Medical Health Digest


Is There Any Harm In Wearing Contact Lenses?

March 5th, 2009 contactlense Posted in Diseases and Conditions, General Health, Health Care, Health Sciences, Procedures and Therapies, Wellness No Comments »

Have you ever wondered if what you know about contact lense is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on contact lense.

Current info about contact lense  is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest contact lense info available.


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Modern contacts are manufactured to extremely high standards. Millions wear them daily and for years without health problems or even discomfort. Still, about 4% of all contact lens users experience some type of health issue at some point. Risks of wearing contact lenses, while very low, are not zero. Your odds can be improved by proper use, though.

One overall issue is the fact that any contact lens will restrict the amount of air that gets to the eye. That increases the odds of infection, even when lenses are well sterilized. With the popularity of 7 day or even 30-day continuous wear lenses, that problem (while small) is larger than it was in the past.

Apart from infection, discomfort and blurred vision can occur when a lens is worn for more than a few days. That irritation can occur to the eyeball itself, and also to the lens and surrounding tissues. One possible result is GPC (Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis).

GPC produces itching and redness on the surrounding tissue, the result of protein buildup on the surfaces of the lens. Swelling occurs on the interior surface of the eyelids and can produce a sticky discharge as well. When this occurs, you should discontinue use until your eye care professional declares the lenses are safe to wear again. Regular, careful lens care and proper use can reduce the odds of any re-occurrence.

Corneal abrasions, while uncommon, are also far from unknown among contact lens users. A small scratch on the clear tissue over the pupil can happen when small particles of grit get between the lens and the eye, usually as a result of poor cleaning or handling. But it can occur even to the most careful, as airborne or finger-borne material lands on the surface of the eyeball.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about contact lense , keep reading.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Small pieces of eyelash, cotton threads, airborne plant material and much more can all wind up in the eye. In the absence of contacts these things are normally washed away by the tears and eyelid working together. Contacts can interfere with that process. In many instances, antibiotics are called for since infection is common under these circumstances.

Pollen and other material can also produce allergic reactions that are sometimes amplified by contact lenses. The eyes become red and irritated and excessive tearing can occur, leading to blurred vision and discomfort. Sometimes the reaction is the result of preservatives in the lens cleaning solution. It happens more often with soft contact lenses. Treatments include removing the lens for a time, changing solutions and using different storage methods.

The lenses themselves can cause problems if they change shape. While rare, previously well-fitting contact lenses can be affected by temperature and age, causing tears and oxygen to less efficiently make it to the eye. This so-called Tight Lens Condition can cause pain, redness and even swelling of the cornea. Correction consists of remeasuring the eye and fitting new contacts after the eyes have recovered.

The cornea itself can change shape, as can the whole eyeball. The change is subtle, but with contact lenses the tolerances are small. If corneal warpage (as it’s called) does happen the result can be discomfort and an increase in the odds of infection. The condition is more common with gas permeable and hard lenses, which are less flexible than soft contact lenses.

If this happens, healing can take weeks or months, during which time contact lenses can’t be worn. As the eye resumes its normal shape, vision can change. More than one glasses prescription may be required for optimal sight. In rare cases the astigmatism is permanent.

In all cases, following the manufacturer’s and your eye care professional’s guidance about cleaning, insertion and removal, contact lens care and wear are your best bet to avoiding problems.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about contact lense into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about contact lense, and that’s time well spent.

Sometimes it’s tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I’m positive you’ll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

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Contact Lenses - How The Eye Works

March 4th, 2009 contactlense Posted in Diseases and Conditions, Exercise & Fitness, General Health, Health Care 1 Comment »

When the parts and process of vision work correctly, you see sharp, colored entities out in the world. When things go wrong, the need for a contact lense or glasses arises.

The human visual system is both simple and complex. Complex, because there are so many parts that have to work together to make sight possible. Simple, because those parts and the process can really be explained without in-depth knowledge of anatomy and biology.

An ordinary glass lens, such as a magnifying glass, focuses the light that moves through it by bending the rays toward a focal point. That’s the bright spot you see when you hold one over a newspaper, for example. Something similar happens when light enters the eye through an opening called the pupil, behind a clear protective portion called the cornea.

The pupil is surrounded by the iris, the colored portion of the eye. The pupil can narrow or widen to regulate the amount of light admitted, from as small as about 2mm to as much as approximately 8mm. The iris contains the muscles that change the diameter of the opening. Just behind the pupil is the lens, the part that focuses the light rays similar to the magnifying glass.

But there’s an important difference between a magnifying glass and the eye. The magnifying glass’s focal point is fixed. The eye, by contrast, contains muscles that help shape the lens and that shaping process performs a number of important tasks. Most importantly, it makes it possible for the focal point to change.

A camera lens is a good analogy. Because the camera lens contains multiple pieces of glass that can be moved by turning the barrel, objects at different distances can be brought into focus on the film. The muscles attached to the lens perform a similar function in order to focus light onto the retina, which is like the film.

Focused light rays strike the cells of the retina, the cones and rods. The names come from the shapes of the cells. The cones - 7 million cells in the central part of the retina, called the macula - are responsible for sharp, detailed vision and color vision. The approximately 100 million rods around them help us see in dim light and provide peripheral vision.

When those focused light rays hit the cells chemical reactions occur that stimulate the optic nerve attached to the back of the retina to produce electrical impulses. Those impulses are then transmitted to the visual cortex, the part of the brain that organizes them. Many parts of the brain cooperate to cause the mind to conclude: ‘Ah, a car.’ But the visual cortex does the initial heavy lifting.

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How to get health insurance and add years to your life

December 23rd, 2008 laurenc Posted in General Health, Health Care, Health Insurance, Wellness No Comments »

Everyone should know why having health insurance is so important, and still many Americans are left with out any health coverage at all.  For some people it is the thought that, “it can not happen to me” and for others it is simply the cost involved. If you are someone who goes through life thinking you are invincible , that is a dangerous way to live. Accidents happen every second around the world and most are out of your control.

The benefits of health insurance coverage will outweigh the costs for any of your medical emergencies or unforeseeable illnesses.  Individuals who are uninsured receive less medical care which can lead to even worse health outcomes. The financial burden of health care for the uninsured is most times too much for people to bare. It can lead to debt, the loss of a home, or job and the stress can end relationships.

Not having health insurance also means forgoing annual exams and recommended screenings that could detect major health issues early. Most problems that if not taken care of could result in untreatable cancers, heart problems or even death. Pregnant women who are uninsured run the risk of endangering their unborn child by not having adequate prenatal care. Those with out coverage also have no help paying for prescriptions,  some that can combat a wide range of illnesses and chronic conditions.

Having insurance can improve the quality of life by taking the burden of health care out of your hands. There are many types of affordable health insurance plans for every budget.  Plans for individuals, families and different types of coverage may make it a bit confusing when deciding which company to go with. There is also a large and foreign dictionary of insurance terms that you should become familiar with.

Before you choose your health insurance provider take a look at their track record. Take time to talk to a representative one on one about what the plan will provide and what costs will be covered.  Make sure you look over each policy carefully and find an agent that is more then happy to answer all of your questions. There are many useful health insurance guides out there that can assist you in your search for a provider. They can take you step by step answering the most frequent questions and giving you a great base of knowledge for when you take the next step and talk to an agent.

There is also a great way to find the best health insurance provider for you and your family online. By using a free service to compare health insurance quotes you can easily narrow down your choices. After you have a few providers to pick from call them up and see how their customer service is. Once you find a company you are comfortable with speak to an agent one on one so they can answer any other questions you may have. Once you are insured you can then relax and enjoy life with out having to think about the “what ifs”. Having health insurance can greatly improve the quality of life by making the best care, tests,  and medication available to you.

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Blood Pressure: A Silent Killer

July 23rd, 2008 peter Posted in Diseases and Conditions, Exercise & Fitness, Health Care No Comments »

Introduction

The blood in the arteries exerts pressure on its walls. This pressure is known as blood pressure. There are two factors responsible for blood pressure: pumping of blood through arteries ( by the heart) and the opposition of arteries to flow of blood through them. Blood pressure is given in two numbers, separated by a slash. The first number( the higher one) is called systolic and it represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body. The second number( the lower one) is called diastolic and it represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Blood pressure of 118/76 is read as ‘ 118 over 76′ and means systolic = 118, diastolic = 76 . All the figures are for mmHg ( millimeters of mercury). Read the rest of this entry »

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Balance Diet: A Key To Healthy And Fit Body

July 22nd, 2008 admin Posted in Diet & Weight Loss, Exercise & Fitness, General Health, Health Care No Comments »

Every body wants to be healthy and fit. Many people believe that only regular exercise will keep them fit and healthy. Yes, it’s true but not completely, you should also need to have a healthy diet i.e. balance diet. Regular exercise and balance diet together keeps you healthy and fit. Read the rest of this entry »

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Alzheimer’s: The Disease Of The Elderly

July 21st, 2008 alo Posted in Aging, Health Care, Senior Health No Comments »

Introduction

Alzheimer’s is associated primarily with memory lapses that occur with advancement in age. In addition to memory lapses, persons may experience physical or verbal outbursts, emotional distress, restlessness, hallucinations or delusions. Some amount of memory loss, with advancement in age is normal and is not a sign of Alzheimer’s. In fact there is a very thin line of separation with memory lapses that are ‘normal’ and those that signal Alzheimer’s. So if you fear someone elderly in your family to be suffering from Alzheimer’s, it is best to consult a doctor. Read the rest of this entry »

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Chickenpox: A Global Disease

July 19th, 2008 alo Posted in Diseases and Conditions, Health Care No Comments »

What is Chickenpox?

Chicken Pox is an ubiquitous and extremely contagious viral illness. The primary illness, characterized by a generalized skin rash, is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus. Recurrence of the infection results in a localized skin rash, otherwise known as shingles or Herpes Zoster. Chicken Pox, often confused with Small Pox in earlier times, occurs seasonally and in epidemics the world over. Humans are the only known reservoir. The virus is spread by the respiratory route and is a common infection in children. Read the rest of this entry »

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Leprosy: Relax! It Is No Longer Incurable!

July 17th, 2008 alo Posted in Diseases and Conditions, General Health, Health Care No Comments »

What It Is

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease of humans caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is also known as hansen’s disease.
Greek:  lepid = scales on a fish.
The disease can affect the skin, mucous membranes, and eyes and some of the nerves that are located outside the central nervous system (peripheral nerves). These are primarily the nerves of the hands, feet, and eyes, and some of the nerves in the skin. In severe, untreated cases, loss of sensation, muscle paralysis of hands and feet, disfigurement, and blindness may occur.

Types

Leprosy has traditionally been classified into two major types, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Patients with tuberculoid leprosy have limited disease and relatively few bacteria in the skin and nerves, while lepromatous patients have widespread disease and large numbers of bacteria. Tuberculoid leprosy is characterized by a few flat or slightly raised skin lesions of various sizes that are typically pale or slightly red, dry, hairless, and numb to touch (anesthetic). Lepromatous leprosy is at the other end of the spectrum, with a much more generalized disease, diffuse involvement of the skin, thickening of many peripheral nerves, and at times involvement of other organs, such as eyes, nose, testicles, and bone. There are also intermediate subtypes between these two extremes that are commonly known as borderline leprosy. The intermediate subtypes are borderline tuberculoid, midborderline, and borderline lepromatous leprosy. Borderline leprosy and the subtypes are characterized by more extensive disease than polar tuberculoid, with more numerous skin lesions and more nerve involvement, but not as widespread disease as in lepromatous leprosy. Indeterminate leprosy refers to a very early form of leprosy that consists of a single skin lesion with slightly diminished sensation to touch. It will usually progress to one of the major types of leprosy.

Spread of Leprosy

It is not clear how leprosy is spread. However, one way the disease is likely passed from person to person is through droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person and breathed in or touched by an uninfected person. But even with the bacteria in the air, most people do not contract leprosy. About half of the people with leprosy probably contracted it through close, long-term contact with an infected person. Casual and short-term contact do not seem to spread the disease. Leprosy cannot be contracted by simply touching someone with the disease, as is commonly believed. Health care workers often work for many years with people who have leprosy without contracting the disease. Other potential sources of Mycobacterium leprae are soil, armadillos, and possibly bedbugs and mosquitoes.
About 95% of people who are exposed to Mycobacterium leprae do not develop leprosy because their immune system fights off the infection. In people who do develop the disease, the infection can range from mild (tuberculoid leprosy) to severe (lepromatous leprosy). The tuberculoid form of leprosy is not contagious.

Treatment of Leprosy

For many years, it was considered a mysterious disorder associated with some type of curse, and persons with the disease were isolated and ostracized. Today, there is effective treatment and the disease can be cured. There is no longer any justification for isolating persons with leprosy. Antibiotic treatment can stop the progression of leprosy but does not reverse any nerve damage or deformity. Thus, early detection and treatment are vitally important. Because some leprosy bacteria may be resistant to certain antibiotics, doctors prescribe more than one drug. The standard combination is dapsone and rifampin

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Tuberculosis-A Common And Deadly Infectious Disease

July 17th, 2008 alo Posted in Diseases and Conditions, General Health, Health Care No Comments »

What It Is

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease. Tuberculosis was earlier known as ‘consumption’. Its symptoms include chest pain, coughing up blood and a productive, prolonged cough for more than three weeks. Its systematic symptoms include fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, pallor, and often a tendency to fatigue very easily. When the disease becomes active, 75% of the cases are pulmonary TB. In the other 25% of active cases, the infection moves from the lungs, causing other kinds of TB more common in  young children. The primary cause of TB, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, is an aerobic bacterium that divides every 16 to 20 hours, an extremely slow rate compared with other bacteria, which usually divide in less than an hour. Read the rest of this entry »

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Jaundice: Not A Disease, But A Symptom

July 17th, 2008 alo Posted in Diseases and Conditions, General Health, Health Care, Mental Health No Comments »

What Is Jaundice?

Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, is not a disease itself but a symptom of an underlying disorder. The discoloration occurs when excessive amounts of the body pigment bilirubin accumulate in the bloodstream. Normally bilirubin — a natural byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells in the liver — mixes with the digestive juice bile and passes harmlessly out of the body through the digestive tract. But if the liver is not functioning properly or the passage of bile is obstructed (perhaps by gallstones), bilirubin backs up into the blood. Jaundice in newborns and very young children, in most cases, is relatively benign. But in older children and adults it can be a sign of a more serious ailment. Read the rest of this entry »

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