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Patient
Care |
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Your Eye |
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What You Should Know... |
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Amblyopia |
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This is
also known as "Lazy eye"
as the eye is not able to see properly
and remains "lazy".
The common causes are the presence of a
squint or
mal-alignment of
the eye or the need for glasses. The latter may
include farsighted, nearsighted problem and
astigmatism. Often the only way to detect amblyopia
is having the child's eyes tested by an
Ophthalmologist. |
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The importance of detecting amblyopia early is that
treatment is possible and produces good results up
to an age of 8 or 9. Treatment usually is done by
fitting the correct glasses and forcing the lazy eye
to work or by simple patching of the child's good
eye. Hence it is recommended that parents ensure all
their children have their eyes tested as early as
possible but definitely before age 5 to detect this
condition. |
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Astigmatism |
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In this
refractive error, a set of rays is focused on the retina and
one behind or in front of the retina, which in turn produces
a blurred vision. This is due to abnormal curvature of
cornea or lens that can be corrected by:
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Glasses
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Contact lenses
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Lasik
Laser
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Blepharitis |
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This is
a common condition that causes inflammation of the
eyelid margins. In most cases it tends to have a
recurrent course making it often difficult to
manage. |
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Anterior blepharitis affects the outer
portion of the eyelid margin, where the eyelashes
are attached. The two most common causes of anterior
blepharitis are bacteria and scalp dandruff. |
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Posterior blepharitis
affects the inner portion of the eyelid margin (the moist
part that makes contact with the eye) and is caused by
problems with the oil (meibomian) glands in this part of the
eyelid. |
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Two skin
disorders can cause this form of
blepharitis: acne rosacea, which leads to
red and inflamed skin, and
scalp dandruff
(seborrheic dermatitis).
Symptoms of either form of blepharitis include a foreign
body or burning sensation, excessive tearing, itching,
sensitivity to light (photophobia), red and swollen eyelids,
redness of the eye, blurred vision, frothy tears, dry eye,
or crusting of the eyelashes on awakening. |
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Complications from blepharitis
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Stye: A red
tender bump on the eyelid that is caused by an acute
infection of the oil glands of the eyelid. |
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Cataract |
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The lens is the
part of the eye that helps focus light on the retina. The
retina is the eye's light-sensitive layer that sends visual
signals to the brain. In a normal eye, light passes through
the lens and gets focused on the retina. To help produce a
sharp image, the lens must remain clear. |
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Cataract is defined as
opacification or
clouding of the natural
clear lens that results in visual problems. The lens is made
mostly of water and protein. The protein is arranged to let
light pass through and focus on the retina. Sometimes some
of the protein clumps together. This can start clouding
small areas of the lens, blocking some light from reaching
the retina and interfering with the vision. |
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In the
early stages, cataract may not cause a problem. The
cloudiness may affect only a small part of the lens.
However, after some time, the cataract grows larger
and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.
Because less light reaches the retina, the vision
may become dull and blurry. Though the cataract does
not spread from one eye to the other, many people
develop cataract in both the eyes. The most common
type is related to aging. Other causes include
diabetes, inflammation and trauma. |
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Some
children are born with cataract or develop them in
childhood, often in both eyes. These cataracts may
not affect vision. and If they do, the cataract may
be removed. |
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What are the symptoms of cataract? |
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The most common
symptoms of a cataract are:
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Cloudy or blurry vision.
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Glare from lamps, headlights or very bright sunlight; or
a halo around lights.
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Colors seem faded.
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Poor night vision.
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Double or multiple vision
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Frequent changes in the power of your eyeglasses.
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Corneal Dystrophy |
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Alternations in the clarity and shape of the cornea
can result in decreased comfort and vision for the
patient. A group of diseases termed corneal
dystrophies can cause such problems. These diseases
are inherited due to diseased genes of the parents.
Often similar problems will be found among other
family members too. |
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In these
conditions, abnormal deposits are formed in the
corneal layers. These usually start in the second
decade of life and can be of varying severity, but
often affect both eyes in a symmetrical manner.
These are usually progressive and can impair visual
function. These deposits cause an irregular corneal
surface, which can produce frequent episodes of
pain, redness, tearing and light sensitivity in
patients. In other conditions such as
keratoconous,
although the cornea is clear, it becomes quite thin
and may begin to protrude forwards resulting in a
conical shape of the cornea. |
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Although there
is no medical treatment for such conditions, in the early
stages of the disease, artificial tears may provide
symptomatic relief to the patient. As the disease
progresses, with increasing visual deficit, contact lenses
may sometimes help in improving visual acuity, especially in
keratoconous. In the
other central dystrophies, replacing the diseased cornea
tissue with donor corneal tissue can restore vision, a
procedure termed as corneal transplantation. |
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Squint |
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This is a
condition when there is a
misalignment of the eye. This could be prevalent
at birth or may occur later in life, even as adults. Some of
these children may also develop poor vision in one eye
because of the squint. Adults with recent onset of squint
often have double vision. Some types of squint may also be
secondary to diseases of the brain and nerves. Most types of
squint are correctable by surgery. Some are treated with
glasses and exercise. Hence any child with a squint or adult
with a sudden onset of squint or double vision needs to have
their eyes checked by an ophthalmologist as soon as
possible. |
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