Eye Infection Information to Know

Did you ever have red, itchy, runny eyes and wondered if it is from allergies or dry eyes or perhaps an eye infection? There are differences in what you typically experience with eye allergies, dry eyes and eye infections and it might just be worth having some helpful information. Here is an overview of allergies and dry eye as compared to an eye infection.

About Allergies & Dry Eyes
Symptoms of Allergies or Dry Eyes

• If you work at a computer for an extended time or have allergies to products or airborne substances, you may experience dry, red or irritated eyes. 
• Generally allergies and dry eyes affect both eyes. 
• Treatment options usually include resting your eyes or using an over-the-counter or prescription eye drops, as recommended by your eye doctor.

About Eye Infections
Symptoms of Eye Infections

• Frequently occurs when bacteria, fungi or viruses attack any part of your eye, including the surface, membrane lining of the outer eye and inner eyelid, interior portions or the soft tissue of the eyelid. 
• Infections inside the eye or in the soft tissue of the eyelid are the most dangerous and if left untreated, the condition may spread throughout the eye. 
• Symptoms usually include redness, pain, discharge, watering and sensitivity to light; usually occurs only in one eye; if symptoms are detected, immediately contact your eye doctor for an evaluation.

Types of Eye Infections

• Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) is a common infection that is highly contagious. 
• Viral Keratitis may be simply related to a respiratory virus or cold or more serious such as Ocular Herpes that occurs when exposed to the Herpes Simplex Virus. 
• Fungal Keratitis is due to infection caused by a fungus commonly found in organic matter such as soil, leaves or branches of a tree. 
• Acanthamoeba Keratitis is caused by a parasite that attacks the eye more often in individuals wearing contact lenses who enter swimming in pools, lakes, ponds, hot tubs or streams where their risk of contracting this infection is the greatest. 
• Trachoma is more typically found in underdeveloped countries and infects the inner eyelid along with eyelashes touching the area can infect the cornea and cause permanent blindness. 
• Endophthalmitis is a serious eye infection that is due to a penetrating eye injury or complication following eye surgery and if left untreated, may lead to blindness. 

Preventing Eye Infections

• If you experience symptoms associated with an eye infection, contact Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center immediately. Prompt treatment is necessary to reduce the risk of permanent blindness.
• To avoid eye infections, wash your hands throughout the day, especially if you are near an individual with a red eye or other signs of infection. Contact lens wearers should follow care and handling instructions provided by their eye doctor.

If you or someone you know is concerned about having an eye infections please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Diabetic Risk Reduced by Eating Fruits

Diet can often play a role in both accelerating and reducing the risk of the development of Type 2 Diabetes. High fat, high carbohydrate, high caloric diets increase the rate of obesity which is associated with Type 2 Diabetes. Now, according to reports from the Harvard School of Public Health eating certain whole fruits may reduce the risk for Type 2 Diabetes, even though fruit juice consumption may increase the risk for diabetes.

Research about Diabetes Risk & Eating Fruit

Investigators combined data from 3 studies: the Nurses' Health Study of more than 66,000 patients, the Nurses' Health Study II of more than 85,000 patients and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study with over 36,000 patients. The participants in all 3 studies completed questionnaires assessing health and lifestyle factors, including diet, every 2 years.

The researchers excluded participants with a preexisting diagnosis of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, as well as those who had missing data for fruit or fruit juice consumption or an extremely high or low caloric intake, and those who had an unclear date of diabetes diagnosis.

The analysis was adjusted for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors for diabetes. The researchers concluded that every 3 servings of fruit per week were associated with a lower risk for Type 2 diabetes. When the researchers looked at individual types of fruit in a multivariate analysis, adjusted for the same factors, they found that 3 servings per week of some fruits were more closely associated with reduced risk of diabetes especially blueberries, grapes and apples.

If you or someone you know has a question about diabetes risk and eating fruit or needs an eye exam for diabetes please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & LaserCenter, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354

Eye Movements Help Alzheimer’s Disease Detection

Early detection of Alzheimer’s Disease allows physicians, family, friends and caregivers to prepare and provide the support necessary to loved one’s who suffer this disease. It now appears that subtle changes in eye movement patterns may be helpful in detecting Alzheimer’s Disease.

Research on Eye Movements & Alzheimer’s Disease

According to researchers reporting in Investigative Ophthalmology & Vision Science generally, eye movements follow a reproducible pattern during normal reading. Each eye movement typically ends up at a fixation point, which allows the brain to process the incoming information and to program the following movements. The researchers found that in those patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) there are unusual eye movement patterns when reading such that the fixation patterns and endpoints are disturbed. They concluded that evaluation of eye movement behavior during reading might provide a useful tool for a more precise early diagnosis of AD and for monitoring the progress or stability of Alzheimer’s Disease.

If you or someone you know has a question about eye movements and Alzheimer’s Disease or needs to schedule an eye exam during which we will carefully evaluate eye movements, call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354. 

Ocular Melanoma: Be Aware!

You may not be aware of a type of eye cancer called Ocular Melanoma, but for anyone concerned about eye health and vision it is a problem worth learning a little bit about.

What is Ocular Melanoma?

Ocular Melanoma (OM) is actually the most common form of cancer that occurs in the eye. In the U.S. alone there are some 2,500 adults who are diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma (OM). OM is an aggressive malignant cancer that starts in the eye’s pigment cells that produce the eye color that you see in the iris and the pigmented layer of the retina. Ocular Melanoma tends to occur in more often in people over 50 years of age with lighter skin pigmentation and more often those with, blue or green eyes. That said, OM also can occur in people of every race and at any age. For about 50 percent of individuals diagnosed with OM, the cancer may be fatal, because it metastasizes and spreads to other parts of the body. OM is considered a silent killer. There are no early warning signs, and it is difficult if not impossible to see when studying your eyes in the mirror.

How is Ocular Melanoma Diagnosed?

Ocular Melanoma is often detected by an eye doctor during a routine eye exam in an otherwise healthy patient. This is what scheduling regular eye exams are so important. While at first there may not be obvious symptoms, once OM has developed you may experience blurred vision, a change in the shape of the pupil, flashing lights, a loss of vision and sometimes a dark spot on the iris. Researchers have discovered that people with OM tend to have certain gene mutations, which could suggest there is a strong genetic component to the disease. However, scientists have not concluded that these abnormalities are the cause. They believe there may be a connection between the development of OM and prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial light, such as from tanning beds, but there is not significant research confirming this link.

If you or someone you know is concerned about the risk of Ocular Melanoma (OM) please schedule a comprehensive eye examination and call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser. 

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.