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Ocular Health Introduction |
Our eyes are
complex, specialized organs which
regulate a highly
complicated process-the act of
seeing. Many factors
influence ocular health.
These may include; age, nutrition, heredity,
medications, toxins, health habits,
sunlight exposure, head trauma, high
blood pressure, kidney disease,
diabetes, or direct trauma to the
eye. Some eye disturbances are due
to localized problems, such as
common vision disorders like
nearsightedness (myopia) or
farsightedness (hypermetropia).
However, other eye
disorders are often associated with
underlying diseases elsewhere in the
body. For example, yellowing of the
eyes from jaundice may be a symptom
of hepatitis or gallbladder disease,
vascular retinopathy (retinal blood
vessel disorder) can be a sign of
diabetes and/or high blood pressure;
red, swollen and/or watery eyes
may indicate allergies.
Many common eye
conditions are self-limiting and
don't threaten sight, such as styes
(eyelid infection), conjunctivitis
(pink or red eye), and blepharitis
(inflammation of the eyelids), which
are, primarily, caused by infections that are
effectively erradicated with local
antibiotics.
Some serious eye
disorders such as glaucoma,
cataracts, and
macular degeneration are
treatable. However, if left undiagnosed
and untreated, these disorders can damage the eye and
result in vision loss and blindness.
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Acute and
chronic glaucoma are
characterized by an increase in
the fluid pressure inside the eye. If this pressure is not treated it
may harm the optic nerve, causing
vision loss and blindness. In
acute glaucoma, the fluid pressure
inside the eyes rises rapidly
causing pain and a red eye, which
is considered a medical emergency
requiring immediate treatment.
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Cataracts, a
loss of transparency in the lens
of the eye, is a leading cause of
vision loss and blindness. Senile
cataracts, which typically affects people
over the age of 65, is the most
common form of cataracts. Senile
cataracts are often caused by free
radical damage that can be treated
with nutritional supplementation
and cataract surgery.
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Age-related
macular degeneration (AMD), a
progressive visual loss due to
degeneration of the retinal
macula, is a leading cause of
severe visual loss in people over
55. AMD is caused by decreased
blood and oxygen supply to the
retina, and is often the result of
other underlying disorders, such as atherosclerosis and high
blood pressure. This
condition can be treated
with both nutritional supplementation
and surgery.
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Symptoms Associated with Ocular
Health
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Along with the
signs of an underlying disorder,
the following symptoms should be
treated by a qualified health care
professional:
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changes in vision
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eye pain or
irritation
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severe redness
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eyelid infection
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swelling and
itching of the eyelids
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eye injuries
(trauma)
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chemical exposure
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foreign bodies in
the eye
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flashing lights
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sudden appearance
of many dark spots (floaters) in
the field of vision
Acute glaucoma
symptoms constitute a medical
emergency, and may include:
According to the
National Eye Institute, National
Institutes of Health (1):
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2.2 million people
in the United States have
glaucoma, increasing to 3.3
million people by the year 2020
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1.8 million people
in the United States have advanced
age-related macular degeneration
with another 7.3 million people at
risk for substantial vision loss
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20.5 million people
in the United States have
cataracts, increasing to 30.1
million people by the year 2020
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4.1 million people
in the United States have diabetic
retinopathy, increasing to 7.2
million people by the year 2020
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3.3 million people
in the United States, ages 40 and
over, have blindness or vision
loss, increasing to 5.5 million
people by the year 2020
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Learn More About
Ocular Health |
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