Outside Injury to the Cornea

According to Gattegno, injury to one or both eyes can cause a great amount of damage to eyes and vision, whether it’s caused by objects, abrasions and scratches, or chemical burns. The cornea, the outer lens which controls the light entering the eye and provides about three quarters of the eye’s focusing power, is very vulnerable to almost anything that enters the eye. These invaders can take the form of small pieces of sand or dust blown into the eyes by the wind, chips that fly off materials while working, or by accidentally touching the eyes when applying cosmetics with a finger, eyebrow pencil or other item.

Symptoms include sudden blurring, red eyes, tearing, and sensitivity to light. And while the many which only slightly affect the outer layer of the cornea may heal in less than three days, the injury can turn into a serious matter if the damage has gone deeper and given rise to erosion and scarring or an infection develops.

Chemical burns are caused by liquid or powdered chemicals which enter the eyes at work or at home, where they are found in cleaning materials, nail polish removers, vinegar and any other items which contain either acids, alkalies, or strong irritants. Alkalies like ammonia, potassium, lime and magnesium hydroxides, found in fertilisers, drain and oven cleaners and plaster or cement are considered the worst.

If the burn goes too far into the eye and caused a large amount of damage, the impact on the eyes can lead to long term pain, scarring, glaucoma, and even blindness. Even slight damage can result in pain and discomfort, and continue to blur the vision for some time. 

Damage Within the Eyes

According to Gattegno, sudden blurring can also be the result of damage within the eye itself, like when the retina at the back of the eye tears or becomes detached. This is the tissue which receives the messages carried to it by rays of the sun about what we see, for forwarding to the brain for processing. When firmly attached and nourished by attached blood vessels below it, the retina is able to function as both collector and forwarder of these messages, but when it is detached, blurry vision is the outcome. Other symptoms of a torn or detached retina include sudden flashes of light, speckles that seem to float through the picture that’s being seen, or dark shadows which creep into the eyes from the edges.

Breakdowns in blood supply caused by this detachment or by clots in the blood vessels, Gattegno reports, can severely impact on sight and vision, resulting in blurred vision and difficulty with coordination. They can also cause strokes in the brain, which also impacts on the eyes.

For more information on eye injuries and impairments, 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.

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.