Goodbye to Dry Eyes!

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from dry eyes. That is a lot of people, enough to make you want to cry…unless of course you can't because you have dry eyes. If you suffer from dry eyes don’t fret there are treatments, something we will discuss.

First off: what are dry eyes and why is it a concern?

There are several reasons why it is important for your eyes to maintain enough tears to coat the surface of your eye. These tears serve a protective function:

• wash away debris such as bacteria, various microorganisms, allergens, and any chemicals that come in contact with your eye
• tears carry antibodies to prevent infection
• tears carry nutrients to the cells on the surface of the eye

So you can understand that tears serve many functions to help provide you with healthy vision. This is also why concerns about dry eyes are more than just dealing with discomfort.

Causes

Dry eyes can be caused by a variety of conditions. In certain cases the lacrimal gland can be damaged and affect the eye’s ability to secrete tears. Certain medical conditions such as lupus and sarcoidosis can inflame the lacrimal gland.

In other scenarios, the side effects of medications, taken for non-eye related conditions, can cause dry eyes. Many medications will list dry eyes as a possible side effect.

Dry eyes can also be caused by abnormalities of the lipid layer of the tear film. What happens then is that oil glands get plugged up (a condition known as blepharitis) and can’t properly secrete the oily layer of tears that prevents evaporation.

Treatments for Dry Eyes

*First and foremost: see an optometrist or eye care specialist

*Artificial tears or preservative free artificial tears (if you use more than 4 times a day)

*Lubricating gels or ointments—best used before bedtime

If you are having problems with dry eyes or any eye care issues please feel free to call Vision Pro today to set up an eye exam with one of our optometrists. We take pride in helping you maintain healthy vision!

http://www.visionpro-optical.com/pages/eye-care-services/optometrists.php

What is Color Blindness?

Men have often been accused of being color blind by women for their inability to distinguish slight differences in certain hues of colors, such as the difference between periwinkle and powder blue. Yes, this is a tragedy. However, this has more to do with not knowing—or caring—what the different shades of blue are. Color blindness is a real medical condition where the afflicted have an inability to see colors in the usual way.

People suffering from color blindness often have a difficulty seeing red, green, or blue, or a mix of these colors. It is very rare for someone to not be able to see any colors at all.

Most color vision problems are genetic and are often diagnosed during childhood. People have three types of cone cells in their eyes that sense red, blue, and green light. Inherited color blindness may result from a lack of one of these cone cells or they are not working properly. However, color vision problems can also result from:

           *Injuries to the eye

           * Aging

           *Side effects from medication

           *Eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

Those suffering from color blindness might have difficulty distinguishing the number in the image above. If you can’t decipher what the number is in the circular image you may want to consult an eye care professional.

For children that are suspected of having color blindness tests are typically conducted between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. For children, it is important to diagnose color blindness as soon as possible since color vision can affect learning abilities and reading development.

If you think you or your child might have color blindness or a color vision problem please contact Vision Pro to set up an appointment with one of our eye care professionals. We would be more than happy to help you on your way to healthy vision!