Eye Conditions That Trigger Blurry Vision and Migraines

An American Migraine Study conducted in 1999 says that in the U.S., 38 million people are living with migraines, out of which 44% people suffer from migraines due to vision changes and blurred vision.

It’s normal for our vision to deteriorate as we age. However, not many people realize that their eyesight may have gone from bad to worse with age.

When we have trouble seeing, we may either squint or hold things too far or too close to them. While doing so, we may weaken our eye muscles and nerves without the slightest inkling that we may be having a bad eyesight.

The result can be blurry vision and migraine. Read on to understand what cause migraines that are vision related.

Migraine Triggers: Eye Conditions That Are Responsible for Blurred Vision and Migraines

 

• Strain on your eyes

 

 

 

1. Improper focusing or improper alignment of the eyes causes eye strain. Eye conditions such as farsighted, nearsighted or

astigmatism

1. cause vision changes that are responsible for eye strain.

Migraine due to eye strain starts after using your eyes for a long time to do a variety of tasks. Activities such as reading, looking at the computer for long periods (computer vision syndrome) and sewing can trigger a migraine.

If you indulge in activities that require you to use your eyes for long periods of time, make sure you get prescription glasses. The eye strain will reduce and also your migraine.

 

1. 1. Inflammation of your eyes

Eye inflammation may cause blurry vision and migraine. Other symptoms of eye inflammation may include as follows:

1. 1. • Swelling and redness of the eyes and eyelids
      • Eye pain when you move your eyes
      • Extreme sensitivity to light

It is important to visit an ophthalmologist to examine your inflamed eyes. The eye doctor may use the slit lamp method to see if there is evidence of tumor inside or behind the eye.

If a tumor is present behind the eye, it is usually accompanied with a lot of eye pain as it will cause the eyes to bulge out. A tumor in the eye can also cause loss of vision or defect in the peripheral vision.

 

1. 1. Glaucoma attack

Most people suffer from open angle glaucoma, which is usually painless. However, an angle closure glaucoma can be painful.

An acute attack of angle closure glaucoma can result in eye pain, blurry vision and migraine, and bulging red eye. However, a mild attack may just cause pain in and around the eye.

A glaucoma migraine may be instigated when there is intense pressure on the eye. For example, when a person moves from darkness to light (leaves a movie theatre). Glaucoma migraine attack needs urgent attention because it is crucial to get the eye pressure back to normal.

 

1. 1. Optic nerve conditions

The optic nerves are part of our brain. If the pressure in the brain is high, the optic nerves become swollen. If there is a tumor present in the brain, it puts pressure on the optic nerves making them swell or produce double vision.

However, a disorder called Pseudotumor cerebri (also called idiopathic intracranial hypertension) produces high pressure in the brain with no tumor. This disorder usually affects the young and overweight women. The symptoms may include the following:

1. 1. • Temporary visual loss, lasting for a few seconds
      • Blurry vision and migraine concentrated in or behind the eyes
      • Double vision
      • Whooshing sound in the ears

Optic nerve swellings have to examined by the ophthalmologist, who may use an ophthalmoscope to diagnose the condition.

 

1. 1. Temporal arteritis

This blurry vision and headache causing disorder typically occurs in people above 65 years. If it is left untreated, it can cause permanent blindness.

In this condition, there is inflammation of the blood vessels that block the blood flow. The onset of this disorder can be painless, sudden and dramatic. Some of the symptoms of temporal arteritis are as follows:

1. 1. • Blurry vision and migraine
      • Tenderness of the scalp
      • Weakness and pain while chewing
      • Fever
      • Weight loss
      • Loss of appetite
      • Joint and muscle soreness
      • Night sweats
      • Depression

Temporal arteritis can occur in one eye but if left untreated can rapidly progress to the other eye as well.

If you have blurry vision and migraine, you need to see an eye doctor to rule out serious possibilities. A careful evaluation of your symptoms and a comprehensive eye exam will reveal the reason behind your blurry vision and headache.

If you experience blurry vision and migraine, don’t take chances. Visit an ophthalmologist in Fresno, CA today. Make an appointment with Insight Vision Center now!

Common Causes of Blurred Vision and Eye Irritation Due to Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are safe and convenient, but they bring along quite a few minor annoyances. If you have been wearing contact lenses for long, you may have experienced these little common annoyances at some point in life, which may include eye irritation, itchy eyes, dry eyes, blurry vision, and the constant feeling that something is stuck in your eye.

These eye symptoms may be annoying and frustrating, but they shouldn’t panic you. There are many causes of blurred vision and contact lens irritation, but they aren’t all serious and can be easily taken care of. Read on to know about the possible causes of blurred vision and contact lens discomfort:

Common Causes of Blurred Vision and Eye Irritation Due to Contact Lenses

1. Poor Contact Lens Hygiene
Poor contact lens hygiene increases the risk of contracting eye infections. Unhealthy care techniques that can lead to eye pain and blurred vision are as follows:

• Not cleaning the contact lens properly.
• Letting the contact lens dry out.
• Not washing your hands before placing them into your eyes.
• Sharing your contact lens with others.

2. Faulty Fit
Your eye doctor takes measurements of your eye size and shape to ensure that your contact lens fits you perfectly. However, measurements can go a bit off sometimes.
Improper fit of the eye lens may be the reason for your redness, fluctuations in vision, and itchiness.
If you have these eye symptoms, get your measurement rechecked to ensure that the fit is proper. If left untreated, improper fitting of the lens can cause serious damage to the cornea leading to vision loss.

3. Wearing the Lens for Too Long
If you wear the contact lens for longer than their recommended time period, you may suffer from blurred vision and eye irritation.

If you want to keep the contact lens on for a longer time than recommended, it is advisable to switch over to an extended wear contact lens.

Also, wearing your contact lenses past their expiration date can cause bacterial infections in your eye. So, get in the habit of replacing your contact lenses as often as recommended by your eye doctor.

4. Susceptibility to Environmental Allergens
Pollutants in the air like dust, dander, and pollen may stick to the surface of the contact lens and affect your eyes to cause blurred vision, eye irritation, eye pain, redness, and dryness.
You have to clean your contact lens frequently to remove the buildup. If cleaning the lens doesn’t help, consider switching to daily disposable contact lenses.

5. Bacterial Infections on Contact Lenses
Microorganisms present in your contact lenses solution or on your contact lenses can cause eye infections, which if left untreated can damage your eyes.

Therefore, if you think your cause of blurry vision, eye pain and irritation is due to an eye infection, it is important to see an eye doctor as soon as possible. Through an eye exam, your eye doctor will diagnose the infection and treat it accordingly.

6. Accumulation of Debris
Protein and debris deposits can buildup on your contact lenses making them cloudy and dirty. This buildup causes blurred vision. Cleaning your contact lenses is crucial. If blurriness and itchy eyes are due to debris and protein buildup, follow these steps:

• If your contact lenses are in its wear period, first wash your hands, then gently rub your contact lenses with the solution. Then, store them in a fresh solution overnight.
• If you have been wearing the contact lenses past its expiration date, it’s high time you dispose them of, and buy a new set.

7. Dryness of the Eyes and the Contact Lenses
Dryness of your eyes and also of your contact lenses can cause blurred vision and eye irritation. Try these tips, if your eyes or contact lenses feel dry:

• Intentionally blink your eyes a few times.
• Apply rewetting drops or remove and rinse your lenses.
• If you experience dryness often, talk about it to your eye doctor. You may be prescribed contact lenses that are specially designed for chronic dry eyes.

8. Using Non-Hypoallergenic Makeup
Makeup can cause blurred vision and eye irritation. Here’s how you can avoid makeup causing harm to your eyes:

• Choose makeup that is hypoallergenic.
• Ensure that you wear your contact lens before you apply makeup.
• Use cream based makeup instead of powder makeup.
• Discard your eye makeup every 3 months.

Tips to maintain good eye health when using contact lens

• Take off your contact lenses whenever possible to give your eyes a break.
• Buy a new set of contact lenses when your eye doctor recommends it.
• Don’t try to wear the lens longer than prescribed.
• Follow proper care procedures and maintain good hygiene when you clean your lens.
• If you notice symptoms that are unusual, contact your eye doctor immediately.
• See your ophthalmologist at least once a year for a comprehensive eye exam.

Are your contact lenses the reason behind your blurry vision? Are they responsible for your itchy eyes? Request an appointment with Insight Vision Center, and your ophthalmologist in Fresno, CA will be able to help you. Call now!

What is Presbyopia and the Importance of Eye Vitamins

What Is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a common eye condition that many people experience after the age of 40. It is a refractive eye condition, which is normal for an individual to have.

When an object is located far away from an observer, light rays from an object pass through the cornea. The pupil and the lens focus with clarity on the retina. This results in a focused image on the retina.

In a patient with presbyopia, the lens lacks the flexibility to refocus the image on the retina. This causes the image to focus further and further behind the retina as the objects move closer to the observer. Individuals experience blurred vision and eye strain when they look at an object up close.

In a younger patient, the lens is very flexible, and it changes shape. This is known as accommodation. This process refocuses the image with clarity back onto the retina. This is a smooth process that is undetectable by a young observer. On the other hand, older individuals need help to refocus images up close, which is accomplished by using bifocals or reading glasses.

Symptoms of Presbyopia

● Not seeing so well in the dark
● Unable to read small print clearly
● Squinting
● Feeling tired after doing some work
● Eye strain or headaches after some physical activity
● Holding reading material at arm’s length

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR PRESBYOPIA

LASIK
Although presbyopia cannot be treated by LASIK, its variations allow you to be less dependent on your glasses or bifocals. Here, the dominant eye is corrected for distance vision, while the less-dominant eye remains untreated. The reason being, a mildly nearsighted eye does not require glasses all the time. This treatment is popular across patients as a surgical correction for presbyopia.

PRK
PRK is also known as photorefractive keratectomy, and it’s an excellent option for patients who have a thin cornea. This treatment does not require epithelial tissue as opposed to other treatments.

Corneal Inlays
As opposed to LASIK and PRK, corneal inlays add tissue in the eyes instead of removing it. In this procedure, an implant is placed in the weaker eye. This is another form of monovision treatment that allows the dominant eye to preserve its distance vision.

RLE
A refractive lens exchange is a popular treatment option for patients with presbyopia. To improve your vision, the lens present in your eye is replaced with the help of IOL. This lens replacement procedure has been a treatment option for cataract patients or patients with a cloudy lens. The natural clouded lens is replaced with an artificial clear one.

Acupuncture
This technique activates the eye muscles to promote better focusing.

Homeopathy
Homeopathic practices improve your vision significantly.

Qigong
Qigong is a Chinese herbal medicine to correct presbyopia.

Natural Treatment for Presbyopia

While surgical treatments significantly improve your vision, you also need to adopt natural treatments to ensure your eyes remain healthy:

1. 1. Eye Exercises

Eye exercises are easy to perform no matter where you are. And before you grab your morning coffee, make it a habit to perform a quick eye exercise every day. Perhaps even in the mid-afternoon when you experience an eye strain.

1. 1. Drink Green Tea

Drinking green tea daily will fight diabetes and heart disease to protect the lens and retina from being damaged.

1. 1. Keep Blood Glucose in Check

If you have high blood sugar, you have a higher chance of acquiring cataracts. You may damage your arteries and blood vessels, and that can lead to diabetic retinopathy.

1. 1. Vitamins

The importance of eye vitamins for people with presbyopia cannot be understated, and a wide range of vitamins can help you with your vision problems:

1. 1. • Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential supplement for good vision. Vitamin A has antioxidants that prevent conditions such as vision loss, hypermetropia, night blindness, cataracts, and glaucoma. Additionally, it treats common bacterial infections such as conjunctivitis.

1. 1. • Vitamin B

The absence of Vitamin B in your diet can result in weaker eye muscles, especially in cases of Vitamin B1 deficiency.

1. 1. • Zinc

The presence of zinc in your body helps Vitamin A perform better.

1. 1. • Bioflavonoids

They have antioxidant properties to promote better eyesight.

While these tips are essential to give your vision a much-needed boost, make sure you change up your day-to-day activities a little.

A Couple of More Notes…

Make sure you take regular breaks from work. If you’re getting up from your desk to make yourself a cup of green tea, don’t go back to your desk with it immediately. Move around a little and walk down your office corridor or take a stroll down the neighborhood. This way, you’re giving your eyes enough time to rest before you get back to work.

To keep your eye health in check, make sure you visit an eye specialist who would give you insights on your condition. Each case is individual and unique, so make sure you consult with your doctor.

If you are looking for an experienced Ophthalmologist in Fresno, CA, visit InSight Vision today for a comprehensive eye check-up.

Dry Eyes in Winter: 6 Ways To Prevent Them

It comes as no surprise that the winter season transforms the outside world. It also makes us switch up our daily routines to prepare for the necessary changes that winter brings in.

However, when the chilling effects of the colder months are in full swing, your wardrobe is not the only change you need to make to prepare for the winters. Winters affect our bodies and health too. You need to be prepared for this change too.

From chapped lips, runny nose to frozen fingers, there is no escape to the inconvenience that you may experience in your day-to-day life. However, if there is one part of your body that receives the worst of the winter weather, it is your eyes.

The exposure to harsh winter winds can delay the production of fluids required to support the protective, liquid coating that our eyes require to stay hydrated. Result: Itchy eyes and dry eyes.

Your eyes may burn, you may suffer from blurry vision or even watery eyes to compensate for the dryness. While it may be difficult to resolve dry eyes completely, here are 6 tips to improve your eye health.

Tips to Prevent Dry Eyes in Winter time

1. 1. Keep your sunglasses on

If you are prone to dry eyes in winter, a great way to protect your eyes from winter dryness is to keep your sunglasses on. Keep them with you wherever you go.

2. 2. Keep your eyes moisturized

Winter dryness makes your eyes feel uncomfortable and dry. Many patients resort to over-the-counter eye drops for instant relief, but with a lot of products to choose from, you might damage your eyes even more.

To help your tear film work effectively, it is important to visit an ophthalmologist who can recommend the right eye drops best suited to your eye condition.

3. 3. Keep yourself hydrated

Keeping yourself hydrated is important to maintain healthy eyes. While coffee and tea are beverages that keep you going through the cold winter day, consuming too much caffeine may be dangerous.

Switch your habits up a little and consume healthy fluids such as green tea, earl grey tea, and lemon water that will prevent your body from dehydration. Along with being caffeine-free, these fluids will encourage you to consume more water.

4. 4. Soothe your eyes with a warm washcloth

Patients with dry eyes commonly experience tear secretion. Apply a warm washcloth on both your eyes to restore the right amount of moisture in your eyes. This also soothes irritated, itchy and swollen eyes.

Regular use of a warm washcloth will ease away the symptoms of dry eyes to significantly improve your vision.

5. 5. Follow a nutrition-rich diet

While we take care of our eyes externally, it is also important to keep yourself healthy from within. Consuming a nutrition-rich diet will protect your eyes from eye conditions like dry eyes and macular degeneration.

 Foods you should eat:

Omega-3 rich foods

5. 5. • Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds
      • Flour, pasta, oatmeal
      • Kale, parsley, spinach
      • Salmon, tuna, trout, halibut
      • Palm oil, Soyabean oil

Potassium

5. 5. • Yogurt
      • Bananas
      • Soybeans
      • Sweet potatoes & potatoes

Quick fix for Dry Eyes

5. • Carrot & beet salad
   • Turmeric almond milk
   • Flourless banana pecan pancakes
   • Chicken chopped salad

6. 6. Take a break from screens

While it is inevitable to completely stay away from your computer screen, it is ideal to take breaks every hour to prevent dry eye syndrome.

Make sure you completely stay away from digital devices while taking a break. To start off, look outside the window and locate green objects. This will soothe your eyes.

If you are looking for experienced ophthalmologists in Fresno, visit Insight Vision to effectively treat your dry eyes.

All You Need to Know About Eye Problems Associated with Eye Makeup

“A woman without paint is like food without salt.”
– PlatusFor centuries, cosmetics have played a crucial role in beautifying women. One of the features that women love to enhance is their eyes. In ancient times, Egyptian women applied dark green color to their under the lid and soot or antimony to darken their lashes and upper eyelids. Times have changed and so are the makeup trends.

Although modern women still use cosmetics to enhance their eyes, the styles and colors have changed. If used correctly eye makeup can maintain your eye health and make your eyes sparkle, but if used incorrectly, it can ruin your eye health and make your eyes susceptible to eye infections.

Eye Health: Eye Problems Associated with Eye Makeup

The eye health problems that arise due to eye makeup:

1. Scratched Cornea: You can accidentally damage your cornea while applying mascara or eyeliner. The damage can seriously infect the eye. Learn more about scratched cornea here.
2. Conjunctivitis: If the product is expired or not properly concealed, there are high chances of bacterial growth, thereby contaminating the product. When this product is applied, an eye infection can occur.
3. Allergic Reactions: Some chemicals or ingredients present in the product can cause an allergic reaction in you. The allergic reaction can manifest in the form of irritation, redness, swelling, or infection.

10 Ways To Avoid Eye Makeup Related Eye Problems

1. Never share. You wouldn’t want another person’s bacteria to get into your eyes. Your eye makeup is just yours to use.
2. Avoid applying eyeliner on the inside of the lash line.
3. Always use a sharpened eyeliner pencil to be precise in your application.
4. Avoid expired product. It is easy for bacteria and fungi to grow on creamy or liquid eye makeup after the product has reached its expiry. If your eye makeup is changing color and texture or smelling weird, then it’s time to toss them away. Each eye makeup product you use has an expiry date.

   When should you toss your eye makeup

   Eye Makeup	Expiry
   Mascara	3-6 months
   Brow Pencil	2 years
   Cream Eyeshadow	6-8 months
   Liquid/Gel Eyeliner	3-4 months
   Kohl	6 months

5. Replace all your eye makeup products after an eye infection in order to avoid bacteria from spreading.
6. Refrain from applying eye makeup while driving or in a moving vehicle. You wouldn’t want to cause eye injuries with a wrong stroke of an applicator.
7. Remove eye makeup before you go to bed because even a tiny speck of eyeliner, eyeshadow, or mascara left in or around your eye can be the cause of an eye infection.
8. If you tend to have a lot of skin allergies, it is a good idea to introduce new makeup products one at a time. So, if an allergy occurs, you can pinpoint the product. Avoid using products that contain harmful chemicals or ingredients that have not been tested yet.
9. If you have had an eye surgery, it is best not to wear any makeup. Consult your ophthalmologist in Fresno, CA before using makeup on your eyes. If it’s safe to use, discard the old makeup and wear only fresh new makeup.

7 Eye Safety Tips for Protection against Home Hazards

Every year, almost 50% of the estimated 2.5 million eye injuries occur at home, with the most common sites being the garage or the yard.

Source:  American Academy of Ophthalmology

Most people wear safety glasses at work and when playing sports but the same people won’t think about eye safety at home when cooking, cleaning the yard, or doing work in the garage. All too often, when people are doing household chores, they tend to forget about the risks they take by not wearing protective eyewear. A split-second is all it takes to impair your vision for life so reduce the risk of potential eye injuries at home by following these:

7 Eye Safety Tips During Daily Tasks in and Around Your Home

1. Wear Safety Goggles to Protect Your Eyes When Working Outdoors

Almost 90% of all eye injuries can be avoided by wearing safety eyewear.

Source:  American Academy of Ophthalmology

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that normal glasses are efficient at protecting your eyes because they may shatter if struck, causing even more damage than you can imagine. Most home renovation projects involve the use of hazardous chemicals and sharp tools that can cause irreparable damage to your eyes in case of accident.

So, make sure you wear specially designed polycarbonate safety goggles that provide excellent protection during yard work, spring cleaning and home improvements.

2. Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions for Safe Handling of Chemicals

Household chemicals like lime dust, detergents, cleaners or bleach cause 125,000 eye injuries every year. When using these hazardous solvents and chemicals at home, make sure the area is well-ventilated and wear chemical safety goggles. Also, never make the mistake of mixing caustic substances or chemicals agents and always follow the manufacturer guidelines and warnings.

Sometimes eye injuries still occur so, in the event of an eye injury, flush your eyes with water for 20 minutes to wash away the chemicals and seek medical attention at the earliest.

3. Ensure Safety on the Stairs to and Install Sufficient Lighting in Every Corner

Ensure safety on the stairs and walkways, install gates, secure rugs and remove all tripping hazards to avert potential eye injuries. Also install sufficient lighting and handrails, especially if you have toddlers or senior citizens in your home

4. Inspect the Yard Prior to Undertaking any Project

Before undertaking any yard work like mowing the lawn or trimming the weeds, remove all the dirt and debris including branches, twigs and thorns to prevent potential eye injuries and wear safety glasses.

5. Maintain Safety in the Kitchen with Eye Shield

Cooking food can splatter hot oil or grease in your eyes. Use an eye safety shield to prevent hot oils from splashing on your face and damaging your vision.

6. Wash Hands Thoroughly after Completing a Task

Always remember to wash your hands after you have completed any work and before you touch your face or eyes.

7. Maintain Power Tools and Store them Safely When not in Use

Be sure to stack all power tools and chemicals out of the reach of small children. All screws, nails, and sharp hand tools can shoot off accidentally while power tools can propel dirt and debris into the air, resulting in serious eye injuries that invite a medical emergency. So make sure they are in good working condition and store them carefully.

 If you experience any eye injury, do not touch the eye or rub it. Also, do not apply any medication and don’t attempt to remove any foreign object from the eye yourself.

The Threat is Real: Air Pollution in California Can Affect Your Vision

In the recent “State of the Air” report released by The American Lung Association, eight of the USA’s 10 most-polluted cities are in California. Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, Sacramento, Modesto, and Redding are a few cities in California reported for being highly ozone-polluted.

The Rise in Ozone Pollution

Ozone pollution increases in warmer temperatures. Smog that is formed on warm, sunny days is a mix of toxic chemicals and gases emitted from vehicles and industrial plants. The pollution level has risen to such a high level that it is affecting millions of Americans. Some of the health concerns reported are asthma, lung cancer, premature death, cardiovascular disease, and developmental and reproductive damage.

Due to the constant change in temperature and climate, it has become harder to reduce ozone pollution and protect human health. There are 3 main factors that contribute to unhealthy levels of air pollution in California:

• The activities of 33 million people generate large amounts of pollutants in the air.
• The terrain or topography of California traps pollution.
• The warm temperature and sunny climate help in the formation of ozone and other pollutants.

Living in these polluted cities increases the risk for dry eye syndrome.

Pollution Can Cause Dry Eyes Leading to Dry Eye Syndrome

Adequate and consistent production of tears is essential to keep your eyes healthy. Pollutants in the air can damage the normal production of tear leading to dry eye syndrome. This deficiency in tear production hampers a person’s quality of life. The condition affects up to 4 million Americans aged 50 and older. With the rise in pollution levels, more and more people are diagnosed with dry eye syndrome.

Symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome

• Excessive tearing
• Discomfort wearing contact lenses
• Stinging and burning in the eyes
• Dryness of eye
• Eye soreness
• Blurry vision
• Sticky eyelids
• Itchy eyes
• Red eyes
• Photophobia
• Fatigue eyes

Protect Your Eyes From Air Pollution

1. Stay hydrated: The easiest way to protect your eyes from air pollution is by staying hydrated. Drink at least eight glasses of water. It is essential to keep your body hydrated if you want your eyes to produce adequate amount of tears.
2. Wear sunglasses: When outdoors, sunglasses are great for providing the required protection to your eyes. They save your eyes from dust, debris or any harmful particles present in the air.
3. Increase indoor humidity: Increasing the humidity levels indoor is an ideal way to protect your eyes. The air outside is dry but you can keep the air in your home moist. The humidity will not only keep your eyes moist but will also help in clearing your sinuses.
4. Food for dry eyes: Many people overlook the effect of proper nutrition on health. A daily intake of foods rich in fish oil, antioxidants, and foods omega-3s is a super effective prevention method.
5. Stay indoors when pollution levels are at their peak: If there is high level of particulate matter in the air, limit your exposure to outdoors. Stay indoors. Even if you have to get outside, protect your eyes with spectacles and/or masks.

While it is extremely important to protect your internal organs from air pollution by wearing a mask, it is equally important to protect your eyes too.

Emergency Eye Care: How to Handle the Situation

A do-it-yourself morning, a game of squash, a simple champagne cap, or cleaning agents… every day our eyes are exposed to many dangers. Although its curved shape protects the eye, it can also be the target of trauma. The front part remains exposed to aggression despite the blinking of the eyelids. A moment of inattention is enough for the eye to be injured.

What Is an Eye Emergency?

Whether it is a shock, a foreign body or a toxic product, the trauma of the eye is always to be taken seriously. A consultation at an emergency eye clinic is always necessary, since the pain is not always sufficient to assess the urgency.

Causes of an Eye Emergency

1. Chemical injury to the eye: Chemicals powders, aerosol, liquids, gases or vapors can enter the eye during daily activities at work or home and if not treated can affect vision.
2. A foreign object in the eye: The eye is exposed to foreign bodies at the workplace or outdoors. Sharp particles such as dust, wood or metal chips, splinters, or fragments of a tool can enter the eye and cause an eye emergency.
3. Cuts and scratches: Rubbing the eye when a foreign body is present, getting poked in the eye with a pointed object results in cuts or scratches and bleeding thereafter.
4. Trauma: Blood vessels in your eye may also burst due to vomiting, sneezing, or rubbing your eyes causing a dark patch. A sudden accident, sports-related eye injury can lead to bleeding under the skin which causes a black eye effect and demands immediate care to save the cornea from damage.

First Aid

Don’t panic and try to calm the person affected. While it is important to rush the person for emergency eye care immediately, a few precautionary steps before you reach out to the clinic can save from potential damage. Here are few steps you can take:

Chemical injury to the eye:

1. Tilt the person’s face such that the eye is facing down and sideways. Flush it with fresh
   water.
2. You can hold the persons face under a tap or shower, if both the eyes are affected.
3. Allow the running water to rinse the affected eye for 15-20 minutes.
4. If the person is wearing contact lenses which do not get flushed out, try removing them after rinsing the chemical out from the eye.
5. Seek immediate medical attention.

A foreign object in the eye:

1. Do not attempt to remove the object or press the eye.
2. Clean your hands with water and soap.
3. Bandage both eyes to prevent any kind of movement of the eyelids. If the foreign object is large, tape a clean paper cup on the eye to prevent any pressure from the bandage.
4. Visit emergency eye care without any delay.

Cuts and scratches:

1. In case of bleeding, wipe it with a clean and soft cloth without applying pressure.
2. Apply a cold compress to control bleeding and avoid swelling.
3. If bleeding continues, cover the eye with a cloth and rush to nearest eye care facility.

Trauma:

1. In case of a black eye or rupturing of blood vessels in the eye, apply a cold compress to
   reduce pain and further swelling or blackening of the eye.
2. Emergency consultation is necessary thereafter.

Although it may be a reflex, you should not under any circumstances force to open an eye, or rub your eyes with your hands. This would scratch the cornea. In the case of a foreign body, even visible, the use of tweezers to try to remove it is prohibited.

When to Contact an Eye Surgeon?

An immediate consultation with an eye surgeon is required when:

• there is a visible eye injury;
• there has been contact with a chemical product;
• the pain remains very strong even after an eye rinse;
• the vision is disturbed or in case of sensitivity to bear the light;
• there is a trauma such as a blow or shock with a small object, even in the absence of disturbing symptoms.

The watchword is caution, it is better to consult an emergency eye care specialist and find that there is no anomaly rather than missing a serious problem. If you are in Fresno, you can just search for ‘emergency eye care near me’ and contact an ophthalmologist in Fresno without much hassle.

Benefits of Eye Yoga

Our fast-paced life calls for a little bit of exercise to improve our health. Hours of full-body workouts at the gym often make us neglect our eye health and the prolonged use of digital displays could be doing more damage to our eyes than we imagine.

Today, Yoga is being practiced by people the world over and an exercise that was once practiced by a few is now gravitating towards becoming a fitness mantra.

Regular practice of yoga helps in maintaining good health and improves the functioning of the organs. But did you know Yoga poses include exercises for your eyes as well? These are exercises that you could do right at your desk without having to move around and only requires a few minutes from your busy routine.

Benefits of Eye Yoga

• Improvement in concentration.
• Relief from eye strain.
• Better vision.
• A calmer mind.
• Comfort from dry eyes.
• Lesser rchances for eye dieseases.

5 Eye Yoga to Comfort Your Eyes

These 5 easy-to-do eye yoga can bring you so much comfort in the mid-afternoons when your eyes feel sore and gritty:

Palming

The energy created from rubbing your palms vigorously and placing them on your eyes brings some much needed comfort to your tired eyes. Regular practice will gradually
reduce your dark circles.

Rotate Your Eyes

Follow your breath while rotating your eyes. Sitting in a peaceful place, rotating your eyes while breathing in a rhythmic pattern will restore balance in your eye muscles.

Figure of Eight

Imagining a giant figure 8 on the floor and tracing it both clockwise and anti-clockwise will improve your eye’s flexibility and control the physical movements of your eyes.

Stretch Your Eyes

Diagonally moving your eyes right and left while focusing on what you see will keep your eye muscles strong and active.

Blinking

Blinking 10-15 times and repeating the exercise 3 times can relieve you of dry eyes and nourish your eyes. This exercise in particular is important since we often forget to blink enough when we’re focused on digital screens.

Make a conscious effort to improve your eye health this Yoga Day, as doing the 5 exercises mentioned above, will help improve your concentration, relieve you from an eye strain, calm your mind, provide you comfort from dry eyes and lesser the chances of eye diseases.

Read more: 8 Eye Relaxation Exercises That Actually Work to Improve Your Vision

How Often To Get Eye Exam?

According to recent reports by the CDC, approximately 14 million Americans aged 12 years and older have self-reported visual impairment defined as distance visual acuity of 20/50 or worse.

That’s not all! Out of the estimated 61 million adults in the United States classified as being at high risk for serious vision loss, only half of them actually visited an ophthalmologist in the past 12 months!

The reports also pointed out that more than 11 million Americans could have improved their vision with refractive correction had they visited an eye doctor on time!

Did You Know?

• Approximately 11% of Americans aged 20 years and older with diabetes had some form of visual impairment. Among those without diabetes, 5.9% had some form of Visual Impairment (VI).
• 3.4 million Americans aged 40 years and older are either blind or visually impaired.
• 1,600,000 Americans aged 50 years and older have age related macular degeneration.
• 5.3 million people aged 18 years and older have diabetic retinopathy.
• 20.5 million people have cataracts among Americans aged 40 years and older.
• 2.2 million people have glaucoma among Americans aged 40 years and older.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/

This only goes to show the importance of undergoing comprehensive eye exams regularly and how essential they are when it comes to preventing vision related problems!

During a comprehensive eye exam, your ophthalmologist will not only check your eyes to determine if you need eyeglasses or contacts, but will also check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together and evaluate the condition of your eyes as per your age to test their overall health.

Such comprehensive eye exams include a number of tests and procedures to help your eye doctor examine and evaluate the health of your eyes and your vision quality.

There are a variety of tests that can be performed to help your eye doctor make the right analysis. Tests range from simple ones, like reading an eye chart, to complex tests, such as using a high-powered lens to examine the health of the tissues inside your eyes.

Frequency of Eye Exams

While the frequency of undergoing eye-exams depends on an individual’s personal health, you must schedule an eye-exam every one to three years. Take a look at the recommended frequency levels of eye exams among children and adults of various age groups:

Eye Exams for Children

While most kids have their first eye exam around the time they start school or start to face vision problems, ophthalmologists recommend getting your babies eye checked after they’ve crossed the 6month mark, so if there are any persisting vision problems, they can be corrected well in time.

This of course is highly dependent on the child’s personal health condition and vision problems. If the child’s eyes are in top shape, the ophthalmologist will automatically recommend a larger interval between all follow-up eye exams.

Eye Exams for Adults

In case of adults, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends an annual eye exam for any adult who wears eyeglasses or contacts. If not, you can extend the interval up to 2-3 years. Adults suffering with conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure are required to undergo eye exams more frequently as such conditions are capable of seriously affecting your vision.

After crossing the 40-year mark, it is best to get your eyes checked every 2-3 years to check for age related eye problems like presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Here is a table outlining the preferred frequency of eye exams as you age:

Patient’s Age	Eye-Examination Frequency
Birth to 24 months	At 6 months of age
2 to 5 years	At 3 years of age
6 to 18 years	Every 2-3 years
18 to 40 years	Every two years
40 to 60 years	Every two years
61 and older	Annually

While these are the recommended frequencies for eye exams, it is best to visit your eye doctor and get a first-hand opinion on how to plan your eye exams. Your ophthalmologist will also be able to better guide you about the type of eye exams available, their costs and other details related to health conditions which require regular eye-checkups.