Permanent correction of vision, removing the need for spectacles or contact lenses. (22)

What do we want from our vision ?

1. We want to open our eyes each morning and see clearly, at all distances, without spectacles or contact lenses

2. We want to walk around without spectacles or contact lenses.

3. We want to drive without spectacles or contact lenses.

4. We want to read without spectacles or contact lenses.

So the goal is for everyone to see everything clearly at all times and at all distances, without assistance from spectacles or contact lenses.

These days we have lenses that can be implanted permanently into the eye to correct the focus, so that you no longer need spectacles or contact lenses.

The lenses we have available today, for implanting into the eye, are far better than those available even a few years ago. Your lens can be chosen from any of a variety of lenses; for the information on the latest lenses available, please feel free to contact the St. Albans Eye and Vision Clinic on:
Tel: +44 (0)1727 812925
Email: contact@StAlbansMedicalCentre.com
www.StAlbansMedicalCentre.com

The operation is painless and highly effective. It safely and permanently removes the need for spectacles or contact lenses.

So we can now bring near-perfect vision without spectacles or contact lenses, to almost anyone regardless of age or spectacle-prescription.

How does this work ? - read on:

The normal eye that needs no spectacles or contact lenses:

So, in the normal eye, the rays of light from each point on the object being viewed converge to a single point on the retina which is the layer lining the back of the eye which detects the image.

The rays of light from different parts of the object are focussed to different points on the retina so that an image of the object is produced on the retina. In fact the image on the retina is upside down and back to front;
however, because the brain has all our lives "seen" objects upside down and back to front, it appears normal to us and we are able to use the image to interact accurately with our surroundings.

The most common cause of blurred vision is focussing error (= "Refractive error"):

Short-sight:

When people are said to be "short-sighted" (= Myopia) this is almost always because the eye is longer than normal so that the focus of light from objects is in front of the retina so that rays of light from each point on the object are spread over the retina in a "blur circle" which means that the image is blurred:

Long-sight:

When people are said to be "long-sighted" (=Hypermetropia = Hyperopia) this is almost always because the eye is shorter than normal so that the focus of light from objects is (theoretically) behind the retina. This means that, once again, rays of light from each point on the object are spread over the retina in a "blur circle" which means that the image is blurred:

Astigmatism:

Sometimes the focussing problem is not simple myopia or hypermetropia, but rather the transparent window on the front of the eye (the "cornea") is rugby ball shaped instead of the more normal spherical football shape. This is called Astigmatism, and it causes rays of light in different meridia of the image to be focussed at different distances:

Presbyopia (= age-related requirement for reading spectacles):

Even if our vision is clear when young, as we move towards middle-age the natural lens loses its elasticity and the eye becomes unable to see near things clearly without reading spectacles. This is called presbyopia.

Correcting the above refractive errors with spectacles:

All of the above refractive errors (myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism and presbyopia) can be corrected with spectacles or contact lenses. These work by altering the directions of rays of light before they enter the eye, so that after the incorrect focussing mechanism of the eye has finished acting on the light, the rays of light are focussed correctly on the retina.

But, as discussed in the post two days ago, both spectacles and contact lenses cause certain problems and are therefore not ideal.

Lens implants:

The ideal situation is for everyone to see everything clearly at all times and at all distances, from the moment they wake each morning until last thing at night, without assistance from spectacles or contact lenses. The goal is a one-off treatment that will restore spectacle-free near and distance vision for the rest of a person's life.

And we can achieve this by implanting the lens/contact lens into the eye so it stays there permanently.

The operation has been refined over the last twenty years, and at the St Albans Eye and Vision Clinic, U.K. (tel: +44 (0)1727 812925, Email: contact@StAlbansMedicalCentre.com) is undertaken absolutely painlessly in a few minutes, under injection-free local anaesthetic.

Modern lens implants can correct for all the above refractive errors: Myopia, Hypermetropia, Astigmatism, Presbyopia.
Truly back to the vision of a young person, spectacle-free.

Permanent correction of blurred vision, without the need for spectacles or contact lenses. (21)

In our last post we talked about the most common cause of blurred vision: focussing errors (= "refractive errors"), and how for years these refractive errors have been corrected using spectacles and/or contact lenses.

But further developments have given us lenses that can be implanted permanently into the eye to correct the focus, so that you no longer need spectacles or contact lenses.

The lenses we have available today, for implanting into the eye, are far better than those available even a few years ago.

The operation is painless and highly effective. It safely and permanently removes the need for spectacles or contact lenses.

We can now bring near-perfect vision without spectacles or contact lenses, to almost anyone regardless of age or spectacle-prescription.

How does this work ? - look out for our next post to find out.

Refractive (= focussing) errors, and how spectacles and contact lenses work. (20)

The normal eye that needs no spectacles or contact lenses:

So, in the normal eye, the rays of light from each point on the object being viewed converge to a single point on the retina which is the layer lining the back of the eye which detects the image.

The rays of light from different parts of the object are focussed to different points on the retina so that an image of the object is produced on the retina. In fact the image on the retina is upside down and back to front;
however, because the brain has all our lives "seen" objects upside down and back to front, it appears normal to us and we are able to use the image to interact accurately with our surroundings.

The most common cause of blurred vision is focussing error (= "Refractive error"):

Short-sight:

When people are said to be "short-sighted" (= Myopia) this is almost always because the eye is longer than normal so that the focus of light from objects is in front of the retina so that rays of light from each point on the object are spread over the retina in a "blur circle" which means that the image is blurred:

Long-sight:

When people are said to be "long-sighted" (=Hypermetropia = Hyperopia) this is almost always because the eye is shorter than normal so that the focus of light from objects is (theoretically) behind the retina. This means that, once again, rays of light from each point on the object are spread over the retina in a "blur circle" which means that the image is blurred:

Astigmatism:

Sometimes the focussing problem is not simple myopia or hypermetropia, but rather the transparent window on the front of the eye (the "cornea") is rugby ball shaped instead of the more normal spherical football shape. This is called Astigmatism, and it causes rays of light in different meridia of the image to be focussed at different distances:

Presbyopia (= age-related requirement for reading spectacles):

Even if our vision is clear when young, as we move towards middle-age the natural lens loses its elasticity and the eye becomes unable to see near things clearly without reading spectacles. This is called presbyopia.

Correcting the above refractive errors with spectacles:

All of the above refractive errors (myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism and presbyopia) can be corrected with spectacles or contact lenses. These work by altering the directions of rays of light before they enter the eye, so that after the incorrect focussing mechanism of the eye has finished acting on the light, the rays of light are focussed correctly on the retina.

So that's OK then ? Not really - both spectacles and contact lenses cause certain problems:

It may be that in a few years' time we'll look back at the concept of spectacles and consider it ridiculous that we perched lenses on our noses to correct the vision. Just a thought.

So neither spectacles nor contact lenses are ideal. The ideal situation is when the eye is focussed as clearly as possible as soon as the eye is opened each morning, without the need for spectacles or contact lenses.

The next post will talk about the ways in which we can correct the focus of the eyes so there is no longer any need for spectacles or contact lenses.

Or for more information contact the St. Albans Medical Centre, U.K. on telephone: +44 (0)1727 812925 or email: Contact@StAlbansMedicalCentre.com

A reminder of the design of the eye and surrounding structures (19)

Just a reminder of the design of the eye and surrounding structures:

Over the last few weeks we've been summarising the most useful facts about the most common problem of the retina (right at the back of the eye) - Age-related Macular Degeneration.

For our next blog post we will move forward all the way to the front of the eye, in fact in front of the eye - and we'll be talking about common everyday problems with the eyelids and the proven ways of managing these common, annoying, and sometimes very serious, eyelid problems. 

Practice your "inner bat" (18)

This is amazing, and its good to know that there is still hope should we ever lose our eyesight...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22805748

Use your 'inner bat' to navigate

Bats are known for using sound to navigate successfully, and new research suggests we could all use our 'inner bat' to get around.

BBC.CO.UK

Will eating carrots help me to see in the dark ? The myth: Yes The truth: NO (17)

If you eat more carrots, it will NOT improve your vision in any way; despite the abundant myths, this is a fact.

Why do people say it will ? Because carrots contain vitamin A, and because vitamin A is required for vision, people quite reasonably conclude that eating carrots means better vision. But this is one of the long-standing myths that needs de-bunking. So here goes:

The retina is the light-sensitive layer (in the back of the eye) that detects the light and sends the image back to the brain so you can "see". Detection of the image requires production of pigments within the retina, which are made from Retinol (Vitamin A). Vitamin A is made in your liver from Beta carotene which is found in vegetables, especially kale, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots. Vitamin A is also of course available already formed in animal products especially, of course, the liver (see above); and it is one of the fat-soluble vitamins so it is also found in oily fish, whole milk, butter and cheese.

But vision requires only a small amount of Vitamin A each day, and our livers store vast amounts of the stuff - so unless you have a very deficient diet for years, such as is very occasionally seen in severe alcoholics, you will have plenty of Vitamin A on board with no risk of Vitamin A related vision deficit. Extra vitamin A in the diet is no advantage to vision.

That said, beta carotene is one of the anti-oxidant substances that protect all of our body cells against the oxidative stresses of daily life. So it's a good addition to our diet for general health reasons.

In developing countries the situation is very different - prolonged nutritionally deficient diets there cause many health problems which, for Vitamin A deficiency include:
Impaired vision in dim light (= "night-blindness")
Dry eyes; can be so severe that the cornea (the clear window on the front of the eye) becomes opaque
Increased susceptibility to skin damage from sun
In children: reduced growth, restricted bone development
Increased susceptibility to infection

In developing countries, a carrot a day would be a fantastic improvement to their diet.
In developed countries, a carrot a day would be general good dietary advice, but not for reason of vision.

Too many carrots (more than about one large carrot per day) causes carotenaemia - not a big health risk, but it makes your skin yellow !

If you want to get accurate, regularly updated, evidence-based information from the people who treat patients with eye problems on a daily basis, this is the blog to visit again and again. (16)

Here you will find ONLY evidence-based treatments for your eyes and vision so they last your lifetime; no hearsay, no myth, just PROVEN facts. (15)

This blog is written and maintained by the Eye Care and Vision department of The St. Albans Medical Centre, St. Albans, UK.


Its purpose is to introduce us to new customers and to point you in the direction of the best ways to care for your eyes and vision.


There's so much myth and hearsay on the internet, which just misleads and wastes people's time and money.


We post here only proven information, with references to the supporting evidence; if it's not proven fact, we don't put it in - so i) most of what we write here is short and clear and ii) you can rely on what you read here when choosing how to care for your eyes and vision.


Your vision is arguably your most important asset. Most people would prefer to lose anything rather than lose their eyesight. We are living longer, so it is important to do the things that we know prolong the life of our eyes and our vision - proven facts that you may not yet know.
This is the stuff we teach our patients every day - we want you to benefit too!


ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS above for our regular FREE posts and emails, with all the authoritative supporting evidence, each time we present a reliable proven fact concerning how to care for your eyes and vision. Stay informed - you owe it to your eyes, to your yourself, and to your family.

FAQ: Why is Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) the most common cause of blindness in developed countries and not in developing countries ? (14)

AMD is common in developing countries too.

But the main reason that AMD is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries, is that in developed countries we've managed very well to control and treat the causes of blindness that exceed AMD in developing countries - so, for example, we know how to treat cataract, how to prevent trachoma, how to treat glaucoma, all the diseases that are even more common than AMD in developing countries.

If and when we get on top of the major problems in developing countries then we will be able to focus on AMD in the way we do in developed countries.

What is this disease called AMD ? (12)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) damages the central part of the retina, known as the macula. Here's a cross-section of the eye (the eye cut through from front to back):

Viewed through the front of the eye, the normal macula looks like this:

 The most common form of AMD is called "dry" AMD, It simply consists of tiny pale yellow spots in the macular area, and it looks like this:

The "dry" situation can persist, usually gradually worsening, over many many years; during this time the person may see normally or may notice a very gradual reduction in their central vision (the part needed for detailed activities such as reading, or recognising faces). But in a minority of cases it can quite suddenly convert to "wet" AMD, where blood vessels grow under the macular area, which looks like this:

 In this wet situation, the person usually notices sudden onset of distortion in their central vision, followed after some hours/days by complete loss of central vision - so suddenly they can't see to read or recognise faces. Because the wet form is heralded by distortion in the vision, people with dry AMD are often warned to come back to their eye doctor within 24 hours if they notice any  distorted vision, for example kinks in their view of door frames/window frames etc.

So the above illustrates that in both dry and wet forms of the disease, you lose your central vision, the bit you need for accurate detailed seeing; in the dry form it happens over many years, whereas in the wet form it happens over hours/days.

Here is the place to come to find the eye and health products that are PROVEN to work. (11)

We only recommend products where the scientific literature proves they work, and that our patients have also demonstrated really work. So if you use our blog to find treatments you can be sure that they will be effective.

We do this so that you will really value our blog and come back to us.

Concise introduction to the eye and its more common problems. (10)

Have a look at this really good simple introduction to the eye and its more common problems:


CLICK HERE

The need for evidence-based information - ESSENTIAL (9)

These days we have information overload. The internet, and the media in general, are full of it.

In particular, there's no shortage of health advice, what supplements to take, what foods to eat, what not to eat etc. etc.

But how much of it is true ?! What is the point of information that is not based on hard evidence ? It's easy for writers to write, and for people to follow, but it's false - if you follow advice based on no evidence, you're wasting your focus, your time and your hard-earned money.

What we badly need is evidence-based information, so we can adjust our behaviour, diet etc., confident that we're actually achieving the results we seek.

But it needs an expert to assess the evidence, someone who can sift out the 99% hearsay rubbish and bring you the 1% evidence-based hard facts. And we need to see the references to the research or other evidence that proves the effectiveness of whatever is presented.

And that's where this web page comes in. We'll focus (please excuse the pun) on eyes and vision, and bring you the facts with no hype, no hearsay,  no myth, free from commercial hard sell.

So you can adjust your lifestyle, eat the correct things, take the correct medications/supplements, do the correct exercises, seek out the correct operations/other treatments, and so on - and you can be confident that you're actually doing the things that will work for you.

So enter your email address at the top of this page, so we can send you our first published report - a concise account of the vitamins and foods PROVEN to reduce the incidence and progression of Age-related Macular Degeneration (the commonest cause of blindness in developed countries), complete with references to the research evidence underpinning the summary. Essential information for everyone - we're all living longer - we desperately NEED our vision to last.

To your lifetime of good vision.

The Eye Care and Vision team,
St. Albans Medical Centre
UK

The blog you're reading now is the place to come for proven facts on how to care for your eyes and your vision, so they last your lifetime - which is essential. (8)

If you want proven facts about how best to care for your eyes and vision, together with references to the scientific evidence underpinning those facts so you can have confidence that the steps you're going to take are going to work, this blog you're looking at now is the place to come.

Scroll up and down, use the search facility top left, and click some of the links to view information presented by other eye and vision professionals who are doing the same thing - bringing evidence-based useful information to you.

We and our doctors will keep on searching, sifting the evidence-based facts from the ocean of hearsay myth out there, and we'll bring you the proven information in readily digestible form so you can use it to care for your eyes and your vision.

That's our mission.

To good vision - for life - for everyone.

The Eye Care and Vision Team
St. Albans Medical Centre
St. Albans, U.K.

Tel: + 44 (0)1727 812925
Email: Contact@StAlbansMedicalCentre.com

A new source of reliable, evidence-based information on how to look after your eyes and vision so they can last your lifetime. (6)

This is the latest version of the new and updated blog from the Eye Care and Vision department of St. Albans Medical Centre, St. Albans, UK.


We post here only proven information, with references to the supporting evidence, so that you can rely on it when choosing how to care for your eyes and vision. Actually PROVEN information is relatively scarce, so we don't post often - but what we do post is proven fact that you can rely on to look after your eyes and your vision for life.


Your vision is arguably your most important asset. Most people would prefer to lose anything rather than lose their eyesight.


We are living longer, so it is important to do the things that we know prolong the life of our eyes and our vision.


This is the stuff we teach our patients every day - we want you to benefit too!


ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS above for our regular FREE posts and emails, with all the authoritative supporting evidence, each time we present a reliable proven fact concerning how to care for your eyes and vision. Stay informed - you owe it to your eyes, to your family, and to yourself.

Sinusitis and sinus congestion (5)

Introduction 

Sinusitis is a common cause of pain in and around the eyes and face. It is a condition in which the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed, usually due to a viral infection in which case it often improves within two or three weeks, or allergy in which case it can persist for many months.
The sinuses are small, air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead.
The mucus produced by your sinuses usually drains into your nose through small channels. In sinusitis, these channels become blocked because the sinus linings are inflamed (swollen).
It's very important to minimise the inflammation in your sinuses as quickly as possible i.e. within a few weeks, rather than putting up with the symptoms and allowing the sinusitis to persist for months or years. This is because the inflammation itself gradually causes permanent blockage of the sinus drainage passages which then becomes much harder to treat and leads to self-perpetuating long-term sinusitis. See below under "How to treat your sinusitis promptly and properly".

What causes sinusitis?

Sinusitis is usually the result of a cold or flu virus spreading to the sinuses from the upper airways. Only a few cases are caused by bacteria infecting the sinuses.
An infected tooth or fungal infection can also occasionally cause the sinuses to become inflamed.
It's not clear exactly what causes sinusitis to become chronic (long-lasting), but it has been associated with:

• allergies and related conditions, including allergic rhinitis, asthma and hay fever
• nasal polyps (growths inside the nose)
• smoking
• a weakened immune system

Making sure underlying conditions such as allergies and asthma are well controlled may improve the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

Signs and symptoms

Sinusitis usually occurs after an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold. If you have a persistent cold and develop the symptoms below, you may have sinusitis.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:

• a green or yellow discharge from your nose
• a blocked nose
• pain and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
• a sinus headache
• a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or more
• toothache
• a reduced sense of smell
• bad breath (halitosis)

Children with sinusitis may be irritable, breathe through their mouth, and have difficulty feeding. Their speech may also sound nasal (as though they have a stuffy cold).

When to see your GP

If your symptoms are mild and getting better, you don't usually need to see your GP and can look after yourself at home.
See your GP if:

• your symptoms are severe or getting worse
• your symptoms haven't started to improve after around 7-10 days
• you experience episodes of sinusitis frequently

Your GP will usually be able to diagnose sinusitis from your symptoms and by examining the inside of your nose.
If you have severe or recurrent sinusitis, they may refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist for further assessment.

How to treat your sinusitis promptly and properly

Most people with sinusitis will have it due to a virus, and will feel better within two or three weeks. These people can treat themselves at home as follows:

• you can relieve the pain by taking over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, and by holding warm packs to your face.
• using nasal decongestants – these shouldn't be used for more than a week, as this might make things worse
• inhaling steam, with/without menthol.
• regularly cleaning the inside of your nose with a saline solution; this is highly effective. One preparation that our patients find excellent for this is cheap HERE and the replacement sachets for it are extremely cheap HERE

If your symptoms aren't improving or are getting worse, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or corticosteroid spray or drops to see if they help.
If your symptoms don't get better after trying these treatments, you may be referred to an ENT specialist for endoscopic examination, and perhaps surgery to improve the drainage of your sinuses.

Surgery

If your symptoms don't improve despite trying the treatments mentioned above, a type of surgery called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) may be recommended. This is a procedure to improve the drainage of mucus from your sinuses.
FESS is usually carried out under general anaesthetic. During the procedure, the surgeon will insert an endoscope into your nose. This is a thin tube with a lens at one end that magnifies the inside of your nose. It will allow the surgeon to see the opening of your sinuses and insert small surgical instruments.


The surgeon will then either:

• remove any tissues, such as nasal polyps (growths), that are blocking the affected sinus
• inflate a tiny balloon briefly in the drainage passages from your sinuses to widen them (this is known as a balloon catheter dilation)

Eyelid lumps caused by Blepharitis (4)

In the last few posts on this blog, we've been discussing Blepharitis, the most common cause of irritating eyes. Now to complete the subject of blepharitis, we'll just cover the best ways to treat the two most common types of eyelid lumps, both of which are caused by Blepharitis. Most people will suffer one or more of these at some time or other, and knowing how to treat them, and how important it is to commence treatment the day they appear, is key to resolving them promptly and successfully.

Chalazion (= Meibomian Cyst) (= Internal Hordeolum)

These are accumulations of oil within the larger oil-producing glands of the eyelids:

 You can distinguish these from styes (see below) by their position further away from the lid margin - higher in the upper lids and lower in the lower lids.

To treat these cysts, warm compresses (part of the treatment for Blepharitis) are the most important thing - what you're trying to do is to melt the oils that are blocking the meibomian gland ducts and preventing the produced oil from leaving the gland. You need 10 - 30 minutes of very warm compresses on the chalazion, several times per day if you are to have any chance of getting rid of it without an operation; this is actually quite difficult to achieve with hot wet flannels - the flannels cool too quickly, and water gets everywhere especially if you try to lie down for the 10 minutes which is the most comfortable way to do this treatment. A more convenient way to do this heat treatment is to purchase one of the commercially available heat pads that you microwave for approx. 30 seconds and then apply to the eyes using an elastic strap round the head - you can then sit or lie back and allow the heat to do its work.
After each heat treatment, massage gently downward from above the chalazion toward the lid margin; this will encourage movement of the liquefied oil out of the gland.

If all the above fails to make any headway in shrinking and resolving the chalazion, then an eye specialist can do a small operation to remove it - it's not very traumatic surgery, but it's still worth giving the above non-surgical treatments a good try first ! But if you do need to have one removed, St. Albans Medical Centre has a painless, 2-minute method of removing any lumps on or around the eyelids - click HERE for their website.

Stye (= External Hordeolum)

These are small infections within the tiny oil-producing glands on the lid margin.

In much the same way as chalazia (see above), they're caused by blockage of the gland ducts by solidifying oils, thereby blocking the exit of oil from the gland and causing the oil to accumulate within the gland. So once again treatment involves warm pads to melt the oils, followed by massage from above the lump, toward the lid margin. However, because the glands involved in Styes open out into the hair follicles rather than onto the skin surface, it is possible to facilitate emptying of the gland by pulling out the appropriate eye lash. However, you should then continue to treat the blepharitis with warmth, massage and cleaning (see post below on how to control your blepharitis).

For both Chalazia and Styes

One of the most important factors to bear in mind is to start treating a chalazia/stye as soon as it begins to appear i.e. within a day or two; at this very early stage the lump just contains liquid oil/pus, and can drain quite easily with hot compresses and massage. If they are left for weeks or months, then a solid granulomatous component appears within the gland, making them much more difficult, or impossible, to empty completely.













Pictures courteusy of Medicinenet.com, with thanks. You can visit their excellent site by clicking here