Show Guide_Life Begins 17/03/2014 17:15 Page 18
Advertisers editorial
You can see it
in the eyes...
Opticians only sell specs - right? Wrong. You may be surprised to hear that an
examination by an optometrist at your local optician is more like a health check,
not only making the difference between vision and blindness but also
occasionally life and death.
Life Begins Magazine talks to Rob Jones, Senior Optometrist at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital gives us a surprising insight
(sorry or the cheap pun!) into the things that can affect our sight as we enter our fifties and sixites.
They say your eyes are the window to your soul and with the
technology available today, it is possible to discover potentially sight
or even life threatening conditions - just by looking into them.
Obviously the need for any spectacles and the usual eye related
problems such as cataract, glaucoma and macula degeneration are
routinely screened for, but also conditions such as high blood pressure,
raised cholesterol, multiple sclerosis, strokes and even certain brain
tumors, can be detected with simple and routine tests.
According to a survey by The Eye Care trust in 2008, an estimated 20
million people in the uk are failing to have regular eye examinations,
and with the present economic climate, it is unlikely that this figure
will have changed a great deal. Most of us have been conditioned to
visit a dentist every six months, so why are a lot of us not doing our
eyes the same courtesy? The figures suggest we don’t value our eyes
as much as our teeth!
Besides the more headline grabbing serious conditions that can be
picked up, it may surprise you to hear that one of the most common
complaints and arguably the most frequently overlooked due to its
unusual and unexpected symptoms, is that of Dry eyes.
If any of the following symptoms sound familiar, such as blurred or
variable vision, tired, gritty or watery eyes or a dull ache around the
eyes, then you are probably one of the millions of people that suffer
with dry eye.
This very common problem tends to become worse with time. It is
estimated that about one in 10 people between 50 and 60 years of age,
and roughly 20% of the over 80's will have a dry eye problem.
The tear film acts as a barrier to the elements, washes undesirable
airborne particles away and provides a nice smooth optical surface,
giving a nice crisp retinal image. A normal and healthy tear film
consists of a mucus layer at the bottom, a watery layer (which is the
bulk of the tear film), and an oily layer on top. Each of these layers
is produced by different glands in and around the eyes and to some
extent, it is the when there is an imbalance of these layers that the
uncomfortable symptoms can occur. Any dry spots on the eye
surface cause neurological pain signals to be sent to the brain,
resulting in the sensation that you have something in the eye, giving
rise to a gritty sensation.
There are three main causes of dry eye, the first is reduced tear
production. Age, hormonal changes, certain drugs and medical
conditions can lower the physical quantity of the watery component.
The second reason is increased tear evaporation. If the oily layer is
deficient, the watery layer is then prone to evaporate. The tear film is
then unstable and can actually cause a watery eye, this can be more
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pronounced when out in the wind or with a sudden change in
temperature. This also results in peaks and troughs in the film that can
reduce the quality of vision, leading to transient blurring.
Blinking should smooth the film over the eye but with a deficient
oily layer, dry eye sufferers have to blink more frequently to keep
things stable. One of the reasons computer use can make a dry eye
worse, is that the blink rate reduces as we concentrate on the screen.
This also occurs when concentrating on the television or when
reading. Air conditioning will also exacerbate a dry eye problem
for the same reason.
The third and final cause of a dry eye is an abnormal production of the
mucus or oily layer. This can be due to physical damage to the eyes or
abnormal eyelid positions, but more commonly due to eyelid
conditions. If these lid conditions are present then they need to be
identified by your Optometrist or doctor and treated first. It may only
require regular cleansing of the affected area and the use of hot
compresses to unblock any deficient glands. Stubborn conditions may
require antibiotic medication from the GP.
There are many different drops available but you need to use them
very regularly for them to be of any use - every hour or so is not
unusual. The better option can be gels - these are a lot thicker and
give longer relief.
Some final advice for dry eye sufferers: Avoid air conditioned
environments and try to to increase the humidity levels around you
(radiator humidifiers or H