Floaters are harmless but ... a big distraction
- Pic from Internet
- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label eyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eyes. Show all posts
Monday, March 6, 2017
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Smartphones give young people old eyes
Smartphones give young people old eyes
A customer takes an eye vision test at Meganesuper Co.’s DOCK Shirokanedai store in Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan.
Photo: The Japan News/ANN
More and more people in their 20s and 30s are reporting vision trouble with symptoms similar to presbyopia, an eye condition involving difficulty focusing on nearby objects that naturally comes with age. Likely resulting from the proliferation of gadgets like smartphones, the symptoms are being dubbed "smartphone-induced presbyopia" - a modern ailment that underscores the need to refrain from excessive eye strain.
"Whenever I glance down at my watch or check a route map on the train, the letters are blurry and hard to read," said a 29-year-old man who works at a trading company in Tokyo. He said the symptoms mainly appear in the evening, adding that their duration increases toward the weekend.
On top of using a computer at work, he's completely absorbed in checking e-mails and gathering information on his smartphone when visiting clients. The man can't put his smartphone down, even after work.
Trouble focusing on nearby objects sounds like presbyopia. Are other young people out there suffering from similar symptoms?
Misaki Ishioka, director of the Misaki Eye Clinic in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, said there are "definitely" a growing number of them.
"It's not a medical term, but so-called smartphone-induced presbyopia is a result of excessive strain on the eyes," Ishioka said.
Until two or three years ago, the clinic had two or three patients a month in their 20s or 30s with issues resembling onset symptoms of presbyopia - like "difficulty seeing nearby objects" and "on some days being unable to see something in a spot that is visible on other days."
The condition is now showing up in 10-20 patients a month. Their vision is not exceptionally abnormal, but the ailment's characteristic feature is difficulty in smoothly adjusting focus.
When focusing on nearby objects, a muscle called the ciliary body changes the thickness of the crystalline lens. Presbyopia causes the crystalline lens to harden, and the ciliary body naturally deteriorates with age - causing trouble in adjusting visual focus. Symptoms start to show around the age of 40.
Smartphone-induced presbyopia is medically referred to as "adjustment tension." Adjusting visual focus becomes impossible because of muscles stiffening from constantly staring at nearby objects.
The symptoms are typically temporary and not true presbyopia, but in serious cases the troubled vision could become permanent.
"Similar symptoms occur with personal computer use, but it's more common with smartphones since you're staring at letters up-close on a small screen."
Eye-opening trend
Tokyo-based Gankyo Publishing Co., which publishes an eyeglasses industry journal, asked 10,000 people who wear glasses every day about their vision. Young people ranging from their late-teens to the age of 34 who complained of presbyopia symptoms surged from 0.5 per cent in 2012 to 6.7 per cent in 2013.
There's no definite link to smartphone-induced presbyopia, but the surge overlaps with the proliferation of smartphones - households owning smartphones shot up from the 40 per cent range to the 60 per cent range.
Chain retailers of eye glasses are also calling for the prevention of presbyopia.
Vision Megane Inc. in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, created a manual for employees this year that details stretching and diets that supposedly lead to the prevention of presbyopia. Some of the chain's branches are using the manual to give advice to visitors suffering from presbyopia-like symptoms.
Based in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Meganesuper Co. opened a new branch in Tokyo this year that offers a relaxation room to relieve eye strain.
"The integration of smartphones and computers into our daily lives has presented a new, modern disease," said Takatoshi Tano, a lecturer in the opthalmology department at the International University of Health and Welfare's Atami Hospital. " I hope that people will refrain from using such devices for extended periods of time and take an interest in eye care."
- wong chee tat :)
A customer takes an eye vision test at Meganesuper Co.’s DOCK Shirokanedai store in Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan.
Photo: The Japan News/ANN
More and more people in their 20s and 30s are reporting vision trouble with symptoms similar to presbyopia, an eye condition involving difficulty focusing on nearby objects that naturally comes with age. Likely resulting from the proliferation of gadgets like smartphones, the symptoms are being dubbed "smartphone-induced presbyopia" - a modern ailment that underscores the need to refrain from excessive eye strain.
"Whenever I glance down at my watch or check a route map on the train, the letters are blurry and hard to read," said a 29-year-old man who works at a trading company in Tokyo. He said the symptoms mainly appear in the evening, adding that their duration increases toward the weekend.
On top of using a computer at work, he's completely absorbed in checking e-mails and gathering information on his smartphone when visiting clients. The man can't put his smartphone down, even after work.
Trouble focusing on nearby objects sounds like presbyopia. Are other young people out there suffering from similar symptoms?
Misaki Ishioka, director of the Misaki Eye Clinic in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, said there are "definitely" a growing number of them.
"It's not a medical term, but so-called smartphone-induced presbyopia is a result of excessive strain on the eyes," Ishioka said.
Until two or three years ago, the clinic had two or three patients a month in their 20s or 30s with issues resembling onset symptoms of presbyopia - like "difficulty seeing nearby objects" and "on some days being unable to see something in a spot that is visible on other days."
The condition is now showing up in 10-20 patients a month. Their vision is not exceptionally abnormal, but the ailment's characteristic feature is difficulty in smoothly adjusting focus.
When focusing on nearby objects, a muscle called the ciliary body changes the thickness of the crystalline lens. Presbyopia causes the crystalline lens to harden, and the ciliary body naturally deteriorates with age - causing trouble in adjusting visual focus. Symptoms start to show around the age of 40.
Smartphone-induced presbyopia is medically referred to as "adjustment tension." Adjusting visual focus becomes impossible because of muscles stiffening from constantly staring at nearby objects.
The symptoms are typically temporary and not true presbyopia, but in serious cases the troubled vision could become permanent.
"Similar symptoms occur with personal computer use, but it's more common with smartphones since you're staring at letters up-close on a small screen."
Eye-opening trend
Tokyo-based Gankyo Publishing Co., which publishes an eyeglasses industry journal, asked 10,000 people who wear glasses every day about their vision. Young people ranging from their late-teens to the age of 34 who complained of presbyopia symptoms surged from 0.5 per cent in 2012 to 6.7 per cent in 2013.
There's no definite link to smartphone-induced presbyopia, but the surge overlaps with the proliferation of smartphones - households owning smartphones shot up from the 40 per cent range to the 60 per cent range.
Chain retailers of eye glasses are also calling for the prevention of presbyopia.
Vision Megane Inc. in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, created a manual for employees this year that details stretching and diets that supposedly lead to the prevention of presbyopia. Some of the chain's branches are using the manual to give advice to visitors suffering from presbyopia-like symptoms.
Based in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Meganesuper Co. opened a new branch in Tokyo this year that offers a relaxation room to relieve eye strain.
"The integration of smartphones and computers into our daily lives has presented a new, modern disease," said Takatoshi Tano, a lecturer in the opthalmology department at the International University of Health and Welfare's Atami Hospital. " I hope that people will refrain from using such devices for extended periods of time and take an interest in eye care."
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, September 5, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Care after cataract surgery
Care after cataract surgery
What to do after your cataract surgery
You are entitled to hospitalisation or medical leave after your cataract surgery, so try to take a rest.
You may read and watch TV. Gentle exercises are fine too. You can go out, but try to avoid crowded and dusty places. Wearing sunglasses when you are outdoors may help to keep your eyes comfortable and less sensitive to light.
You will be given eye drops for about a month to prevent infection and reduce inflammation. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully. If you need to, ask a family member or friend to help instill the eye drops. If you were to go out, make sure you have access to hand hygiene facilities so that you can clean your hands before you instill your eye drops.
For mild pain, you may take paracetamol. If you have pain that is not relieved by this medicine, call your doctor.
When you sleep, please put on the eye shield given to you for at least 1 week so that you don’t press on the operated eye.
What NOT to do after your cataract surgery
For the first few days, your vision may be blurred, so be careful to avoid falling over or hurting your head or eye, especially if the operated eye is padded and the other eye also suffers from poor vision.
It is common to experience some eye irritation and discharge after surgery. However, for the first month, refrain from rubbing or touching your eye. Also avoid getting dust or soap water in your eye. Do not swim; do not use a hot tub, visit a sauna or spa. This is because there is a small wound in your eye, and you need to prevent it from getting contaminated.
No matter how small your wound is, try to avoid exerting yourself. Try not to bend over, carry heavy loads or perform strenuous exercises. Leave that 10km marathon to the next few months, and take a break from carrying the grandchildren for 2 to 3 weeks. Let your eye heal.
You may find that your pre-existing spectacles are not right anymore after the cataract operation. This is because the power of your operated eye has changed due to the surgery. Usually the power of the operated eye would stabilize at 1 month after the operation, at which time you can be measured for a new power for your glasses.
Refrain from driving or riding a motorcycle till you are confident that your vision is clear.
Medications and Diet
For the first few days, please clean the operated eye gently with the sterile saline wash and cotton balls given to you. You can continue to clean your eye with cool boiled water and clean cotton gauze thereafter.
Please use the eye drops and medications as the doctor prescribed, even when you feel that your eyes are fine. Do not instill anything else into your eye apart from the prescribed eye drops. Always wash your hands before your instill your eye drops.
Store your eye drops and medications as instructed. Do not keep them for longer than the instructed period as they may become contaminated.
Shake the eye drop bottle before use. Tilt your head back, look up and pull the lower eyelid down. Instill just ONE drop into the eye, avoiding contact with the eye lashes. Wait 5 minutes before instilling a different eye drop.
You can keep to your usual diet. There are no new dietary restrictions following your cataract surgery. Any pre-existing diets should be continued.
When do I see the doctor after surgery?
You will need to return for an eye examination the day after your surgery. Further appointments are usually called for at 1 week and 1 month after your operation. Keep all your appointments, even if you feel and see well.
When should I call my doctor?
Do not hesitate to contact us should you experience any of the following:
Pain that is not relieved by medication.
Deterioration of vision.
Excessive discharge from the operated eye.
Sudden onset of flashes or floaters.
- wong chee tat :)
What to do after your cataract surgery
You are entitled to hospitalisation or medical leave after your cataract surgery, so try to take a rest.
You may read and watch TV. Gentle exercises are fine too. You can go out, but try to avoid crowded and dusty places. Wearing sunglasses when you are outdoors may help to keep your eyes comfortable and less sensitive to light.
You will be given eye drops for about a month to prevent infection and reduce inflammation. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully. If you need to, ask a family member or friend to help instill the eye drops. If you were to go out, make sure you have access to hand hygiene facilities so that you can clean your hands before you instill your eye drops.
For mild pain, you may take paracetamol. If you have pain that is not relieved by this medicine, call your doctor.
When you sleep, please put on the eye shield given to you for at least 1 week so that you don’t press on the operated eye.
What NOT to do after your cataract surgery
For the first few days, your vision may be blurred, so be careful to avoid falling over or hurting your head or eye, especially if the operated eye is padded and the other eye also suffers from poor vision.
It is common to experience some eye irritation and discharge after surgery. However, for the first month, refrain from rubbing or touching your eye. Also avoid getting dust or soap water in your eye. Do not swim; do not use a hot tub, visit a sauna or spa. This is because there is a small wound in your eye, and you need to prevent it from getting contaminated.
No matter how small your wound is, try to avoid exerting yourself. Try not to bend over, carry heavy loads or perform strenuous exercises. Leave that 10km marathon to the next few months, and take a break from carrying the grandchildren for 2 to 3 weeks. Let your eye heal.
You may find that your pre-existing spectacles are not right anymore after the cataract operation. This is because the power of your operated eye has changed due to the surgery. Usually the power of the operated eye would stabilize at 1 month after the operation, at which time you can be measured for a new power for your glasses.
Refrain from driving or riding a motorcycle till you are confident that your vision is clear.
Medications and Diet
For the first few days, please clean the operated eye gently with the sterile saline wash and cotton balls given to you. You can continue to clean your eye with cool boiled water and clean cotton gauze thereafter.
Please use the eye drops and medications as the doctor prescribed, even when you feel that your eyes are fine. Do not instill anything else into your eye apart from the prescribed eye drops. Always wash your hands before your instill your eye drops.
Store your eye drops and medications as instructed. Do not keep them for longer than the instructed period as they may become contaminated.
Shake the eye drop bottle before use. Tilt your head back, look up and pull the lower eyelid down. Instill just ONE drop into the eye, avoiding contact with the eye lashes. Wait 5 minutes before instilling a different eye drop.
You can keep to your usual diet. There are no new dietary restrictions following your cataract surgery. Any pre-existing diets should be continued.
When do I see the doctor after surgery?
You will need to return for an eye examination the day after your surgery. Further appointments are usually called for at 1 week and 1 month after your operation. Keep all your appointments, even if you feel and see well.
When should I call my doctor?
Do not hesitate to contact us should you experience any of the following:
Pain that is not relieved by medication.
Deterioration of vision.
Excessive discharge from the operated eye.
Sudden onset of flashes or floaters.
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Random Thoughts
I can't sleep well these few nights. No, it is not because of the world cup fever.
It could be the warm nights during this June .... But there are lots of stuff that are running in my mind such as:
- increasing expenses (especially bills)
- cpf (especially for housing and retirement)
- new planned hardware to get but not enough money!!!! =(
What to do?
I guess I have to tackle them one by one... And I need my sleep otherwise I will look like a zombie the next day!
- wong chee tat :)
It could be the warm nights during this June .... But there are lots of stuff that are running in my mind such as:
- increasing expenses (especially bills)
- cpf (especially for housing and retirement)
- new planned hardware to get but not enough money!!!! =(
What to do?
I guess I have to tackle them one by one... And I need my sleep otherwise I will look like a zombie the next day!
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
New treatment for glaucoma unveiled
New treatment for glaucoma unveiled
Researchers from NTU and the Singapore Eye Research Institute have developed a new treatment for glaucoma.
Liposomal Latanoprost - a new safe and effective treatment for glaucoma. (Credit: Singapore Eye Research Institute)
SINGAPORE: A new treatment for glaucoma may mean that patients can do away with the use of daily eye drops.
Unveiled on Tuesday (June 3), the treatment involves a painless injection to the front of the eye which delivers millions of nano-sized capsules – thousands of times smaller than a speck of dust – that release anti-glaucoma drugs slowly over six months.
Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the eye's optic nerve and could lead to blindness.
Jointly developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the new therapy has undergone a pilot study with six patients. Researchers said it has yielded exceptional results, and has been both safe and effective in the treatment of glaucoma.
The new nanomedicine is also expected to benefit the elderly, who often forget to use the daily eye drops, leading to their conditions worsening.
The researchers estimated that at least 10 per cent of blindness from glaucoma is directly caused by patients not adhering correctly to prescribed medications.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
Researchers from NTU and the Singapore Eye Research Institute have developed a new treatment for glaucoma.
Liposomal Latanoprost - a new safe and effective treatment for glaucoma. (Credit: Singapore Eye Research Institute)
SINGAPORE: A new treatment for glaucoma may mean that patients can do away with the use of daily eye drops.
Unveiled on Tuesday (June 3), the treatment involves a painless injection to the front of the eye which delivers millions of nano-sized capsules – thousands of times smaller than a speck of dust – that release anti-glaucoma drugs slowly over six months.
Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the eye's optic nerve and could lead to blindness.
Jointly developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the new therapy has undergone a pilot study with six patients. Researchers said it has yielded exceptional results, and has been both safe and effective in the treatment of glaucoma.
The new nanomedicine is also expected to benefit the elderly, who often forget to use the daily eye drops, leading to their conditions worsening.
The researchers estimated that at least 10 per cent of blindness from glaucoma is directly caused by patients not adhering correctly to prescribed medications.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Is This the World’s Most Beautiful Woman?
Is This the World’s Most Beautiful Woman?
Science suggests 18-year-old Florence Colgate just might be.
The ratio of the distance between her ears to the distance between her pupils is nearly 2:1 — the scientific ideal. Furthermore, the distance between her eyes to her mouth is just under a third of the distance from her hairline to her chin — another measure of perfect pulchritude.
The Deal, Kent native and her nearly symmetrical mug were recently named winners of "Lorraine: Naked" — a "natural beauty" contest organized by ITV's lifestyle program Lorraine. To win, some 8,000 entrants had to rely on their God-given good looks: No make-up or cosmic enhancements of any kind were allowed.
In addition to being crowned "Britain's most beautiful face," the Dover Grammar School senior and part-time chip shop employee will be featured in a nationwide ad campaign for beauty and health retailer Superdrug.
"Florence has all the classic signs of beauty," said Carmen Lefèvre of the Perception Lab at the University of St Andrews' School of Psychology. "She has large eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and a fair complexion. Symmetry appears to be a very important cue to attractiveness."
[photo via Facebook]
- wong chee tat :)
The ratio of the distance between her ears to the distance between her pupils is nearly 2:1 — the scientific ideal. Furthermore, the distance between her eyes to her mouth is just under a third of the distance from her hairline to her chin — another measure of perfect pulchritude.
The Deal, Kent native and her nearly symmetrical mug were recently named winners of "Lorraine: Naked" — a "natural beauty" contest organized by ITV's lifestyle program Lorraine. To win, some 8,000 entrants had to rely on their God-given good looks: No make-up or cosmic enhancements of any kind were allowed.
In addition to being crowned "Britain's most beautiful face," the Dover Grammar School senior and part-time chip shop employee will be featured in a nationwide ad campaign for beauty and health retailer Superdrug.
"Florence has all the classic signs of beauty," said Carmen Lefèvre of the Perception Lab at the University of St Andrews' School of Psychology. "She has large eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and a fair complexion. Symmetry appears to be a very important cue to attractiveness."
[photo via Facebook]
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
New diabetic retinopathy treatment more effective: experts
New diabetic retinopathy treatment more effective: experts
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 06 November 2012 2133 hrs
SINGAPORE: The new anti-VEGF treatment option for diabetic retinopathy patients has been hailed by experts as being more effective than traditional laser treatments.
Diabetic retinopathy, a condition of the eyes affecting diabetics that causes swelling and blurred vision, plague an approximate 100,000 Singaporeans say experts.
"Anti-VEGF therapy is a new therapy which effectively reduces the swelling in the eye," said Professor Wong Tien Yin, Executive Director at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. "It works by suppressing growth factors that causes the blood vessels to leak and the retina to swell."
Diabetic retinopathy patients traditionally undergo laser treatment to treat their symptoms.
However Professor Wong noted that visual improvement after laser treatments was not common and that many continued to lose vision after treatment, adding that the laser option was "good but not completely satisfactory".
"The new anti-VEGF therapy essentially helps improve vision in patients... and therefore patients have a better quality of life," he said.
However, anti-VEGF treatments can cost up to S$42,000, compared to laser treatments which cost between S$500 and S$1,600.
Patients undergoing anti-VEGF undergo seven intro-ocular injections into the eye in the first year of treatment, followed by four injections in the second year and three in the third year. The each injection costs between S$1,200 and S$3,000.
Despite that, more than a thousand patients in Singapore have undergone anti-VEGF treatment since hospitals started offering it last September.
Professor Wong also noted that screening for diabetic retinopathy could be further streamlined to ensure better detection.
"In many countries, including Singapore, family general practitioners conduct screening for diabetic retinopathy," he said. "Despite their medical background and training, their evaluation may be limited due to busy clinic schedules".
Instead, non-physicians or eye research technicians should also be used to detect diabetic retinopathy said Professor Wong, citing a local study conducted in 2009 that showed trained eye research technicians outperforming family general practitioners in detecting diabetic retinopathy.
- CNA/jc
- wong chee tat :)
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 06 November 2012 2133 hrs
SINGAPORE: The new anti-VEGF treatment option for diabetic retinopathy patients has been hailed by experts as being more effective than traditional laser treatments.
Diabetic retinopathy, a condition of the eyes affecting diabetics that causes swelling and blurred vision, plague an approximate 100,000 Singaporeans say experts.
"Anti-VEGF therapy is a new therapy which effectively reduces the swelling in the eye," said Professor Wong Tien Yin, Executive Director at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. "It works by suppressing growth factors that causes the blood vessels to leak and the retina to swell."
Diabetic retinopathy patients traditionally undergo laser treatment to treat their symptoms.
However Professor Wong noted that visual improvement after laser treatments was not common and that many continued to lose vision after treatment, adding that the laser option was "good but not completely satisfactory".
"The new anti-VEGF therapy essentially helps improve vision in patients... and therefore patients have a better quality of life," he said.
However, anti-VEGF treatments can cost up to S$42,000, compared to laser treatments which cost between S$500 and S$1,600.
Patients undergoing anti-VEGF undergo seven intro-ocular injections into the eye in the first year of treatment, followed by four injections in the second year and three in the third year. The each injection costs between S$1,200 and S$3,000.
Despite that, more than a thousand patients in Singapore have undergone anti-VEGF treatment since hospitals started offering it last September.
Professor Wong also noted that screening for diabetic retinopathy could be further streamlined to ensure better detection.
"In many countries, including Singapore, family general practitioners conduct screening for diabetic retinopathy," he said. "Despite their medical background and training, their evaluation may be limited due to busy clinic schedules".
Instead, non-physicians or eye research technicians should also be used to detect diabetic retinopathy said Professor Wong, citing a local study conducted in 2009 that showed trained eye research technicians outperforming family general practitioners in detecting diabetic retinopathy.
- CNA/jc
- wong chee tat :)
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