Blogging has turned out to be a lot more successful than I anticipated. Thanks to my viewers and followers for your time and support!
While I have your attention... I hear from many patients who complain of Dry EYES and allergy related irritation. There is a drop called ZADITOR which was previously RX only but is now over the counter. This drop is used to treat allergy related irritation and is safe for contact lens wearers. So run out and go get it..
Also, for those who have chronic red eyes, increase the use of artificial tears as needed and TURN DOWN/OFF THE CEILING FAN WHILE YOU SLEEP!!! AND finally Stay away from drops that "GET THE RED OUT" you know who you are..."WOW......" Those get the red out but are more harmful than not with frequent use due to their Vaso-constricting abilities which are not beneficial for long term use for your eyes. A preservative free artificial tear is one that can make your eyes feel great and keep your eyes lubricated!
ADVICE + EYES = "ADVEYES" AN informational blog about ANY and everything pertaining to Ocular Health. My name is Ronnie Nelson and I Have been an Ophthalmic Technician since 2007. This Blog was created to share experiences from my perspective as a tech, quotes, stories of dramatic scenarios that I survive at work, Information about LASIK/ CONTACT LENSES/CATARACTS/GLAUCOMA, as well as messages/memos from actual Ophthalmologist.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
NarroW ANGLES
Recently I’ve encountered an increased amount of both new
and existing patients who have a condition known as “Narrow Angle’s”. This
diagnosis is a form of Glaucoma, which is related to the increased intraocular
pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma is a hereditary disease mostly commonly found in eyes with darker pigmented iris colors. There are
available treatments for Glaucoma, the most common being daily drops “gtts” that
patients can use once or twice a day. Drop treatment allows fluid inside of the
eye (aqueous humor) to flow more freely from the front of the eye to the back
without obstructions that can and cause the pressure to increase inside of the
eye. Other treatments include the use of lasers to open new pathways in the
iris to allow better flow.
If gone untreated, increased pressure can damage a
person’s optic nerve. The optic nerve interprets visual images and relays them
to our brain, increase IOP has the potential to decrease peripheral vision over
time and can ultimately lead to tunnel vision only. Special testing (including
but not limited to) Humphrey Visual field, HRT scans of the optic nerve and OCT
scans can be done periodically by an Ophthalmologist to track the health of the
optic nerve and detect even the slightest decrease in peripheral vision.
Patients who are hyperopic are commonly labeled as “farsighted” due to the
curvature of the cornea and how light is refracted (bent) by the cornea of a hyperopic
eye the image is projected behind the retina. This overshot of light is the
reason why distant images are clearer than near images. Due to the anatomy of
the eyes, a hyperopic person is at more a risk to have Narrow Angles... in conjunction
with developed cataracts which have the potential to crowding the inside of the eye and induce narrow
angles.
Okay so we’ve gone through a very basic explanation of
glaucoma, hyperopia and how cataracts can have an effect, and how they can all
be related, but what’s so bad about Narrow Angles?
Acute Narrow Angle Closure!!!
When those already narrow angles close and deny the flow
of intraocular fluid, the pressure
builds, and builds and builds and causes an increase amount of pressure on the
optic nerve which can cause redness, nausea/vomiting , and potential vision
loss.. Yes.. Vision loss.
Hopefully this post has been informative. If you have
specific questions please feel free to comment below or contact your
Ophthalmologist.
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