Childhood Eye Diseases

Refractive error

Reduced
visual acuity can occur at any age. However, with increasing addiction
to television and game-boys, it often strikes earlier and lots of
children currently seem to suffer from myopia (short-sightedness) or
hypermetropia (long-sightedness). 

Treatment

Prescription
glasses offer an easy solution to the problem. However, parents must
ensure that their kids actually use those glasses (despite being
referred to in school as 'double battery, zero power!'). Regular eye
examinations are a must. 

Amblyopia

A
condition that usually occurs at birth, Amblyopia is popularly referred
to as Lazy Eye. It's a condition where one eye is normal while the
other has a refractive error (or is just plain lazy!). The condition
may offer no symptoms but in some cases the child may have a deviation
of one eye or a squint. 

Treatment

While
the condition cannot be cured, its progress can be arrested by the use
of occlusion glasses that force the lazy eye into action. Treatment
also includes contact lenses, prescription glasses and eye exercises.

Dry Eyes Syndrome

Tears
actually serve a purpose, apart from emotional blackmail! Tears bathe
the eyes and wash away dust particles and thereby protect from
infections.

In Dry Eye Syndrome, there is decreased production
of fluids from the tear glands. A chemical imbalance in the substances
that make up the tear film also leads to dry eyes. Adults aged 40 or
older are most likely to experience dry eyes. The symptoms include
irritation and discomfort, scratching and burning sensation in the eyes
as well as blurred vision. 

Treatment

While
dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition, the accompanying symptoms can
be managed with the help of artificial tears created by using eye-drops.

Glaucoma

The
silent thief, as it is rightly referred to, this condition stealthily
creeps up on you and slyly robs you of your vision. Scientifically
speaking, glaucoma is the result of damage to the optic nerve
accompanied by abnormally high pressure inside the eyeball. The only
symptom that Glaucoma sometimes offers is blind spots in your side
(peripheral) vision.

Treatment

Fortunately,
medical advances have made it easier to diagnose and treat glaucoma.
Treatment options range from eye-drops to surgery in extreme cases. If
detected and treated early, glaucoma need not cause even moderate
vision loss.

Eye Injury

Mumbaikars
will recognise this immediately. Eye injury is common in the weeks
leading up to Holi, thanks to errant revellers hurling balloons at
commuters in a local train. The eye is one of the most delicate organs
of the body and can be injured all too easily.

Eye trauma can
result from cuts, scratches, penetration, debris, light, chemicals, and
blunt forces. Untreated trauma may cause further injury and lead to
loss of vision. It is vital to receive immediate medical treatment for
the ailment. Depending on the cause, eye trauma can cause a variety of
symptoms such as pain, redness, bleeding, eyelid swelling, sensitivity
to light, headaches, loss of vision, etc.

First Aid and Treatment

In
case of burns from explosions, flames and other hot objects, do not try
to remove the debris from the eyes. In case of chemical burns, however,
immediately flush the eye with water. If you've suffered trauma from
blunt objects do not apply ice over the eyes. Remember, that all but
the most trivial eye trauma needs immediate first aid and emergency
medical treatment.

Cataract

If
you're an older adult and your world appears hazy, it's time to get
checked for a cataract, which is one of the most oft heard of eye
diseases in the elderly. It occurs when the lens of the eye becomes
cloudy so that it can no longer focus the real-world images.

Cataract Surgery Procedure

The
only way to remove a cataract is to surgically remove the cloudy lens
itself. An outpatient procedure, cataract removal is a painless surgery
that requires only a small incision through which the lens is removed
and absolutely no stitches are required. In 95 per cent of the cases an
artificial lens is implanted into the eye during surgery which improves
vision, without having to rely on glasses.

 Are you suffering from computer vision syndrome? 

Our
eyes react differently to characters on the screen than they do to
printed matter. We generally don't have a problem focusing on most
printed material as it consists of dense black characters with
well-defined edges. Such contrast is lacking in computer generated
characters and makes focussing rather difficult on the eyes. To
compensate for this, our eyes strain to maintain focus and
involuntarily shift into a mode known as RPA or Resting Point of
Accommodation. This phenomenon is called the Computer Vision Syndrome
or CVS.

The best way to combat CVS would be to limit time spent
on the computer. While that's not a viable option for many, here are
some tips to help you beat CVS.

• Ensure proper lighting such as slightly dim lighting for computer work and no 
glare whatsoever.

• Visit an ophthalmologist who can prescribe you computer vision glasses.

•
Every 30 minutes take your eyes off the screen and look at something
really far away like at a tree out the window in order to relax your
strained optical muscles. 
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