Blurred Vision and Glaucoma

Blurred vision is a lack of sharpness as a result the person is enable to see fine details or small objects. Blurred vision can occur when a person who wears corrective lens is without them. Blurred vision can also be a sign of various eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, age related macular degeneration, diabetes, retinal detachment, brain tumor, or optic nerve damage.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve. (optic nerve carries images from retina, which is the specialized light sensing tissue, to the brain so we can see) usually due to high intraocular pressure. If untreated, it can lead to optic nerve damage resulting in progressive, permanent vision loss. It is a leading cause of preventable blindness among people, especially in America and Africa. The risk of glaucoma increases dramatically with age. But it can strike any age group, even newborn infants and fetuses.

Glaucoma can be classified in two categories: Chronic Open angle Glaucoma and Narrow angle closure glaucoma.

Chronic Open angle Glaucoma: It is the most common form of Glaucoma. The "open "drainage angle of the eye can become blocked leading to gradual increase in eye pressure. This increase results in optic nerve damage.

Narrow angle Closure Glaucoma: It is caused when contact between the iris and trabecular meshwork, which in turn obstructs outflow of aqueous humor from the eye, as a result the drainage angle of the eye narrows and becomes completely blocked. When the drainage angle of the eye suddenly becomes completely blocked pressure builds up naturally and this is called acute angle closure glaucoma. The symptoms include severe eye pain, blurred vision, headache, nausea and vomiting.

The treatment of glaucoma depends upon the nature and severity of each case. In general glaucoma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. Eye drops, pills, laser procedures and surgical operations are used to prevent or slow down further damage.

By Pauline Go

Why Eye Drops Are Bad For Your Eyes

People seeking relief from tired, red eyes don't have to look far. A lot of over-the-counter (OTC) eyewashes claim they can help. And they're not humble about it.

Visine promises to "get the red out in 60 seconds" while Eye-Mo has a daily care formula to "clean and refresh your eyes." Clear Eyes says it "soothes and cleanses red eyes of strain and everyday irritation." So popular are these products that in the United States alone, more than 15 million bottles of eye drops are sold yearly.

But soaring sales are not proof of efficacy. While some OTC eyewashes may relieve redness and soothe the eyes for a few hours, their usefulness is questionable.

The truth is your eyes don't have to be cleaned with eyewashes. Simple irritation caused by smog, strong light, sea bathing or bathing in chlorinated water is often self-limiting and natural tears do a better job of eliminating these problems.

"Normal eyes don't need cleansing, soothing or refreshing by solutions of vasoactive and antiseptic chemicals. Simple irritation disappears of its own accord in about a day. No synthetic solution can match natural tears for washing away small bits of dust, dirt or other irritating matter. And human tears contain an enzyme that has mild antibacterial properties at least as effective as those of commercial eye solutions," according to the editors of "The Medicine Show" published by Consumers Union (CU).

Decongestant eye drops containing naphazoline, tetrahydrozoline or phenylephrine relieve redness and discomfort by constricting the superficial blood vessels of the eyes. But what consumers don't know is that the more you use these products, the more sensitive and redder your eyes will be.

Dr. Charles N.S. Soparkar and his colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston said that frequent use of OTC eye drops may harm the eyes. In the journal "Archives of Ophthalmology", they reported that 70 people who had been using non-prescription eyewashes daily for three years developed acute and chronic forms of conjunctivitis marked by eye inflammation, discomfort, and discharge. In some, these symptoms persisted up to 24 weeks after the subjects stopped using the eye drops.

"There's no question that eye drops can make red eyes feel better and look brighter. Their shortcoming is that they counteract the symptoms without solving the problem. When the effect of the drops wears off after three to four hours, there may be a rebound effect: blood vessels dilate even more, and the eyes may redden and feel even itchier," revealed Candice Bushnell in "Health" magazine.

"The rebound effect shouldn't be a problem if vasoconstricting drops are used once or twice a day for a day or two and not again for a week. But apply them more often than that, and you will end up relying on eye drops every three to four hours to keep your eyes clear. The situation isn't difficult to remedy. You just have to go 'cold turkey' and live with red eyes for a day or two, and gradually the problem will resolve itself," Bushnell added.

Another bad effect of eyewashes is that they may mask symptoms of other diseases like glaucoma that is sometimes characterized by a vague discomfort - the kind of feeling you could mistake for tired eyes. In this case, eye drops won't solve the problem. You have to see an ophthalmologist for help.

Other possible causes of red eyes are bacterial or viral infection, errors of refraction like astigmatism or nearsightedness, hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), diabetes, and measles. In these cases, the use of eye drops is not advised and may delay the user from seeking expert medical help.

For tired but otherwise healthy eyes, CU's medical consultants said one or two drops of cold tap water placed in the lower lid with a clean eye dropper is sufficient. Iced wet compresses applied for 15 minutes will also help. These home remedies are less expensive than commercial eye drops and are less likely to give you trouble later.

For puffy eyes, dark circles, and eye bags that can make you tired and old, use Eyevive, a revolutionary cream that revitalizes your eyes to bring back their youthful sparkle.

By Janet Martin

Red Watery Eyes - 7 Effective Steps to Cure Red Watery Eyes

Red watery eyes are usually called as conjunctivitis or pink eye. Conjunctiva is a slender lucid layer with the aim to cover the visible part of eye sclera and inner part of eyelids. As soon as conjunctiva gets inflamed, its tinny blood vessels expand in this manner causing emergence of red or else pink eye.
What are the symptoms?
o Skin complaint or itchiness.
o Blurry eyesight.
o Light sensitivity.
o Yellow discharge from one or both of eyes.
o Increased tearing.
What are the causes?
o Acute bacterial conjunctivitis.
Newborn might be infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae from infected vagina during delivery time.
o Viral conjunctivitis.
It is usually caused by Adenovirus, transmitted by fingers, medical instruments, or swimming pools. The main symptoms are itchy eyes and watery discharge.
o Allergic conjunctivitis.
The characteristic is stringy translucent discharge.
Red watery eyes treatments are so simple to do at home. Here are the 7 effective steps to cure red watery eyes:
1. Warm water compresses help pink eye. Heat up helps for expansion of blood spring and loosen debris.
2. Rinse your eyes with mixture of pint of salt in a boiled-water cooled to room temperature. Wash your eyes with this liquid 4-5 times a day.
3. Breast milk is the best home remedy for pink eye. Bear in mind to use only fresh breast milk to cure pink eye.
4. Chamomile tea bags are very useful for natural pink eyes treatment. Moist chamomile tea bag and put it over the closed eyes for 10 minutes for a faster relief.
5. Marigold is known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory features. Marigold compress helps much in pink eye.
6. Avoid touching your eyes since this could lead to further infections.
7. Wear dark glasses to prevent infection to other people. Also wear goggles while swimming to avoid bacteria coming to your eyes.
Red watery eyes medicines can be prescribed by any doctor. Mostly, the medicine contains chemicals which sometimes cause your body to form resistance to it. If you overuse it, the medicine will not be effective anymore when truly needed.

The best way to keep your healthy vision is actually by using effective things found in nature as home remedies. Besides, eye exercises can be one of the best solutions to be free from red watery eyes. 
By Angela Lim