About Your Eyes

Myopia is commonly called "nearsightedness," and it occurs when a person's eye is "too long" for its own focal length. This condition prevents distant objects from focusing properly on the retina. The blurred vision that results can be corrected with "minus power" lenses.

What causes myopia?
How common is it?
What's the treatment?
Will my vision continue to change?

What causes myopia?
Eye doctors believe there are two causes. First, there's heredity. If your parents are nearsighted, chances are you will be. The second is environmental. With heavy reading and studying—and the increased use of computers—we put a tremendous stress on our eyes. This may cause small amounts of myopia in some people.

How common is it?
Nearly half of all people with vision correction needs are nearsighted. This includes about 66 million of more than 150 million Americans with vision correction needs.

What's the treatment?
Fortunately myopia can be easily treated with a variety of options. The most common is eyeglasses or contact lenses. There are also surgical options to reshape the cornea. One method, laser vision correction, also known as photo refractive keratectomy (PRK), employs a highly precise excimer laser. In another, called radial keratotomy (RK), a surgeon changes the corneal curvature by making incisions with a scalpel.

Will my vision continue to change?
If you're nearsighted by fourth or fifth grade, chances are that you'll become more so with age. It's very common for nearsighted youths and teens to experience "creeping myopia." In other words, they grow slightly more nearsighted each year. This usually levels off by about college age. However, some people who haven't needed glasses until college find that myopia sets in then and develops for the next several years. By the late 20s, vision is usually stable until about the 40s—when presbyopia sets in. In later years, myopia may decrease somewhat as the eyes continue to change.

start noticing the need for them now-first for reading, and eventually for distances a bit further away.

Some signs to look for are:

· You experience headaches when reading
· Letters look fuzzy when reading up close
· You have difficulty reading in low-light situations

While presbyopia will not threaten sight, it is a progressive condition that should be properly diagnosed and treated by an eye care professional.

Presbyopia is a natural condition that affects the up-close vision of people over 40 years of age. It is caused when the lenses within the eyes begin to harden and lose their elasticity. This makes focusing on objects close up more difficult.

Presbyopia begins as early as a person's late 30s, affects a majority of people in their 40s, and affects nearly everyone by age 55. Whether the person experiencing presbyopia has worn glasses before or not, he or she will

Cataracts are a natural part of the eye's aging process and can begin developing as early as age 40. This condition may occur as a result of chemical changes in one eye or both. Four out of five people over 60 develop cataracts, and while it cannot be prevented, proper treatment can minimize and correct visual impairment.

One of those advances, phacoemulsification, is derived from the Greek word "phako,"

referring to the eye's natural lens, and "emulsify," to break down a liquid. During the procedure, the ophthalmologist peers through a microscopic device to make a small incision in the cornea (transparent, front portion of the eye).

Then an ultrasonic, vibrating probe is inserted to liquefy the clouded lens. The lens cavity is then irrigated and the liquefied lens particles are removed through a miniature vacuum on the probe's tip.

Afterward the surgeon may place an intraocular lens into the lens cavity. This is a permanent, plastic lens replacing the cataract-clouded lens, which provides light-focusing power similar to that of the eye's natural lens. Finally, a single stitch closes the incision.

Cataract surgery can be performed on an outpatient basis. With this brief, 10- to 20-minute procedure, patients can expect to resume normal activities immediately, or certainly within the week—which is much sooner than recovery times for previous procedures. After several weeks, the patient can be fitted with eyeglasses or contact lenses to further improve vision, if necessary.

Because each lens replacement option offers certain advantages and challenges, it's important for a cataract patient to discuss the options with an eye care professional. An ophthalmologist can help the patient determine what will best suit the patient's lifestyle and vision needs.

Source: Better Vision Institute

Astigmatism is a general distortion or blurring of both near and far visual images. It occurs when the cornea—the transparent outer portion of the eye that covers the front of the eye and the lens—is curved in one direction more than the other (making it more oval than round).

Astigmatism sometimes occurs in conjunction with another vision disorder, such as hyperopia (farsightedness) or myopia (nearsightedness).

Some people with astigmatism may not be aware of their condition because the brain learns to compensate for the distortion and blurring.

What causes astigmatism?

Exactly why this condition develops is not known. It may be inherited, caused as the eye develops, or occur as a result of the pressure of the eyelids against the eye.

Can it be corrected?

Yes, through prescription glasses or contact lenses that compensate for the deficiency. When lenses are prescribed to correct this defect, however, the person may initially see objects as tilted or out of shape for a few days—until the brain learns to perceive the images correctly.

Do children have problems with astigmatism?

About three percent of school-age children have significant amounts of astigmatism, compared with two percent of preschoolers.

What happens if the condition is not corrected?

If left unattended, even slight degrees of astigmatism may cause headaches, eye strain, fatigue, and poor schoolwork in children. Higher degrees cause distorted or blurred vision.

How can I tell if I or my children have astigmatism?

Early warning signs of astigmatism include:

An eye care professional can diagnose and treat astigmatism during a regular eye examination.

Will it get worse?

Gradual changes in the degree of astigmatism can be expected. Sometimes the change is slightly greater during the school years.

The seasonal allergy cycle can begin and end at different times around the country. For example, in warm, southern climates, seasonal allergies can occur as early as January and end as late as November.

Seasonal allergies traditionally fall into three categories:

1. Spring—Spring allergies may occur from January to May and may be aggravated by tree pollen, such as: Oak, Maple, Elm, Alder, Birch, Cottonwood, and Juniper.
2. Summer—Summer allergies may occur from May to mid-July and are caused by grass pollen, such as: Bermuda, Timothy, Orchard, Sweet Vernal, June, and Johnson.
3. Fall—Fall allergies may occur from August to November and are caused by weed pollen such as: Ragweed, Tumbleweed, Pigweed, Fireweed, and Lamb's Quarters.

There are many options for relieving the misery of eye allergy symptoms. If you're bothered by allergies that affect your eyes, visit your eye care professional.