Blog - LASIKSurgeons.com

Chalazia and Styes – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Styes

Have you noticed a small, painful, red lump at the base of your eyelash or under your eyelid? You could be developing a stye. Styes are often caused by bacterial infections. They are categorized as:

1 – External hordelum

These are styes that develop at the base of the eyelash usually as a result of a hair follicle infection. They have the appearance of a regular pimple.

2 – Internal hordelum

These are styes that develop on the inside of the eyelid. They are often the result of an infection of oil producing glands in the eyelid.

In the early stages of their development, styes appear as small pimples. Your eyelid will be tender to the touch and red. You may also experience soreness and itchiness of the eye.

Chalazia

When the oil glands in the eyelids clog up, they swell up and you develop a bump on the eyelid also known as a chalazion. A chalazion may start off as an internal hordeolum that is not painful. However, as it grows, your eyelids will begin to become tender to the touch, red and swollen. Very large chalazia can press against your eye and cause you to have blurry vision.

Stye vs. chalazion

It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between the two. However, the general differences include:

Styes are painful while chalazia often aren’t
Styes often develop on the edge of the eyelid while chalazia develop further back
Styes are often caused by infections of the hair follicle while chalazia are caused by the clogging of oil glands in the eyelids.
Styes can sometimes affect the entire eyelid while chalazia rarely result in the swelling of the entire eyelid.

Symptoms

Symptoms of stye development include:

Painful red bump developing on the edge of the eyelid. The entire eyelid may also swell.
Small spots of pus at the center of the developing bump
A feeling like you have a foreign particle in your eye
Itchy eyes
Sensitivity to light
Formation of crustiness along the margin of the eyelid
Excessive tearing

Symptoms of chalazion development include:

The development of a bump on the eyelid. The bump may later become swollen, red and tender to the touch.
Blurry vision when bump is large
Swollen eyelid on rare occasions.

Risk factors

You are at risk of developing a stye or chalazion if:

You have blepharitis
Have had either a chalazion or stye before
Have a skin condition
Are affected by diabetes

Treatment

Treatment for both styes and chalazia include the application of a warm compress, taking antibiotics, steroid shots and surgery to help drain the fluid from the bumps.

Talk to an eye care specialist today if you have been suffering from styes or chalazia.

Common Irritations and Problems from Wearing Contact Lenses

Wearing contact lenses comes with many benefits. However, there are also downsides to the revolutionary vision correction aid. The following are common irritations that can result from wearing contact lenses.

1 – Dry eyes

Lubrication is essential for proper functioning of the eyes as well as comfort. Contact lenses are designed to contain varying volumes of water. Lenses lose water to the atmosphere through evaporation. The greater the volume of water in the lens the more readily the lens will lose water. This loss of water results in the lens pulling water from the eye. The eye then becomes dry.

2 – Itchiness

Contact lenses require regular cleaning to ensure that debris and other foreign objects are removed from the surface of the lenses. Regular cleaning and disinfection prevent the wearer from contracting a bacterial infection.

Allowing debris and other foreign particles to accumulate on the lens will result in redness, burning and itchy eyes, which are all signs of an eye infection (Conjunctivitis).

3 – Sensitivity to light

Contact lenses can cause corneal ulcers or abrasions if you wear them for too long. These abrasions can make your eyes sensitive to light. Abrasions can also be caused by dirt and debris on the contact lenses e.g. metal, sand or dirt particles.

4 – Cloudy or blurred vision

Damaged or dirty contact lenses can cause blurry or cloudy vision.

Common Reasons for Discomfort or Irritation

Irritation or discomfort resulting from wearing contact lenses can be caused by a wide number of reasons including:

1 – Poor fit

Your eyes are a unique shape and size. Your contact lenses ought to be fitted to suit your eye shape and size. Your eye care professional should ensure accurate measurement for proper fitting of lenses.

Have your eyes and lenses reexamined to ensure proper fit and prevent irritation, discomfort and fluctuations in vision.

2 – Poor lubrication

Contact lenses can cause irritation and discomfort when their lubrication is inadequate. An eye care professional can recommend a lubricating solution to help moisturize your contacts and soothe your eyes.

3 – Poor care of lenses

Contact lenses require regular care that includes cleaning and disinfection. Poor handling of lenses can result in the development of an infection. It is important to learn how to care for your lenses properly. It is also important to invest in the right solutions for cleaning and storage. Ensure that your lenses are replaced when the time arises.

Dark Spots in Vision – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Dark spots in vision can be annoying. They can be in the form of tiny spots, cobwebs or flecks that drift around aimlessly in your vision field. Also known as floaters, dark spots in vision are common and aren’t always a reason to panic.

What they are

The dark spots you see in your vision are often tiny pieces of vitreous that have broken loose and float around in the back part of the eye. The vitreous (which has a gel-like consistency) dissolves and liquefies as we grow older. This creates a watery center in the eye. However, some particles remain undissolved. These may float around occasionally resulting in ‘eye floaters’.

Eye floaters are particularly noticeable when you’re gazing at a computer screen, overcast sky or a light-colored background. While you may not see the actual bits that are floating around in the eye, you will notice shadows that these floating pieces cast on the retina from the light passing into the eye.

When to worry

Floaters are often nothing to worry about. However, if you also notice light flashes alongside floaters, then you should seek medical attention. These symptoms appearing suddenly could be an indication of

Posterior vitreous detachment where the vitreous pulls away from the retina.
Detachment of the retina from the inner lining at the back of the eye. This lining provides the retina with oxygen, blood and nutrients for its normal functioning. The tugging of the vitreous on the retina can also result in tears or the development of holes in the retina. Vitreous can penetrate these tears and result in the pushing of the retina even farther away from the inner lining at the back of the eye.

When the retina is torn, detached or tugged from the lining at the back of the eye, electrical impulses similar to those sent to the brain by the optic nerve to create an image are sent to the brain. These result in the perception of a flicker or flash of light. These may appear for a short time or indefinitely depending on the extent of damage to the retina.

Conditions related to dark spots in vision

Dark spots in vision may be the result of posterior vitreous detachments. Vitreous detachments are associated with various conditions including:

Inflammation of the interior of the eye
Cataract surgery
Nearsightedness
Diabetes
Retinitis
YAG laser surgery

Eye Exams for Kids – Safeguarding Your Child’s Eyesight

Are you wondering whether or not you should bring your child in for an eye exam? Eye exams for children are vital in safeguarding their vision. It has been shown that more than 5% of preschoolers and 25% of older children have problems with their vision. Early detection of these problems is crucial in order to provide responsive treatment.

How Early Should They Start

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that you schedule the first eye examyou’re your child when she is 6 months old. Additional eye exams should be scheduled for when the child is 3 years old and again before she enters kindergarten or first grade (i.e. when she is 5 or 6 years old).

If no vision problems are detected, school age children should have an eye exam every two years. If vision problems are detected, eye exams should be administered in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.

It is important to note that vision screenings offered at schools though helpful are not adequate. They will not help to detect many of the problems that can only be detected by a trained, experienced and licensed eye doctor.

Importance of Eye Exams for Children

Eye exams are important for children of all ages. This is because many basic skills are influenced by good vision. Good eyesight is essential for learning.

Eye exams allow doctors to observe children for:

Near vision
Focusing skills
Distance vision
Hand eye coordination
Binocular coordination
Peripheral awareness
General eye health

Scheduling an Eye Exam

It is important to schedule an eye exam for your child when she will be alert and happy. This will help doctors diagnose potential problems. The specifics of what will be carried out during an eye exam will depend a great deal on your child’s age.

In general, eye exams for children involve:

A case history
Vision testing
Eye alignment testing
Eye health examinations
A discussion of the findings

Providing a detailed case history is vital for helping doctors make an assessment. Doctors will want to know if there were any complications during pregnancy and delivery. They will also want to know your child’s medical history including whether she has had allergies in the past or present.

It is important to inform the doctor of any of the following:

Premature birth
Frequent rubbing of the eyes
Delayed development of motor skills
Excessive blinking
Poor skills in eye tracking
Difficulty maintaining eye contact
Difficulty to maintain focus on objects

Watch Out for These Common Eye Conditions

We rely on our eyes for literally every activity we partake in. However, many people ignore the early signs of problems with their vision. Many hope that their eyesight will clear up miraculously. It isn’t until the problem is obvious or serious that we take the time to learn about it and seek intervention.

Any eye care professional will tell you that early diagnoses of vision problems can help to preserve and in some cases improve vision. It is therefore important to be aware of common eye diseases and their symptoms.

The following are the most common eye conditions:

1. Cataracts

Cataracts are one of those eye conditions that won’t go away on its own. If left untreated, the condition will get worse.

The condition begins with blurry vision which increases with time. Patients often feel like they are looking through a cloudy glass. You may also experience increased sensitivity to glare e.g. sunlight, headlights in the dark and bright lights.

The only known treatment for cataracts is surgery. Fortunately, it is a very common procedure that is usually done on an outpatient basis and it has an extremely high success rate.

2. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition that results in too much pressure being placed on the aqueous humor. This is the liquid within the eye. The pressure exerted can cause damage to the optic nerve which transmits images to the brain.

Symptoms of Glaucoma include blurry vision, loss of peripheral vision, pain in the eyes, vomiting, nausea and the perception of halos around lights.

Glaucoma is a serious condition that can eventually lead to blindness if left untreated. Many people only take note of the symptoms when they have developed blind spots in their peripheral vision. This already indicates significant nerve damage.

Treatment of glaucoma usually involves the administration of medicated eye drops that are prescribed by an eye care professional.

3. Diabetic Retinopathy

This condition occurs when high blood sugar levels result in the damage of blood vessels in the retina. The blood vessels leak fluids into the eye and later on grow abnormally, causing swelling. Scar tissue and swelling often result in detachment of the retina.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include blurred vision, loss of vision and spots in vision.

4. Macular degeneration

The macula (the part of the eye that allows you to see in finer detail) degrades with age. Degradation can result in eventual loss of vision, distorted vision, fuzzy vision or shadows in the center of your vision.

Although there is no treatment for macular degeneration, identifying the condition early can help to slow down its progress.