Health tips for better life

If you’ve ever heard of macular degeneration and you’re under the age of 50, you’ve likely heard of this horrific disease because one of your grandparents had it. It’s a common vision disease among the elderly but many people have no idea how terrifying this disease can be. Macular degeneration causes a slow deterioration of the eye that eventually leads someone, who may not have worn glasses in their lives, to blindness. It’s true that people who have never had any vision problems and have had perfect 20/20 vision for their entire lives can go blind from this disease.

Macular degeneration typically occurs within the elderly when the retina is damaged. It appears in two forms: wet and dry. Macular degeneration affects the macula part of the retina – which controls and details your central vision. The dry form allows for cellular debris, called drusen, to accumulate between the retina and the choroid – allowing the retina to become detached. In the wet version, the retina can also become detached but blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina causing it to be more severe. Often times, it can be treated with laser coagulation and, in conjunction with medication, it can sometimes reverse the growth of the blood vessels.

For many elderly people, everything can change in one day when all of a sudden someones eyes begin blurring and they suddenly cannot make out the definition of objects as well as they used to. As one grand-daughter put it, “At the time she lamented to us that our grandmother had escaped the need for prescription eyeglasses for this long, she guessed she could make the small change and begin looking like others her age and invest in a pair of eyeglasses frames. It was only after a visit to her eye doctor that the painful truth was discovered that this condition would simply continue to worsen over time until my grandmother would eventually not be able to see at all. Interestingly, the fact that she had never worn a pair of glasses before set her in the majority of macular degeneration sufferers who also had never had to worry about any lack or loss of sight until this point.”

In most cases, people “progress” from never having felt a pair of eyeglasses frames on their faces, to suddenly wearing prescription lenses in increasing strengths over short amounts of time. The degeneration is slowed down by a certain treatment (which is built around the needs and particular situation of each patient) that cannot cure, but rather holds off the negative effects for as long as possible. As their eyesight worsens, sufferers need increasing amounts of optical aids such as magnifying glasses, brighter lights and larger print. Often they will need all of the above plus their prescription eyeglasses. In the end, though, none will help and, as in the case of many grandmothers and grandfathers, the sufferer is left listening to audio tapes and twiddling their fingers for most of the day as they simply cannot see. Take note, however, that macular degeneration does not actually cause blindness. It causes the loss of clear sight. Total blindness only occurs if there are other complications and eye conditions involved.

Prescription eyeglasses are needed by a great figure of individuals suffering from various vision problems. For some people with severe myopia or hyperopia, they need to have eyeglasses on their faces for more than ten hours everyday. Vision correction for these folks is necessary except for sleeping hours. Offering such an important function and lasting so many hours on a daily basis, prescription eyeglasses must be comfortable. Otherwise, it is a disaster for those regular wearers.

The fact is that eyeglasses can be easily improperly sitting on the face. This would cause discomfort and even pain in a wearer. This discomfort of eyeglasses can be caused by some reasons. For instance, some wearers will misplace their glasses and then sit on them. In some cases, eyeglasses could be dropped or slip off the top of one’ head. This condition usually causes glasses to get loose. In a serious case, eyeglasses will get hit by a basketball or football when the wearer is playing on the court. All these conditions may damage glasses and prevent them from sitting properly on one’s face.

It is reasonable for glass wearers to adjust uncomfortable eyeglasses. Some easy problems are really within one’s own effort. Prescription eyeglasses with certain damage can be adjusted back into the right position. Eyeglass repair kits are available from some optical stores, including small screwdrivers, replacement screws and other assorted repair parts. These kits can help repair problems associated with loose screws. A problem related with the actual frame is a little more difficult. Only minor problems such as tight nose pads can be done by the wearer. And eyeglass lens adjustment always deserves more careful attention because scratches can be easily caused.

One point is very important. Glasses are delicate devices that extreme care is needed when a wearer tries to adjust them. Any improper move such as excessive force would cause irremediable subsequence. In this case, eyeglasses will be irreparable even by a professional optician.

Persons, who have the following vision problems such as astigmatism, myopia, or farsightedness, need prescription eyeglasses. Although it may sound like common sense, sometimes it’s not that easy to spot who needs prescription eyeglasses.

Here’s a short but telling list of mannerisms you could be subconsciously doing. Any combinations of these are signs that you need to have your eyes examined.

o If you find yourself consistently sitting too close to, the television set to see clearly.

o If you hold a book too close that it’s almost touching your nose.

o If you use a finger to follow along while reading.

o If you squint when you look into the distance.

o If you tend to tilt your head to see better.

o If you frequently rub your eyes.

o If you notice, you’ve become more sensitive to light.

o If you find that, your eyes are constantly tearing.

o If you close one eye in order to read, watch TV or see objects better.

If you see yourself, or any member of your family exhibit a combination of these mannerisms, have your eye check up with a licensed optometrist.

Don’t fall into the temptation of self prescribing or picking discount eyeglasses. You’ll end up damaging your eyes. That said, as you get older, you should have regular or annual eye exams. This will stop any early eye condition from worsening. Don’t think a one kind of prescription eyeglasses works for all kinds of eyes. You’ll get headaches, and make the problem permanent.

Ok, now you’ve got your eye condition properly diagnosed. You’re ready to pick your very own pair of prescription eyeglasses, what are the tips to remember? Should the frame be fashionable or frugal?

Well, if you are buying only one pair of prescription eyeglasses, it’s better to pick a classical pair.

Ask that your lenses be scratch resistant.

If your are buying for your child, whose prescription changes often, just keep changing the lenses so the prescription warrant this rather than to keep changing the frame.

You can resort to buying cheap frames, but you can not compromise on the quality of the lenses. If you need prescription eyeglasses, it’s always wise to go to a licensed optometrist. Protect your these two most precious resources.

Although always a optional extra, lens coatings are usually recommended in order to ensure the preservation of your new prescription lenses and that they provide you with the highest protection possible. As always, an informed shopper is an empowered shopper, so here’s the lowdown on lens coatings so that you can decide exactly what you need when buying your new eyeglasses.

Anti-Scratch Coating: The main aim of this coating is to protect your lenses for increased longevity. No eyeglasses will ever be completely scratch-proof but when lenses are treated on either side with a clear and hard coating, their longevity and resistance to scratches increases. This type of coating provides more protection against misuse but if you choose this option, do not think that your glasses are fully protected. Always put your glasses a hard clam shell case when you’re not using them and only clean them with the microfiber cloth.

The UV Protective Coating protects your eyes against the sun’s harmful ultra violet rays. Overexposure to the sun increases vision problems including the development of cataract. This coating acts as a sunscreen for your eyeglass lenses, which in turn will cover and protect your eyes without affecting the look of of the lenses at all.. Some eyeglass materials, such as polycarbonate, photochromic, and most high-index plastic lenses, have 100 percent UV protection built-in, so an extra lens treatment is not required for these lenses.

If you need to reduce glare, Premium Anti-Reflective Coating is recommended for night driving and computer usage. The coating is done in layers, with each layer specifically calculated to block reflected light. These coatings sometimes have a hint of green or purple coloring because of the layering effect. Reflections are eliminated and eyeglass lenses look thinner or non-existent, making your eyes more visible for better eye contact with others. Anyone being photographed or seen on camera would benefit greatly from such a coating.

Most premium anti-reflective coatings include a “hydrophobic” surface layer that prevents water spots from forming and makes the lenses easier to clean but beware – some solvents may harm the lens coating.

Photochromic lenses, otherwise known as their commercial term “Transitions” lenses, are specialized light adjusting lenses. While not generally available in Polycarbonate and in 1.74 high index lenses, they are a fantastic option because they adapt and transition into sunglasses when outside and back into regular eyeglasses with clear lenses indoors – all with the purpose of protecting your eyes again UV rays.

Finally, color tint lenses are generally used for sunglasses and are specifically manufactured with lenses that protect against sun but not against ultra violet light. They are great for people with light sensitivity or people who want sunglasses. These can either be bought with a non-prescription eyeglass lenses and worn in addition to contact lenses; or bought with prescription lenses placed in a pair of glasses frames so that your sunglasses are also a full optical tool. Should you choose this option, make sure you have an anti-glare coating placed on the inside of the lens and a UV protective coating surrounding the lens for optimum protection.

So, there you have it! Five coatings all summed up for you so that you can buy glasses that really work for you and include all the extras that fit your individual needs.

This takes us back a few years to a time when stories began to surface about adverse side effects to the use of drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction. Men had begun to report changes to their eyesight. One or two men apparently lost their sight for short periods of time. On many occasions when side effects are reported under the Postmarketing Surveillance Program, the FDA does not react immediately. Sometimes, it does not react at all. Without going into the politics of its role, some critics suggest the FDA is in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry and would never react to reports of side effects unless the evidence is too public and overwhelming to ignore. That’s what made it all the more surprising when the FDA decided to apply a watered down version of the precautionary principle to erectile dysfunction drugs. Just so we all understand, the precautionary principle says you pull a product off the market until it is proved safe. Since proving the negative is difficult, this can mean the product is off the market for a long time. With erectile dysfunction drugs, we are talking about retail sales in excess of one billion dollars in 2008. You do not mess with this market by shutting it down. The most you can do is change the label to warn users of potential dangers.

In July, 2005, the FDA issued a notice acknowledging rare reports of eye problems. The notice did not accept there was evidence of a link between the drugs and the vision problems. It simply advised men affected to seek emergency aid if the rare event affected them. From a scientific point of view, there is a strong likelihood of a link. These drugs target PDE5 in the body. The relevant arteries in the eye are controlled by PDE6. The drug may not be completely specific in all bodies and the effect on PDE5 may shade into PDE6. That said, the pharmaceutical industry had a marketing problem. Even though everyone acknowledged these were extraordinarily rare events, the release of the notice by the FDA did cause some alarm. The industry therefore commissioned some research which was published this year in the Archives of Ophthalmology. It’s good news. Some 250 men men with good eyesight and erectile dysfunction were recruited and given various dosages of the drugs, one pill per day for six months. Their vision was routinely monitored throughout the trial period. There were no significant differences found between their sight before and after the period. There was no measurable effect of any kind in any of the men (except their erections, of course).

One word of caution. To be able to generalize from one sample to the population at large, there should be more men included in the trial. Only 250 men is not statistically significant. That said, this is a detailed study and the results are encouraging. Viagra has not been given an absolutely clean bill of health, but this comes close. If the industry can be persuaded to recruit a sufficient number for the next trial, we can arrive at a definitive result. While we wait, buy viagra with (almost) complete confidence. There is no evidence anyone has ever lost their sight because of this drug.