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eye care

Eye herpes, also known as ocular herpes, is a viral condition of the eye caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). In most cases, eye herpes affects the cornea of the eye when it is called herpes keratitis. Herpes around the eye can affect the superficial cells of the cornea or the main body of the cornea. Eye herpes is usually transmitted when a person touches a cold sore on their lip and then their eye, oral contacts such as kissing or sharing food, eating utensils or a toothbrush.

Types of eye herpes: 

There are two main types of eye herpes including:

  • Epithelial keratitis– is one of the most commonly occurring herpes of the eye wherein the virus is active in the thin outermost layer of the cornea, known as the epithelium.
  • Stromal keratitis– is a more serious condition because over time and repeated outbreaks cause enough damage to your cornea to cause blindness.

Symptoms of Eye Herpes:

An ocular herpes outbreak is diagnosed with various signs and symptoms associated with it. Experiencing inflammation of the cornea giving rise to irritation or sudden and severe ocular pain, or a supremely cloudy cornea leading to blurry vision are some of the indications.

Other symptoms of eye herpes include:

  • The feeling of something being in the eye
  • Light sensitivity
  • Redness
  • Blurred vision
  • Swelling around the eyes
  • Inflamed eyelids (blepharitis)

What causes eye herpes?

The virus enters the body due to the nasal secretions or spit of a person with the infection. Upon entering, it travels through the body’s nerves including the ones in your eye. The virus could initially be dormant but certain triggers like fever, major surgical or dental procedures, stress, sunburn, trauma or severe injury can facilitate its reproduction causing eye irritation. Some causes include:

  • Major surgical or dental procedures
  • Trauma

Diagnosing eye herpes

Ophthalmologists, or eye doctors, begin diagnosing your herpetic eye disease by asking in-detail questions about the symptoms. That is followed by an eye exam to evaluate your vision, sensitivity to light, and eye movements using a special microscope (slit lamp) to visualize the eye’s surface and the eyelid.

As part of the diagnosis, you may be asked to give a small cell sample from a blistered area for lab testing to check the presence of HSV. Another option is a fluorescein eye stain test to look at the dye stains in your eye and identify any problems with your cornea, such as scarring.

Eye herpes treatment

There is no cure for herpetic eye disease currently. Your doctor will prescribe antiviral medications to reduce the effects and symptoms of the condition. It could be medicated eye drops, ointments or oral medications, depending on the location and severity of your eye herpes. Your treatment will also differ depending on whether you have epithelial keratitis (the milder form) or stromal keratitis (the more damaging form):

  • Epithelial keratitis treatment – take antiviral medication to minimize cornea damage and vision loss. A common treatment is the oral medication acyclovir (Zovirax) because it doesn’t come with some of the potential side effects of eye drops. Your doctor may also perform debridement to remove diseased cells wherein they gently brush the surface of your cornea with a cotton swab after applying numbing drops.
  • Stromal keratitis treatment – In this case, prefer antiviral therapy and take steroid (anti-inflammatory) eye drops to reduce swelling in the stroma.

Although eye herpes is not curable, you can minimize the eyesight damage during sudden outbreaks at the first sign of the symptoms. Contact your doctor to schedule an eye check-up today. That is because the sooner your treatment begins, the lesser significant damages your cornea will face.

Chalazion, The Lump in Eyes

There is a meibomian gland at the edge of your eyelid. The job of this gland is to produce lubricating oil for the eye surface. But when this gland gets blocked, minor swelling or a lump on your eyelid appears. This lump is known as chalazion and chalazia if you have multiple lumps over your eyelid. This condition is pretty common.

Let’s look at the symptoms, causes, diagnosis of chalazion, and chalazion treatment as well.

Signs & Symptoms of Chalazion

You might have chalazion if you are facing the following prevalent signs and symptoms of chalazion:-

  • The inflamed, small, and red area mostly over your upper eyelid in the beginning stage.
  • Your eyes are feeling watery, along with irritation, discomfort, or pain.
  • Blurry vision in case of an enormous lump on the eyelid.
  • The skin surrounding your eyelid might also appear red.
  • When the inflammation increases, the lump on your eyelid feels firm and hard when touched.

Chalazion Causes & Possible Risk Factors

As mentioned earlier, chalazion happens when the oil-generating gland in your eyes gets blocked. It happens due to various reasons like:-

  • Underlying Inflammatory Conditions
  • Chronic Blepharitis
  • Seborrheic Dermatitis
  • Acne Rosacea
  • Viral Conjunctivitis

Here are the possible risk factors associated with chalazion in your future which you should watch out for:-

  • Diabetes
  • Viral Infections
  • Skin Cancer
  • Tuberculosis
  • Return of Chalazion

Diagnosis of Chalazion

An Eye doctor can diagnose chalazion through performing a physical examination. They might also ask for your detailed medical history. In the physical examination, they will test the vision of both the eyes individually. The eye doctor will also check the eyelid, face, and eyes closed for any symptoms.

If you are repeatedly suffering from chalazion, your eye doctors may refer you to an ophthalmologist. They will test you for other serious eye infections as well. In case of repetitive chalazion, your health care provider might also suspect underlying severe illnesses like diabetes. They might prescribe a blood test to conclude.

Home Chalazion Treatments

You can try these simple home chalazion treatments, which are effective according to the doctors also.

  • Warm compress is a traditional remedy for many ailments. It is effective for chalazion also. Apply and hold a warm compress on the affected eyelid for 15 minutes. Do that at least 3-4 times a day.
  • Give a gentle massage on the impacted eyelid and eyes after the warm compress. Massage and compress combined will unblock the gland.
  • Practice more patience because sometimes the lump on your eyelid might take weeks or months to disappear.
  • Don’t make any desperate attempts like poking, stabbing, popping, or trying to pinch the lump out. You might get scratches and inflammation on your gland. As a result, it may reclog.

Signs That You Should Call Your Doctor

The above home remedies should be enough to minimize the impact of chalazion. And the lump should also be gone in few days. However, if it doesn’t happen, your degree of infection might need advanced medical treatment. So you should call your physician or ophthalmologist at the earliest.

Some other warning signs that call for immediate action are fever, headache, protruding eyes, blurry or double vision, eye pain, and redness. If a child is facing these symptoms, you must get an appointment with the doctor.

Key Takeaway!

A chalazion is a common eye problem, and mostly it goes away in some time. But you should not take your eye health for granted. Keep a watch on the symptoms explained in this article. If the lump on your eyelid doesn’t go away after trying all the home chalazion treatments, you should not delay contacting your doctor to schedule an eye exam. And remember to be extra careful if a child is affected with chalazion.

eye care tips for summer

Summer is finally here, which means you’re going to be putting away your sweaters, boots and winter cream and replacing them with sunscreen and summer clothing. Summer also means that you’re going to be spending a lot more time outdoors now that there’s no snow. Along with summer skincare, you need to make sure you take care of your eyes too.

Here are some essential eye-care tips for summer:

Continue reading 6 Tips To Protect Your Eyes This Summer

Winter Eye Care tips

Winter weather can be especially problematic if you already have a sensitive body. The skin gets dry, hands and feet get cold, and eyes get teary – these are some of the many problems most people face during the winter months.

Winters can cause several different eye problems. Exposure to harsh winds during the winter months can result in itchy and dry eyes. While it may not be possible to avoid dry eyes altogether, here are some eye care tips to consider this winter.

Continue reading 6 Essential Winter Eye Care Tips

man with eye glasses working on laptop from home

Our world has witnessed the outbreak of various epidemics and pandemics in the past. But digitalization has proved to be the biggest boon during this COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It is because of digitalization that we have been able to adopt work from home as a lifestyle change and keep the economic wheel churning even during these tough times. But while digitalization has its positives, the downside of technology is how it impacts our health in the long run.

Working from home has increased our convenience of being connected to our colleagues all the time, but it also keeps us glued to our screens even more. And so, here are some work-from-home useful health tips that will help you reduce your eye strain and improve your eye health.

Continue reading 8 Best Tips to Take Care Eyes During Work from Home

lazy eye in kids

Lazy eye is a visual impairment that is usually seen in early childhood years. In fact, 2 out of every 100 children are affected by this condition. Though this is concerning, lazy eye in kids can be treated. But first, it’s important to know what lazy eye is and how it can be cured.

What is lazy eye?

Also known as amblyopia, lazy eye is a visual condition in which the brain favors one eye more than the other. An eye is affected by amblyopia because of a number of conditions that prevent it from properly focusing and communicating with the brain. As a result, the brain ends up favoring the other eye.

The most common cause of amblyopia or lazy eye in kids is a weakness or an imbalance in the muscles responsible for positioning the eyes. It prevents the eyes from properly working together.

Effects of Lazy Eye in Kids

These are the signs you need to look out for if you think your kid may be affected by lazy eye or amblyopia:

  • A wandering eye
  • Misaligned eyes
  • Squinting
  • Poor depth perception
  • Rubbing one eye
  • Head tilting
  • Problems with reading and writing

As the kid grows and the condition progresses, they could be prone to more serious risks. In severe cases, lazy eye can also lead to loss of vision. Therefore, it is best to detect the problem as early as possible and understand your kids’ options for amblyopia treatment.

How can I tell if my child has amblyopia?

The signs of lazy eye in children can be easily noticed if you pay just enough attention. The first sign you should look for is misaligned or crossed eyes. This symptom indicates strabismus in which the brain bypasses the visual information that the lazy eye receives.

If you suspect the problem, you can get an eye patch for kids since children with lazy eye complain of blurry vision when their dominant eye is covered. To confirm the diagnosis, consult a certified and experienced optometrist, who may use the test called photo screening, which estimates the child’s eye alignment and helps look for a potential problem.

Lazy Eye Treatment

Glasses – Lazy eye in children can be corrected with glasses sometimes. Children with far-sightedness, near-sightedness, or astigmatism are usually prescribed glasses. The specialist monitors the improvement in vision and lazy eye, and suggests the course of treatment, if needed, after that.

Occlusion or Eye Patch – It is one of the most effective lazy eye correction method. In this treatment, the good eye is covered with a patch so that the lazy eye starts working. With the patch on, the brain will only receive information from the lazy eye, and hence, will not ignore it. The patch must be worn for a few hours every day. Also, children should be encouraged to read, color, write, or do other close-up activities while wearing the patch.

Atropine Eye Drops –Another effective amblyopia treatment, atropine eye drops are used to dilate the pupil and blur the vision in the good eye. It has the same results as an eye patch and is less awkward for children.

Vision Exercises – Vision exercises are really helpful and can be done in combination with other treatments.

Lazy Eye Surgery – Lazy eye surgery may be recommended when no other treatment works. It usually results in better eye alignment and also improves the appearance of the eye.

Amblyopia is a serious vision problem that can even lead to blindness. But the good news is that it is treatable in kids. Therefore, it is important to fix lazy eye in children as early as possible.

Consult the experts at InSight Vision Center and ensure the most comfortable and friendly lazy eye treatment for your child.

Coronavirus and eyes

By now, the whole world knows what COVID-19 is capable of doing – fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can take 2 to 14 days to show up after a person is exposed to the virus. In some people, the infection can get so severe that it can develop into pneumonia, leading to complications or even death.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a couple of reports suggest that coronavirus can also cause pink eye (conjunctivitis) in the infected person.

How Coronavirus Can Affect Your Eyes?

Health officials believe that conjunctivitis develops in about 1% to 3% of people with coronavirus.

Conjunctivitis is an infection of the membrane, known as conjunctiva that lines the eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. The symptoms of pink eye include itchiness, redness, tearing, discharge that forms a crust, and a gritty feeling in the affected eye.

How Coronavirus Is Transmitted?

When a person infected with coronavirus sneezes, coughs, sneezes, or talks, the virus can spray from their nose or mouth into your face. It’s likely that you inhale these droplets through your nose or mouth, and it’s also likely for the virus to enter your eyes too.

If you touch an object that has been contaminated with the virus – like the door knob – and then touch your eyes, the virus can enter your eyes.

The doctors at Insight Vision Center, Fresno, CA, have been closely following the coronavirus updates and would like to offer tips on how to stay healthy and protect your eyes while hunkering down at home.

Below are some eye protection guidelines you can follow:

 

  • Avoid rubbing your eyes.
      1. If you have the urge to rub your eyes or adjust your eyeglasses, don’t use your fingers, instead use a tissue. And if you must touch your eyes, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after touching your eyes.
    1. Switch to eyeglasses for a while instead of wearing contact lenses.

      If you tend to touch your eyes a lot for no apparent reason, consider wearing glasses more often. Wearing eyeglasses instead of contact lenses decreases the irritation in your eyes due to contact lenses, and you are more likely to pause before you touch your eyes. If you want to continue wearing contact lenses, ensure that you follow the contact lens hygiene to reduce your chances of an infection.
    2. Wear glasses for an added layer of protection.

      Although sunglasses or corrective eyeglasses can protect your eyes from virus-infected droplets, they do not provide 100% protection. The virus can enter into your eyes through the exposed areas such as the side, top, and bottom of the glasses. If you are taking care of a sick patient or if you are potentially exposed to the virus, wear safety goggles for a stronger defense.
    3. Stock up on critical eye medicines.

      Don’t wait until the last minute to contact your pharmacy and request a refill of your medications. During the lockdown, there may be a shortage of supplies, so it is advisable to stock up on critical medications, enough to get you by in emergency situations during the quarantine. If you have trouble getting approval from your insurance company, ask your pharmacist or your ophthalmologist for help.

    4. Practice safe hygiene and social distancing.

      Follow these general guidelines issued by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to slow the spread of disease:

  • Wash your hands as often as possible for at least 20 seconds using soap and water. Make it a habit to wash your hands after you use the restroom, cough, sneeze or blow your nose, and before eating.
  • If you do not have access to soap and water, use a hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
  • Avoid touching your face — eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and throw it away immediately. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow and then wash your hands.
  • Maintain social distancing. Avoid close contact with people. Stay at least 6 feet away from a person with a respiratory infection.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Disinfect commonly touched objects and surfaces, such as countertops and doorknobs in your house.

Lazy eye

What Is a Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)?

Lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is a vision development disorder that causes abnormal visual development in early childhood. It is developed when the eye and the brain are not stimulated properly, and the brain favors one eye over the other.

It can also be said that when nerve cells responsible for vision do not develop as they should, it results in a ‘lazy eye’. Usually, amblyopia occurs in one eye, but in some cases, it can occur in both eyes.

Continue reading What Is Lazy Eye? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Cloudy Vision vs Blurry Vision

The majority of people who have difficulty seeing make a very common mistake when describing their poor vision. They interchangeably use the terms blurry vision and cloudy vision. However, there is a thin line of difference between these terms. Both of them can be caused due to very different reasons.

So, let’s find out what exactly these conditions are and understand their causes.

Continue reading Cloudy Vision vs Blurry Vision: Here’s What You Need to Know

eyewear for sports

If you are a sportsperson who also wears glasses, then you know that the most frustrating thing is not being able to perform well in sports because your vision is blurry.

Though you should not wear glasses for contact sports such as rugby, soccer, and hockey; you must speak to your ophthalmologist to get the right pair of sports eyeglasses when you play other sports. Sports eyeglasses are essential gear for an active sportsperson.

Continue reading How to Choose the Best Eyewear for Sports?

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