Tag Archive for: Eye Health

Love Your Eyes

Its February and love is in the air. It’s time to send cards and wishes to those loved and adored.

The doctors at Family Eye Care of O’Fallon encourage patients to give a valentine to your eyes this February – in the form of a pair of sunglasses. “The sun’s damaging effects are a concern year round regardless of what the temperature is outside,” said Dr. Vivian Kloke.

In addition to visible light, the sun gives off ultraviolet radiation. This radiation is divided into three types: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. The earth’s ozone layer absorbs UV-C radiation, leaving sunglasses to protect against UV-A and UV-B rays.

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Wedding Day Contacts

Most brides spend extra time applying makeup on their wedding day. Whether you are planning to do your own makeup, or hire a professional makeup artist, brides who wear contact lenses should take extra care with makeup selection and application. Tearing and irritation, while a minor annoyance, could lead to more serious problems during or after the wedding.

“When shopping for makeup, choose a water-based, hypo-allergenic liquid foundation – instead of cream – to prevent leaving a film on your lenses,” said Dr. Vivian Kloke of Family Eye Care of O’Fallon. “You should avoid lash-extending mascara, which has fibers that can irritate the eyes, and waterproof mascara, which cannot be easily removed with water and may stain soft contact lenses.”

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Proctect Eyes While Landscaping

When it comes to landscaping, nothing puts the finishing touches on a tidy garden or yard like a power lawn trimmer. Trimmers are the second most popular lawn implement, behind the lawn mower, with gardeners and homeowners.

Unfortunately, these nylon lawn trimmers are now the fifth leading cause of penetrating eye injuries. Each year, trimmers alone cause more than 1,500 eye injuries. Operating at speeds up to 8500 revolutions per minute, these trimmers spin off tiny fragments of the nylon line, which can enter the eye along with dirt and grass debris. The result: corneal lacerations and fungal infections severe enough to threaten sight.

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Seasonal Allergies

Are you sneezing and congested? Are your eyes watery and red? Perhaps you have seasonal allergies. About 20 percent of adults and children in the United States suffer from allergies. It’s the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.

Part of allergy suffering can include red, teary eyes or painful inner eyelids. This can be associated with seasonal springtime allergies or even summer and fall allergies. Red watery eyes, inflamed inner eyelids, blurred vision, a scratchy feeling in the eyes and, sometimes a puss-like or watery discharge can also be related to cosmetic, animal or fabric allergic reactions as well. However, eye inflammation or conjunctivitis can have other causes and need to be diagnosed before treatment begins.

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Healthy Eating and Eye Health

In honor of Save Your Vision Month, celebrated each March, the doctors and staff at Family Eye Care of O’Fallon remind our patients about the importance of healthy eating habits for optimum eye health.

More than 22 million Americans suffer from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the two leading causes of visual loss and blindness. “Because cataracts require costly surgery and treatment options for AMD are currently limited, preventive measures play a particularly important role in maintaining good eye health,” said Dr. Vivian Kloke.

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