SHORT INTRODUCTION OF CONTACT LENSES

CONTACT LENSES

Contact lens is a thin plastic wafer worn on the anterior portion of the eye primarily to correct refractive errors. However, there are various uses of contact lenses.

The uses of contact lenses can be sorted as below:

1. Refractive :

• to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism

2. Therapeutic purpose :

• as bandage contact lens for protection and hastens would healing.
• occlusion contact lens for amblyopia therapy.

3. Cosmetic :

• change the appearance of your eye( blue, brown, violet, mosaic, flower and more crazy colors)
• improve appearance of the disfigured eye.

WHO IS SUITABLE FOR CONTACT LENS?

To determine whether you are suitable for contact lens wear or not, your optometrist does a detailed check up from history taking to anterior and posterior eye examination. Detailed examination of tear level, your refractive prescription, occupation need to be determined so as to prescribe the optimal lens for your daily need. Various modification of the parameters needs to be done according to the lifestyle of every patient.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CONTACT LENSES?

• if you have high refractive errors, then your spectacles may be heavy and and cosmetically unacceptable, contact lenses are the best substitute for them..
• Contact lens provide more clarity and wider useful field of vision than the spectacles
• Sometimes those prescriptions in which spectacles can't provide sharp vision, contact lenses can be used
• If you are sporty and have active lifestyle, contact lenses are your best option.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONTACT LENSES:

• Needs more care and handling than spectacles
• If proper care is not done, may lead to blinding condition(but rare)

If you need more information regarding contact lenses, please mail me at:

nabineye@gmail.com

Optometrist

Sudristi Eye Clinic

Kathmandu, Nepal

What are the solutions for refractive errors?

As people age, various changes in the body including the eyes will take place. Eyesight decline is quite common in old individuals and vision loss is also potential. Some old folks can not see small or far away things clearly, while some others are unable to perceive near objects. These are common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Fortunately, modern science has made various ways of vision correction available.

Vision correction has undergone a long way of approximately 100 years. Scientists have developed several ways to correction vision problems affecting a large group in the world. Three methods are most widely used, namely eyeglasses, contact lenses and laser eye surgery.

SPECTACLES

actually have two functions. Of course, the first one is vision correction, which is the initial concept in eyeglass inventors. But in fact, corrective eyeglasses do not really correct one’s vision. These devices only offer a compromise by altering the light reaching the eyes. Another function of eyeglasses as external devices is offering special look for a wearer. Eyeglass wearers can get a slightly or considerably different look. Eyeglasses for vision correction or appearance change are convenient. They are easy to insert and remove and very little care is required.

CONTACT LENSES

A second option for vision correction is contact lenses, which fit directly over the eyes. Contact lenses perform vision correction based on the same principle as eyeglasses. They only refocus the light entering the eyes as well. In most cases, contact lenses do not change the wearer’s natural appearance. Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses require frequent lens care, such as sterilization, cleaning, disinfecting and so on. In general, contact lenses are more costly than eyeglasses, because they need more frequent replacement.

LASER EYE SURGERY

The third solution to refractive errors is laser eye surgery that comes in various types including the most popular one LASIK. Laser eye surgery aims to correct vision problems permanently. In any way, laser eye surgery carries certain risks, although at a very low level. Laser eye surgeries are more expensive than eyeglasses and contact lenses. But their incomparable visual benefits have attracted a large number of patients.

Recent advances in Amblyopia therapy..

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/6/1800

Amblyopia and Strabismus in Children, Beware!!!!!

What is Amblyopia?

Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is an eye problem that causes poor vision in children. When pathways from the eye to the brain do not develop properly, it causes amblyopia. Some causes include vision in the eye being blocked by a droopy lid or a cataract, a crossed or wandering eye (strabismus) that gives the brain a different signal or double vision, or simply an unequal focus between the eyes. The brain “shuts off” the eye with blocked or double vision, or the one it has to work harder to focus in the case of unequal focus. If caught early—experts say by the age of 8-10—its effects can be partially to fully reversed.

The treatment of Amblyopia is to force the weak eye to work, usually by suppressing the strong eye with blurring drops or glasses, or by blocking the strong eye’s vision altogether with a patch. These methods force the weak eye to work and retrain the brain to recognize the signals from that eye, rebuilding the pathways. This needs to be done before vision pathways cement in the brain. The younger amblyopia is discovered, the better the chance for restoring vision. Often amblyopia is not diagnosed until a child has their first school eye exam. Unlike other eye conditions or poor vision, there is often nothing physical (such as crossed eyes) to make parents wonder about their child’s vision. And since one eye is strong, even the child may not complain about not being able to see. Early eye exams are important!

What is Strabismus?

Strabismus is crossing or wandering eye(s). It is easier to detect than amblyopia, as parents can often see the crossing. At birth, newborns have poor vision and may cross their eyes. If eyes cross or wander after about 3 months, even occasionally, talk to your optometrist. If strabismus is not caught early and treated, it can cause amblyopia. When the eyes cross, the brain shuts off the eye and poor vision develops. Drops, glasses and patching are also used to treat strabismus. Surgery may be required to align the eyes, usually done after good vision is restored if amblyopia is also present.

So, To avoid further deterioration of your child's vision, its mandatory that you take your child for eye check up from 6 months of age even if the child's eyes seems normal from outside. Earlier the detection and better will be the prognosis.

For more information regarding vision evaluation in children please visit.......http://www.childrensvision.com

Visual Defects and Down Syndrome...

Though much interest has not been shown regarding the visual problems in the children having chromosomal disorders and children who are mentally retarded but their visual health is equally important for their improvement in quality of life. I got an opportunity to evaluate visual problems in children with Down Syndrome of Nepal. As far as i know this was the first study regarding the Visual defects in such population. The ocular problems that were found in this population was mostly refractive errors (needing spectacles) and Nystagmus (involuntary to and fro movement of eyes). So, I would recommend the parents whose children are mentally challenged, and every health professions to refer the children with such conditions to an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. The earlier the diagnosis the better will be the prognosis. For more information regarding regarding the research of Down Syndrome children in Nepal please visit: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123324707/abstract

Who is who in eye care?

OPHTHALMIC ASSISTANT
An ophthalmic assistant is a person who works with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) to provide patient care by performing many different eye-related clinical functions. Ophthalmic assistants help ophthalmologists care for patients by taking histories, performing various procedures and tests, and preparing patients to see the doctor. Their work provides the ophthalmologist with important information to help diagnose and treat patients.

OPTICIAN
An optician makes, verifies and delivers lenses, frames and other specially fabricated optical devices and/or contact lenses upon prescription (from an optometrist or ophthalmologist) to the intended wearer. The opticians' functions include prescription analysis and interpretation; determination of the lens forms best suited to the wearers needs; the preparation and delivery of work orders for the grinding of lenses and the fabrication of eye wear, the verification of the finished ophthalmic products; and the adjustment, replacement, repair and reproduction of previously prepared ophthalmic lenses, frames and other specially fabricated ophthalmic devices.

OPTOMETRIST / OPTOMETRIC PHYSICIAN
Doctors of Optometry, optometric physicians or optometrists are independent primary health care providers who specialize in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the eye and associated structures as well as the diagnosis of related systemic conditions. Optometric Physicians prescribe and treat glaucoma, eye infections and eye inflammations(conditions apply). They fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses, thus providing total eye health and vision care for all ages. Optometric physicians do not perform surgery. In U S, An optometric physician has completed four years of college premedical education and four years of graduate education at an accredited College of Optometry, earning a Doctorate in Optometry. Optometric physicians are certified by a national board of examiners and licensed by a state regulatory board. The study course for optometrist varies between countries to countries. The scope of practice of optometrists in USA and other developed countries is broad whereas it limited in other parts of the world. In Nepal, optometrists are enrolled in optometry college after completing 2 years of intermediate level ( science). They then study four years of Bachelor of optometry course which is especially focused in Eye and vision disorders, visual processing etc..

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

The Ophthalmologist has the degree of Doctor of Medicine and is a primary and secondary, medical/surgical eye care provider. This doctor has completed 5 years of medical school and extra three years especially in diagnosis and treatment , including surgery, of disease of the eye. Ophthalmologists also perform intricate surgical procedures like cataract extraction, lens impant, cornela transplant, glaucoma surgery and various laser procedures.

Welcome to my new blog, related to eye care

Hey all,

I would like to start my first post by informing you regarding the aim and purpose of starting this blog.
The primary aim of this blog is to create awareness of eye and vision related disorders to the general public and everyone who is interested in eye care. As I am very interested in research, I will be posting new researches in the field of eye and vision care. Everyone is free to share their views and ask anything regarding eye and vision. It will be my pleasure to inform you all anything I know.
I hope you enjoy going through this blog.
All the best.
Nabin Paudel, B.Optom