Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause mild to severe respiratory illness . Symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and pink eye can show up 2 to 14 days after a person is exposed. People with severe infections can develop pneumonia and even die from complications of the illness. To cut your personal risk of contracting the COVID-19, avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth and face with unwashed hands. It is the mucous membranes (membranes that line various cavities in the body) that are most susceptible to transmission of the virus. To avoid infecting others with the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the use of face masks to be worn when out in public. Face masks can reduce the spread of coronavirus by people who are infected but have no symptoms of the virus (asymptomatic). Face masks, however, do not protect your eyes from infection. Here are a few tips on how to protect yourself and others: 1. Practice safe hygiene and soci...

Myths are typically a thing of fantasy, a nd   you wouldn’t expect them to have a place in ey e health. Unfortunately, t here are several “myths” that many people believe that are simply not true. Here   are a few  of those  beliefs held by  people who experience occasional dry eye that we are happy to dispel. Myth 1: It Happens to Everyone. While experiencing some form of occasional dry eye is common, it does  not  happen to everyone and each person’s level of discomfort varies. Occasional dry eye typically occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears ,  or the tears your eyes do produce , are not enough to keep your eyes lubricated and comfortable. For those who   experience  dryness and irritation daily,  they’ll need to seek  professional help as it can be a long-term eye health issue. Myth 2: It Only Happens to Old People. As we age, our bodies change. One of the parts most affected by aging is our eyes . Our vision decreases and, yes, our eyes can start to feel drier,...

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...