Eat for Healthy Eyes

One of the most important measures you can take to ensure healthy vision for a lifetime is to eat well.
Incorporate these foods into your regular diet for healthy, happy eyes!

ALMONDS

ROSEMARY ROASTED ALMONDS (FOR YOUR MACULA)
RECIPE: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/rosemary-roasted-almonds/#_a5y_p=1110661

Almonds are rich in Vitamin E, which helps to slow Macular Degeneration. 1 handful of these contains half of the Vitamin E you need every day!


BERRIES

BERRIES - FOR PREVENTING CATARACTS AND MACULAR DEGENERATION

Berries and Citrus Fruits are rich in Vitamin C, which reduces the risk of developing Macular Degeneration or Cataracts.



CARROTS

CARROTS - FOR YOUR RETINA

Carrots are rich in Beta-Cerotene, a type of Vitamin A which helps the Retina and other parts of the eye to function well.


EGGS

EGGS - FOR YOUR MACULA

Eggs are rich in Zinc, which reduces the risk of Macular Degeneration.


LEAFY GREENS

FRESH SPINACH - TO HELP PREVENT CATARACTS AND MACULAR DEGENERATION

Leafy greens are rich in Antioxidants which lower the risk of developing Macular Degeneration or Cataracts.


FATTY FISH

EASY CEDAR PLANK SALMON - TO HELP PRECENT DRY EYE

TRY THE RECIPE - http://www.wellfitandfed.com/fed/planked-the-real-mans-way-cook-salmon/

Fatty fish are rich in DHA, which can prevent dry eye.
Add Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, and Trout to your dishes!)

A Tale of Ophthalmic Heroics

Today, an estimated 180 million people worldwide are visually disabled. Of these, between 40 and 45 million people are blind and, by definition, cannot walk about unaided.

9 out of 10 of the world's blind live in developing countries, where the loss of sight causes enormous human suffering for the affected individuals and their families. It also represents a public health, social, and economic problem because families often rely on every member for support.

Cataracts, clouding of the lenses, compose half of that blindness. 

(http://www.emro.who.int/health-topics/cataract/)

Though blindness due to cataracts is preventable and correctable, many developing countries have inadequate surgical services, and people of all ages are at risk.

Enter: a humanitarian hero of ophthalmology

 Dr. Sanduk Ruit (pictured on the right). Some of his patients are pictured on the left.

Dr. Sanduk Ruit pioneered a small-incision cataract surgery with inexpensive lenses (as low at $3.50 each) to restore vision to hundreds of thousands of people across Nepal and surrounding countries, including North Korea. He also teaches his technique to other eye surgeons, and his methods are now practiced in many parts of the world, even by U.S. military surgeons. 

Dr. Ruit asks a post-op patient to touch his nose.
(Source: http://www.cureblindness.org/who/dr-sanduk-ruit/)

Dr. Ruit in North Korea

(Source: http://www.cureblindness.org/who/dr-sanduk-ruit/)

Dr. Ruit teaching cataract surgery techniques.

(Source: http://www.cureblindness.org/who/dr-sanduk-ruit/)

Dr. Ruit's patients after cataract surgery.
(Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35935864/ns/health-health_care/t/nepalese-doc-god-sight-nations-poor/#.VXWgIs9Viko)

You can find his story on Netflix in some of the following documentaries: Inside North Korea, Out of the Darkness, and in several episodes of The Human Planet.

Be careful! You'll put your eye out.

This Holiday Season, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Urges Caution When Choosing Gifts for a Child.


Though we LOVE the themes of courage, strength, and adventure in many popular films for younger viewers, be aware of your child's desire to appropriate featured weaponry, and avoid buying toys that launch projectiles, such as crossbows and BB guns. 

 
Projectile-shooting toys can cause serious eye injury and vision loss in children. Roughly 1 in 10 children's eye injuries that end up in the ER are caused by toys, according to a 2014 study. Overall, there were an estimated 256,700 toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide in 2013, a report by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission found. 

One toy crossbow that shoots darts more than 100 feet away landed on a list of most dangerous toys of 2014 for its potential to cause eye injury. Plastic darts and arrows can scratch the eye, causing corneal abrasions, or in the case of pointed tips can puncture the eye and permanently damage a child’s vision. Injuries from airsoft, BB and paintball guns are quite common and include retinal detachment that can cause vision loss; pooling of blood in the front of the eye (ocular hyphema) that can block vision and increase the risk of glaucoma; and traumatic cataracts, which may require surgery to restore sight.

“People may view toy versions of bows and arrows or guns as harmless, but even foam or plastic projectiles can potentially cause serious damage to a child’s eye if used at close range,” said Jane Edmond, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “With so many other options for gift giving, physicians recommend that parents consider safer alternatives. Nobody wants to end up in the emergency room over the holidays, especially due to an injury caused by a gift.”

Toy safety tips:

 1. Avoid purchasing toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts such as airsoft guns, BB guns and paintball guns, which can propel foreign objects into the sensitive tissue of the eye.

2. For laser toys, look for labels that include a compliance statement with 21 CFR Subchapter J to ensure the product meets the Code of Federal Regulations requirements for laser products, including power limitations.

3. When giving sports equipment,, provide children with the appropriate protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses, which are shatterproof.

4. Check labels for age recommendations to be sure to select gifts that are appropriate for a child's age and maturity. Also, keep toys that are made for older children away from younger children.

5. Make sure children have appropriate adult supervision when playing with potentially hazardous toys or games that could cause an eye injury.

References:

https://www.rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2014/01/2014-01-44-contribution-chen.pdf http://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Toys/ToyReport2013.pdf http://toysafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/10-Worst-Toys-2014.pdf

This Article was Made Available by EyeSmart, Working with the American Academy of Ophthalmology to Educate the Public in Eye Health

Contact Care is Critical

Tips for Healthy Contact Habits

According to the Center for Disease Control, properly caring for your contact lenses has a HUGE impact on your eye health and on the medical industry as a whole. 

 Your Contacts

Replace your lenses as often as the doctor suggests, even if you don't wear them every day. For instance, if you have the disposable kind that are good for one wearing, throw them out after you've worn them once, even if they still feel fresh. When you wear lenses for more days than you should, or when you sleep in lenses that aren't made for overnight wear, you raise your risk of eye infections (Web MD).

Before You Touch Your Lenses

Always wash your hands before you put your lenses in or take them out. Don't lather up with oily or heavily scented soaps. Lenses can cling to wet hands, so dry your hands well with a lint-free towel. If you want to use a moisturizer, wait until after you've put in your lenses. The residue from lotions can stick to them (Web MD). 

Putting in Your Lenses

Start with the same eye each time so you don't mix up the right and left lenses. Use your index finger to slide the lens out of the package or case and into the palm of your hand. Rinse it with the solution recommended by your eye doctor. Place the lens on the tip of your index finger.  Pull your lower lid down with the middle finger of the same hand and hold your upper lid with your other hand. Place the lens directly on the iris of your eye. Gently release your lids, and blink (Web MD).

Removing Your Lenses

To take out soft lenses, pull down your lower lid. Look up or to the side, and gently move your lens to the white of your eye. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pinch the lens and lift it off your eye. For gas-permeable lenses, open your eyes wide and pull the skin near the corner of your eye toward your ear. Bend over your open palm and blink. The lens should pop out into your palm (Web MD).

Cleaning and Storage

There are many ways to clean lenses. A multipurpose solution lets you clean, rinse, disinfect, and store your lenses. Some systems have separate products for cleaning and rinsing. "No-rub" solutions say that rinsing alone will clean the lenses, but research suggests that rubbing cleans better. With hydrogen peroxide solution, you put your lenses in a basket that goes in a cup of solution. Never use this solution to rinse your lenses (Web MD).

Water and Lenses Don't Mix

If you're out of contact lens solution, you might be tempted to rinse your lenses with tap water. Don't do it! Water sometimes has microbes that can cause serious eye infections. Don't even wear contacts in the shower. And never put your lenses into your mouth or use saliva to wet them (Web MD).

The Case Matters, Too

Clean your lens case as carefully as you clean your lenses. You should rinse it at least every night with disinfecting solution. Wipe the case with a tissue and let it air dry to help get rid of lingering bacteria. Replace your case every 3 months or more often (Web MD). Never use water to clean your case.

Your Contact Lens Solution

Don’t “top off” solution. Use only fresh contact lens disinfecting solution in your case—never mix fresh solution with old or used solution. Use only the contact lens solution recommended by your eye doctor.

When Your Lenses Hurt

A lens might feel uncomfortable if there's something on or under it, or if it's inside out. Take the lens out and rinse it with rewetting drops or a non-peroxide solution to remove the dirt or dust. Look at it from the side. If there are marks on the edge and you can read them, the lens is OK. If the shape is a "U," then it's fine. If it's a "V" with the top edges flared out, turn it around, rinse, and place it back in your eye. If that's not better, see your eye doctor (Web MD).

Teens and Contact Lenses

Teenagers can wear lenses as long as they learn to take care of them. Disposable lenses that are worn just 1 day are a good option. There's no cleaning or care involved. Work with your eye doctor to find the best contacts for you. Never try on a friend's lenses. An eye doctor has to fit contact lenses perfectly to your eyes. The doctor can give you samples to make sure the chosen lenses fit well (Web MD).

Makeup Tips for Lens Wearers

Put on soft contact lenses before you apply makeup. Put on gas-permeable lenses after you've put on your makeup. Always take lenses out before you take off your makeup.
Use non-allergenic makeup. Avoid metallic or glittery eye shadows and liners, and lash-lengthening or waterproof mascara. These can irritate or stain your lenses. 
Don't apply eyeliner to your inner rims, between your lashes and your eye.
Replace your eye makeup at least every 3 months (Web MD).

Contact Lenses and Sports

You can wear your lenses for most sports and activities. They rarely move or fall out. Plus, they don't fog up like glasses, and they give you better peripheral vision. If you swim, though, make sure you wear watertight goggles. You can get an eye infection from water, and your lenses can be hard to take out if they get wet. Use saline or rewetting drops to loosen them, and then clean and disinfect them afterward.

Keep Your Glasses
Even after you get contact lenses, you'll probably still wear glasses sometimes. You should keep a pair of up-to-date prescription glasses for when your eyes need a break or if you can’t wear your contacts for some reason. You should also have sunglasses to protect your eyes from damaging UV light. Choose sunglasses that block 99% of UV light and wear them -- especially in the sun, when you're driving, and around snow, water, or sand.

Decorative and Cosmetic Lenses

It might look cool to have cat's eyes for Halloween or change your eye color just for fun. Decorative and cosmetic lenses can be safe, but make sure you get them from an eye doctor. It's actually illegal to sell decorative lenses without a prescription in the U.S. Ill-fitting contact lenses can scratch your eye or cause an eye infection.

Your Eyes and Your Screens

Teens and young adults spend hours in front of computers, televisions, and cell phones. All that screen time can cause computer vision and eye strain problems. We blink less when we're focusing up close like that, so eyes can get dry and tired. To help, try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from the screen to look at something 20 feet away (Web MD).    

Visit an Eye Doctor

If you're thinking about contact lenses, see an eye doctor first. Contacts come in different materials, shapes, and strengths that don't match the prescription for your glasses. An optometrist or an ophthalmologist can find the right prescription and fit lenses exactly to your eyes. Even if you want to buy contact lenses online, you'll still need to see an eye doctor first.

(Web MD).

Ophthalmology & Art

Ophthalmology and Art:
(Stanford ophthalmologist Michael f. Marmor presents the following research regarding the evolution of Monet’s paintings as impacted by the progression of his cataracts)

Monet, one of the most influential impressionists of the early 20th century, had cataracts that worsened steadily from 1912 to 1922. Slowly progressive age-related cataracts manifest as a yellowing and darkening lens, greatly impacting color perception and visual acuity.

We find striking changes in the style of Monet’s paintings during the period of progressive visual failure. These late paintings show predominant red-orange or green-blue tones that are quite different from the subtle color shading that characterizes Monet’s earlier Impressionistic work. There is nothing in Monet’s correspondence to suggest that he had any intention of mimicking the abstractions and distortions explored by other painters in the early 20th century. It is very difficult to know a century later whether these works appear to us as Monet wanted them to appear. After having his cataracts removed, he destroyed many of his late canvases. Many remain only because they were salvaged by family and friends.

1914-1915: Monet’s visual difficulties were becoming more serious. He wrote that “colors no longer had the same intensity for me . . . reds had begun to look muddy . . . my painting was getting more and more darkened.” He felt that he could no longer distinguish or choose colors well and was “on the one hand trusting solely to the labels on the tubes of paint and, on the other, to force of habit.”

1919-1922: Monet was afraid that he might have to stop painting. He would only paint during certain hours when the lighting was optimal. He was well aware that colors were lost in the yellow blur of his vision.

1923: Monet finally acquiesced to cataract surgery. Though he regained acceptable reading vision, he was acutely aware of changes in color perception in the eye that underwent surgery. He complained vigorously for more than a year that the world appeared either too yellow or too blue. He finally regained confidence in his view of the world in 1924 and worked vigorously to refine the great Water Lily canvases now hanging in Paris, France.

(The following information is from Guy Gugliotta’s article “Simulations of Ailing Artists’ Eyes Yield New Insights on Style,” in the New York Times, 2004)

France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries embraced an astonishing number of important artists who battled serious physical shortcomings — sometimes for decades.

Edgar Degas, known for his paintings of nudes and ballet dancers, suffered retinal disease, probably macular degeneration, for nearly half his life. Degas first noticed eye problems as a national guardsman in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, when he could not aim his rifle because of a blind spot in his right eye. By 1890, his left eye also began to deteriorate. Light dazzled him. He tried to use peripheral vision to compensate for his loss of central vision.
       Retinal disease, unlike cataracts, does not cause major difficulties with color perception. But Degas had blurred vision, affecting his ability to perceive form and line. Dr. Michael Marmor used computer simulations to gauge the problem. The simulations showed that Degas’s draftsmanship became less detailed and the shadowing coarsened as his sight deteriorated. Even so, his work would have looked smoother to him than it actually was.

Mary Cassatt, like Monet, had cataracts. Cataract surgery was possible in the early 1900s, but it did not always work. “I look forward with horror to utter darkness,” Cassatt wrote in 1919, fearing that an operation on her left eye would be “as great a failure as the last one.”

Camille Pissarro had a malfunctioning tear duct, and in his last 15 years, suffered chronic infection of the tear sac in his right eye. Thus, he had difficulty painting outdoors, particularly in winter.        
       Still, “There is a certain element of ‘I’m not going to stop what I want to do,’” said a great-grandson of the artist, Joachim Pissarro, an art historian at Hunter College. “You don’t want to over-analyze the impact.” Indeed, Pissarro’s late cityscapes of Rouen and Paris, regarded as masterpieces, were painted from indoors behind a window to protect his eyes.

For artists with eye problems, it is perhaps surprising that infirmities did not change their styles more radically. A key, some experts said, might be that although artists’ perceptions might be influenced by physical limitations, they are also informed by what the artists know and what they want to do.

“Most of us are into quick snapshots,” said John Elderfield, chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art. “But the ability to translate visual memory into a different medium is another thing altogether. Monet had been painting for 50 years when he had cataracts. Of course he painted from memory. He painted from memory all his life.”

*Edited for length
Sources:

Diabetes and Your Eyes

If Diabetes impacts you or a loved one, read this wonderfully informative article from DiabeticConnect.

People with diabetes have a higher risk for eye problems. Over time, high blood sugar and high blood pressure levels damage blood vessels throughout the body. This includes the blood vessels that supply the eye.

Scanning Electron Microscope image of retinal blood vessels. 

(source:http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/retina-blood-vessels-coloured-scanning-high-res-stock-photography/123773764)

The retina of your eye has tiny, fragile blood vessels on it. When harmed, these blood vessels can swell, weaken and clog. The term used to describe this damage is "diabetic retinopathy," and it’s the leading cause of blindness in adults.

(source: http://peposevision.com/diabetic-retinopathy/)

Having diabetes also ups your risk for cataracts and glaucoma. The longer you have diabetes, the higher your chance of having diabetic-related eye problems.

Signs of diabetic retinopathy include:

1. Blurry, cloudy, or distorted vision. In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels leak, which can alter your sight. If fluid from the blood vessels leaks into the macula (the inner part of the retina), vision may become blurry.

2. Vision loss or dark area in your vision. Sometimes new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina after old blood vessels become damaged. The new blood vessels can bleed into the eye and cause vision loss. When diabetic retinopathy is left untreated, scar tissue may build up at the back of the retina, causing the retina to break away from the eye. This is called “retinal detachment”, and it can lead to permanent blindness.

3. Spots floating in your vision (“floaters”). Floaters may be a sign of blood vessel leaks, and they can for days or months. Even if the floater goes away quickly, it’s important to call your doctor before more severe bleeding occurs.

4. Trouble seeing colors. Growing or leaking blood vessels can impair your ability to see colors.

5. Pain, pressure or redness of your eye. Diabetic retinopathy can also lead to macula edema, or swelling of the macula, which can be painful.

6. Double vision. Seeing double may be a sign of cataracts, the clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts can also bring on blurred or dimmed vision.

7. Watery eyes, halos, eye aches and headaches. These discomforts may signal glaucoma, which is an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that pinches the optic nerve. This causes nerve and retinal damage and, eventually, blindness. Other symptoms of glaucoma include blurred vision, pain, and loss of sight.

If you have any of these symptoms or any changes in vision, see your eye doctor at once. Seeking prompt treatment for eye problems may save your vision.

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Following your diabetes care plan as directed by your doctor can lower your risk of all complications, including diabetic retinopathy. The better you control your blood sugar, the lower your chance of eye problems.

Diabetic retinopathy doesn’t usually cause symptoms in the early stages of the disease, so it’s crucial to get regular eye exams once per year — or as often as your doctor recommends — even if your eyesight seems fine."

Ancient Cataract Surgery

When did the first cataract surgery occur?

"That wasn't so bad, now, was it?"

According to the Sushruta Samhita, it was around 800 B.C.E.

This development is contemporary with the Epics of Homer, the first Olympics, India's Iron Age, the Biblical prophet Isaiah, and the adoption of the alphabet by the Greeks. 

THE FIRST OLYMPICS: 776 B.C.E.

THE BIBLICAL PROPHET ISAIAH: 8th CENTURY B.C.E.

THE EPICS OF HOMER: 8TH CENTURY B.C.E.

THE FIRST CATARACT SURGERY IS PERFORMED BY SUSHRUTA, THE "FOUNDING FATHER OF SURGERY": 800 B.C.E.

Here is a translated breakdown of the surgery provided in Duke Elder's Systems of Ophthalmology:

Preoperative care:

1) The patient was recommended to have an oily massage followed by a kind of heat-bath.

Operative technique:

1) The patient was asked to sit on a high stool, with the

surgeon sitting in front of him face to face.

2) He was instructed to look at the surgeon's nose while the operator rested his little finger on the outer eye socket bone, and held a sharp-pointed needle between his thumb, index, and middle

finger.

3) The point entered the anterior chamber, at the

junction of the medial and lateral two-thirds of the outer

portion of the white layer of the eye ball. If a sound

was produced followed by the gushing of watery fluid, then

the surgeon's needle was considered to be in the correct

part of the eye ball, but if this puncture was followed by

bleeding, it meant that it was misplaced. Care was taken

to avoid blood vessels present in that region.

4)The tip of the needle was then made to incise the capsule

of the lens.

5) With the needle in this position, the patient was

asked to blow down the nostril, while closing the opposite

side of the nose.

After this procedure, according to Sushruta, lens

material came out alongside the needle. When the

patient was able to perceive objects, the needle was

removed.

Post-operative care:

A few indigenous medicines (roots and leaves) were applied

to the eye, with a bandage. The patient was then

instructed to lie flat on his back and avoid any movement,

particularly sneezing and coughing. The operated eye was

examined daily until the tenth day. If the whitish mass

appeared again in the pupillary area the same procedure

had to be repeated.