She says that everyday stresses in today’s world, whether negative or positive, have put people under pressure and made them feel they’ve lost control. With stresses brought about by factors such as close work, long hours, heavy concentration levels, large amounts of screen time, health and financial problems; it’s not surprising that the prevalence of vision problems is rising with the stress levels.

Stress and Vision: A Vicious Cycle

“Stress creates a vicious cycle, leading to many health problems like depression, high blood pressure, worry and fear, all of which, in turn, push stress levels still higher. And the same happens with its effect on vision,” Gattegno says.

“What powers the cycle to keep on turning is the increased levels of stress hormones, and particularly cortisol, which are set in action as the body switches to fight or flight mode to protect itself against what is interpreted as a threat. These hormones raise blood pressure, cause the heart to beat faster, boost metabolism, and dilate the pupils in the eyes in preparation for an eminent battle, but stress is different in that it can last for long periods.”

“Stress can cause sensitivity to light and movement; bring on dizziness and headaches. And it can also lead to eye twitching; dry or extremely watery eyes; blurred vision; eye strain; small floaters; and eyes that feel tight and swollen,” Gattegno says. “Importantly, it can also affect the ability to concentrate and focus, and sometimes result in sudden and temporary blindness, or even lead to vision loss.”

As Stress Levels Rise So Does the Vision Threat

She says short spells of stress usually have a temporary impact on vision which can disappear of its own accord within a few weeks if the cause of the stress is removed. It’s advisable to consult an eye doctor if the vision problems continue for even a short while. 

Recent studies indicate that long-term stress can cause permanent vision damage and even result in vision loss.

“Raised levels of stress hormones (and cortisol in particular) can impact on important nervous systems, eyes, and even the brain, by disrupting blood flow in those areas. This could lead to optic neuropathy which causes eye pain, double vision, and loss of peripheral or side vision and colour vision and it may also increase the pressure in the eyes, causing (or worsening) glaucoma, an irreversible eye disease which can lead to vision loss,” says Gattegno.

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, and how they can be treated, or to make an appointment for a regular eye check, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He says: “Those who want their car to run well, will ensure the right fuel and oil is used so all its systems work smoothly. It makes sense that eyes, the organs which provide 80% of the information which shapes and guides people’s lives and how they see the world, should be given the same treatment.”

Lessening the Worst of the Worst

According to Rodney, research has shown that the wrong food can impact on vision in general, and also play a role in the development or worsening of chronic eye diseases.  On the contrary, an eye-friendly diet keeps the eyes healthier, lessens the likelihood of eye problems, slows the progression of chronic eye conditions, and lowers the risk of vision loss.

He says an eye health diet is vital when it comes to the top four vision destroyers. These include the eye-clouding cataract; age-related macular degeneration that blurs central vision; diabetic retinopathy which impacts on the retina’s blood vessels; and glaucoma, the world’s largest cause of blindness in those over 60. This eye disease which affects around 76 million people globally, raises the pressure levels in the eyes and damages the optic nerve responsible for conducting visual data from the eyes to the brain.

Eating the Way to Healthier Vision

Rodney says an eye-healthy diet should not include highly processed foods, frequent take-outs and fast-foods like burgers, milkshakes, pre-packed dinners, as well as carbohydrates, fried foods and margarine, which can clog the thin arteries supplying blood to the eyes.

Diabetics, or those who are insulin resistant, should keep clear of sugar to lower the chances of diabetic retinopathy, or slow its progression if already present. Carbonated drinks, and specially those sweetened with corn syrup, are also not recommended, as they can increase blood pressure, which can lead to vision problems. 

Using What’s Good in the Food

On the other hand, a diet which is low in fat, sugar and chemicals, but rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect the eyes’ health, says Rodney, and certain vitamins and minerals have long been seen to support eye health.

Among these stalwarts is Vitamin A, which keeps the eye’s light-sensing cells, used in the harvesting of visual information, in shape. It’s found in orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots and cantaloupes.

Studies also suggest the Vitamin C in oranges, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries,  blackberries, raspberries, bell peppers and tomatoes; and the Vitamin E from avocados, almonds and sunflower seeds and nuts may, at the very least, slow age-related macular degeneration and cataract, and protect the eyes from  environmental problems, smoking, and over-consumption of processed food and take-outs.

So will the two anti-oxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, found in leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, peas and broccoli and in eggs;  and the zinc in chickpeas, beans, oysters, lean beef and yogurt.

Omega-3s have been associated with a reduction in the risk of diabetic retinopathy in older adults, and it’s also being investigated with regard to helping with dry eyes. Omega-3s are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna, as well as in nuts.

NOTE: Rodney says any eye-health diets should be discussed with eye doctors, whether they’re for coping with severe and sight-threatening diseases, or for improving general eye health and sight. This is important as some supplements or vitamins will only show positive effects if there is a deficiency in them. 

For more information on eye health, its treatment and management, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Tiny Tiles Placed on Brain Surface

The device, a world-first designed to stimulate parts of the brain which are not functioning properly, forms part of the Gennaris bionic vision system developed by the Monash Vision Group’s Cortical Frontiers project. It’s made up of custom-made headgear complete with its own camera and wireless transmitter as well as a vision processor unit powered by software, which are connected to a set of tiny (9x9mm) electronic tiles which are at the core of the wireless system. These tiles are designed to be implanted on the brain’s surface at points where the transmission of information between the retina and the brain’s vision centre is compromised, and could therefore be responsible for the vision loss.

The system operates in a similar way to that of the visual system. The headgear’s video camera takes pictures of the scene around the wearer, and the pictures taken are then sent on to the vision processor, where the most important information is extracted, and transmitted as data to the complex circuitry in the electronic tiles. There it is processed again, this time in order to turn the data sent to it into a pattern of electrical pulses which are used to stimulate the brain through fine microelectrodes. 

New System Aimed at More than Vision

Reacting to this new development in eye and vision treatments and sight renewal, Australian master of optometry and vision therapy expert, Gary Rodney, welcomed this as a move forward in vision treatment that goes beyond focusing entirely on the eyes, and digs deeper into the treatment of vision problems in the processing part of the central visual system. He said this was especially welcome as it could perhaps bring about what’s often seen as the impossible, by returning sight to those without it.

System May Broaden its Usage to Other Areas

Rodney said vision therapy, operating on a different level, had already shown success with eye training in addressing issues which might be seen as unrelated to vision, such as the inability of a child with cerebral palsy to get out of her wheelchair and stand alone, which was accomplished by addressing an eye-tracking problem with vision therapy.

Already the Gennaris researchers have indicated the bionic system’s usage may ultimately not be restricted to correcting blindness, but also for treating those suffering from other neurological conditions which are currently considered hard to treat, or untreatable, such a limb paralysis, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, depression, and the restoration of other vital senses.

For more information on vision therapy, vision testing and other eye conditions, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.