Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies

Arguments made by the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates plant produced pesticides, tell us not to worry about the thought of consuming toxic pesticides. Instead, they say that the pesticides used, Bt, are produced naturally from a soil bacterium which has a history of safe use by organic farmers who have used the solution for yeas as a method of insect control. Genetic engineers simply remove the gene that produces Bt and insert it into the DNA of corn and cotton plants, making the plant do the work, instead of the farmer. They also say that the Bt toxin is quickly destroyed in our stomach, and even if it survived would not harm humans or any other mammals. However, these arguments are solely that, arguments, which are unsupported and refuted according to a lot of research. When a study was done, spraying natural Bt over areas in Vancouver and Washington State for months, about 500 people reported reactions, mostly those being allergy or flu-like symptoms. Six of those people had to go to the emergency room, while workers who applied the Bt sprays reported that their eyes, nose, and throats were irritated. Similarly, farmers who were exposed to liquid Bt said that they had reactions such as infection, ulcers on the cornea, skin irritation, burning, swelling, and redness. One woman even reported fever, altered consciousness, and seizures when she was accidentally sprayed with Bt. This proves that the statements of Bt doing no harm on humans is extremely false. As for being destroyed in the digestive system, studies on mice disproved this as well. Results of these, and other, studies showed that plant-produced Bt is always active and much more likely to trigger an immune response than the natural version. Additional studies in 2005 reported by medical investigators in India found that hundreds of agricultural workers are developing severe allergic reactions when they are exposed to Bt cotton. This exposure includes picking cotton, loading it, cleaning it, or simply leaning against it. Some people that work at ginning factories must take antihistamines daily in order to go to work. These reactions are only trigger with the Bt varieties and the symptoms are virtually identical to those that were described by the 500 people in Vancouver and Washington who were sprayed with Bt. Another study was done on the basis that Bt-toxin is produced in GM corn and can be eaten intact. It is also in pollen which can be breathed in. Therefore, a village of Filipino people were studied in 2003 when an adjacent Bt cornfield was pollinating. 100 of these people were stricken with disease which included symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting, chest pains, fever, and allergies, along with respiratory, intestinal, and skin reactions. The symptoms first appeared in those that were living closest to the field and then progressed to those further away. When the same corn was planted in four other villages the following year, the same symptoms returned in all four areas only during the time of pollination. All of these studies confirm that GM crops engineered to produce built-in pesticides provoke a great variety of immune responses. Allergic reactions are a defensive and often harmful reaction from the immune system to an external irritant that occur when the body interprets something foreign as harmful and offensive and acts accordingly. Since all GM foods have something foreign and different, it is easy to see why the body would react in such ways. As the GM foods arise on the market place make sure you scan each label to make sure you are not buying a GM vegetable of fruit. Check every label this way you will not be stricken with debilitating symptoms that may prevent you from going to work. Always say NO to GM foods and support your organic foods store.

If you are a long time user of contact lenses you are already well aware of its many benefits. If you are considering a switch over from your old spectacles to contact lenses, let us inform you, you are going in the right direction. Over 30 million people in the USA are believed to use contact lenses, either as an alternative of the traditional spectacle or for some cosmetic purposes. If you too are thinking of stepping into their shoes, then try to equip yourself with as much information about the contact lenses as possible; it will help you to find out the right product suitable for your needs and take the informed decision at the time of purchase.

First of all, you may want to know about the actual definition of the contact lens. According to FDA definition, a contact lens is a prescribed medical device, which is usually placed on the cornea of the eye and used either for corrective or cosmetic or therapeutic purposes.

There are countless benefits of contact lenses. Contact lenses perform the same corrective functions as the conventional glasses, but as opposed to the glasses, contact lenses are virtually weightless and most importantly they are invisible. So they are regarded to be more comfortable than the traditional spectacles.

Then consider the contact lenses from an ophthalmologic point of view: As contact lenses move with your eyes they provide a better field of view. Like the glasses, there are no frames to obstruct your vision and thus they reduce distortions to a considerable point. Sometimes your vision is obstructed as the lenses of your glass get blurred by moisture, rain or dirt; you will find no such faults with your contact lenses.

Do you follow an active lifestyle and every time your spects come into the way of your active lifestyle? Then contact lens can be the only solution for you. If you are in any kind of sports including swimming, diving or athletics, a contact lens can offer you a distortion free clear vision at the time of your movements, without any kind of side effects. It is properly fitted inside your eyes so that it does not affect your concentration in any way.

There are many people, particularly the women who find the glasses to be great hindrance for showing off the natural beauty of their faces. On the other hand, contact lens provides utter ease and comfort and they do not come into the way you look.

You can get modern contact lenses with UV protection built into the material, so if you want protection for your eyes, you can opt for these lenses instead of wearing goggles.

There are people with eternal dissatisfaction over the color of their eyes and they find in the contact lens the golden opportunity to mend the nature to get the color of their dreams.

Part II

So you have almost taken the decision in favor of buying contact lenses after reading about the many benefits of contact lenses! But wait; let’s inform you about the many types of contact lenses you might come across in the market.

In these days contact lenses are made of variety of plastic materials– but at the core they are of two main types: soft or rigid gas permeable.

Soft Lenses: These contact lenses contain some 25% to 79% water. They are easily to adaptable to your eyes and hence are quite comfortable. With a soft contact lens in your eyes you will barely feel that there is something foreign in your eyes. However, you should be more careful in handling them and they have to be replaced more frequently.

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses: These lenses take time to adapt to your eyes. But they have much greater resistance power against deposit buildup. With RGP you are supposed to get sharper vision. They are more durable too. Thus, at the beginning RGP may appear to be costlier, but because of its longer lifespan, RGP gives you better value for your money.

Daily Disposable Lenses: If you want the ultimate convenience, you must go for disposable contact lenses. The cleaning and disinfection procedures with disposable contact lenses are extremely simplified. They are better for your eye health because they are more frequently replaced. Also you always have some spare lenses with you. These days you get the disposable contact lenses in all toric, bifocal, and colored versions. Only you have to be cautious in your handling of these lenses. And for all these benefits you should be ready to pay some extra bucks.

Toric Soft Lenses: These lenses are claimed to correct astigmatism. You can get these types both in daily wear as well as planned replacement versions. You may be required to visit the doctor’s clinic more than once to get a perfect fitting.

Color contact lenses: Then there are those colored lenses that are mainly used for cosmetic purposes. You can get mainly four different types of cored contact lenses, namely, visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque color tints and light-filtering tints. If you have no vision problem, you can take the ‘Plano’ form of colored contact lenses that do not make any visual correction. You can also get them as disposable or frequent replacement lens.

However there is no hard and fast rule for buying the contact lenses from your eye specialist. You can buy them from any reliable optical stores. You can also try out in the online stores where you can avail the scope of wide comparison. But one important thing to consider, no matter wherever you buy the contact lenses from, your decision should be guided by the value of the product and not only the price.

If Lasik is not right for your eyes, or the thought of it does not appeal to you. You may wish to consider contact lenses, Orthokeratology (Ortho-K), or, that old standby, eyeglasses. Not only are these options cheaper, but they might suit your lifestyle better and is less scary than surgery. All these methods have one thing in common and that is the benefit of reversibility.

Contact lens

Putting aside Lasik, there is a huge variety of contact lens designed for usual and special needs on the market today. They are now available in bifocal prescriptions. And, sensitive eyes now have the option of extra thin lenses. There are soft, comfortable lenses that you can discard after a day or a month, and rigid gas permeable lenses that can last years and provide sharper, clearer vision than soft lenses.

Soft lenses

This type of lens absorbs moisture and takes the shape of the eye with more ease. They are cheaper than rigid lenses, but more expensive in the long run.

Rigid Lenses

As for this type of lenses, they are more durable but take more time to get use to them. They are more resistant to buildup of deposits. Even lasik deals with astigmatism. With rigid contacts, you can differentiate between the left and right eyes and select toric lenses for astigmatism. News about the seven-day and 30-day continuous wear of lenses have recently been approved by the FDA.

What does Lasik do?

Basically, through surgery, they change the shape of the cornea. Ortho-K uses rigid gas permeable contact lenses to train the shape of the cornea. In both, this improves the eye’s ability to refract light and focus. Though the result isn’t permanent, with prolonged use, a person’s vision may improve drastically, up to 20/40 or even 20/20 vision.

Ortho-K therapy

In the beginning of this process, the contact lenses are worn about eight hours a day. After lasik, vision improvement occurs in days. With Ortho-K, as the cornea changes shape with time, the vision will keep on improving until the lenses are worn less and less each day. Unfortunately, stopping the use of Ortho-K lenses causes the corneas to revert back to their original state. And also, the effects of Lasik may fade, too.

The clarity of the vision may vary, and it may take several months to change the vision measurably. To get desired effect more rapidly, accelerated Ortho-K therapy may be used.

Stick with eyeglasses

If lasik and contact lenses are not for you, the only left possibility is to stick with your eyeglasses. Eyeglass frames are more durable, more flexible and come in many different shapes. Nowadays, lenses are made lighter and stronger with more scratch resistance. New options for glasses include tinting that changes faster, progressive bifocal lenses, anti-reflective coatings, UV protection and greater impact resistance.

Advantages

Some benefits you get from this is that they are less expensive than contact lenses or lasik surgery. They are easier to change and fashion-foward styling. The best thing is that the good eyesight that they have provided to you for years will continue indefinitely.

Conclusion

If you cannot have lasik surgery now, or even if you never choose to have that procedure, these are viable, safe, money-saving choices. Even if you decide to have lasik surgery in the future, choosing either contact lenses or Ortho-K therapy, or just your eyeglasses for now can keep you going until you make that decision.

Contacts For Astigmatism: Soft Or Rigid?

Astigmatism is a problem where the cornea of a person’s eye (or eyes) loses its shape, causing blurred vision. People all over the world have astigmatism. Many people believe that only aged people are afflicted with this disease. But the fact is that there are hundreds of people who are suffering with astigmatism.

A particular trait of the disease under discussion is that it sometimes remains constant throughout the life-span of the patient. Is there a cure for astigmatism? Laser surgery is one of the several options that can cure this disease to some extent. But we all know that laser surgeries can be very expensive. Can a person suffering with astigmatism wear contact lenses?

Thanks to advancements in Ophthalmology, patients suffering with astigmatism can wear contact lenses too. However, not all types of contact lenses can be prescribed to patients having astigmatism. ‘Regular soft contact lenses’, for instance, will do no good to the eyes of a person who has astigmatism. There are specific ‘contacts for astigmatism’.

A few years back, rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses were the only type of contacts available for patients suffering with astigmatism. Let your optometrist determine which type of ‘contacts for astigmatism’ will suit you. Do you know about Toric contacts? Toric contacts vary from typical contacts on account of their special design.

The neat thing about Toric contacts is that they are available as ‘rigid gas permeable lenses as well as soft GP lenses. The majority of the people suffering with astigmatism prefer rigid gas permeable lenses over soft lenses. Many people start panicking when they are given a choice between disposable and non-disposable contact lenses. You would be happy to know that ‘Toric Contacts’ can be colored too.

So, if you think you cannot wear colored contacts just because you have astigmatism, then it’s time to bring home a pair of colored ‘Toric contacts’. There are other types of ‘contacts for astigmatism’ too. There are many online stores which specialize in ‘discount lenses’. What is ‘lentille’? Search the Internet to find the answer.

The origins of the contact lens.
by Steven Myros

Many people believe that the contact lens is a modern invention, but that’s actually not the case. In fact, the origins of the contact lens extend as far back as the early sixteenth century. Even the modern form of contact lenses first emerged several decades ago. Since the very first conception of the principle behind contact lenses, these optical devices have undergone many different changes at the hands of several different inventors and eye care professionals. In fact, contacts have gone from cumbersome and uncomfortable devices made of glass to today’s plastic lenses which offer a high level of comfort while providing sharp, clear vision for those with a wide variety of vision problems.

The history of the contact lens dates back to the early sixteenth century. More specifically, in 1508 Leonardo da Vinci came up with the general principle behind contact lenses. While he didn’t actually create such a lens and wasn’t necessarily concerned with correcting vision, da Vinci sketched and described a variety of ideas involving placing a lens directly on the eye in order to aid vision and alter the corneal power of the eye.

During the following century, in the 1630s, France’s Ren Descartes proposed the idea of a corneal contact lens. His idea involved the use of a liquid-filled glass tube placed directly against the cornea of the eye and shaped to provide corrected vision. In 1801, a scientist by the name of Thomas Young developed Descartes’ idea by conducting experiments using a liquid-filled eyecup, the outer end of which contained a microscopic lens.

Also in the nineteenth century, British astronomer Sir John Herschel proposed ideas for correcting vision with a jelly-filled capsule and a corneal mould. These ideas were published in a footnote of the Encyclopedia Metropolitana in 1845. Although it’s believed that Herschel never actually tested these ideas himself, they did provide the basis for experiments and inventions later on which would eventually lead to the creation of lenses shaped to fit the eye.

Just over 40 years after Herschel’s ideas were published, in 1887, Germany’s F.E. Muller created the first usable contact lens. Muller was a glassblower who made artificial eyes and while his contact lens could be seen through and could be tolerated for a few hours at a time, it was made of glass and was not very comfortable. Yet, just one year later, there were reports that both a German physician and a French optician were using contact lenses to correct vision problems caused by optical defects. In fact, the German physician, Adolph Eugen Fick, is sometimes credited with the invention of the contact lens. Fick develop Herschel’s ideas and created scleral contact shells. He then experimented with fitting the lenses on rabbits and then on himself. However, as Fick’s contact lenses were still made of glass, they were very uncomfortable and could only be worn for a couple of hours at a time.

Although glass contacts were so uncomfortable, they were the only type of contact lenses available until the 1930’s. That was when polymethyl methacrylate was first developed. This new material led to the advent of the first lenses made of a combination of glass and plastic, which were introduced in 1936 by a New York optometrist by the name of William Feinbloom. Around 1950, an optometrist from Oregon developed the first corneal contact lens. Since corneal contacts were smaller than scleral lenses, they were more comfortable and could be worn for far longer periods of time.

These developments led to a vast increase in the use and appeal of contact lenses throughout the 1960’s. Over the years, several significant advancements were made regarding the manufacture and the sophistication of contacts. One such advancement included the development of the first soft contact lens. These soft lenses were made available in some countries during the 1960’s and were first launched in the United States in 1971.

Since that time, contact lenses have continued to improve in quality and comfort, and several new varieties of lenses have also been developed. For example, toric contact lenses were first approved for use in the United States in 1978, and the first rigid gas permeable lenses hit the market in 1979. Bifocal and tinted contact lenses became available during the 1980’s while the 1990’s saw the introduction of daily disposable and ultraviolet-absorbing contacts.

Clearly, the contact lens has a long history and numerous significant advancements have been made in recent decades. In fact, now people with astigmatism and many other types of eye diseases and vision problems can use contact lenses to see clearly and comfortably. Contacts are also becoming increasingly affordable and are available from a variety of discount retailers such as CoastalContacts.com. Considering the history of the contact lens, advancements in design and manufacturing will most likely continue to occur, making contact lenses even more of an excellent option for correcting all types of vision problems.

What is Nearsightedness?
by Carson Danfield

Nearsightedness, or myopia is the inability to properly focus on distant objects. Objects that are near may appear in normal focus, but those at a distance will be blurred. You may find that you can read text in books or newspapers with no problem, but you have trouble reading traffic signs until you’re in close proximity.

Nearsightedness is usually brought about by a natural change in the shape of your eye that causes your eye to become more oval shaped, rather than the normal round shape. This causes the light entering the eye to focus in front of the retina, resulting in an out-of-focus image.

Symptoms of Nearsightedness

The main symptom is blurred vision when focusing on distant objects. If you find yourself squinting when looking at far off scenes, you may be nearsighted. If you have trouble seeing words on a blackboard or movie screen, but you can read a book with no problem, you’re probably nearsighted. A routine eye examine can determine if you’re nearsighted.

Diagnosing Nearsightedness

A routine eye exam will determine if you’re nearsighted. Nearsightedness usually begins in childhood or early teens and its effects can vary from mild to moderate to high. Mild cases may not require any corrective action.

Most children are born slightly farsighted, but this corrects itself by the normal development of the eye as the child ages. However, if the correction is too pronounced, the light rays focus in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina, and the child becomes nearsighted.

Treatment of Nearsightedness

Glasses or contact lenses can treat nearsightedness, but surgery can also be performed to cure nearsightedness by reshaping the cornea.

LASIK surgery helps to correct nearsightedness by using a laser to reshape the cornea, and has been used successfully since the early 1990s. The goal of this procedure is to enable you to see without corrective lenses or to be less dependent on corrective lenses. LASIK procedures cause permanent changes in the eye that cannot be reversed.

The LASIK procedure involves cutting a flap in the cornea. This flap is then folded back and the laser modifies the contour. Upon completion of this modification, the flap is folded back to its normal position and the healing process begins. Most patients notice an immediate improvement in their vision.

Most people that elect to have LASIK surgery are very happy with the results they achieve. In many cases, patients of LASIK surgery can see well enough to eliminate the need for corrective lenses. However, some patients will still need to use corrective lenses under certain conditions.

How Long Does LASIK Last?

Research data gathered has shown that almost all LASIK patients have experienced vision improvement immediately after treatment and at least 40% of those patients were able to avoid the use of corrective lenses for ten years following the procedure. It’s normal for the eye to change shape as a normal part of the aging process, so retreatment is recommended if significant reshaping occurs after several years.

See through new eyes with a lasik eye surgery

Nature has created the most beautiful world for us to live in and we can see this proof of beauty in every little thing that we come across. The vivid colors are a treat for every eye and help in understanding our world better. However, when this god gifted vision of ours gets blurred due to weak eyesight, our perception of things around us can also change. Although we have spectacles and contact lenses to help us in our handicap, but even these devices is a necessary burden, nevertheless. The glasses are perched on the nose all day long and without them we feel helpless and same are the case with the contact lenses. Inserting an artificial device in your eyes cannot be all that comfortable, even through the new age soft lenses promise comfort and convenience to the user. Hence, considering all these facts, it would be safe to say that nothing can take the place of natural, perfect vision. So then, why not opt for something that can restore your natural vision conveniently? A lasik eye surgery is one such perfect method to achieve this purpose of vision restoration. A lasik eye surgery is the procedure of using a laser device to change the shape of the cornea surgically, in order to rectify the vision of the patient. However, the result of the surgery differs from doctor to doctor and patient to patient and hence, one must be very careful about selecting the right eye surgeon to conduct this surgery and also be careful about the tests conducted to check the eligibility of patient to undergo this surgery. A good surgeon for lasik eye surgery can be located with the help of internet or even the yellow pages. A reference of a patient of a particular doctor should also be a good ground for selecting a particular eye surgeon. Once you are comfortable and sure about the choice of surgeon, you can proceed to find out all that you need to know about this surgery. A basic evaluation of your eye is crucial, before you decide to opt for the lasik eye surgery. In case you are a contact lens user, then you need to stop wearing the lenses and switch to glasses for a particular time period before you undergo the initial check up. It is crucial to stop wearing contact lenses for a significant amount of time as prescribed by the doctor, as the lenses may change the shape of the cornea and cause miscalculations in the required measurements of the natural cornea. Also, your doctor should be fully informed about your eye condition, any medication, which you may be taking and any existing allergies. All this information helps to determine whether you would be a suitable candidate for the surgery or not. Even once you have been deemed fit to be operated upon for the lasik eye surgery, it is advisable to find out all the facts about the surgery, the procedure, the precautions, after effects and any side effects, if applicable. Once you are sure about these facts, as well as aware about the cost associated with such a surgical procedure, you can go ahead with confidence and hope to see the world with new vision, after the successful completion of the surgery.

LASIK Eye Surgery Recovery Issues by Carson Danfield

In the vast majority of cases, recovery from LASIK eye surgery is quick and uneventful. However, as with most all medical procedures, there are certain risks, ut if you take the recommended precautions, you’ll have little to worry about.One of the most important aspects in promoting the healing process is to avoid dry eyes. Dry eyes can act like an abrasive to the cornea and invite infection. You’ll want to use artificial tear drops on a regular basis during healing, especially if you sense dryness. An additional unwanted side effect of dryness is the increased tendency to want to rub your eyes. Rubbing, particularly during the first week or two should be strictly avoided. Rubbing can scratch the cornea or even worse - it can cause the corneal flap to become detached, requiring medical assistance for correction.During the first four hours after LASIK eye surgery, your doctor will prescribe certain medications to be applied frequently, usually at 15 minute intervals. These medications will usually consist of steroids to promote healing and antibiotics to prevent infection. Be sure to adhere to the prescribed regimen of applying these medications.You may want to limit reading, watching television or working at the computer for the first couple of days after LASIK eye surgery. Even though you’ll notice a marked improvement in your vision, you may be subject to headaches if you overdo things during the early stages of your recovery.Avoid any dusty areas or anywhere that has particulate matter in the air. For example, don’t mow the lawn, as the mower can still up grass clippings or other debris that can enter your eyes and cause complications. Also be aware that pet hair can sometimes float in the air and get in your eyes, even if you don’t notice the intrusion.Be careful when showering so that you don’t allow the stream of water to hit your eyes. Also, don’t allow soap or shampoo to enter your eyes. Avoid steam rooms and swimming pools during the healing process. It’s also a good idea to forego any strenuous exercise or sports activities. It’s important that you protect your eyes from any undue pressure and don’t let any foreign objects come into contact with your eyes.During the healing process, you may notice that your eyes are very sensitive to bright light, so be sure to wear sunglasses if you go outdoors.Complications during recovery from LASIK eye surgery are rare, but they do occur. If you notice anything questionable during your recovery period, be sure to consult with your doctor immediately.

The origins of the contact lens.
by Steven Myros

Many people believe that the contact lens is a modern invention, but that’s actually not the case. In fact, the origins of the contact lens extend as far back as the early sixteenth century. Even the modern form of contact lenses first emerged several decades ago. Since the very first conception of the principle behind contact lenses, these optical devices have undergone many different changes at the hands of several different inventors and eye care professionals. In fact, contacts have gone from cumbersome and uncomfortable devices made of glass to today’s plastic lenses which offer a high level of comfort while providing sharp, clear vision for those with a wide variety of vision problems.

The history of the contact lens dates back to the early sixteenth century. More specifically, in 1508 Leonardo da Vinci came up with the general principle behind contact lenses. While he didn’t actually create such a lens and wasn’t necessarily concerned with correcting vision, da Vinci sketched and described a variety of ideas involving placing a lens directly on the eye in order to aid vision and alter the corneal power of the eye.

During the following century, in the 1630s, France’s Ren Descartes proposed the idea of a corneal contact lens. His idea involved the use of a liquid-filled glass tube placed directly against the cornea of the eye and shaped to provide corrected vision. In 1801, a scientist by the name of Thomas Young developed Descartes’ idea by conducting experiments using a liquid-filled eyecup, the outer end of which contained a microscopic lens.

Also in the nineteenth century, British astronomer Sir John Herschel proposed ideas for correcting vision with a jelly-filled capsule and a corneal mould. These ideas were published in a footnote of the Encyclopedia Metropolitana in 1845. Although it’s believed that Herschel never actually tested these ideas himself, they did provide the basis for experiments and inventions later on which would eventually lead to the creation of lenses shaped to fit the eye.

Just over 40 years after Herschel’s ideas were published, in 1887, Germany’s F.E. Muller created the first usable contact lens. Muller was a glassblower who made artificial eyes and while his contact lens could be seen through and could be tolerated for a few hours at a time, it was made of glass and was not very comfortable. Yet, just one year later, there were reports that both a German physician and a French optician were using contact lenses to correct vision problems caused by optical defects. In fact, the German physician, Adolph Eugen Fick, is sometimes credited with the invention of the contact lens. Fick develop Herschel’s ideas and created scleral contact shells. He then experimented with fitting the lenses on rabbits and then on himself. However, as Fick’s contact lenses were still made of glass, they were very uncomfortable and could only be worn for a couple of hours at a time.

Although glass contacts were so uncomfortable, they were the only type of contact lenses available until the 1930’s. That was when polymethyl methacrylate was first developed. This new material led to the advent of the first lenses made of a combination of glass and plastic, which were introduced in 1936 by a New York optometrist by the name of William Feinbloom. Around 1950, an optometrist from Oregon developed the first corneal contact lens. Since corneal contacts were smaller than scleral lenses, they were more comfortable and could be worn for far longer periods of time.

These developments led to a vast increase in the use and appeal of contact lenses throughout the 1960’s. Over the years, several significant advancements were made regarding the manufacture and the sophistication of contacts. One such advancement included the development of the first soft contact lens. These soft lenses were made available in some countries during the 1960’s and were first launched in the United States in 1971.

Since that time, contact lenses have continued to improve in quality and comfort, and several new varieties of lenses have also been developed. For example, toric contact lenses were first approved for use in the United States in 1978, and the first rigid gas permeable lenses hit the market in 1979. Bifocal and tinted contact lenses became available during the 1980’s while the 1990’s saw the introduction of daily disposable and ultraviolet-absorbing contacts.

Clearly, the contact lens has a long history and numerous significant advancements have been made in recent decades. In fact, now people with astigmatism and many other types of eye diseases and vision problems can use contact lenses to see clearly and comfortably. Contacts are also becoming increasingly affordable and are available from a variety of discount retailers such as CoastalContacts.com. Considering the history of the contact lens, advancements in design and manufacturing will most likely continue to occur, making contact lenses even more of an excellent option for correcting all types of vision problems.

Laser Eye Surgery — Post Lasik Dry Eyes
by PPC and Affiliate Programs - Fast Feedback Loops

Loosing the ability to see the world clearly is a problem many people face on a daily basis, there are many reasons why a person’s sight can fail such as genetics, age and specific conditions that affect the vision. Some of the conditions that affect a person’s ability to see clearly are myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia.

People who would like to recover their vision can do so in a safe way by undergoing a procedure which is called LASIK surgery, this type of non-intrusive surgery deals with the retina and corrects its curvature in order to help images focus exactly at the center of the retina. The procedures used in a LASIK surgery were originally developed in two countries: Colombia and Russia. The procedures that were used in order to correct the curvature of the cornea have been perfected over time and we now know such surgery as LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). Let’s describe some of the conditions that affect vision to provide a better picture of the reasons why a person may undergo this procedure.

Myopia is a condition that is also referred to as nearsightedness, people who suffer from myopia are said to have an eye shape which is too long or the curvature of the cornea is too extreme, when any of these conditions is present, the light that goes through the cornea doesn’t quite make it to the retina so the focal point forms before it reaches the center of the retina.

Hyperopia is the contrary of myopia in the sense that the shape of the eye might be too short or the curvature of the cornea may not be enough to create a good focal point. In this case the light that goes through the cornea creates a focal point that is behind the retina.

Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is not properly shaped and the light that goes through it can not focus on the retina.

People who suffer from any of these conditions may choose to have a LASIK surgery in order to correct the problem without having to use contact lenses or glasses.

The Post-LASIK Dry Eye Condition

While the entire LASIK operation is virtually painless this doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any changes in the tissues inside the patient’s eye, the fact is that the tissue that has been reshaped in order to focus images properly needs time to heal. A side effect of the operation may sometimes include infection and dry eyes; infectious can be prevented in a very easy way by just taking antibiotics but the most common side effect is the condition known as dry eyes.

The normal function of the glands that secrete tears is partially interrupted because of the surgery, this makes patients feel as though as if they had sand inside their eyes, while this is not a serious case it can be quite annoying. In order to solve this problem, ophthalmologists often recommend artificial tears, special eye-drops and moisturizers that will help ease the discomfort while the patient tear glands heal.

After undergoing this painless operation a patient may suffer from dry eye for a period of up to six months.