too much intake of antioxidants can also lead to problems.

Doctors often recommend Vitamin A for keeping your eyes healthy. This can be found in eggs, fruits and vegetables. Milk also contains good amount of Vitamin A. Its proper consumption ensures appropriate functioning of retina and prevents night blindness. Vitamin A also helps in delaying age-related cataract and macular degeneration.

Apart from Vitamin A, you can also strengthen your eyes with proper consumption of Vitamin C. Its multiple benefits include stronger bones and muscles, better immunity, healthier teeth and good vision. Usually, Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, orange juice and green peppers. Consuming a high amount of Vitamin E can also aid in minimizing the risk of eye diseases like cataract. This can be easily found in green vegetables, cereal and nuts.

Minerals are just as important as Vitamins for maintaining healthy eyes. The key minerals that promote oxidation include Zinc and Selenium. These help your body in absorbing antioxidants and preventing eye problems. Food products like cheese, red meat, pork, yogurt and fortified cereal contain Zinc while Selenium is present in rice, enriched breads, walnuts, cheese and macaroni. Make sure that you get the right quantity of minerals in your diet so that your eyes remain healthy.

Visit us at Killeen Eyecare Center for complete eye check up. We serve Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights regions in Texas and have state-of-the-art equipment to provide eyecare solutions.

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Prescription Contact lenses or Glasses: Which is better for Vision Correction?

by Administrator 17. May 2010 14:59

Vision impairment starts from a number of medical issues like near-sightedness, far-sightedness, Astigmatism, Myopia and Hyperopia. Many eye doctors ask their patients to go in for prescription contact lenses.

When you shop around for Contact Lenses, you’ll find the market flooded with a huge variety; some trendy, others coloured. Remember, if you are buying lenses for a medical reason, the kind of lenses you pick up matters a lot.

There could also be a choice between prescription eyeglasses and prescription lenses. Then, there is also the temptation to pick non-prescription lenses, instead. Your option depends upon the environment and work conditions around you. For instance, some people work where the spectacles tend to get foggy or gather dust. They prefer to use smart Contact lenses.   

Indeed, Prescription Contact lenses have many advantages over eyeglasses. With lenses you don’t have to worry about your looks; your face remains of the same size. Now your eyes won’t look deflated behind the glasses. You also have the option to go in for coloured lenses. Imagine changing the colour of your eyes to match the colour of your dress.

Besides your looks, lenses keep you comfortable. Forget everything about adjusting the frame when you move fast or start jogging. With the right prescription lenses, you need not bother about a permanent mark on your nose and ears. Most of the glasses are heavy to carry and cause pain in the temples.

Medically, the peripheral vision with lenses is much better than that with your glasses on. Lenses are being adapted to suit dry eyes by making them more permeable to Oxygen. Again, those who wear high index lenses remain much more medically fit. Eye specialists also prescribe eyeglasses with lenses made of high index material which make the glasses very lightweight.

Get your pair of Contact Lenses and Glasses at Killeen Eyecare Center. We have unique range of lenses and glasses to suit your requirement.

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Choosing The Right Vision Correction Eye Glasses

by Administrator 10. May 2010 06:30

The right combination of your eye lenses and vision correction glasses should be always used. For people having astigmatism, nearsightedness or farsightedness, prescription glasses are a great help. Improper glasses or lenses can put strain on your eyes which can lead to further deterioration of vision.

Before you start looking for eye glasses to correct vision, you need to visit a Eye Doctor for eye examination. The optometrist will tell you which kind of glasses to purchase and give a prescription for the same. Severe vision problems can also be reduced through the use of high index material eyeglasses. These provide better optics and are lightweight, preventing headache for those having bad eyesight.

Another good option is aspheric lenses. The flat and thin design can enhance your appearance and not appear thick like traditional glasses. For extreme sight correction, this is a perfect way to avoid face distortion and not make the eyes appear too big or too small.

The best part about prescription glasses is the scratch resistant coating on it. In addition, anti-reflective coating and UV coating is also used to protect your vision correction glasses and eyes from damage by harsh sunlight. Other kinds of coatings are also used to increase the life of your eye glasses.

Nowadays, prescription glasses come with tinted lenses, the latest being photo-chromatic lenses. These can change colour according to the type and amount of exposure to light. Indoors, the lenses remain clear but in the sun, the same will darken to avoid eye damage.

Both farsightedness and nearsightedness can be corrected through multi-focal prescription glasses. These include bifocals, trifocals and progressive lenses. While bifocals have two different lenses, trifocals have three kinds of lenses and progressive lenses have continuity between the lenses. This is smoother than bifocals and trifocals that have a line between the lenses.

Vision should be tested every 3-6 months to check the change in number of glasses/ lenses.

Visit Killeen Eyecare Center to get your eyes tested and for buying the recommended eye glasses and eye lenses of premium quality.

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Dealing With Macular Hole

by Administrator 26. April 2010 12:18

Macula, present in the center of the retina, is a light-sensitive tissue in the eye. When a small break occurs in the macula, it leads to condition referred as Macular Hole. Macular hole results in reduced central vision as a result ability to clearly see the fine details, read and drive without any vision problems is hampered. Usually, macular hole is a problem suffered by people over 60 years of age.

Macular hole results in distorted and blurred vision. This happens in various stages like:

Stage I – Foveal detachments
Stage II – Partial thickness holes
Stage III – Full thickness holes

In the absence of timely and proper treatment, macular hole can lead to further eye diseases or detached retina. However, it is important to remember that macular holes are not the same as macular degeneration due to increasing age. To know the detailed difference and recognize the symptoms correctly, take advice from an eyecare professional.

Basically, a macular hole is caused when the vitreous tears away from the retinal surface and creates the hole. Some fibers may also remain on the retina and increase tension as they contract. This is a common reason for macular hole. Moreover, the eye disorder may occur from nearsightedness, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, macular pucker and certain eye injuries.

Once you have understood the causes of macular hole, it is essential to know the symptoms of this condition. Initially, you may notice a slight blurriness or distortion in vision. Objects with straight lines or edges may start looking bent and routine tasks become difficult to perform.

Treatment for macular hole ranges from simple precautions to surgery. Some macular holes can seal on their own while others need a surgical procedure called vitrectomy. The patient has to remain face-down for a day or two after the surgery. This position has to be adopted right after surgery and maintained till the hole gets sealed.

The success of surgery for macular hole differs from patient to patient. If you have been suffering from this problem for less than six months, the chances of vision recovery and improvement are much higher than people who have had macular hole for a long time.

For complete information and treatment of various eye issues, visit Killeen Eyecare Center.

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Eyecare Tips For Preventing Floaters

by Administrator 19. April 2010 10:54

Another name for eye spots, Eye Floaters is a common eye disease. These include tiny circles, clouds and specks that come in your vision field while looking at plain or light backgrounds.

The most common reason for the occurrence of eye floaters is increasing age. However, certain eye injuries may also lead to this disorder. As we grow older, the vitreous humor gets clustered in certain spots, leading to the formation of eye floaters. With gradual degeneration of the vitreous humor, it gets detached from the back of the eye and forms eye floaters.

Under certain circumstances, intense eye injury can also change the structure of the vitreous humor and cause retinal detachment and eye floaters. In such cases, you may also see flashes of light along with eye floaters. Other health problems like migraines or high blood pressure may also lead to this eye disease.

If you are witnessing any of the symptoms listed below, it is crucial to consult a eye doctor for professional diagnosis and treatment of eye floaters.

  • Appearance and disappearance of objects while moving slowly
  • Presence of small objects with varied shapes in your field of vision
  • Appearance of flashes of light

While eye floaters are considered to be harmless in most cases, there is treatment available for this problem. In fact, it is best to avoid the symptoms of this eye disorder before it converts into a serious disease. If you are experiencing frequent flashes of light in your vision or growth in eye floaters, consult a eye doctor immediately.

Complications are also possible in case of patients suffering from diabetes and near-sightedness. Regular check up and follow ups after eye surgery are essential to avoid or remove eye floaters, depending on the severity of your condition.

Killeen Eyecare Center provides Consultation, Contact Lenses, Eye Glasses, and Vision Therapy to patients in Killeen, Harker Heights, Fort Hood area across Central Texas

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Antioxidants For Preventing Eye Diseases

by Administrator 12. April 2010 13:33

Recent reports have shown that use of antioxidants can lead to reduction in the possibility of vision loss and eye diseases. Moreover, retinal power can be retained by a combination of zinc and antioxidant vitamins. Even doctors suggest that preventive eyecare measures are better than taking medication later on.

Frequently, eye diseases happen due to the break down of light-sensitive cells in the macula. Usually, such eye problems are known as age-related macular degeneration or AMD, leading to vision loss in the central and peripheral optic region. Basically, there are two kinds of AMD, namely wet AMD and dry AMD. In the first case, new blood vessels may suffer from blood leakage and lead to fluid creation under the macula. On the other hand, dry AMD is featured by thinning of the retinal pigment cells inside the macula.

Till a few years ago, treatment options for AMD patients were very limited. In fact, such kinds of macular degeneration were considered fatal. Every year, a large number of people get diagnosed with optical diseases and fail to get proper medication or treatment for the same.

If you want to avoid getting afflicted with eye diseases and vision loss, making certain adjustments in your diet is essential. This involves adding food items that are rich in antioxidants. Another idea that works well is to take daily supplements to provide potent antioxidants.

You will find antioxidants in many common foods, vegetables and fruits. However, natural sources may not provide desired amount of vitamins and antioxidants. The optimal level can be obtained from a balanced diet as well as supplements in the form of tablets, pills or capsules.

Killeen Eyecare Center provides complete Eyecare solutions. If you have any vision related problem, contact us for expert diagnosis and treatment.

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