What You Need To Know About Eye Care

Eyes are one of those organs of the body that are generally taken for granted. Not many people realize that just as care is needed for all parts of the body, eyes also require equal attention and care. To ensure that your eyesight remains sharp and that your eyes continue to provide you with good vision here are a few tips that you would need to keep in mind, so that you continue to have good vision, even when you become an octogenarian. 

• Glare and Sun: A good quality sunglass can block nearly 100 percent of all UVB and UVA rays and one should wear them even if they use contact lenses that block UVA and UVB rays.
• Diet: Our diet holds the key to good vision. Foods that are rich in Vitamins E, C and R, Omega-3 fats and zinc are useful in preventing macular degeneration, cataracts and other vision problems. Some of these foods are fishes like salmon, tuna andhalibut,nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables, and oranges.
• Regular eye checkups. As we age, the risk for eye maladies like glaucoma and cataract increases. However, these can be detected early and its effects reversed easily. That is why it is important to have your eyes checked (by a qualified ophthalmologist), once in 6 months, especially as you grow older.
• Blinking and dry eyes: Blinking helps keeps eyes moist and is a good thing to do. However, blinking too often can be a sign of nervousness or a tic caused by stress. In addition to trying relaxation techniques, one must consult an ophthalmologist to see if any medication is needed to control excessive blinking.
•  Dry air and dry eyes: Hot and dry air also tends to cause dry eyes, thereby tending to be harmful in the long run. For example, heaters that blow hot air in the house,causes the eyes to feel dry and irritated. However, it is good to use a humidifier so that some moisture is also circulated in the air.
• Eye solutions:Eye drops are good in washing away allergens and soothing your eyes. However, a saline solution is even better as they are not made of chemicals. Use saline solution generously to wash your eyes regularly, or when dust or dirt happens to get into your eye.
• Heredity: It is always advisable to be aware of your family history with reference to eye ailments. Acting proactively to prevent eye disorders, by way of undergoing eye examinations, consulting the ophthalmologist and taking measures to prevent the disorders will help you keep your vision, trouble free.
• Computers and work: Professionals who need to constantly look at computerscreens or monitors of one or more systems can strain their eyes. Such people should take short and frequent breaks to give the eyes some rest. You should also consciously blink more to keep the eyes moist.
• Contact lenses: Lenses can cause infection, irritation and in rare cases,loss of vision, as bacteria accumulates on the lenses, just like dust does. The lenses should be cleansed as often as possible. Never ever moisten your lenses with saliva, as saliva is also a source of bacteria.
• Smoking: In addition to causing cancer of the lungs, damages the heart, causes balding and various other effects; smoking is also known to damage the optic nerve, which affects your vision, adversely. Smokers also develop cataracts sooner than non-smokers. Quitting smoking goes a long way in preserving eye health.

Meridian Medical is a multispecialty healthcare center, with the ability to provide avant-garde diagnostic techniques and treatment for various ailments and disorders,pertaining to every part of the body, including the eye.

Causes and Treatment of Anemia

Anemia is one of the least feared, but unfortunately, one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the United States of America. Anemia.org, which studied patients suffering from numerous ailments other than anemia, found that a significant proportion of them had anemia. The statistics below paint a scary picture (source: www.anemia.org)

• 10% of people over 65 yrs of age have anemia
• 80% of people undergoing chemotherapy have severe anemia
• 550,000 people die from cancer each year were anemic
• 50% of all patients in ICUs are anemic
• 75% of critically ill patients undergoing long treatments are anemic
• 12% of women aged 12-49 are deficient in iron and at the risk of anemia
• 20% of pregnant women in the U.S. have anemia
• 17-48% of patients with heart ailments / failure have anemia
• 43% of patients who have suffered a heart attack have anemia
• 65 million Americans suffer from hypertension have been diagnosed to be anemic
• 10-72% of people suffering from Crohn's disease have anemia
• 8-74% of people suffering from ulcerative have anemia
• 17-41% of people suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease have anemia
• 30% of people with HIV and 75-80% of people with AIDS have anemia
• 67% of hepatitis C patients have anemia as a result of treatment

So what is anemia and how is it caused?

Anemia is a medical condition that occurs when human blood lacks adequate number of red blood corpuscles (RBCs) or healthy RBCs. Red blood corpuscles contain hemoglobin, which isrequired for binding the cells in the body with oxygen. If a patient has an abnormally low RBC count, it means their hemoglobin levels are also low, and hence the body is getting less oxygen than required for it to function properly. This results in a stressed out or fatigued body. In fact, anemia is the most common blood related medical condition in the United States and affects as many as 3.5 million Americans.

Types of anemia

While there are nearly 400 types of anemia, they are classified into 3 broad categories.
 

A. Anemia caused by blood loss

When there is prolonged bleeding due to the following causes, RBC count drops and one can develop anemia, which may sometimes go unnoticed. 

• Gastrointestinal ailments like ulcers, piles, gastritis and bowel cancer
• Menstruating and pregnant women, especially those who have had several pregnancies before

B. Anemia caused by decreased RBC production

The body may not produce adequate RBCs that are healthy. This may happen when poor quality food is consumed, food that is deficient in minerals and vitamins that arerequired for RBCs to function properly. Varieties of this type include sickle cell anemia and Thalassaemia.

C. Iron deficiency anemia 

This happens when enough iron is not consumed, resulting in inadequate iron in the body. Iron is required by the bone marrow to produce hemoglobin which transports oxygen to various organs in the body. Iron deficiency anemia can result from one or more of the following:

• A diet that is low in iron, especially children and teens who consume a lot of junk food, and vegetarians who consume less of iron rich vegetables
•  Pregnant and menstruating women
• People who donate blood frequently
• Certain drugs, foods, and caffeinated drinks

The causes and treatment of anemia differs from one person to another. Self-medication can be dangerous and a proper course of treatment can be arrived at only after thorough investigation. Meridian Medical is a household name in the Bay Area. We are known for our holistic approach to medicine which helps cure conditions like anemia efficiently and cost-effectively.