Iris is the colored part of the eye. Its main function is to control the amount of the eye entering the eye. Iris is the circular muscles that control the size of the pupil and thus control the amount of light entering the eye.

IRITIS
Iritis is the inflammation of the iris of the eye. Since Iritis is the inflammation inside the eye, this condition can be sight threatening.

Causes of Iritis

• Iritis can be caused due to Viral or bacterial Infection
• Trauma to the eye can lead to Iritis.
• Systemic diseases like Ankylosing spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis can also be a cause of Iritis.

Symptoms of Iritis

• Pain and redness in the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Smaller pupil
• Irregular shape of Pupil
• Headache
• Blurred vision

Diagnosis of Iritis

• Complete eye examination by a qualified Eye Doctor – Slit eye exam
• When Iritis is suspected to be caused by the systemic illness, complete medical evaluation is done. This includes blood tests and X-rays

Treatment for Iritis

• Main aim of the treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation caused by Iritis.
• Cycloplegics drops or Dilating eye drops to enlarge the pupil. These reduce the discomfort in the eye.
• For Infectious causes – Antibiotic eye drops and Ointments are used.
• Topical steroids to reduce inflammation and pain
• In severe cases oral medications may be prescribed

Complication

Untreated or Chronic Iritis may lead to

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Blindness

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Myopia or near sightedness is an eye defect in which the image of the object being seen is formed in front of the retina, unlike the normal image formation on the retina. This causes near placed objects to be viewed clearly, but objects that are situated far off appears to be blurred. The two causes of myopia are: either the eye ball is too wide or the cornea is too steep which leads to formation of the image in front of the retina, rather than on it. As the image is formed on the vitreous inside the eye, this leads to the formation if a blurred image.

Symptoms of Myopia

The main symptoms of this eye defect include blurred viewing of far off objects, extreme headaches and giddiness while concentrating on far off objects. While looking at distant objects, myopic people tend to squint their eyes.

Diagnosis of Myopia

A patient's vision for the detection of myopia is tested by making him read letters or numbers on a chart posted a set distance away (nearly 20 ft). The investigating doctor/ optometrist asks the patient to look at and read the board through a variety of lenses to obtain the best correction.  Optometrist concerned also carefully examines the inside of the eye and the retina. An instrument known as a slit lamp is used to examine the cornea and the eye lens. The prescription for the corrective eyeglass is written in terms of dioptres (D), which measure the degree of refractive error. Based on this prescription, the patient can get the corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses made.

Treatment

There are 2 ways of treating the problem of myopia and achieving clear vision again. One can choose the preferred treatment by them on the basis of age, health, intensity of the defect and the cost factor. The two possible alternatives are:

• Corrective lenses: According to the vision testing results, eye glasses or contact lenses with the prescribed power can be purchased and made use of for restoring proper vision. This is the best possible treatment as it is the least invasive, longest-standing, and the most adjustable option. In young age, the power keeps fluctuating time and again. Glasses and lenses can be changed from time to time. They are also more economical than other treatment i.e. Laser surgery.

• Laser surgery:  Laser surgery is another widely accepted treatment for myopia. There is a good percentage of success rates in treating Myopia of eye through Laser Surgery. In most of the cases, a patient does not need to wear eye glasses or lens after surgery. In some cases, there may again occur the need to wear the glasses.

Prevention of Myopia

The following points should be taken care of, from an early age for prevention of myopia:

• Do not watch T.V. or computer, continuously for long stretches of time. Take a break, wash your eyes and look around after every 40 minutes.
• Watch T.V. from a distance. Do not sit too close and watch. It will strain and eventually damage the eye muscles.
• Take a diet rich in vitamin A, with lots of papaya, carrots, milk products, cod liver oil and meat.
• Get routine vision tests done.

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It is a disease of tears and ocular surface of the eye. Tears are the main source of nourishment to the ocular surface of the eye. Tears are made of compounds that keep the eye moist and clean. If the production of tears in the eye is less or if the chemical composition of the tears are altered so that they evaporate quickly, leads to dry eye syndrome

Causes Of Dry Eye Syndrome

• Natural ageing process causes ageing of the tear glands
• Medicines like certain antihypertensive, Parkinson’s disease medication, antidepressants may cause lesser production of tears
• Living condition e.g. if you live in dry and humid climate or your office or home has dry heating systems
• Insufficient blinking. This can occur when person works for longer hours on computer Wearing contact lenses for longer period
• Systemic diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome

Symptoms Of Dry Eyes

• Irritation in the eye due to dry sensation
• Burning and itching in the eye
• Pain
• Feeling of a foreign body in the eye
• Sometimes watery eyes can also result since dry eyes causes overstimulation of tear glands that leads to overproduction of tears
• Blurred vision
• Symptoms generally gets worse towards the end of the day

Treatment Of Dry Eyes

• The dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition and is generally not completely curable. However the symptoms of the conditions can be treated
• Optometrist may prescribe artificial tears, Cyclosporine or corticosteroid drops depending on the condition of the eye.
• If the symptoms are intense and interfering with the daily activities, optometrist may suggest surgery as the treatment of dry eyes syndrome.

Self Care For Eyes

• Try to maintain less humid environment at house and work place. More humidity in air causes evaporation of tears
• Wear sunglasses to avoid dust and other particles in the air. These may worse the symptoms of dry eyes
• Frequent blinking of the eyes stimulates the tear glands and keeps the eyes moist. If working for longer hours in front of computer, frequently blink your eyes
• Adequate rest and sufficient sleep may also relieve the symptoms

Killeen Eyecare Center Provides Complete Eyecare Solutions in Fort Hood, Killeen and Harker Heights, Texas (TX)

Cataract is the clouding of the eye lens.
Lens of the eye refracts the light on to the retina of the eye. The lens changes its size and shape to properly focus the light on the retina so that the correct image of the distant or near object is formed on the retina.
   
Causes Of Cataract

• Aging – Lens of the eye is made up of proteins. The protein in the lens maintains the clarity of the lens.  With advancing age the chemical composition of the lens proteins changes and proteins generally gets distorted. This causes clouding in the eye lens.
• Congenital Cataract- Due to hereditary causes, cataract can be present at the time of birth. This condition is rare.
• Recent researches have shown that prolonged exposure to ultra-violet radiations can also cause cataract.
• Severe trauma or injury to the eye.
• Other medical conditions like Diabetes, obesity
• Long term uses of steroids like prednisone.
• Hereditary causes – People with family history of cataracts are more prone to develop the cataract.

Symptoms OfCataract

• Blurring and gradually loss of vision
• Diminished color vision
• Difficulty in glare
• Increased nearsightedness
• Double vision in one eye
• Increased difficulty of vision at night

Diagnosis

• Visual Acuity test – This test is done to evaluate the problem with the vision. It is done to test the vision. By reading the letters or numbers from the card held 14 inches from the face.
• Dilated eye test- Pupil us dilated or widened by putting some eye drops in the eye. The eye is then examined by the doctor. This test allows the doctor to see more of the lens and retina.
• Glare sensitivity test

Treatment Of Cataract
The symptoms of the early cataract can be improved by

• New eyeglasses for altered vision
• Brighter lighting and magnifying glasses during reading, watching TV
• Anti glare sunglasses
• Surgery – Surgery is done only when symptoms of the cataract doesn’t improve with above methods and are so severe that they cause difficulty in performing daily life activities. In cataract removal surgery the natural lens of the eye that has developed opacification is removed and artificial lens implant is inserted.

Killeen Eyecare Center provides consultation and treatments for various eye problems.