How Seasonal Allergies Affect Your Eyes
As spring is coming into full swing, we tend to find ourselves spending more time outside. You may start to notice during this time of year your eyes start to get more red, itchy, and watery – especially on those days that you’re spending a lot of time outdoors. What is happening to our eyes and how can we help? Today we’re going to discuss seasonal allergies, and how they can affect your eyes.
What causes ocular allergies?
There are a large number of things that can cause ocular allergies. Pet dander, dust mites, perfumes, and other irritants can come from sources inside the home throughout the year. During the spring and fall seasons plants start to release pollen which is a major source of seasonal allergies. Grass pollen is generally worse in the spring, and ragweed in the fall. These small particles float in the air and come in contact with our eyes. When our immune system overreacts, inflammation occurs which causes the eyes to get watery, itchy, and congested.
Eye Safety at Home and the Workplace
Over a million eye injuries happen every year in people’s homes. It is estimated 90 percent of those injuries could be prevented with proper eye safety. At our practice, Advanced Family Eye Care, here in Springdale, Arkansas, we see at least a handful of patients each week who have had injuries to their eyes.
What are common safety hazards at home?
Using power tools and falling can make any object dangerous, especially in regards to the eyes. The most common injuries are often caused by toys with small parts/projectiles or from chemicals. Injuries can also happen when cooking, especially when cooking with hot oil or charcoal. Cosmetic injuries can happen as well when gluing fake eyelashes or using a curling iron – there are a lot of avenues for potential injury. Some of the most dangerous places for eyes are when working outside or in the garage. Lawnmowers and wee
Having Night Vision Problems? Here’s A Few Tips.
One of the biggest concerns we hear from patients is problems with night vision. This can be very serious, especially if the issue is worse when driving. Driving at night time can make night vision problems more pronounced and result in a dangerous situation.
Trouble Driving at Night
There are a few considerations when having problems driving at night. First is an uncorrected prescription. If you need glasses, this can cause your distance vision to be blurred, and is worse with low lighting. Second, everyone does poorly seeing in dark conditions and glare from headlights can make it very difficult to see road signs and lines on the road.
Aging and Night Vision Problems
Coast to Coast Total Solar Eclipse 2017
We are excited to be part of such a special day in history this Monday, August 21st. While the last Total Solar Eclipse in the USA only dates back to 1979, the last one to stretch from coast to coast has not occurred since June 8, 1918. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any portion of the sun, and a total solar eclipse occurs only when the moon entirely blocks the sun, turning day into night for a few brief minutes. Because being part of this special day in history is so important to many people, we want to make sure you are safe while doing so. Please take time to read the safety precautions recommended by NASA and the American Optometric Association. Everyone should make the most of this experience, but we also urge you to follow the recommended safety precautions. If you find you have any vision issues after the solar eclipse, please call our office at 479-750-3937 and make an appointment. https://www.aoa.org/Documents/public/AAS-Solar-Eclipse-Safety-v170210.pdf