August is eye exam month. It is a good idea to get your eyes checked by an optometrist at least once a year. The optometrist can tell you if you are nearsighted or farsighted or have astigmatism. He can also let you know if you have an eye disease such as glaucoma or cataracts. Ophthalmologists are eye surgeons. If you needed an eye operation, they would be the ones to do it. Opticians are the ones who make prescription glasses. All three: optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians help people with vision problems.
20/20 vision means that the focal point is exactly on the retina. It also means you can clearly see things that are 20 feet away.
Nearsightedness or myopia
happens when an eyeball is too long which makes the focal point fall in front of the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too strong. Nearsighted people see close up objects more clearly than faraway objects. (I am so terribly nearsighted that I would have to be a few inches away from the screen to type if it were not for my glasses.) Lenses for myopia have a concave surface. The middle is thinner than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point backward onto the retina.
Farsightedness or hyperopia
happens when an eyeball is too short which makes the focal point fall behind the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too weak. Farsighted people see faraway objects more clearly than close up objects. Lenses for hyperopia have a convex surface. The middle is thicker than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point forward onto the retina.
Most of the time, astigmatism is caused by a cornea that is not perfectly round. Therefore, two different focal points are produced in the same eye! Part of an object may be in focus while another part of it may be out of focus. People with astigmatism have eyestrain and blurred vision at all distances. Lenses for astigmatism have a specially shaped lens which bends light into a single focal point directly on the retina.
There are many ways to solve vision problems. Normally, glasses or contact lens will be all that is needed. Sometimes medicine or vision therapy can help a condition. For eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts, surgery may be necessary.
Glaucoma
is often caused by high inner eye pressure. The pressure becomes too high because the proper amount of fluid cannot drain out of the eye so it just builds up. This is what happens in primary open angle glaucoma which is the most common type. The high pressure can damage the optic nerve resulting in blindness. Therefore, the pressure must be lessened. If the glaucoma is caught in time, regularly taking eye drops will keep the pressure within normal levels. In serious cases, laser surgery may correct it. Other types of glaucoma include angle closure glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma (NTG), secondary glaucoma, and pediatric glaucoma. Not all of them are caused by high eye pressure. Some signs that you may have glaucoma are: hard eyes, loss of peripheral vision, and/or high eye pressure. However, you can have high eye pressure without having glaucoma. Unfortunately, only around half of the people in America who have glaucoma know it. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the world. This is another good reason you should have your vision checked periodically.
Cataracts
is a condition in which your lens becomes clouded. The cure is surgery. The surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.
Eye care tips:
We should also examine and guard our eyes in a different way. We should stay away from things that we should not be seeing (i.e. immoral things on TV, bad pictures in magazines) or reading (i.e. bad words, bad books), etc. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" Psalm 101:3a.
All of us see through a type of invisible lens: our worldview. What we believe about God, the formation of the world, men and women, life, and so much more will influence the way we see the things around us. By praying and studying God’s Word, we will be able to have the right Biblical worldview. Only God gives people true wisdom. "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.
20/20 vision means that the focal point is exactly on the retina. It also means you can clearly see things that are 20 feet away.
Nearsightedness or myopia
happens when an eyeball is too long which makes the focal point fall in front of the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too strong. Nearsighted people see close up objects more clearly than faraway objects. (I am so terribly nearsighted that I would have to be a few inches away from the screen to type if it were not for my glasses.) Lenses for myopia have a concave surface. The middle is thinner than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point backward onto the retina.
Farsightedness or hyperopia
happens when an eyeball is too short which makes the focal point fall behind the retina. It may also be caused by a focusing power that is too weak. Farsighted people see faraway objects more clearly than close up objects. Lenses for hyperopia have a convex surface. The middle is thicker than the edges so the lens will bend light inward which moves the focal point forward onto the retina.
Most of the time, astigmatism is caused by a cornea that is not perfectly round. Therefore, two different focal points are produced in the same eye! Part of an object may be in focus while another part of it may be out of focus. People with astigmatism have eyestrain and blurred vision at all distances. Lenses for astigmatism have a specially shaped lens which bends light into a single focal point directly on the retina.
There are many ways to solve vision problems. Normally, glasses or contact lens will be all that is needed. Sometimes medicine or vision therapy can help a condition. For eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts, surgery may be necessary.
Glaucoma
is often caused by high inner eye pressure. The pressure becomes too high because the proper amount of fluid cannot drain out of the eye so it just builds up. This is what happens in primary open angle glaucoma which is the most common type. The high pressure can damage the optic nerve resulting in blindness. Therefore, the pressure must be lessened. If the glaucoma is caught in time, regularly taking eye drops will keep the pressure within normal levels. In serious cases, laser surgery may correct it. Other types of glaucoma include angle closure glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma (NTG), secondary glaucoma, and pediatric glaucoma. Not all of them are caused by high eye pressure. Some signs that you may have glaucoma are: hard eyes, loss of peripheral vision, and/or high eye pressure. However, you can have high eye pressure without having glaucoma. Unfortunately, only around half of the people in America who have glaucoma know it. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the world. This is another good reason you should have your vision checked periodically.
Cataracts
is a condition in which your lens becomes clouded. The cure is surgery. The surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.
Eye care tips:
- Do not look at the sun. Sunglasses with UV protection are helpful.
- Hold sharp objects with the point sticking down and do not run while holding them.
- Wear safety goggles when appropriate.
- Eat healthy foods. Vitamins A, C, and E are supposed to help your eyes.. Vitamin C helps prevent cataracts and glaucoma and helps reduce eye pressure in those who already have glaucoma. Without enough Vitamin A, you can experience night blindness, dry eyes, swollen eyelids, and more. It can even cause permanent blindness eventually! Vitamin E is believed to help prevent cataracts.
We should also examine and guard our eyes in a different way. We should stay away from things that we should not be seeing (i.e. immoral things on TV, bad pictures in magazines) or reading (i.e. bad words, bad books), etc. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" Psalm 101:3a.
All of us see through a type of invisible lens: our worldview. What we believe about God, the formation of the world, men and women, life, and so much more will influence the way we see the things around us. By praying and studying God’s Word, we will be able to have the right Biblical worldview. Only God gives people true wisdom. "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6 "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.
2 comments:
Very good article, Alyssa!
Excellent article, Alyssa! Very informative.
"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness." Luke 11:34-35
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