Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

Traumatic eye injuries happen every day in the Lehigh Valley. We diagnose and treat those who fall victim to accidents or who intentionally engaged in activities that put their vision at risk. Many of these situations shouldn’t have happened and the harm was preventable if people thought about protecting their sight. According to WebMD , these are the most common causes injuries that could threaten or cause vision loss. The eye is physically struck by an object. This could be by a baseball, stone, fist or other object injuring the eye, eyelid, muscles or bones surrounding the eye. A mild injury can cause swelling or a black eye. There also may be bleeding inside the eye. With a hard enough strike the bones around your eye could break. Eye muscles could become trapped inside a broken bone requiring surgery to correct the problem. Cut, scratch or abrasion. An object can get into your eye, scratching the cornea, the dome-like cover over the eye. A scratch can cause blurriness, sens...

Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that helps prevent sun damage to the body by blocking free radical damage. This bright red molecule forms in certain algae, pink seafood, and yeast. Unlike beta-carotene, this carotenoid crosses the blood-brain barrier to help maintain healthy brain function. Astaxanthin helps the brain by promoting neurogenesis, the generation of new brain neurons. This nutrient also supports existing neurons by reducing oxidative stress. Scientists have found that astaxanthin can protect against cumulative sun damage to the eye. This nutrient may help reduce the risk of eye disease such as macular degeneration. It may also protect against cataracts and vision loss from glaucoma. In addition, related carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin block blue light and work synergistically with astaxanthin. Astaxanthin also boosts the immune system, and has certain anti-cancer properties. Why is Sun Damage a Problem? The sun releases both blue light and ultraviolet radia...

Pollen; www.ncdc.noaa.gov Do your seasonal allergies affect your eyes?  You probably will not be happy to hear that a study appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences projected that the allergy season will be longer in the upper latitudes of North America. Climate change has lead to longer warm seasons. Warmer temperatures and extra humidity lead to more pollen in the air. Controlling hay fever is more important than ever. How Hay Fever Affects the Eyes Hay fever can affect the eyes and other parts of the head, plus the throat. For a person with allergies, breathing in allergens causes an immune system reaction. The body tries to clear out the “invader” by triggering sneezing and a runny nose. The eyes, roof of the mouth, throat, and nose may itch. The nose and mucous membranes become inflamed. This includes the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva covers the inside of the eyelids and the visible whites of the eyes. Eyes that have allergic conjunctivitis look red. Alle...

Macular Degeneration Nutrition is a reflection of the health of the whole body. Conventional medicine offers no effective prevention for macular degeneration. Over 40 scientific studies, however, confirm the value of food in preventing the condition. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that the more survey respondents ate Fruits for Eye Health and Vegetables for Eye Health high in beta-carotene, the less likely they were to develop Macular Degeneration. Eating collard greens and spinach, in particular, is associated with a lower rate of the Eye Disease . The Beaver Dam Eye Study examined the diets of 2,003 individuals aged 43 to 84 and found that consumption of foods containing: beta-carotene collard greens spinach apricots carrots mangoes squash vitamin E (such as nuts) prevented the formation of Drusens, spots of pigmentation that precede the development of Macular Degeneration . Getting Juiced on Juicing Protects Your Eye...

Due to widespread awareness about the dangers of ultraviolet (UV) rays, most parents have been very cautious about protecting kids’ skin with sunblock, hats and clothing. However, what is usually overlooked is a good pair of sunglasses. Children are more susceptible to damage from UV exposure, which can penetrate deep into the eye and can increase the onset of eye problems in the future.  It’s really important we protect their vision, especially because kids spend lots of time outside and their eyes haven’t fully developed yet. More importantly, sunglasses may save their skin and eyes later in life by blocking the sun’s powerful UV rays.  Children under age 10 are at a high risk for skin and eye damage from UV exposure. The skin on their eyelids and around their eyes is more delicate and vulnerable than adult skin. UV ray damage builds over time, so the sooner you start protecting your children’s eyes from the sun, the lower their risk will be of ever developing future eye problems. ...

A number of Eyesight Exercises can help Improve Your Eyesight . Many people are not comfortable wearing Prescription Glasses or Contact Lenses so they seek natural methods to correct any Eyesight Problems . The costs involved in certain eye procedures and surgeries along with the need to deal with constant headaches and other associated symptoms, can be stressful. In many instances, people don’t need to depend on any apparatus and gain better eyesight without glasses . No matter whether you are young or old, there are natural ways to improve eyesight naturally . When the ocular muscles are regularly exercised, they become strong enough to Improve Vision . Understanding how the eyes function will help you take better care of them. Neglecting the eyes can only result in Loss of Vision . Palming is one of the most common eyesight exercises that can prevent you from spending on expensive surgeries and procedures in the long run. The simple exercise involves rubbing your palms toget...

Taking the right eye vision supplements is something that everyone should try to do; diet alone is often not enough to give the eyes all the nutrients they need, so supplementing with extra vitamins and minerals is a good practice if you want to be proactive and Protect Your Eyesight for as long as possible. There are a lot of important nutrients that your eyes need to maintain and repair the ocular tissue, so here's a short list of some of the most important ones you might want to think about adding to your diet. Zinc – Most people don't think of zinc as one of the most important eye vision supplements , but it plays an extremely vital role in the maintenance of the enzymes that produce Eye Health Antioxidants . In fact, the Retinas have the single highest concentration of the mineral zinc in the entire body. The daily recommended dosage for zinc for eye health is 45 mg per day, which can usually be gotten through a multivitamin. If you're already taking a multivita...

The Symptoms of Cataracts usually develops slowly and causes no pain. At first the cloudiness may affect only a small part of the lens, and you may be unaware of any Eyesight Loss . Over time, however, as the Cataracts grows larger, they cloud more of the lens. When significantly less light reaches The Retina , your vision becomes impaired. Symptoms of Cataracts Include: Clouded, Blurred Vision or dim vision increasing difficulty with Poor Night Vision Sensitivity to light and glare Halos around lights The need for brighter light for reading and other activities Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions The fading or yellowing of colors Double Vision or multiple visions in one eye Fatigue when reading Inability to thread a needle or perform other fine actions Inability to judge distances or steps (poor depth perception) Development of so-called “second sight” in which the cataract grows in such a way that vision shift...

“My son Alex kept telling me that his eyes hurt. It never occurred to me just how much screen time was causing issues until this past October.” Audrey McClelland and other moms talk screen time, how it’s affecting their kids, and why Screen Shield™ Teen is actually needed. Audrey ‘s son, Alex, wears glasses, so when he started complaining about his eyes hurting, she figured he needed a new prescription. That wasn’t the case. “Our eye doctor said that there was some irritation going on, most definitely from eye strain. The culprit? His cellphone and the Xbox. Alex had been spending a prolonged amount of time on his screen(s), and it wasn’t good. When I reached out to some other moms in my area, they had said that they were worried about the same thing with their kids, too.” The fact is, the amount of time kids spend in front of screens isn’t going to change. It’s an unavoidable activity. That’s not all bad. Mom Stacie Connerty thought about her kids’ screen time and didn’t think it...