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.

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 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

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

How to control your blepharitis (3)

In the previous posts (below) we've talked about Blepharitis being very common, indeed that most people have at least some blepharitis; and how, although it is initially relatively symptom-free, if untreated for years it can cause really serious eye disease and eventually loss of vision. We're all living much longer these days, so we need to think ahead and keep ourselves as healthy as possible so we don't spend our latter years with vision problems that could have been prevented by simple health care.

People who have a tendency to develop blepharitis will have that tendency for many years or all of their life. Cure is not possible, but complete control is absolutely possible and is important. 

Regular treatment is necessary - the inflammation tends to recur if you don't maintain this. 

Regular eyelid hygiene

This is a simple routine that consists of three parts - warmth, massage and cleaning.

1. Warmth

The purpose of warmth is to melt the oily secretions made by the eyelid's oil glands, to allow the oil to flow more freely and thereby unplug any glands blocked by that oil. Warmth applied to the eyelids for five to ten minutes is sufficient to do this.

The traditional method is to press on the eyelids gently with a flannel (facecloth) soaked in very warm water for 5-10 minutes. If the flannel cools, keep re-warming it in the warm water.

A popular alternative is to use a proprietary reusable heat pad which you place over your eyes for about five minutes. The heat pad can be more convenient than wet flannels, for example at work; they also retain their heat for longer so you can simply lie down and relax for five to ten minutes with the bag placed over your eyes. According to our patients, one of these pad types is particularly good - very convenient (you can use them wherever you are even if you don't have access to a microwave or electrical power) and the most hygienic available - click HERE to buy these quite cheaply through Amazon, or telephone (UK) 01727 812925 to buy them even more cheaply if you are local to, and can collect from, the St Albans Eye and Vision Clinic. Since these have been available, over the last few years, they have really improved the treatment results achieved by our patients.

2. Massage

Immediately after applying the warmth, massage very gently downwards on the upper eyelid, and upwards on the lower eyelid, to encourage the oily secretions toward the lid margins and out of the glands.

3. Clean

After warmth and massage, clean the eyelid margins to remove the oil and any scales or crusts. This can be done by either of the following ways, and different methods suit different people:

• Diluted baby shampoo (ten drops in a small cup of warm water) or sodium bicarbonate (a teaspoonful in a cup of warm water); use either of these on a cotton bud to clean off any crusts at the base of the eyelashes, followed by rinsing the eyelids in clean water. A flannel can be used instead of the cotton bud.
• Proprietary eyelid scrubs that you can buy; our patients have tried several of these, and one of the best can be purchased cheaply HERE. We'll keep searching for the lowest prices for these products, so you'll always get best value here.

If you've used a dry heat bag for the warmth stage, your eyelids won't have had the soaking effect of hot water, so you need to spend longer soaking crusts and scales and removing them from the lid margins, especially from between the eyelash bases. If you've used a moist heat bag, or hot wet flannels, then the crusts and scales should be already soft and ready to remove. The blepharitis is generated underneath these crust and scales, so whatever method you use, it's important to get all the crusts and scales off.

You should do the above routine - warmth, massage, clean - at least twice per day until symptoms settle. When the symptoms have eased, keep doing this routine at least three times per week to maintain control of your tendency to blepharitis. If you are prone to blepharitis it is best to think of this as part of your daily routine - just like brushing your teeth. Blepharitis tends to fluctuate and there will be times when it is a bit worse despite the treatment; overall, however, regular treatment will minimise symptoms and long-term complications.

Artificial tear drops

Blepharitis is often associated with dry eyes, so artificial tears/lubricants may help ease symptoms. Different preparations suit different people, so simply try one after the other until you find the one that suits you best.

Antibiotic and/or Steroid treatments

Antibiotic or steroid eye ointment or tablets are usually unnecessary, but may be prescribed for blepharitis unresponsive to the above treatment, or for cases where at the outset the examination suggests that bacteria are a large part of the cause.