More Dry Eyes in the House/NY Times Article

Dry-eye syndrome is growing, and doctors blame smartphones, office buildings.

Click on the link below to the interesting article from the New York Times.

Why Are We Having So Many With Dry Eye?

Smart Glasses by OrCam Can Help Those Who Can Not See

The new Israeli start-up company, OrCam, has recently created a device that is getting a lot of buzz in the optical world as a unique and amazing way for visually impaired people to “read” the world around them.  The camera based system is designed to be of help for replacement or helper of eyesight and for the wearer to be able to read "easily" and move freely.  

While many other devices and apps have come out in the past which claim to help visually impaired people “see” better or translate any text that they encounter, most of them have had very limiting capabilities and didn’t quite work in the ways that they were promised. 

With the OrCam smart glasses, you go right to reading the different objects that are in front of you!  A small camera is attached to the arm of the glasses frames with a thin cable. This cable supports a portable computer than has been designed to be small enough to fit right into the wearer’s pocket. The camera system works by clipping it onto your glasses, then the wearer is able to point out different words or objects in their surroundings and the bone-conduction speaker on the device will read it aloud for them.  OrCam smart glasses are also designed to recognize and speak “text in the wild.” This means anything from a magazine or newspaper that a wearer picks up, to a diverse object in the area such as landmarks, traffic lights and the faces of your friends.

“What is remarkable is that the device learns from the user to recognize a new product,” said Tomaso Poggio, a computer scientist at M.I.T. who is a computer vision expert. “This is more complex than it appears, and, as an expert, I find it really impressive.”

The price range of about $2500 is quite attractive and makes owning the system reasonable for someone who wants the gift of sight.  The price is about the same as an average pair of hearing aids for an older adult.   

In the United States, 21.2 million people over the age of 18 have some kind of visual impairment, including age-related conditions, diseases and birth defects, according to the 2011 National Health Survey by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. OrCam said that worldwide there were 342 million adults with significant visual impairment, and that 52 million of them had middle-class incomes.

Look for more exciting updates regarding this new technology.

excerpts taken from recent article by John Markoff/NYTimes and an EyeCare20/20 blog

Dry Eye Disease Awareness Month

Learn more about Dry Eye

Skyvision Center is an accredited Tear Lab Dry Eye Center

   

In Partnership with the 

Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation 

  

TearLab®  is proud

to bring awareness to this often

undiagnosed disease.

Please visit 

www.tearlab.com

and

www.sjogrens.org

for more information.

For every LIKE in the month of July on allaboutdryeye's Facebook page, and Sjogren's Facebook Page, TearLab Corporation will donate $1 to the Sjogrens Syndrome Foundation.  Please participate and do your part to help raise awareness for this disease.

Restasis and Dry Eye

It's hard to believe, but if our math is correct the magnificent Dry Eye medicine Restasis is going to be 10 years old this year! It's hard to imagine any more how terribly difficult it was to treat severe forms of dry eye before the introduction of Restasis.

Dry Eye takes many forms, has multiple causes, and produces many different types of symptoms. Restasis has turned out to be a brilliant treatment for the inflammation that underlies a common cause of Dry Eye, not producing enough tears. Whether the inflammation comes first and causes the dryness or vice versa, a vicious cycle begins where one cause the other. Chronic Restasis use unwinds this vicious cycle and revs up a virtuous cycle.

Dr. White at the Dr. Whiteboard - Video

At Skyvision Centers we have taught our Cleveland patients for years that if Restasis is effective one must continue to take it in order to feel well. Thankfully, once it starts to work Restasis is a really easy eyedrop to use. Deciding what type of Dry Eye you might have and then determining what the best treatment will be is one of our strengths!

As an accredited Dry Eye center, SkyVision will help you to determine the best treatment for your Dry Eye symptoms.

Patagonia's Plant-Based Wetsuit

Interesting new technology to keep your "eye" on  . . .

The technology behind the eco-pioneering company's prolific green innovation

by Hans Aschim in Tech on 20 June 2013

With a committed mission to reducing their environmental impact, Patagonia has partnered with eco-friendly biomaterial firm Yulex to create the first plant-based wetsuit material. "Performance, natural rubber has not been used in wetsuits, ever," says Patagonia's director of surf projects Jason McCaffrey, adding, "the manufacturing process is almost entirely green." The natural rubber is made from organic matter derived from the little-known Guayule plant, which grows in dry, arid environments and produces terpene resins that act as a natural pesticide. Requiring few resources and rendered inedible, a rise in the plant's demand will not adversely impact food equity, as can be the case with some biofuels.

Once the Guayule plant has been harvested, it is mixed with water as a solvent for extracting rubber. "Traditional rubber plants and synthetic rubber production both use environmentally harmful solvents and create a vast amount of non-biodegradable byproducts," McCaffrey says. Yulex's Guayule-based rubber production creates only organic byproducts and uses only water solvents. As the plant pulp is mixed with water, the sap rises which becomes the rubber and, eventually, your new wetsuit. "The suits themselves are also biodegradable," McCaffrey says.

Patagonia has spent several years developing the technology, but they don't plan on keeping it to themselves for long. "There's no point—from an ecological perspective—to develop this technology and be the only ones in the industry using it," McCaffrey explains. Patagonia will share the Yulex wetsuit technology with all of the major wetsuit manufacturers in hopes of having the greatest environmental impact. "Eventually we want every suit from every company to be Yulex, but that's a ways off," says McCaffrey. Educating producers and customers about the traditional wetsuit production process is the first step in changing people's minds, McCaffrey says. For Yulex, their collaboration with Patagonia is just the beginning. "Yulex’s Guayule-based biomaterials can replace petroleum-based synthetic materials," says Yulex CEO Jeff Martin of his company's plan to expand into various consumer and industrial products—further illustrating the far-reaching possibilities for the new technology.

In addition to being far more sustainable than traditional wetsuits, the plant-based suits perform the same in terms of warmth, flexibility and durability as their petroleum and limestone-based counterparts. "We've given wetsuits to a few friends to test without telling them it's made from plants," McCaffrey says, "the only difference they notice is the smell." The Guayule-based suits naturally have a eucalyptus-like scent, a welcome change from traditional neoprene's peculiar chemical smell.

Keep an eye on Patagonia's wetsuit line as they integrate a Yulex blend into select suits this fall. Custom-made full-blend Yulex suits will be available from select flagship Patagonia surf stores in the coming months. In the meantime, enjoy today's holiday as International Surfing Day.

How Do We Treat Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is an optical or focusing problem caused when one or more parts of the eye are shaped like a football instead of a basketball. This causes a situation where TWO points of focus are created inside the eye, and sometimes neither of those points is focused right on the retina (the part of the eye that "sees"). This makes your vision blurry.

We can correct astigmatism in several different ways. Let's introduce them today. Of course, the easiest way to correct astigmatism is to wear a pair of glasses. Your prescription will not only correct for SPHERE (nearsightedness or farsightedness), but also for CYLINDER (your astigmatism). For all but the most extreme cases of astigmatism a pair of glasses might be all you need.

There are two types on contact lenes that will correct your astigmatism, both soft (toric) and hard (gas permeable). Soft Toric contact lenses from companies like Bausch & Lomb and Acuvue are much better now than in years past, giving good vision and lots of comfort. Many people still see better with glasses but strongly prefer their contacts because of the freedom they have with the contacts.

We can also treat your astigmatism with Laser Vision Corrections like LASIK where we literally put the correction right on the surface of your eye. There are also new implants called Toric IOL's that can correct astigmatism if you have cataracts. We'll talk about these two things in detail another time.

So if you live in the Cleveland area and you have ASTIGMATISM, call Skyvision Centers in Westlake so that you can see how you can See What's Next(R)!!

New Scientific Finding: Bright Light Causes Baldness!

At SkyVision Centers we are always looking for cutting edge medical advances. We are especially interested in new theories to explain the things that happen to us as we get older. One of our patients recently explained the cause of baldness to Dr. White.



"Don't shine that light inside my eyes too long Doc! Bright lights cause baldness. All that extra light has no place else to go so it just bangs around the inside of your head. Eventually it just fries your hair from the inside and your hair just falls out! Just look at me!"

Well, there you have it! And all these years we thought men inherited their baldness from their grandfathers. You just never know what you can learn when you go to the eye doctor's office!

3-D Street Art - Am I Really Seeing This?

Some amazing pictures by Russian artist Nicolaj Arndt . . . . . enjoy!

UNPUBLICIZED GENEROSITY

It has become quite trendy to knock the pharmaceutical industry.  Everyone from the President of the United States to individual patients seem to have nothing but complaints about pharmaceutical companies and things like the cost of medicine, how much executives make, and how much profit there is in the pharmaceutical industry.  However, few people realize how often pharmaceutical companies give away their medicines, especially in the undeveloped world. 

Parasites are a scourge in the developing world.  Onchocerciasis was once responsible for blinding literally hundreds of thousands of people every year.  Elephantiasis caused gross thickening of the lower extremities, especially the legs, which resulted in chronic, unstoppable pain in the victims.  Both of these diseases are caused by a parasite called microfilaria.

The giant pharmaceutical company Merck makes a medicine called Ivermectin which was developed for other reasons, but works very well against microfilaria.  The people who are affected by onchocerciasis and elephantiasis were not able to afford this medicine, and their governments were either unable or unwilling to buy it for them.  So Roy Vagelos, at the time the CEO of Merck, decided that Merck would provide the drug free to the poor people who needed it.  Today, an incredible 200 million people on our planet, roughly 3% of the world’s population, take Ivermectin for free every year!

Did you know this wonderful story?  With all of the complaints about the makers of medicine it is highly likely that you didn’t. 

This is hardly the only example of drug companies giving away expensive medicine for free to the poor undeveloped countries.  For example, the manufacturer of azithromycin provides millions of doses of this antibiotic to poor Africans who are either afflicted with or at risk for trachoma, another potentially blinding medical problem. 

We at Skyvision would like to congratulate Dr. Vagelos and other executives like him who have done, and continue to do the right thing.

Glucosamine Supplements Tied to Risk of Eye Condition

By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) — Glucosamine supplements 

that millions of Americans take to help treat hip and knee osteoarthritis 

may have an unexpected side effect: They may increase risk for

 developing glaucoma, a small new study of older adults suggests.

Glaucoma occurs when there is an increase of intraocular pressure 

(IOP) or pressure inside the eye. Left untreated, glaucoma is one 

of the leading causes of blindness.

In the new study of 17 people, whose average age was 76 years, 

11 participants had their eye pressure measured before, during and 

after taking glucosamine supplements. The other six had their eye 

pressure measured while and after they took the supplements.

Overall, pressure inside the eye was higher when participants were 

taking glucosamine, but did return to normal after they stopped taking 

these supplements, the study showed.

“This study shows a reversible effect of these changes, which is 

reassuring,” wrote researchers led by Dr. Ryan Murphy at the 

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 

Biddeford, Maine. “However, the possibility that permanent damage 

can result from prolonged use of glucosamine supplementation 

is not eliminated. Monitoring IOP in patients choosing to supplement 

with glucosamine may be indicated.”

Exactly how glucosamine supplements could affect pressure inside the

 eye is not fully understood, but several theories exist. For example, 

glucosamine is a precursor for molecules called glycosaminoglycans,

 which may elevate eye pressure.

The findings are published online May 23 as a research letter in 

JAMA Ophthalmology.

The study had some shortcomings. Researchers did not have 

information on the dose or brand of glucosamine used, and they did 

not know how long some participants were taking the supplements.

Duffy MacKay, vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs at

 the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a Washington, D.C.-based

 trade group representing supplement manufacturers, said the findings 

don’t mean that people should stop taking the supplements.

“This research letter raises questions and introduces a hypothesis 

that should be explored further, but the small number of cases

 investigated and the [fact that] researchers did not count capsules or control 

for dose or intake or duration of use of glucosamine provide extremely limited 

evidence of harm,” MacKay said.

“This study should not change consumer habits; however, individuals

 with glaucoma or ocular hypertension who are taking glucosamine 

should let their doctor know so that the appropriate monitoring of 

intraocular pressure measurements can be done to identify any 

changes,” he said.

MacKay concluded: “The good news is that increased IOP was 

reversible. So if you take the product, and your IOP goes up, then you 

can stop taking the product to see if it returns to normal.”

However, previous studies have raised questions about whether 

glucosamine supplements provide any health benefit to consumers. 

A large recent study concluded it had no healing effect on arthritic pain.

The potential relationship between glucosamine and glaucoma is new

to Dr. Scott Fudemberg, a glaucoma surgeon at Wills Eye Institute, 

in Philadelphia. “The mechanism about how people can develop 

glaucoma isn’t completely understood, so how the supplements 

may play a role isn’t completely understood either,” he said.

While the study found an association between taking glucosamine 

and increased eye pressure, it didn’t establish a cause-and-effect 

relationship.

The best thing that anyone can do to preserve their vision is to get

regular eye exams, Fudemberg advised. “Glaucoma can be treated 

with medications, lasers and/or surgery,” he said. “These findings 

pose a question about whether oral glucosamine can raise intraocular 

eye pressure, but it doesn’t provide an answer. More research is 

now needed before any conclusions can be drawn.”

Do Women Have a Better Sense of Color?

We at SkyVision Centers, the premier ophthalmology practice in Westlake, Ohio would like you to weigh in on this!

Take the quiz and then post your color number and gender on the SkyVision Facebook Page!

What is your color sense- Your Color IQ

I Have Pinkeye...Can I Wear My Makeup?

Can I wear makeup if I have Pink Eye? Do I have to throw out my old makeup? And HEY, just what IS pinkeye, anyway?

Pink Eye, or Conjunctivitis, is one of the most frequent caused of emergency visits at Skyvision Centers. Dr. White, Dr. Schlegel, and Dr. Kaye are all experts in treating all of the causes of conjunctivitis. True Pink Eye is an infection caused by either a bacteria or a virus. A majority of Pink Eye in young children is caused by bacteria, but as we get older most of it is actually from viruses. You catch viral Pink Eye like you catch a cold through coughing, sneezing, or coming in contact with tears. Bacterial Pink Eye is usually from contact with tears. Both are VERY contagious.

What to do about your makeup if you have Pink Eye? Well, there's actually not a whole lot of very good research here so our advice is good, solid, Cleveland medical common sense! Don't wear makeup until your eyes look and feel better, and YES, you should throw away your mascara and your eyeliner.

And don't forget, your cousin's or your neighbor's or your BFF's eyedrops for THEIR Pink Eye may not be right for YOU. Come see us at Skyvision for your diagnosis and treatment!

A NEW STEROID EYE DROP FORMULATION

Steroid eye drops were first introduced in eye care in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  They were truly revolutionary!  For people with chronic inflammation of any type the creation of steroid eye drops was truly a sight-saving development.

With this benefit came some side effects and complications, however.  The original steroid, prednisolone, has been shown to cause an elevation in eye pressure in as many as 30% of people who take it.  In addition, long-term use often leads to the development of cataracts.  All of the steroid eye drops to date have been suspensions; you had to shake them vigorously in order to make sure you got the right amount of steroid in your eye. 

Bausch & Lomb recently introduced a new gel formulation of the steroid Loteprednol which has been provided under the brand name Lotemax.  The physics behind this gel are truly extraordinary!  Shaking it just once permanently suspends the steroid medicine.  There is no settling of the medicine in the bottle!  The other very cool thing about this new drop is that the gel is re-liquified within one or two blinks after inserting the medicine.  Not only do you get the exact amount of steroids that is desired from a single drop, but this nearly instant liquefaction means less discomfort and less blurriness. 

Lotemax was found in its FDA trial to be effective in reducing the inflammation following cataract surgery.  In addition, Lotemax has been known to cause a much less frequent rise in pressure than other steroid eye drops.  For these reasons the doctors at Skyvision Centers are very excited to have this new steroid eye drop as an option to treat you.  

Do I Need Prescription Sunglasses?

Do you need prescription sunglasses? It depends on your prescription, of course, but it also depends in part on what you are doing while you are wearing your sunglasses. If you wear contact lenses you are set--the contacts cover your distance vision, and all you have to do is get the perfect sunglass lens for your activity. But if you wear glasses on a daily basis you might consider putting a prescription into a high-quality pair of sunglasses.

At Skyvision Centers we make it a point to carry sunwear that can be "Rx'ed". Our Maui Jim, Kaenon, Nike, and Oakley lines can all be made with your regular prescription. Even your bifocal prescription! There are some other options, too. We have the entire spectrum of Transitions lenses available, including the revolutionary "Drivewear" lens that changes color in the car! On top of all that, you can add a magnetic clip-on to many of our highest high fashion frames when it gets sunny.

Whether its' golf, biking, tennis, or just reading this summer's blockbuster on the beach, we can outfit you with a pair of high-quality, hi-def sunglasses with YOUR prescription to maximize your vision outdoors. It's just one more way that we are changing the face of vision care. Vision Redesigned!

Drivewear, Transitions Lenses That Darken in a Car!!

Dr. White keeps saying wonderful things about his "Drivewear", but what exactly is it? Well, Drivewear is one of the newest lenses to come out of the genius labs at Transitions, the company famous for making suglasses that darken outside and become clear lenses indoors. Transitions lenses are rightly celebrated for being the best and easiest to use photochromic sunglass lenses made. The only problem is that they didn't really get all that dark in a car.

Until now!!

Drivewear lenses are just killer technology. They have pretty much everything you would want in a pair of glasses for driving. First of all, they are polarized (remember our post on polarization and cutting down glare?). They utilize one of the most advanced methods for this, the "Nupolar" process. Less glare in all viewing situations.

The Transitions Photochromic technology does the rest. In dim light, in or out of a car, the lenses are a high contrast green-yellow. This minimizes glare and maximizes the amount of light information that enters the eye.

While other photochromic lenses don't change color in a car, the Drivewear lenses will darken even behind a windshield. The lenses become a copper color in the car on a sunny day. This highlights reds and greens...you know, like the ones in street lights! They reduce glare and cut down excess visible light.

Outside, especially on bright days, the Drivewear lenses become a dark reddish-brown color. This gives maximum comfort and protection from excess light, and of course blocks out 100% of harmful Ultraviolet rays.

So see what Dr. White is so excited about! Come on over to Skyvision Centers and ask us about Transitions Drivewear!

What Does 20-20 Vision Mean?

Vision is very important to us. Everyone desires 20/20 vision. Some patients say that they don't want 20/15 vision but prefer 20/20. This statement will appear hilarious when you have read and understood this article.

We all want great vision. Why? So that we can have a competitive advantage. In prehistoric times it gave us the edge to see the wild animals earlier. As society became more organized a method of comparing vision was needed. The credit for the most commonly used method goes to Snellen. Hence the chart which displays the letters or numbers bears his name. It compares a person's vision to the that of the average for the population.

20/20 means that the person whose vision is being tested is normal. If the vision is 20/40 it means that a normal person can see the object at 40 feet away whereas the patient being tested has to go much closer than this to 20 feet before he can see as well. That implies that the test subject has poorer vision. If it is 20/200 than the vision is even worse. Conversely 20/15 means that the test subject can see an object from even further than a normal person. He can see at 20 feet what a normal would see at only 15 feet. 20/10 vision is even better. Lots of professional athletes have vision that is better than 20/15!

What's YOUR vision? Come on in for a vision exam at Skyvision Centers and find out!

Low-glycemic diet seen to reverse diastolic dysfunction of diabetes

Vienna, Austria - A diet that was short on carbohydrates and long on protein, given to diabetic patients engaged in a supervised exercise and weight-loss program, appeared not only to cut proinsulin levels and postprandial glucose and triglyceride levels, it seemed to improve LV diastolic function [1].

In the study that compared the "low-carb" diet to a traditionally recommended low-fat diet, the one designed to flatten out resulting insulin and glucose curves also allowed them to take far fewer oral diabetes medications and apparently cut both systolic and diastolic pressures. The low-fat diet had no apparent effect on diastolic function or med use or on blood pressures.

Prof Helene von Bibra

On the other hand, the two diets led to about the same declines in weight and waist circumference and lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, reported Prof Helene von Bibra (Technical University Munich, Germany) here at the Prediabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome 2013 Congress.

Many patients with insulin resistance, diabetes, or both have subclinical diastolic dysfunction, with severe prognostic implications if it becomes symptomatic, von Bibra reminded heartwire. About 65% of the 32 patients in the study had abnormal diastolic function as defined echocardiographically by low early diastolic myocardial velocity. That measure in most cases nearly normalized after the low-carb diet, but not after the low-fat diet, she said.

Of 32 overweight or obese diabetic patients (mean body-mass index, 34) without cardiac disease who were engaged in a "rehabilitation program in order to lose weight" that included two hours of supervised aerobic exercise per day, half followed a low-glycemic diet (25% carbohydrate, 45% fat, 30% protein) and the other half a low-fat diet (55% carbohydrate, 25% fat, and 20% protein) for three weeks. The diets provided the same amount of calories. Those on the low-fat diet then switched to the low-glycemic diet for an additional two weeks. Cardiac function by echo and metabolic parameters were assessed daily before and after a 400-kcal breakfast.

From baseline to three weeks, patients on the low-carb diet reduced their use of conventional oral antidiabetic medication by 86%. Those on the low-fat diet reduced them by only 6% by the end of three weeks, but intake went down another 57% by the end of their two-week low-glycemic diet phase. "And still they had improvements in glucose," von Bibra said. Medications other than oral ones for diabetes, such as antihypertensive drugs, were not changed in anyone during the study.

Laboratory and echo changes in overweight/obese diabetic patients assigned to low-glycemic (n=16) and low-fat (n=16) diets

Initial assigned diet	Baseline	3 wk	2 wk after crossover to low-carb	p
Low-glycemic
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	150	111	—	<0 .005="" br="">
Postprandial glucose (mg/dL)	141	125	—	<0 .04="" br="">
E' (cm/s)	9.5	10.4	—	<0 .03="" br="">
Low-fat
Triglycerides (mg/dL)	208	194	138	<0 .003="" 3="" baseline="" br="" vs="" wk="">
Postprandial glucose (mg/dL)	168	137	127	<0 .008="" baseline="" br="" vs="">
E' (cm/s)	10.8	10.7	11.4	<0 .02="" 3="" br="" vs="" wk="">

E'=early diastolic myocardial velocity by tissue-Doppler echocardiography

The gains in diastolic function probably were not independently related to the associated blood-pressure reductions; rather, she proposed, they reflected improvements in myocardial energy utilization on the low-glycemic diet. Insulin resistance can lead to diastolic dysfunction via several pathways, she noted, but the most prominent seems to be myocardial energy deficiency secondary to microvascular dysregulation and mitochondrial imbalances of glucose vs fat oxidation.

APRIL 22, 2013 Steve Stiles

Know the Dry Eye Facts

You’ve been staring at your computer and sifting through paperwork for hours. Your eyes begin to feel gritty, sore and tired. You could be among the 30 million Americans that suffer from dry eye disease, and not even know it. Since dry eye symptoms can mimic many other syndromes, sufferers frequently go undiagnosed and often don’t realize what they are afflicted with. Additionally, many people confuse dry eye symptoms with seasonal allergies or the common cold. It is imperative to know the facts; and we have made it easy for you with our dry eye fact sheet.

So, why is being aware of dry eye disease important, you ask? Well, if dry eye is left untreated or undetected, it can be much more than just a bothersome and uncomfortable condition. Untreated, excessive dry eye disease can damage the eye’s delicate tissues and disrupt the cornea, which can ultimately lead to vision impairment or even loss. Permanent scarring on the ocular surface and frequent eye infections can also be a result of undetected dry eye disease. Do not take eye hydration for granted!

In every practice, there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of patients who suffer from some form of ocular dryness. In fact, dry eye disease is the number one reason for eye doctor visits. And while we can’t change the fact that we have dry eye disease, we can limit the environmental factors that aggravate symptoms. Being aware of potential dry eye triggers and becoming familiar with recognizing the symptoms can be exceedingly beneficial.

With so much to know, and so little time to read literature on the topic, how can one be more knowledgeable regarding the proper protocol to detect, ease and avoid dry eye symptoms? Further, who are the unlucky individuals more likely to be plagued with dry eye disease? Know the answers to these questions and the most common do’s and do not’s of dry eye disease to lessen your risk before the problem progresses. Proactively reduce your chances of developing or worsening dry eye symptoms by printing or sharing this child-friendly, educational dry eye fact sheet! Know the basics, your eyes will thank you!

Always see an Accredited Dry Eye doctor for a regular eye examination, or if you think you may have dry eye disease.

September 6, 2012 by All About Dry Eye 

Using Eye Makeup

Follow these tips to keep your eyes healthy as well as beautiful:

• Throw away eye makeup after three months. Infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid eye makeup. If you develop an eye infection, immediately toss all of your eye makeup.
• Never share eye makeup, and when sampling makeup in stores use only fresh applicators and samples that have not been contaminated by multiple users. (The safest choice is to avoid store samples altogether.)
• If you tend to be allergic, introduce only one new eye makeup or care product at a time. If there is no reaction, add another new product, and so on. If you notice an allergic reaction, find out what the ingredients are and let your doctor know. Avoid products that contain untested or harmful chemicals.
• Before applying makeup, be sure your face and eyelids are very clean. Always apply makeup outside the lash line, away from the eye, to avoid blocking the oil glands of the upper or lower eyelid. These glands secrete oil that protects the eye’s surface. Never apply makeup while in a moving vehicle.
• Do not separate your mascara-clumped lashes with sharp items.
• If you tend to have dry eyes, avoid metallic/glitter, powder or other makeup that flakes. Flakes can get into the tear film and increase your eyes’ irritation. Glitter eye makeup is a common cause of corneal irritation or infection, especially in contact lens users.
• Remove all eye makeup at night before sleeping, especially mascara that can stick to the lashes. Brush a clean cotton swab along the base of the eyelashes to remove all makeup remnants. If you use eye makeup remover, avoid getting it in your eyes and thoroughly rinse remover off your eyelids.

If you have eye surgery, do not wear makeup around the eye until your ophthalmologist tells you it is safe to do so, and then use only fresh, new makeup.

Eye Tips for Teenagers

Exercise

Our eyes need good blood circulation and oxygen intake, and both are stimulated by regular exercise. Regular exercise also helps keep our weight in the normal range, which reduces the risk of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Remember to use sun safety and protective eye wear when enjoying sports and recreation.

No Smoking

Avoiding smoking, or quitting, is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health. Even though old age seems a long way off, smoking as a teenager can increase your risks for cataracts as well as for cardiovascular diseases that indirectly influence our eyes’ health. Smoking increases the risk of severe vision loss people with other eye diseases as well. 

Decorative Contact Lenses

Decorative contact lenses, including circle lenses, are a potentially dangerous trend among teenagers and young adults. These cosmetic lenses are designed to change the appearance or color of the eye. These decorative lenses can be bought in stores and online without a prescription.

Buying any decorative contact lenses, including circle lenses, without a prescription is hazardous to your eye health. Pain and swelling are frequently caused by improperly fitted, over-the-counter lenses. More serious problems can include corneal abrasions and blinding contact lens-related infections. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription, proper fitting by an eye care professional and a commitment to proper contact lens care by the wearer.

Info - courtesy of EyeSmart