Have you ever taken a shower and turned the hot water on in the bathroom, then the mirrors would slowly fog up due to the steam from the shower? Well, the fog from the steam is what having cataracts is like. Cataracts is the clouding up of the eyes lens causing your vision to be blurry. Over 24.4 million Americans that are 40 and above are affected with this disease and that number doubles for people that reach age 75. According to the World Health Organization, cataracts is responsible for 51% of the world’s blindness.
Cataracts is the most common eye conditions and with today’s medical advances, it can be easily treated with surgery. Commonly, cataracts are due to old age but there are other factors than can contribute to its manifestation.
Certain diseases, such as diabetes can increase your risk for developing cataracts. Other risk factors include smoking, prolonged and excessive exposure to ultraviolet light and certain medications such as statin and corticosteroids can increase the chances of your lens to develop cataracts. Injury or trauma to the eye can result in cataract formation and people have been known to have been born with cataracts as well. In our vision, light passed through the cornea and pupil and hits the lens. The lens then focuses the light to the back of the eye called the retina which is the light sensitive tissue lining in the back of the eye. The retina then changes the light rays into nerve impulses that goes through the optic nerve into the brain. The brain then configures these nerve impulses into images. The lens of the eye plays an important part on how we are able to see clear objects when either close or far away. Tiny fibers called ciliary zonules are attached to the lens and the zonules are attached to the ciliary muscles. These muscles are able to change the lens curvature when images are either close or far away. The lens is mostly made up of water and translucent proteins called crystallines. These proteins are clear and are aligned in a certain way so that light can pass through without any obstructions allowing us to see objects clearly.
Optometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
Vision loss from glaucoma is permanent but can be prevented with early detection and treatment. Since the symptoms of the disease are usually unnoticeable, regular eye examination are important especially for persons over the age of 35 and those in high risk group.
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye and it is fluid pressure within the eye rises and if the eye is left untreated the patient might lose vision or maybe even blind. But this disease is generally affects both eyes but although one of their eyes may have more severe signs or symptoms then the other eye. When you have glaucoma there are small spaces in the front of the eye and they are called anterior chamber. There is clear liquid that flows in and out of the anterior chamber and the fluid nourishes and bathes nearby the tissues. And if the patient has glaucoma the fluid dose not drain like it should drain but the fluid drains out of the eye. And this may lead to fluid build up and pressure inside the rises of the eye. Unless the pressure is brought down and controlled and the optic nerves and some of the other parts of the eye might become damaged leading to ...
My interest into becoming an optometrist had begun when I was in high school; it happened in an unconventional way. It was not through watching videos, or someone explaining to me what optometry was, but rather, seeing the power of it firsthand. There was a point in my life where I felt emotions that I was unable to comprehend at the time. Seeing a family member on an operating table was the most petrifying moment that I have gone through, especially when the person on the table was my father. My father had to get a chalazion removed from his right eyelid. The doctor told my family that my father would be susceptible to certain health risks because of his diabetes and the severity of his cyst. This procedure was the hardest thing I have had to deal with in my life because it made me feel helpless. Usually, when my dad needs help he always asks me, but this time I could not do anything. It is interesting to think that something so small had such a big affect on my life.
According to Baily and Hall, while visual impairment early in life is associated with inherited congenital disorders, abnormal fetal devepment, and problems associated with premature birth, most eye conditions are associated with aging. They claim that over 70% of the visually impaired population in the United States is over 65. Age related maculopathy, also called macular degeneration, or AMD, impairs the center of vision in older individuals. The macula is the region in the back of the retina that surrounds and includes the fovea (Goldstein 1999). It is important to understand that when this degeneration progresses enough, the condition constitutes blindness because the foveal area is what is used to focus on something. Most cases do not progress this far, but between five and 20% do. Allikments and Shroyer claim that 11 million people in the United States alone suffer some degree of this impairment, with 75% of those individuals being 75 or older. Seven percent of this older age group reportedly suffer advanced forms. Freidman reports the disease as most common in developed countries.
I have always believed Optometry would be a stimulating and rewarding profession for me to pursue. I have observed first-hand the positive difference Optometrists make to people’s lives on a daily basis, both through treatment of current health concerns and more importantly, preventative healthcare which is a key objective for society in the future. The ability to have such an impact on an individual’s lifestyle would leave me with an immense sense of job satisfaction. I have thoroughly enjoyed my BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science programme, especially the Physics and Maths units. As an optometrist, their primary role involves measurement and optical correction of sight defects (refractive errors), detection and recognition of ocular disease and dysfunction.
Life revolves around being able to see things. Although individuals who are blind can lead a full and happy life, someone with excellent vision who suddenly loses theirs or notices a decrease in their visual acuity over time may find it difficult to adapt. Thankfully, with the help of an optometrist, individuals can actively work to preserve their vision for as long as possible. Phoenix Eye Care must be a priority for all, as advanced technology allows threats to the eyes to be detected at the earliest stage. The right treatment can help to slow or stop the progression before major issues develop.
Macular degeneration also known as late, aged-related maculopathy is an eye disorder which causes a decrease in the visual field known as the retinal macula (Medical Encyclopedia, 2000). The majority of people who are affected are people over the age of 65, but occasionally it develops earlier in people 40-50 years old (Philippi, 2000). The majority of the visual loss is located in the central part of the visual field, while the peripheral vision is unharmed. There are also two types of macular degeneration, the "wet" and "dry" forms. The "dry" form of this disease is the most popular, affecting 90% of the cases (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 1997).
Open-angle glaucoma - With this form of glaucoma, the loss of vision occurs so gradually it is rarely noticed. However, as eye damage increases, you will eventually find that you have lost a lot of areas of your peripheral vision, especially the field of vision near your nose. As larger areas of your peripheral vision fade, you may develop tunnel vision -- vision that has narrowed so you see only what is directly in front of you. If glaucoma is not treated, even this narrowed vision disappears into blindness. Once gone, areas of lost vision canno...
When the contact lens was invented, the world of vision correction was altered forever. No longer were those people lacking perfect 20/20 vision forced to look any different than everyone else. Both discrete and revolutionary, the contact lens provided a brand new, viable, alternate solution to an age-old problem. After centuries of engineering and discovery the contact lens has evolved greatly. Presently contact lenses are made hard or soft, for daily or continuous wear, gas permeable, and even providing ultraviolet protection. A properly fitted pair of today’s discrete, convenient, versatile, and inexpensive contact lenses provide the best form of vision correction available in today’s market.
The extract in question is situated at the end of Chapter 20 of Cat’s Eye, where Cordelia, Grace and Carol attempt to bury the protagonist, Elaine Ridley, alive as some sort of sick joke. When this occurs, she is dressed as Mary Queen of Scots and plays along like a game, until she realises that the girls intended to leave her. Elaine then reflects on the traumatic experience and comes to the conclusion that she cannot remember any of her birthdays and other major event in her life due to the ordeal she went through at the age of the bullying. The main occurrence in this extract of Cat’s Eye is a classic example of trauma theory.
The novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is about a young girl named Pecola Breedlove before the novel begins the readers are told that Pecola will be raped by her father. The beginning piece frames the story so the readers know that Pecola’s story ends terribly. The novel focuses on Pecola and her family. In the novel, readers learned that the Breedloves have serious problems with their self-esteem and self-hatred. The Breedloves live their life believing in their ugliness.
Approximately 90 percent of visually impaired people live in developing countries. Individuals 50 and over which is part of the increasing elderly population, meaning that more individuals will be at risk due to chronic diseases and the effects due to the aging process. Children under the age of 15 years old are also at risk of visual impairment due to refractive errors, a condition that could be easily diagnosed and corrected (WHO,
Another eye disorder is farsightedness, also known as hyperopia. With this disorder, objects are seen clearly far away but are blurry close up. The eyeball is too short for the lens to focus a clear image on the retina. More than half of all people who wear glasses are farsighted. The signs and symptoms of farsightedness are aching or burning eyes, suffering from eyestrain, general tension, fatigue or headaches after close work, becoming irritable or nervous after prolonged concentration, and difficulty concentrating and maintaining a clear focus on near objects.