Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

The sun's ultraviolet, or UV, rays not only burn your skin, but your eyes as well. Most of us wear sunglasses for comfort, because bright sunshine makes seeing difficult. If you’re doing something like driving a car, a motorcycle or riding a bike, clear, comfortable vision can be the difference between getting home and getting into an accident. But sunglasses that protect against UV rays also have long term benefits and should be worn by children and adults. The effect of UV radiation is the eye ages faster. The light intensity of a sunny day makes the use of sunglasses necessary to see comfortably. Damaging effects can be intensified as a result of glare off water, snow and windshields. All sunglasses worn outside should provide 100 percent UVA and UVB light protection. If you've been exposed to too much UV radiation include red eyes, swelling, light sensitivity, tearing and feeling like something is in your eyes. A more serious, short term problem is sunburn of the eye, or ...

Thanksgiving is almost here; a meal that nourishes the family bonds and traditions.  It’s the one time of the year where you can guarantee your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. This meal also has another added bonus — almost every item on the Thanksgiving table is healthy for your eyesight ! Here are several of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and their corresponding benefits to your eye health: Turkey – No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey, roasted golden brown and stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs. Turkey is loaded with zinc and B-vitamin niacin, which helps prevent the formation of cataracts . Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, so gobble up!  You are “preventing” cataracts with every bite. Spinach, Green Bean Casserole, Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts – These foods and other leafy greens are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that protect the retina, which may also help reduce the risk of cataracts and macula...

You many think of people suffering from parasites is just in the realm of science fiction or only those living in poor, third world nations need to be concerned about it. Although parasitic health issues can be severe in poor countries, one that Americans should take precautions against could rob you of your eyesight. Acanthamoeba is a microscopic amoeba (a single-celled living organism) that may cause rare, but severe, infections of the eye as well as the skin and central nervous system. This amoeba is found in the water and soil. It can spread to the eyes through contact lens use in water where the acanthamoeba live. Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare infection of the eye that generally happens in those who are otherwise healthy, but it could cause permanent visual impairment or blindness. Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the front of your eye that covers the pupil and iris. Keratitis may or may not be caused by the Acanthamoeba. Noninfec...

Air pollution is a mixture of natural and man-made substances in the air we breathe. How toxic it is depends on what the air pollution is made of and how much there is. Based on a recent study, protecting one’s eyes with a physical barrier may not prevent eye problems because chemicals we breathe in may make their way to our eyes through the bloodstream. Compared to many places, Lehigh Valley’s air quality is generally pretty good, but it may be bad where you live, work or while you commute to work on busy streets or highways. A study by Dr. Suh-Hang Hank Juo and his colleagues from the center for myopia and eye disease at China Medical University in Taiwan showed for the first time in a large population that exposure to two common air pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), can lead to an increased chance of developing age-related macular degeneration , which causes damage to the macula, in the center of the eye, resulting in blurry central vision and potential...