Allergies and the eyes
Airborne allergens, such as house dust, animal dander and mold constantly bombard the eyes and can cause ocular allergies at any time. But when spring rolls around and the plant pollen starts flying, it seems like everyone starts crying.
Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, or hay fever, is the most common allergic eye problem. Various antihistamine and decongestant drops and sprays can soothe irritated eyes and nose.
Make every effort to avoid allergens. An allergist can help determine what you are allergic to so you can stay away from it. Staying away from outdoor pollen may be impossible, but remaining indoors in the morning when the outdoor pollen levels are highest may help control symptoms. If you are allergic to house dust, open windows and keep household filters clean.
Cool compresses decrease swelling and itching. Artificial tears dilute the allergens and form a protective barrier over the surface of the eye. Avoid rubbing the eyes. It makes the symptoms worse.
If seasonal allergic conjunctivitis is a problem, see an eye doctor. There are several new safe and effective anti-allergy drops that can be prescribed. An eye doctor can also make sure symptoms are not being caused by a more serious problem.
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Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
Pink eye, the common name for conjunctivitis, is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the outer, normally clear covering of the sclera, the white part of the eye. The eye appears pink in conjunctivitis because the blood vessels are dilated. Pink eye is often accompanied by a discharge, but vision is usually normal, and discomfort is mild.
Either a bacterial or a viral infection may cause conjunctivitis. Viruses, which are more common and last several weeks, may cause an upper respiratory infection (or cold) at the same time. Unlike viruses, bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with a variety of antibiotic eye drops or ointments, which usually cure the infection in a day or two.
Conjunctivitis can be very contagious. People who have it should not share towels or pillowcases and should wash their hands frequently. They may need to stay home from school or work and should stay out of swimming pools.
Not everyone with conjunctivitis has an infection. Allergies can cause conjunctivitis too. Typically, people with allergic conjunctivitis have itchy eyes, especially in spring and fall. Eyedrops to control itching are used to treat allergic conjunctivitis. It is important not to use medications that contain steroids (they usually end in "-one" or "-dex") unless prescribed by an eye doctor.
Finally, not everyone with pink eye has conjunctivitis. Sometimes more serious diseases, such as infections, damage to the cornea, very severe glaucoma, or inflammation on the inside of the eye cause the conjunctiva to become inflamed and pink. Vision is usually normal if the pink eye is really conjunctivitis. If vision is affected, or if the problem does not get better in a few days, see an eye doctor.
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Fireworks
Fireworks rupture the eyeball, burn the eye and face, cut eyelids, and cause corneal abrasions in approximately two thousand people every year in the US . One quarter of these eye injuries result in permanent loss of vision or blindness.
The single most dangerous type of firework is the small, explosive bottle rocket. Their erratic flight causes injuries to users and bystanders alike. Sparklers, often given to young children, burn at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly hot enough to melt gold.
To avoid the dangers of fireworks, attend public firework displays instead of using fireworks at home. Amateur backyard displays are dangerous to the person lighting the fireworks and to nearby family members, friends, and neighbors. Celebrate safely by letting the professionals put on the show.
At a public fireworks display, follow these safety tips to keep you and your family safe:
Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals—not only is it safer, it is also cheaper and more spectacular.
Respect safety barriers set up to allow the pyrotechnicians (or firework professionals) to do their jobs safely.
For the best and safest view, stand at least 500 feet, or up to a quarter of a mile, away.
Follow directives given by event ushers and public safety personnel such as police and fire fighters.
If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not touch them. Immediately contact local fire or police departments.
Most importantly, never let your child play with fireworks. Ever.
If a fireworks injury to the eye does occur, do not touch the eye. Get medical attention immediately.
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First Aid for Eye Injuries
The most common type of eye injury that needs immediate action is a chemical burn. Alkaline materials (lye, plasters, cements, and ammonia), solvents, acids, and detergents can be harmful to the eye. Eyes should be flushed liberally with water if exposed to any of these agents.
If sterile solutions are readily available, use them to flush the affected eye. If not, go to the nearest sink, shower or hose and begin washing the eye with large amounts of water. If the eye has come in contact with an alkaline agent, it is important to flush the eye for ten minutes or more. Make sure water is getting under the upper and lower eyelids.
Abrasions or scratches of the eyelids or cornea, the clear covering of the eye, occur frequently and can be quite uncomfortable. If the abrasion is dirty, gently cleanse the area with a stream of clean water.
Do not attempt to treat severe blunt trauma or penetrating injuries to the eye. Tape a paper or Styrofoam cup over the injured eye to protect it until proper care can be obtained.
In the case of a blow to the eye, do not assume the injury is minor. The eye should be examined thoroughly by an eye doctor because vision-threatening damage could be hidden.
First aid is only the first step for emergency treatment. If you experience pain, impaired vision, or any possibility of eye damage, call your eye doctor or go the emergency room immediately.
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How To Insert Eyedrops
Infections, inflammation, glaucoma, and many other eye disorders are treated with eyedrops. Surprisingly, even the small amount of medication in an eyedrop can create significant side effects in other parts of the body. It is important to remember that all medicines have side effects. There are ways to decrease the absorption of the eyedrop into the system, and to increase the time the eyedrop is on the eye, making the medicine more safe and effective.
Inserting eyedrops may seem difficult at first but becomes easier with practice. To put in an eyedrop, tilt the head back. Then create a pocket in front of the eye by pulling the lower lid down with an index finger or gently pinch the lower lid outward with the thumb and index finger. Let the drop fall into the pocket without touching your eye or eyelid (to prevent contamination of the bottle).
Immediately after instilling the drop, squeeze the bridge of your nose for two to three minutes with your thumb and forefinger. This prevents most of the drop from traveling down the tear duct to the rest of the body.
Keep your eyes closed for three to five minutes after instilling the drop. Because the volume of a single drop exceeds the capacity of the surface of the eye, it serves no purpose to use two drops at the same time.
Before opening your eyes, dab unabsorbed drops and tears from the closed lids with a tissue.
If you are taking two different types of eyedrops, wait at least five minutes before instilling the second drop.
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Legal Blindness
Normal vision, or 20/20, means a person sees the smallest letters or pictures on an eye chart when standing 20 feet away from the chart. Some people cannot see normally, even with glasses or contacts, because a medical condition affects their vision. These people are called visually impaired or visually handicapped.
If a visual handicap limits vision to 20/200, or one-tenth of normal, a person is legally blind. Legally blind does not mean totally unable to see. Someone legally blind cannot see the line below the second big E at the top of the eye chart. People with 20/20 vision but less than 20 degrees of side vision can also qualify as legally blind. People who see well with only one eye are not considered legally blind, nor are people who wear glasses to see better than 20/200.
Most legally blind people function quite well, especially if they have been visually handicapped since childhood. Older children and adults with visual handicaps may need magnifying lenses for reading and telescopes for distance viewing. People with very poor vision may need to learn Braille and walk with a seeing-eye dog or a cane.
Young children with visual impairments should have help from a teacher of the visually impaired and should be evaluated for developmental problems by professionals experienced with visual handicaps. Parents may need to be advocates for their child to obtain needed services through the school system.
Visually handicapped people of all ages benefit from social service, occupational therapy, and orientation and mobility training. Many new devices are available to cope with vision loss, including books on audio tapes, scanners that turn print into Braille, watches that can be "read" with the fingers, and talking computers and calculators.
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Myth
1.Reading in dim light is harmful to your eyes.
2.It is not harmful to watch a welder or look at the sun if you squint, or look through narrowed eyelids.
34.If you use your eyes too much, you wear them out.
4.Wearing poorly-fit glasses damages your eyes.
5.Wearing poorly-fit contacts does not harm your eyes.
6.You do not need to have your eyes checked until you are in your 40s or 50s.
7.Safety goggles are more trouble than they're worth.
8.It's okay to swim while wearing soft contact lenses.
9.Children outgrow crossed eyes.
10.A cataract must be ripe before it can be removed.
11.Cataracts can be removed with lasers.
12.Eyes can be transplanted.
13.All eye care providers are the same.
Fact
1.Although reading in dim light can make your eyes feel tired, it is not harmful.
2.Even if you squint, ultra-violet light still gets to your eyes, damaging the cornea, lens and retina. Never watch welding without wearing the proper protection. Never look directly at an eclipse.
3.You can use your eyes as much as you wish—they do not wear out.
4.Although a good glasses fit is required for good vision, a poor fit does not damage your eyes.
5.Poorly fit contact lenses can be harmful to your cornea (the window at the front of your eye). Make certain your eyes are checked regularly by your eye doctor if you wear contact lenses.
6.There are several asymptomatic, yet treatable, eye diseases (most notably glaucoma) that can begin prior to your 40s. Annual or Bi-annual eye examinations should begin at age 3 and continue as directed by your eye care provider.
7.Safety goggles prevent many potentially blinding injuries every year. Keep goggles handy and use them!
8.Potentially blinding eye infections can result from swimming or using a hot tub while wearing contact lenses.
9.Children do not outgrow truly crossed eyes. A child whose eyes are misaligned has strabismus and can develop poor vision in one eye (a condition known as amblyopia) because the brain turns off the misaligned or "lazy" eye. The sooner crossed or misaligned eyes are treated, the less likely the child will have permanently impaired vision.
10. With modern cataract surgery, a cataract does not have to ripen before it is removed. When a cataract keeps you from doing the things you like or need to do, consider having it removed.
11.Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser. The cloudy lens must be removed through a surgical incision. However, after cataract surgery, a membrane within the eye may become cloudy. This membrane can be opened with laser surgery.
12.The eye cannot be transplanted. It is connected to the brain by the optic nerve, which cannot be reconnected once it has been severed. The cornea—the clear front part of the eye—can be transplanted. Surgeons often use plastic intraocular lens implants (IOL's) to replace natural lenses removed during cataract surgery.
13.Doctors of optometry (ODs) are not medical doctors but are primary health care professionals for the eye. Optometrists examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye.
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Workplace Eye Safety
Eye injuries at work are common. Every year about 70,000 workers injure their eyes. Luckily, 90 percent of all workplace eye injuries are preventable with the use of proper safety eyewear.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides regulations which employers and employees must follow. OSHA reports that nearly three out of every five workers injured were not wearing eye protection at the time of their accident. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) provides these standards of eye protection for any workplace task.
Unprotected workers will not knowingly be subjected to environmental hazards.
Protective eyewear is required whenever there is a reasonable probability eye injury may occur.
Employers must provide the type of eye protection best suited to the task to be performed.
Employees are required to use the eye protectors provided.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that eye injuries in the workplace cost over $467 million annually. A written eye safety program should be implemented in the workplace to help prevent workplace eye injuries. Employers should consider these tips in developing their safety plan:
Determine potential of eye injury for the tasks performed.
Decide how best to protect against the injury, e.g., dark lenses for welding, face-shield for flying objects, tight seal for chemical spills, etc.
Identify the visual needs of the job, e.g., magnification, dark lenses, etc.
Post rules requiring when and how eye protection should be used.
Provide adequate supplies of eye protection and have them readily available at the work site.
Instruct employees on appropriate treatment if injury should occur.
Require vision screening for new employees to determine any eye disease.
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