Top Health Tips on Treating a Stye

LASIK stands for Laser In-situ Keratomileusis. This is a common eye surgery that helps in correcting vision problems. During this procedure, the cornea of the eye is cut across by a medical expert to raise the tissues and reshape them to correct vision. LASIK is suitable for patients who have shortsightedness, long sightedness or who suffer from astigmatism.

Here are the 5 benefits that a LASIK surgery offers:

1. Improved vision - A study reveals that 95% of the people who underwent this surgery achieved uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 and 85% of the people achieved 20/20 vision. This procedure ensures that a patient achieves enhanced vision.

2. Quick results and recovery - This surgery enables you to return to your normal schedule immediately the day after the surgery. You can have clear and improved vision within a day.

3. Long- lasting outcomes - A minimum timeframe of 3 months is required for the eyes to adjust, after which LASIK results are permanently noticeable in a patient. No follow up procedures are required unless something wrong went with the surgery. The patient will continue to have improved vision unless there is any normal loss due to illness or aging.

4. No need of glasses - You no longer require glasses as your vision turns to normal post-LASIK surgery.

5. Goodbye contact lenses - LASIK surgery will help eliminate the need for contacts. You will be able to avoid all the problems pertaining to wearing a contact lens, including lens solution.

Diabetes is a condition wherein the sugar levels in your blood increases significantly. This happens when the sugar you consume from food is not efficiently processed by the body thus, raising your blood sugar levels. An excess concentration of sugar in the blood can make you prone to various health complications.

Symptoms
The symptoms of diabetes include frequent urge to urinate, increased thirst, increased hunger and rapid weight loss, combined with fatigue and irritability. Diabetes can also cause problems in the eyes, such as blurred vision as well as make you prone to cataracts and even glaucoma (in very rare cases). With diabetes, any injury or body sore tends to take a lot of time to heal.

Causes
Diabetes is a disorder that occurs due to impaired insulin functioning. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by pancreas, which is located right below the stomach. Diabetes, when occurs as a result of insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas, is known as Type 1 Diabetes. In this type, the immune cells in the body attack the cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin, thus discouraging insulin secretion.
Another kind is the Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the cells in the body become insulin resistant. Most cases of diabetes are of this particular type, as one of the major reasons behind this is following an erratic lifestyle devoid of healthy habits.

Gestational diabetes is the third type, although it isn t very common. During pregnancy, the various hormones that are secreted in the body can play spoilsport with the functioning of the pancreas, thus the production of insulin. This leads to a drastic rise in blood sugar levels.

Ayurvedic treatment

Eat healthy: Eating healthy assumes the maximum importance; you need to eat healthy in order to control diabetes effectively. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in the diet, but make sure to pick foods that contain little sugar. Fruits such as bananas and grapes are not the best options for a diabetic. Rather, one should consider cucumber and bitter gourd in such circumstances.
Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can keep your body weight at optimal levels which goes a long way in preventing and controlling symptoms of diabetes. Besides being good for your heart, cardiovascular exercises such as running bring down the excess glucose levels in the blood.
Limit stress: Stress is very harmful for the body as it reduces your immunity against diseases and infections. Leading a stressful life can make you prone to a variety of disorders, diabetes being one of them. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga can help one deal with stress effectively.

An important organ of the body, eyes must never be taken for granted and need to be protected at all times. In addition to protecting them, you also need to improve as well as maintain their overall health.

Here are some of the ways of keeping your vision in top form:

1. Eat for good eye vision

To have healthy eyes and consequently good vision, you need to have foods that keep them in good health. Nutrients like Zinc, Vitamins C and E and Omega-3 fatty acids can help to fend off age-related sight problems such as cataracts or macular degeneration (a condition characterized by the deterioration of the middle portion of the retina). Foods like eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables, oranges and citrus fruits are what you need to have to get good eye health.

2. Kick the smoke habit

Smoking can adversely affect your eye health and can make you prone to eye conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration and damage of optic nerve (a nerve that transmits impulses from the eyes to the brain). By kicking this habit, you end up saving your eyes from irreversible damage.

3. Use sunglasses

Exposure to the sun s ultraviolet rays for a long period of time can make you prone to common eye problems including cataracts. To protect them from the sun s harmful rays, you need to use sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

4. Go for a regular eye checkup

Going for regular eye examinations can help in protecting your vision and ensure you see clearly. Eye examinations are important to help you find eye problems like glaucoma (a condition wherein the optic nerve is damaged, resulting in vision loss). A comprehensive eye examination can help in identifying problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism (an eye defect that occurs to a deviated spherical curvature).

Eyes need as much regular exercise to keep them healthy as any other organ of the body. Eye exercises are usually designed to provide strength to eye muscles, while improving focus, allowing flexible eye movements and helping stimulate the vision centre of the brain. Eye exercises might not necessarily improve eyesight but they help in preventing eye problems and maintaining the correct eyesight level.

Here are 4 Eye exercises that can help strengthen the eye muscles and improve your vision:

1. Blinking - Your eyes get strained due to long hours of sitting at the computer or television and you tend to blink less. Whenever you blink, your eyes stay in darkness for a few microseconds that help to keep the eyes fresh, while reducing eye strain.

2. Palming - This exercise involves three steps:

- Taking a few deep breaths before beginning the exercise
- Make yourself comfortable by resting your elbows on your knees and slowly closing your eyes
- Cover your eyes with the cup of your palm, place your fingers on the forehead and the heel of your hand on your cheekbone

This exercise helps in achieving inner peace and calm and also helps in resting your mind.

3. Figure of eight - This exercise helps in strengthening the eye muscles and provides flexibility. In this exercise, you need to imagine a huge eight in front of your eyes. Slowly turn the 8 on its side. With the help of your eyes slowly trace the figure of 8. Repeat it the other way after a few minutes.

4. Near and far focusing - This exercise helps in strengthening the eye muscles and improves the vision of your eyes. It involves the following steps:

- Either sit or stand in a comfortable position for 2-3 minutes
- Bring your thumb about 10 inches in front of your eyes and try to focus on it
- Now try focusing on an object that is about 10-20 feet in front of your eyes
- Try switching between focusing on the other object and your thumb on each deep breath

People are well aware of the harmful effects that UV rays have on the skin, but very few know that UV rays can damage their eyes as well. The tissue that human eye is made up of is one of the most sensitive tissues in the body and hence, the most vulnerable. The increasing level of UV radiation reaching the Earth s surface every minute has made it indispensable to take the required precautionary measures to protect the eyes.

What are UV rays?

Sunlight consists of 3 types of radiations - Infrared, Visible light and UltraViolet. Artificial sources like lasers, tanning beds and welding machines also emit UV radiation.

There are three types of UV radiations - UV-A, UV-B and UV-C.

UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not possess any risk. It is UV-A and UV-B radiations that adversely affect the eyes and vision.

Impact of UV rays on eyes

Too much exposure to UV rays can affect vision, harm the eyes, and deteriorate overall eye health. There are various eye problems that are aggravated by excessive exposure to UV radiation:

Macular Degeneration: It is caused by damage to the retina over time by UV rays. It leads to age-related blindness. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing macular degeneration.
Cataract: It is the clouding of eye s natural lens - the part of the eye that focuses the light we see. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing cataracts.
Pterygium: Often known as surfer s eye , pterygium is a pink, non-cancerous growth that is formed on the conjunctiva. UV rays are believed to be responsible for the development of this growth.
Skin Cancer of the Eyelids: Too much exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer in and around the eyelids.
Photokeratitis: Popularly known as corneal sunburn or snow blindness , photokeratitis is caused due to excessive short-term exposure to UV-B rays. Photokeratitis occurs when you spend long hours at the beach or skiing. It sometimes leads to temporary vision loss.
How to protect the eyes from harmful UV rays?

Here are some tips to help ensure that eyes are protected against harmful UV rays:

Always use quality sunglasses that block out 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation when outdoors.
Stay away from tanning beds, and if you use them occasionally, always wear eye protection.
Wrap around frames should be used if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
Be sure to see your doctor at least every two years.

Eyes are the most important part of our lives. There are various branches of medicine which treat different aspects of the eye. Chief among them are-

1. Ophthalmology
2. Optometry
Ophthalmology deals with the structure, physiology and diseases of the eye. On the other hand, optometry is a vision care science which involves the treatment and rectification of the visual system. Specialists emerging from these two schools of medicines are called Ophthalmologists and optometrists respectively. Though they both deal with the corrective measures and examination of healthy eyes, there are crucial differences between them.

Some of those differences are listed below:

Meaning: A specialist in surgical and medical eye problems, who performs operations in the eye is called an ophthalmologist. On the other hand, an optometrist is a specialist who has a degree in Doctor of Optometry (OD). He is not a doctor but a trained individual.

Area of Specialization: Both these specialists have different areas of specialization. An Ophthalmologist specializes in only vision and eye care. He/she has the necessary training to perform operations on the eye. On the other hand, an optometrist is not a doctor but a specialist who is involved in diagnosis, management and treatment of vision changes. He/she has the license to perform eye exams and tests and can prescribe corrective lenses.

Training: Both the specialists differ vastly in their training. An ophthalmologist is trained to treat all eye problems and is equipped to perform operations. He/she undergoes four years of medical school and one year of internship in any hospital. Optometrists on the other hand, after three or more years in college have to undergo four years of training before receiving a doctor of optometrist. (OD).

A red eye is one of the first and most common symptoms of conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the tissue that lies over the white part of the eye and lines the inner side of the eyelid. It is usually the result of a viral infection and can easily spread from one person to another. Conjunctivitis can also be a symptom of STDs like Gonorrhea or Chlamydia. In newborns, conjunctivitis can be vision threatening, while in grownups it is not considered a serious health risk. The symptoms of conjunctivitis differ according to the cause of the infection.

Some common symptoms of conjunctivitis are:

Green or white discharge from the eye
Redness of the white part of the eye
Inflammation of the eyelid
Waking up to crusted yellow discharge
Itchiness and burning in the eyes
Increased sensitivity to light
Blurred vision
An eye examination and testing a sample of the fluid secreted by the eye can be used to diagnose conjunctivitis. It can easily be treated at home and does not require hospitalization. Antibiotics are often given in the form of eye drops and ointments to treat conjunctivitis. These usually need to be applied 3 to 4 times a day for a period of 5 to 6 days. Wash your eyes before putting the eye drops. Once applied, close your eyes and roll the eyeball around to distribute the medicine and keep it from overflowing out of the eye. Wash your hands immediately after applying the eye drops.

Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious. If you are suffering from it, you should take a few days off work and restrict your social interactions. Wash your hands frequently as you may unconsciously rub your eyes. This is especially important with regards to meals and finger foods. Also, avoid sharing towels, pillowcases, etc. to minimize the transmission of the disease from one person to another.

Avoid using makeup while being treated for conjunctivitis. With conjunctivitis, the eye is more sensitive to irritants and thus, a speck of makeup can worsen the situation. Also avoid contacts. If you wear contacts regularly, dispose the current set and start using a fresh set after your doctor gives you a clean chit.
Artificial tears or non prescription eye drops can also be used to relieve the itchiness and burning in the infected eye. If only one eye had been affected by conjunctivitis, do not use the same eye drop bottle for both eyes.

Ever noticed spots or strands that float into your line of vision. These are known as floaters. In most cases, they do not affect your vision, but can cause a lot of discomfort. Thus, in most cases they do not require treatment unless they affect your vision significantly. Floaters are more likely to stand out when looking at bright objects or something like a clear blue sky. Moving your eyes can shift the fluid in your eyes and move these floaters out of your line of sight.

Dust particles entering and irritating the eye should not be confused with floaters. Floaters can be described as flecks of a protein called collagen. These flecks can be seen when they are loosened from the back of the eye known as the vitreous. This can happen at any age but is more likely to affect people between the ages of 50 and 75. Being near sighted or suffering from cataract also increases your risk of seeing floaters. In rare cases, it can also be triggered by a disease in the eye, an injury to the eye, tumors or crystal deposits in the back of the eye.

Noticing the odd floater is not something to worry about. However, if you notice a sudden increase in the number and frequency of floaters in your eye, see flashes of light, have pain in the eyes or experience a loss of side vision, consult a doctor immediately. This could also be a sign of a more serious condition like a detached retina that requires immediate medical attention. Excessive floaters can be removed through a surgery known as a vitrectomy or laser vitreolysis. A vitrectomy involves the removal of vitreous gel from the middle of the eye and replacing it with silicone oil or a gas bubble. The surgery last 2 or 3 hours, but you may require an overnight stay in the hospital.

Laser vitreolysis is a more recent form of treatment for this condition. This pain free procedure involves the projection of a laser beam into the eye that focuses on large floaters to break them apart or vaporize them. This procedure can be performed as an outpatient and is considered safer than a vitrectomy. The form of treatment suited to a person will depend on a number of factors including their age, what the floaters look like, where they are located and the frequency of their appearance.

While most of us complain of eye problems as pain or redness or itching or excessive tearing, there is more to it than what meets the eye! As with all diseases, the homeopath will try to unravel the problem in its deeper form. A detailed discussion to ask related symptoms happens, after which a diagnosis will be made. Treatment is then done accordingly which will not just get rid of the eye symptoms but also improve the overall health of the person.

Conditions like cataract and glaucoma need to be surgically corrected; however, others can be managed via homeopathic medicines effectively. The following are the top five homeopathic medicines described along with the symptoms in which they are used. A detailed discussion with your homeopath to arrive at the diagnosis should definitely precede use of these medications. Self-medication is not advised.

Mercurius - Mercurial preparations are used when the following symptoms are seen:

Thickened, red eyelids that are worse at night
Profuse, offensive-smelling discharge that causes burning
Boils around the eyes with pus formation
Floaters in the eyes
Worsens with warmth and damp weather
Syphilitic eye infections
Belladonna: One of the most widely used eye remedies in homeopathy; it is extremely useful in the following situations

Ophthalmic conditions with severe inflammation, dryness,
Injected eyes with iritis or retinitis
Fear of light (photophobia)
Eyes affected due to excessive light or poor light
Retinal hemorrhage conditions
Sudden, acute onset of these symptoms
Great intolerance to light
Euphrasia and Allium cepa: This is used as a combo, with both used in similar situation but with contradicting symptoms. The person has symptoms similar to hay fever or cold.
While euphrasia is used where there is a bland nasal discharge and burning tears, allium is used when there is a strong burning sensation with nasal discharge. Some doctors even try one, and if it is not effective, they prescribe the other one. Other conditions where Euphrasia and Allium cepa are used include:

Watery eyes that blink frequently
Acute catarrhal conjunctivitis
Bland and watery coryza
Burning of the eyes with corrosion of the margins
Opaque, blistering cornea with thick discharge
Eye swelling improves when in open air, worsens in the evening and with light
Arsenica - This common homeopathy medicine is used in the following situations:

Sharp eye pain caused by day light
Closing eyes produces pain in the eyes
Running of letters when trying to read
Affected tear ducts
Cataracts in office goes
Worsened during new moon and cold weather, improved with warmth.
These are some common homeopathy medicines, but again, as noted above, self-medication should be avoided. Any of these should be used only if prescribed by a homeopath.

Rose is probably the first flower that comes to our mind when we think of flowers. Associated with a variety of relationships including love, friendship, peace, etc., it holds a special place across all celebrations. Not many however, are aware about the wonderful medicinal properties that it has. Whether it is used in liquid, paste, oil or powder form, it has multiple benefits. Read on to know some of the multiple benefits that a rose has.

It is widely grown with very limited climatic restrictions and so it is time to reap the benefits of this simple, readily available flower.

Rose powder mixed with fuller earth and rose water is one of the most common household face packs in use.
Pure rose water is one of the best skin cleansing agents.
The petals of the rose can be made into a paste and applied to control sweating.
The dried rose petals can be crushed and made into a paste by adding rose water and further applied on wounds to promote healing.
Dried rose petals can be mixed with milk and consumed to reduce acidity and treat stomach ulcers
The tincture made from rose petals is useful in diarrhoea
Rose buds are used in preparing a decoction which is highly useful in relieving constipation
Herbal tea prepared using rose petals is consumed to treat acidity, burning sensation in the body, dryness of the oral cavity and is effective against treating infection in the intestine
Rose water can be used as eye drop as they help in reducing burning and irritation
Rose petals can be boiled and used for gargling, as it is extremely beneficial in relieving sore throat and cough
Rose buds are rich in vitamin C and useful in preventing scurvy and cough and cold problems
Pure rose oil is one of the common essential oils and is used to treat insomnia and reduce blood pressure.
The rose oils are used in various creams to treat skin inflammation
Rose oil is also widely used in various cosmetics (soaps, creams, lotions) for their multiple benefits
How to store your roses?

Given its benefit on various body organs, it generally finds its place in most homes.

After watering the night prior, cut the flower diagonally before the sun is up fully.
Remove the petals carefully after clearing moisture and insects
Place a wet paper towel in an airtight container and spread the rose petals on it and close the box
Keep it in the fridge for up to a week before use
The dried leaves can be used in essential oils as it further enriches the oils.
The oil has various uses and can be stored in an airtight container for months.