Imagine living in a world where you cannot see your loved ones, or play with your children or grandchildren; where you are unable to enjoy the visual stimulation of a summer’s day or a beautiful sunset.
It is easy to take your eyes for granted. Aside from your skin, your eyes are the only organs exposed to the outside world. This means they are exposed to contamination, pollution and foreign bodies, as well as on the inside being exposed to toxins, nutrient deficiencies and more.
Description
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
Behçet’s Disease
Bietti’s Crystalline Drystrophy
Corneal Disease
Dry Eye
Diabetic Eye Disease
Retinopathy
Floaters
Glaucoma
Presbyopia
Retinal Detachment
Usher Syndrome
Vitreous Detachment
There are many eye disorders and diseases that can be prevented and treated. One of the most prevalent disorders is Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
AMD is associated with aging. It gradually destroys the sharpness of your central vision. The greatest risk factor is age. If you are over 60 you are at a much greater risk than any other age group. Seeing objects clearly and performing common daily tasks such as reading and driving become more difficult and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both of your eyes.
There are 2 types of AMD:
Dry AMD – where an area of the retina becomes diseased;
Wet AMD – where new blood vessels begin to grow as the dry AMD worsens.
| Clinical studies provide evidence that increased intake of lutein – a powerful antioxidant located in the macula of the eye – lowers the risks of AMD (The Institute fur Physiologische Chemie, Dusseldorf). A further study provides scientific evidence that zeaxantin, along with lutein, is important in stabilizing macular degeneration (The Medical Research Council Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, UK). Another 7 year study supplied by the AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) also proved that AMD can be reduced by more than 25% whilst taking certain doses of beta-carotene supplementation. |
In brief, other common conditions include:
Amblyopia (Lazy eye)
Amblyopia is when the vision in one of your eyes is reduced because your eye and your brain are not functioning properly together.
Behçet’s Disease of the Eye
Behçet’s disease is an autoimmune disease (where the immune system attacks and harms the body’s own tissues). This results from damage to blood vessels throughout your body, particularly your veins.
Bietti’s Crystalline Dystrophy
Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy (BCD) is an inherited eye disease, meaning that you receive one degenerative gene from either of your parents.
Blepharitis (Granulated eyelids)
Blepharitis is a common condition that causes inflammation of your eyelids.
There are 2 types of Blepharitis:
| Anterior blepharitis, affecting the outside of the eyelid. This can be caused by staphylococcus bacteria or dandruff. Posterior blepharitis, affecting the inner eyelid. This is caused by problems with the oil glands within the eyelid. |
Cataracts
Cataracts is a condition where one or both of the lenses in your eyes clouds over causing loss of vision. If you are over the age of 60 you are at higher risk.
| Special Note Bilberry herbal extract has been particularly highlighted in studies to significantly slow cataract growth in up to 97% of cases. |
Corneal Disease
Stemming from:
Allergies, especially those relating to pollen, and
Conjunctivitis (‘Pink Eye’), caused by bacterial or viral infection, or environmental irritants.
Dry Eye
This common eye condition produces fewer or less quality tears and is unable to keep its surface lubricated and comfortable, causing discomfort, eye weakness, redness and burning sensations.
Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetes can cause major organ problems like heart disease, kidney failure, amputations and eye conditions, even blinding. It is therefore essential that people with diabetes take regular eye tests (at least once a year) with a professional ophthalmologist.
Eye problems that may affect people with diabetes include:
- Diabetic retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels of the retina)
- Cataract
- Glaucoma (increase of fluid pressure inside the eye).
Retinopathy
A non-inflammatory degenerative disease of the retina, commonly found as a complication of diabetes.
Studies of patients with various types of retinopathy have been conducted in Europe to investigate the effects of anthocyanosides on the retinal vessels. They have resulted in showing a positive influence on permeability.
Floaters
Floaters are ‘specks’ that float about in your field of vision. They are small, dark, shadowy shapes. They look like spots that seem to move around in front of your eyes. As your look from one side to the other they appear to move with you and tend to ‘dart’ away when you try to look directly at them.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is where the normal fluid pressure inside your eyes gradually rises. It can result in optic nerve damage and eventual loss of vision.
Presbyopia
A slow loss of ability to see close objects or small print.
Retinal Detachment
A detached retina (the light sensitive part of the back of your eye) is where your retina is lifted from its normal position. Untreated it can cause permanent vision loss. In some cases there may be small areas of the retina that are torn. These areas can lead to retinal detachment.
| There are three different types of retinal detachment: Rhegmatogenous, where a tear in the retina permits fluid to get underneath allowing the retina to easily lift away. Tractional, where scar tissue on the retina’s surface contracts and causes the retina to lift. Exudative, where fluid leaks into the area underneath the retina, usually a result of retinal disease and inflammatory disorders. . |
Usher Syndrome
Usher Syndrome is an inherited condition that causes gradual vision loss. It is caused by a group of diseases that cause night-blindness and peripheral vision loss as the retina degenerates.
Vitreous Detachment
Vitreous Detachment is where the vitreous (the thick jelly-like material that fills the back of the eye in front of the retina) slowly shrinks. Fibers pull on the retinal surface and break. It often affects people aged 50+ and is more common in people aged 80+. If you are nearsighted you are also at high risk.
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