Patient Education
Empowering you with knowledge about eye health, vision care, and common eye conditions. Understanding your eyes is the first step to maintaining healthy vision for life.
Eye Trauma
Eye trauma requires immediate medical attention. Common injuries include corneal foreign bodies (particles stuck on the eye surface), eyelid lacerations from cuts or tears, bike accidents causing blunt trauma, and sports injuries from balls or equipment.
What to Do
- •Never rub an injured eye
- •Cover the eye gently with a clean cloth
- •Seek immediate medical care
- •For chemical exposure, flush with clean water for 15 minutes
- •Do not attempt to remove embedded objects yourself
Kids and Digital Devices
Children today spend increasing time on digital devices, affecting their eye health and development. Extended screen time can lead to digital eye strain, myopia progression, and disrupted sleep patterns.
Recommendations
- •Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- •Limit recreational screen time to 2 hours daily for children under 12
- •Ensure proper lighting and maintain viewing distance of at least arm's length
- •Encourage outdoor play to reduce myopia risk
- •Schedule regular eye exams to monitor vision development
Dry Eyes
Dry eye syndrome occurs when tears don't provide adequate lubrication. Symptoms include burning, redness, grittiness, and paradoxical tearing. Common causes include aging, prolonged screen use, certain medications, and environmental factors.
Management Tips
- •Use artificial tears as recommended by your doctor
- •Apply warm compresses to eyelids daily
- •Maintain good eyelid hygiene
- •Use a humidifier in dry environments
- •Stay well hydrated throughout the day
- •Take regular breaks from screens
Computer Vision Syndrome
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) affects 50-90% of computer workers. Symptoms include eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck pain. The condition results from prolonged focusing, reduced blink rate, poor lighting, and improper ergonomics.
Prevention Strategies
- •Position monitor 20-26 inches away, slightly below eye level
- •Use anti-reflective coated glasses
- •Ensure adequate lighting to reduce glare
- •Adjust screen brightness to match surrounding environment
- •Consider computer glasses with specific prescriptions
- •Schedule regular comprehensive eye exams
Denial of Refractive Errors
Many people delay correcting refractive errors due to misconceptions that glasses weaken eyes or vision will improve naturally. This denial can lead to eye strain, headaches, reduced productivity, and safety risks while driving. In children, uncorrected refractive errors cause learning difficulties and may lead to amblyopia (lazy eye).
Why Correction Matters
- •Glasses do not weaken eyes - they provide clear vision
- •Early detection prevents learning difficulties in children
- •Proper correction improves quality of life and safety
- •Regular eye exams ensure optimal vision health
- •Multiple correction options available: glasses, contacts, or surgery
Heredity of Refractive Errors
Refractive errors like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism have strong genetic components. If both parents are myopic, children have 40-60% chance of developing myopia. Single myopic parent increases risk to 25-40%. Genetic factors influence eye shape, corneal curvature, and axial length.
For Parents
- •Children with family history need early eye examinations
- •Monitor for signs: squinting, sitting close to TV, headaches
- •Encourage outdoor activities to reduce myopia progression
- •Ensure good lighting for reading and close work
- •Consider myopia control options if prescribed
How to Instill Eye Drops
Proper eye drop technique ensures medication effectiveness and prevents contamination.
Dos
- •Wash hands thoroughly before instilling drops
- •Tilt head back and pull down lower eyelid to create a pocket
- •Look up and squeeze one drop into the pocket
- •Close eyes gently for 2 minutes, applying light pressure to inner corner
- •Wait 5 minutes between different eye drops
Don'ts
- •Don't touch dropper tip to eye or any surface
- •Don't blink excessively immediately after instilling
- •Don't share eye drops with others
- •Don't use expired medications
- •Don't skip doses without consulting your doctor
Diabetes and Eye
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in adults. High blood sugar damages retinal blood vessels, causing diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss if untreated. Diabetes also increases risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and macular edema. Early stages have no symptoms, making regular dilated eye exams crucial.
Essential Care
- •Have comprehensive dilated eye exams annually
- •Control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
- •Report any vision changes immediately
- •Follow treatment recommendations promptly
- •Maintain healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise
Cataract
Cataracts occur when the eye's natural lens becomes cloudy, typically with aging. Symptoms include blurred vision, glare sensitivity, difficulty with night driving, and faded colors. While aging is the primary cause, diabetes, smoking, prolonged steroid use, and UV exposure accelerate development.
When to Consider Surgery
- •When cataracts interfere with daily activities
- •Difficulty reading, driving, or recognizing faces
- •When glasses no longer improve vision adequately
- •Modern surgery is safe, quick, and highly successful
- •Recovery is typically fast with minimal discomfort
Glaucoma and Its Heredity
Glaucoma, the 'silent thief of sight,' damages the optic nerve, usually from elevated eye pressure. It's hereditary - first-degree relatives of glaucoma patients have 4-9 times higher risk. Often symptomless until advanced stages, it requires regular screening, especially after age 40 or with family history.
Prevention & Screening
- •Regular eye exams after age 40, or earlier with family history
- •Annual screening if you're at higher risk
- •Follow prescribed treatment consistently
- •Use eye drops as directed - never skip doses
- •Report any vision changes immediately
- •Treatment can control pressure but cannot restore lost vision
Genetic Testing for Eye Care
Genetic testing revolutionizes eye care by identifying inherited conditions like retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, and inherited retinal dystrophies. Testing helps predict disease risk, guide treatment decisions, and enable family planning.
Who Should Consider Testing
- •Children with unexplained vision loss
- •Adults with family history of inherited eye diseases
- •Patients planning families who want risk assessment
- •Those interested in clinical trial participation
- •Individuals wanting personalized treatment plans
- •Always seek genetic counseling before and after testing
Have Questions?
Our team is here to help you understand your eye health better. Schedule a consultation to discuss any concerns.
Book Appointment