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Tag: glaucoma

Warning signs of serious eye problems

October 22nd, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

As you get older, you may experience age-related eye problems. This is why it’s important to have regular eye checks to help avoid vision problems and minimise permanent loss. 

While many eye problems can develop at any age, they’re more common as you get older and in those who have a family history of eye conditions. The most common of these include a detached retina or rapid onset of glaucoma.

Unfortunately, ageing also increases your risk for certain types of sight-threatening eye conditions that can lead to blindness.

Globally, over 250 million people live with vision impairment, says the World Health Organization. Around 80% of those could have been either avoided or cured. 

See your eye doctor as soon as possible if you experience:

  1. A gradual loss of central vision. This includes distortions like straight lines appearing wavy.
  2. An irritated sensation and pain in the eye surface. This could be caused by dry eye syndrome.
  3. Sudden loss of vision in one eye. This could signal a number of eye diseases and conditions.
  4. Onset eye pain, redness, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms could mean an acute attack of narrow-angle glaucoma, which can permanently damage the eye’s optic nerve. You’ll need immediate treatment to help avoid permanent vision loss.
  5. Seeing floaters and flashes is a natural part of the ageing process and is usually harmless. Spots or floaters are shadowy images of particles floating in the fluid that fills the inside of the eye. If you suddenly see more floaters than normal, and they’re accompanied by bright and flashing lights, see your doctor.
  6. Double vision, double images or “ghost” images. In some cases, these can signal an underlying health emergency like a stroke.
  7. Cloudy and blurred eyesight, “halos” around lights at night, loss of bright colour vision. These vision changes are linked to cataracts. Cataracts progress slowly and are usually not a medical emergency. As your eye’s natural lens continues to cloud with ageing, your vision will deteriorate unless you have cataract surgery. Surgery will replace your cloudy lens with a custom intraocular lens that’s implanted in the eye as part of a treatment. If you wait too long for the surgery, you increase your chance of complications that may lead to glaucoma. This can also cause the cloudy lens to harden and become more difficult to remove.
  8. A shadow or dark curtain in vision. This could be caused by a retinal detachment, which happens when the retina separates from the underlying layer of nourishing blood vessels (choroid). If the retina is not reattached within hours, you can permanently lose your vision.

Other possible vision problems to look out for

  • Reading things very close to the face or at an angle.
  • Writing less clearly and having trouble writing on a line.
  • Problems getting food onto a fork or spoon.
  • Difficulty cutting food.
  • Trouble identifying colours.
  • Choosing clothes in unusual combinations of colours or patterns.
  • Squinting or tilting your head to the side to focus on an object.
  • Brushing against walls while walking.
  • Difficulty walking on irregular or bumpy surfaces

Minimise age-related eye problems

Reduce your risk of developing serious eye problems later in life by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and going for routine eye checks. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of nutritious food heavy in vitamins A, E and omega 3’s may also reduce your risk of certain eye problems.

References:

Glaucoma: The #1 Cause of Preventable Blindness

October 14th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Fact: Glaucoma is the number one cause of preventable blindness in developed countries, but what is it, and what causes it?

Glaucoma actually refers to a group of diseases which affect the optic nerves in the eye. As the nerve fibres die, it impacts a person’s peripheral (side) vision first. This is why visual loss can be extensive before the problem is detected, at which any damage done is often permanent.

What Causes Glaucoma?

At the back of the eyeball is the optic nerve, and this carries signals from the eye to the brain and back again. Glaucoma damages this vital nerve – much like cutting the cable that connects your digital camera to your computer. Except the optic nerve can’t be repaired, so the damage is permanent.

Eye pressure is also an important risk factor for developing glaucoma. Basically, healthy eyes have some pressure within them, but if the pressure is too great it can cause glaucoma.

What are some of the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

If you have any of the following warning signs of glaucoma, you should make an appointment with your doctor or optometrist as soon as possible for a thorough examination.

  • Difficulty focusing on near or distant objects
  • Change in colour of your iris
  • Trouble adjusting to the dark
  • Unusual sensitivity to light (squinting more than normal for example)
  • Red-rimmed, encrusted or swollen lids
  • Persistent pain in or around eyes
  • Double vision
  • A dark spot “in the middle” of your eye
  • Lines and edges appear wavy or distorted
  • Watery eyes, or excessive tearing
  • Dry eyes, burning or itchy eyes
  • Seeing ghost-like images or spots

Am I at Risk of Glaucoma?

High eye pressure is the main risk factor for glaucoma, but you could also be at risk if you have a family history of the disease, if you are diabetic or if you have cardiovascular disease. Your risk also increases with age.

Additional risk factors include:

  • Near-sightedness
  • Previous eye injuries
  • Use of steroids
  • A thin cornea
  • A history of severe anaemia or shock

Can Glaucoma Be Treated?

Regular eye tests are the most important factor in treating glaucoma, as it’s easy to detect and the disease can be managed. Treatment largely includes lower pressure in the eye to prevent any further loss of vision.

It’s important to remember that with early detection and treatment, people with glaucoma can maintain good vision for the rest of their life. If you’re worried about any eye-symptoms, why not ask our doctors? Simply sign up on our website. download the free Hello Doctor app from the Google Play or iTunes store.  They can give you the best possible advice, so you know exactly what to do next.

Sources: Kellogg Eye Center, Glaucoma.org

How to beat the odds and not go blind

August 22nd, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Glaucoma is one of the most sneaky causes for blindness. It is an eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve from an abnormal increase of pressure in the eye, and most of us don’t even know if we have it!

The optic nerve is vital for vision as it carries information from the eye to the brain. Damage to this nerve can be harmful to your eyesight. In the case of glaucoma, this damage leads to irreversible vision loss and eventually, blindness.

What are the symptoms?

Glaucoma progresses slowly and silently over the years, so by the time you recognise any symptoms, the damage to the optic nerve may be very advanced. Symptoms include:

  • Severe eye pain (usually with nausea and vomitting).
  • Headaches
  • Eye redness.
  • Blurred or cloudy vision.
  • Seeing halo-like glows around bright lights.

Risk factors

Glaucoma can affect anyone, but you may be at higher risk if you:

  • Are over the age of 40.
  • Have high internal eye pressure. Eye pressure increases with age.
  • Have a family history of the condition.
  • Have a condition that affects blood flow like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
  • Are African. Glaucoma is more common and severe in people of African origin.
  • Have myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).
  • Have had an eye injury.
  • Have had eye surgery.
  • Have corneas that are thin in the centre (less than 0.5 mm).
  • Take steroids for a long time.

How is it diagnosed?

To diagnose glaucoma, your doctor will review your medical history and do a complete eye exam. He’ll run a few quick, painless tests to:

  • Measure your eye pressure (tonometry).
  • Examine your optic nerve for damage (optic nerve assessment).
  • Check for areas of vision loss (visual field test).
  • Inspect your eye’s drainage angle (gonioscopy).
  • Measure the thickness of your cornea (pachymetry).

He may also take a picture of your optic nerve to see how far the glaucoma has developed. The only way to detect glaucoma before it damages your sight is with regular eye tests. The earlier it’s found, the earlier it can be treated. This is especially important if you have a high risk for glaucoma. “If you’re over 40, you should have your eyes tested every two years, and every year once you’re over the age of 60,” recommends SAGS.

Treatment

Once, you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma, you have to go on lifelong medication, says Dr Ellen Ancker, an ophthalmologist from Cape Town. Your doctor may recommend eye drops and glaucoma medications to help lower eye pressure. These need to be taken regularly and as prescribed to retain your eye sight and prevent further damage to your optic nerve.

“It’s also important to go for regular check-ups and have a good relationship with your doctor,” advises Ancker. “You must be able to trust him and notify him as soon as you experience any changes or problems with your vision.”

If medication doesn’t help, your doctor may suggest surgery to improve the flow of fluid out of the eye. “However, this isn’t a first option as there’s a danger of infection, and cataracts in older patients,” says Ancker.

References

5 Deadly conditions without symptoms

July 5th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

No symptoms, no problem? Think again. Some of the most dangerous diseases are symptomless. Beware of these stealthy conditions.

Hypertension

It’s often called the “silent disease” as it has no indicators. “Many people may have hypertension for years without knowing it, which is why it’s so dangerous,” says Dr Stan Moloabi, Executive Healthcare Manager at the Government Employees Medical Scheme.

If your blood pressure is extremely high, you may get severe headaches, chest pain, and dizzy spells. Other symptoms include fatigue, vision problems, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and frequent nosebleeds.

The only way to know you have hypertension is with a blood pressure test. Even if you don’t have any symptoms or risk factors, you should get tested every one to two years, advises Dr Moloabi. If you have diabetes, heart disease, or kidney problems, you must have your blood pressure checked at least once a year.

Diabetes

According to Diabetes South Africa (DSA), about 90% of all people with diabetes are Type 2. And many of these cases go undiagnosed as there are very few warning signs. Symptoms may include dry mouth, excessive thirst and urination, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow wound healing. As the symptoms can be subtle and develop gradually, many people ignore them.

“It takes on average seven years for a person to get diagnosed with diabetes for the first time,” says Dr Larry Distiller, founder and managing director of the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Johannesburg. “Sadly, about 30% of people have already developed complications by the time they’re diagnosed.”

This highlights the importance of early diagnosis. Get screened for diabetes every year if you’re aged 35 and over, overweight, have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a family history of the condition. “A simple finger-prick test at your local pharmacy or clinic can diagnose the strong likelihood that you may have diabetes within a minute,” says DSA.

Cervical cancer

There are no symptoms linked to this type of cancer in its early stage, but once in its advanced stage, you may experience pain in your pelvis, an unpleasant vaginal discharge, and abnormal vaginal bleeding. As the cancer progresses and becomes invasive, you may also experience leg and back pain, blood in your urine, and bleeding from your rectum.

Fortunately, cervical cancer can be prevented with regular Pap smears – a screening designed to pick up cervical changes before they become cancerous. The earlier pre-cancer is found, the higher your chances for successful treatment and survival.

Women aged 21 to 65 should have a Pap smear every three years, advises Cape Town-based fertility specialist, Dr Sascha Edelstein.

Lung cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one in four people diagnosed with lung cancer show no symptoms of the disease. Symptoms usually only manifest when the cancer has advanced.

Signs to look out for include a chronic dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and hoarseness. The trouble is that many of these symptoms are misidentified for other conditions like bronchitis. Lung cancer is often identified incidentally when a chest X-ray is performed for another reason.

There’s no way to prevent lung cancer, but you can reduce your risk by not smoking. If you’re a smoker or former smoker, go for an annual CT lung scan, recommends NCI. This test has been shown to reduce lung cancer deaths by 20%.

Glaucoma

This eye disease causes damage to the optic nerve from an abnormal increase of pressure in the eye. It’s the third leading cause of blindness worldwide, and is often called “the blinding disease” or “thief of sight” as it develops without any obvious symptoms. In fact, 50% of people in the developed world and 90% in developing countries don’t know they have it, according to the South African Glaucoma Society (SAGS).

Glaucoma progresses slowly and silently over the years, so by the time you recognise any symptoms, the damage to the optic nerve may already be very advanced. Symptoms to keep an eye out for, include severe eye pain (usually with nausea and vomitting), headaches, eye redness, blurred or cloudy vision, and seeing halo-like glows around bright lights.

The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to go for regular eye tests. This is especially important if someone in your family has glaucoma. “If you’re over 40, you should have your eyes tested every two years, and every year once over the age of 60,” recommends SAGS. It’s also a good idea to get checked out for glaucoma if you’re diabetic. The risk for glaucoma is twice as high in diabetics as in non-diabetics.

References:

 

Are you smart enough to be a doctor?

March 6th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

Think you know a lot about health? Test yourself with our eye quiz!

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What it’s like to see through an eye condition

March 4th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

Blindness affects many people across the world. While some eye diseases occur from birth, others can be hereditary, or can come about through lifestyle.

What you might not know is that certain eye conditions have different effects on your vision. For example, glaucoma starts off with the loss of peripheral vision, whereas cataracts causes ones vision to blur. Here are four of the most common eye diseases, and what the world might look like for those with any of these conditions. Continue reading “What it’s like to see through an eye condition”

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