Posted from: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/blog/lens-cataracts-stem-cells/

New-found superb analysis on the topic of vision health.

A breakthrough operation has regenerated the lenses of 12 children using stem cells. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens that typically occurs in the elderly. It is the leading cause of blindness (left untreated).

Standard treatment of cataracts is inserting an artificial intraocular lens. However, this requires waiting until the cataracts “ripen”, or cataract surgery is often recommended by the eye doctor when he/she cannot refract the patients vision 20/40 or better due to the cataract.

How the New Cataract Surgery Works

The new eye surgery leaves the lens capsule intact. First, ultrasound breaks up the damaged lens. The pieces are flushed out. Then, the surgeon inserts stem cells from the lens capsule into the area where the lens should be. A new lens grows gradually in place over eight months.

The researchers chose children because intraocular lens replacement surgery is riskier for them. Also, their epithelial stem cells are younger and better at regenerating. Large trials are needed in elderly patients before this procedure could replace cataracts surgery.

Editor’s Note: While waiting for an ideal cure or ideal time for lens replacement surgery, some cataracts patients elect to use such natural approaches as special homeopathic eye drops to manage their cataracts and support lens health. Learn more on our lens support page.

Source: “Lens regeneration using endogenous stem cells with gain of visual function” by Haotian Lin et. al. Nature 531, 323–328 (17 March 2016) doi:10.1038/nature17181

The post Lenses with Cataracts Regenerated Using Stem Cells appeared first on Eye conditions, eye care, & how to support healthy vision naturally.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!

Posted from: http://discoveryeye.org/something-eye-now/

An added good report relating to vision health.

It is never planned. You could be putting on makeup, gardening, or even just running errands on a windy day, but all of a sudden you have something in your eye and it hurts. What do you do?

Small Foreign Objects

First and foremost – DON’T RUB your eye!! This could scratch your cornea and make things much worse.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

• In a well-lighted area, look in a mirror to try and find the object in your eye.

• If you wear contacts, remove them before trying to remove the object or flushing your eye.

• Try blinking and letting your natural tearing flush out the object.

• If the object is on the colored part of the eye or under the upper lid you can try to flush it out gently with clean cool or lukewarm water in one of three ways:

1. Completely fill an eyecup or small juice glass with water and put your open eye into the container to flush out the object. Do this standing over a sink as the water will overflow.

1. Use a clean eyedropper and fill with water. Be careful to not touch the tip of the eyedropper to the eye.

1. Turn your head so your eye is down and to the side, then hold your open eye under a faucet.

• If the object is in the corner or on the white part of the eye you can try flushing the eye using one of the methods listed above or a using wet cotton swab or twisted piece of tissue to lightly touch the foreign object. Make sure to not apply pressure to the eye.

• If it is under the lower lid you can use any of the methods above by gently pulling down on your lower lid to access the object, but be careful to not push the object further down.

• A scratchy feeling of slight discomfort may continue for a short time after removing a small object. I discomfort continues after 24-48 hours, your eye becomes red or your vision becomes blurred, immediately seek medical attention.

• Never use tweezers, toothpicks or other hard objects to remove an object as these could damage your eye.

Never try to remove a piece of metal, anything that has punctured your eye or an object that will not come out after flushing with water. Cover both eyes to help prevent eye movement and there is no pressure on the eyes. Have a friend drive you to eye doctor immediately.

Chemicals

Do not touch your eye, but IMMEDIATELY flush your eye with clean running water from a faucet.

• Flush your eye for a minimum of 15 minutes holding your eye open and at an angle so the runoff water does not run into the other eye. If both eyes are affected or the chemicals are on other parts of the face or body, you need to do the flushing in a shower.

• If you wear contact lenses, leave them in and start flushing immediately. If they do not fall out from the flushing process you can try to remove them. Then repeat the entire flushing process.

• Seek medical attention immediately upon completing the flushing process, regardless of how your eyes feel.

Prevention

The best way to protect yourself from getting anything into your eyes is to protect them.

• Never use chemicals without wearing goggles that completely surround and protect the eyes.

• Wear specially designed goggles when swimming.

• Wear goggles when participating in sports where you could get hit with any flying object like a ball or bat. Also in any sport where you could get an opponent’s elbow or hand in your eye.

• Wear protective eyewear when using power tools or striking tools like hammers.

• When you are cycling, in dusty areas or it is windy, also protect your eyes with sunglasses or other protective eyewear.

The post There Is Something In Your Eye – Now What? appeared first on Discovery Eye Foundation.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!

Posted from: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/blog/macular-degeneration-acetyl-l-carnitine-omega3-coq10/

A new first-class treatise on the topic of vision health.

A small research study on patients with early Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) showed improvement when taking a combination of acetyl-L-carnitine, omega-3 fatty acids, and coenzyme Q10.¹

Nearly all of the subjects who took the supplements for one year showed significant improvement in visual acuity (Snellen Chart & ETDRS chart), foveal sensitivity and changes in the back of the eye (fundus: retina, optic disc, macula, fovea and posterior pole). Only 2% of these subjects had clinically significant worsening of their condition, while 17% of the control group who received a placebo got worse.

Drusen are yellow fat deposits under the retina associated with macular degeneration. The more drusen, the more likely a person will develop an advanced form of the disease. Study subjects who received the omega-3 fatty acids, acetyl-L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 had statistically significant fewer drusen-covered areas of the eye versus the controls.

The researchers concluded that a combination of supplements that affect mitochondrial lipid metabolism may help stabilize early AMD. Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid that helps the body produce energy. A metastudy² found it may reduce LDL cholesterol (Low-density lipoprotein – the bad kind). This amino acid is made by the body but supplementation can be taken. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish, flaxseed oil, dark leafy vegetables and eggs. A large body of research shows their benefits to the heart, circulation system, cholesterol levels – as well as positive effects on macular degeneration.  CoQ10 helps cells metabolize food, enhances circulation and improves the heart. It is found in meat and vegetables, but it does not survive the cooking process.

The post Macular Degeneration Stabilized by Acetyl-L-carnitine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and Coenzyme Q10 appeared first on Eye conditions, eye care, & how to support healthy vision naturally.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!

Posted from: http://www.cargoeyecare.com/why-are-my-eyes-dry/

Additional admirable report on the subject of vision health.

Why Are My Eyes Dry?

Dry eye is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide.

In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons that patients pay a visit to their eye doctor. We’ve all had those days where our eyes feel dry, tired and irritated. But what does it mean? And what if it persists?

What Is Dry Eye Disease?

Tears are essential for eye health and visual performance. They protect the eye from infections and lubricate the eye’s surface, keeping it moist and washing away dust and debris. When the eye fails to produce enough tears, or the tears are not of the correct consistency, dry eye can occur.

Dry eye is often a chronic problem–particularly in older adults–although it can occur among any age group. Some possible causes of dry eye are:

• Aging, especially hormone changes caused by menopause
• Certain medications such as antihistamines, birth control pills, antidepressants and some antibiotics
• Infrequent blinking during high-focus activities such as working from a computer, reading, watching television or playing video games can lead to dry eye symptoms
• Other illnesses are associated with dry eye, such as rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome

Experiencing dry eye can be uncomfortable and bothersome. Symptoms vary from case to case, however some report blurred vision, light sensitivity, itching and redness and a gritty feeling in the eye. As ironic as it sounds, a common symptom of dry eyes is excessive tearing and watery eyes. This happens because when the eyes are dry, the body may overcompensate and produce too many tears.

Talk To Us About Dry Eye

If you feel that your eyes are dry throughout the day or on a regular basis, or if you experience any of the above symptoms, come in to see us. Based on the underlying cause of your dry eye symptoms, we will be able to offer information on certain treatment options. If you have any questions, call us or leave it in the comments below.Your eye health is important to us!

Our patients make it all worthwhile!

The post Why Are My Eyes Dry? appeared first on Cargo Eye Care of Las Colinas.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!

Posted from: http://www.eyecare2020.com/blog/2016/07/summer-vision-safety-tips/

An innovative good composition in connection with vision health.

Healthy eyes are essential to your well-being and quality of life. You may not be thinking about it, but now is the time to be proactive about your eye health, and make sure that you’re not doing anything that could come back to hurt you later in life. We want you to have the best eyesight possible, so we’re bringing you some tips for keeping your vision safe and healthy this summer.

Sunglasses

When it comes to sunglasses, you may not want to skimp on your purchase. That doesn’t mean you need $200 Italian-made lenses, but you might not want to get them at the gas station either. You want to make sure that your sunglasses have the proper UV protection for summer. If your sunglasses don’t have UV protection, all you’re doing is allowing your pupils to dilate and let in UV rays. Too much UV light will accelerate the growth of cataracts, causing them to appear eight to ten years earlier in some cases. That’s a lot of time with cataracts that could have been prevented with proper eye protection.

That means getting proper protection for your little ones, as well. Their eyesight is actually more sensitive than an adult’s, so it’s important to protect their eyes starting from a young age.

Outdoor Safety

Summer is a good time to get out and finish projects around the house, and you’ll certainly be mowing and weed whacking at some point this season. Anytime you’re doing work with objects that could potentially fly around, you should be wearing heavy duty goggles. Your regular eyeglasses don’t cut it if a rock or anything solid pops up and hits them. In fact, the lacerations from broken eyeglasses can be just as dangerous.

Sports Safety

Most sports leagues require some type of protection for your eyes if there is a substantial risk of injury, but as you get older, leagues usually cut down on the required gear. Do yourself a favor and continue wearing helmets and eye protection when you’re playing sports this summer. Paintball is an especially dangerous sport, and while commercial fields require eye protection, many people injure themselves playing at home without the proper gear.

Fireworks

Please, please, be careful if you must use fireworks. We would tell you to simply leave them alone, but millions of people use them every Fourth of July weekend. There are roughly 2,000 eye injuries from fireworks every year according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Your best bet is to leave the shows to the professionals, but always wear heavy-duty eye protection if you are going to be using fireworks at home.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!