Ocular health

[Lilou]

I think it was Z who was successful in combating recurrent styes using Iodine topically. Maybe he will chime in with what he did exactly. I tried to find the post, but didn't have any luck. If I remember right, we discussed putting Iodine in a solution of DMSO diluted with sterile saline for better absorption. But think he had just used straight Iodine.

Good to know it is not something real serious going on, N2F. Speedy recovery to you.

 

[Lilou]

Hi Lilou :)

The undergraduate courses now include ocular therapeutics- so all the new grads can prescribe (topical anti-infectives, anti-inflammatories, co-manage and prescribe for glaucoma)....

All 20 some optometry schools in the USA now have the same curriculum, as far as I know.

I was actually pretty lucky, my optometry class was among the first ones to include the curriculum to fulfill therapeutic requirements for all states, even though the state I was in only had diagnostic use of pharmaceuticals at that time. So when I became licensed in another state by reciprocity, they gave me my full therapeutics license, much to my relief! and despite the fact that I had never held a license for that before.

Taking the coarse requires at minimum, an intensive 3 week course, which means you are not working, you have to put yourself up in a hotel close to the school, and study your butt off. All that to the tune of at least 15,000 USD. Thank gawd for dumb luck. I really dodged a bullet there and only because I saved every scrap of paper regarding my license and continuing ed. I was nervous because I hadn't really practiced much in 14 years when I lived overseas, but worked 6 months for an opthamologist in my home town when I returned. He got me back up to speed fast and I am so grateful for what he did for me. Without his help, it would have been super tough.

 

[SeekinTruth]

I think it was Z who was successful in combating recurrent styes using Iodine topically. Maybe he will chime in with what he did exactly. I tried to find the post, but didn't have any luck. If I remember right, we discussed putting Iodine in a solution of DMSO diluted with sterile saline for better absorption. But think he had just used straight Iodine.

Good to know it is not something real serious going on, N2F. Speedy recovery to you.

Yeah, there was a thread where I'm pretty sure Z had posted a quote from some site where it was said to use Potassium Iodide solution in distilled water or Lugol's for styes and other similar things. I actually got two styes last Fall. Both times I was working out in the garden/orchard and probably touched my eye with dirty hands. The first time, it was the left upper eyelid. It started itching and when I went inside shortly afterward, I saw that there was a swelling on the left upper lid starting, like the beginnings of a stye (while it was still itching).

I sprayed ASAP Silver Sol (a great type of colloidal silver from _LifeSilver.com but not called a colloid) from a pump bottle. After several times of spraying and wetting the lid well (after it dried each time), it went away in about 30 to 45 minutes. Then a couple of weeks later the same thing happened after working outside again. This time on the right lower eyelid. I immediately started spraying the silver again when I went inside. There was already a slightly small stye developing and itching. I couldn't keep the stye/lid area as wet - it kept running off and drying quicker on the lower lid. After a while I gave up spray the silver on it (should have laid down on my back and continued to spray, in hindsight). Well it lasted for a few weeks. I did use a solution of iodine and potassium iodide in distilled water I had for supplemental use (with a dropper it already came with). I'd put a drop on it several times a day, starting a few days after it had begun. After several days it started draining some pus-like substance (first time it had happened overnight -when I woke up it had drained and had a bit less swelling/smaller stye).

But it lasted a while before completely going away. I kept applying the iodine/potassium iodide the whole time (increasingly many times a day) and it would just keep swelling up and draining and then getting smaller. Then I went on a trip for a week and hardly applied the iodine solution (I had taken with me) - just a few times here and there, instead of several times a day everyday. When I returned from the trip, I started applying it again and it went away in several days (I also reduced the frequency of application steadily, at the end of, daily application).

I was also told of applying a hot hard boiled egg to a stye when I was on the trip (one person said peeled - and it was supposed have a possible connection to the sulfur in the egg AND the heat to drain it and the it would heal; while another said it didn't even need to be peeled and would work - so maybe it's mainly the heat). It's supposed to work really well, but I never got around to trying it because, as I said, it finally started to get steadily smaller and resolved completely shortly after returning and reapplying the iodine solution less and less frequently. FWIW. Hope this information could be helpful in some way.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

I was looking for info on what causes styes. Under the "Red eye" thread I found this :
'Quote"
I just want to point out that Herpes Simplex in the eye should be treated with anti-virals (such as Viroptic or acyclovir drops,ointment or even oral tablets) and NOT steroids. However, Herpes Zoster in the eye, is treated with both the anti-virals and a steroid. Most everyone, at least 90% of the population, has been exposed and carry dormant in our nervous system, Zoster. Better known as the Varicella (Chicken Pox) virus. And if you haven’t been exposed, there is a new vaccine for chicken pox, to ensure you are!




When I was a child growing up I remember from time to time getting cold sores on my upper lip. In my adult years I haven`t had any and I remember taking L-lysine. I understand the cold sores develop from the chicken pox virus that lies dormant in the body. From what I`v read and understand, is that when your body is under stress,is when the virus can "awaken" in the form of cold sores. I`m wondering if styes are considered cold sores from the chicken pox virus that show up under the eyelid and maybe stress related?

 

[nicklebleu]

I`m wondering if styes are considered cold sores from the chicken pox virus that show up under the eyelid and maybe stress related?

These are two different things - cold sores are due to a virus and stye to bacteria (usually Staphylococcus).

 

[Arwenn]

All 20 some optometry schools in the USA now have the same curriculum, as far as I know.

I was actually pretty lucky, my optometry class was among the first ones to include the curriculum to fulfill therapeutic requirements for all states, even though the state I was in only had diagnostic use of pharmaceuticals at that time. So when I became licensed in another state by reciprocity, they gave me my full therapeutics license, much to my relief! and despite the fact that I had never held a license for that before.

Taking the coarse requires at minimum, an intensive 3 week course, which means you are not working, you have to put yourself up in a hotel close to the school, and study your butt off. All that to the tune of at least 15,000 USD. Thank gawd for dumb luck. I really dodged a bullet there and only because I saved every scrap of paper regarding my license and continuing ed. I was nervous because I hadn't really practiced much in 14 years when I lived overseas, but worked 6 months for an opthamologist in my home town when I returned. He got me back up to speed fast and I am so grateful for what he did for me. Without his help, it would have been super tough.

Wow Lilou, you really were very lucky to have therapeutics endorsement! I am looking at doing the course, it is costly here too and time consuming, plus it takes you out of your practice (and with children and pets) it's really hard for me to leave. Maybe one day. I still haven't got through all my books on the recommended reading list, thats keeping me busy enough for now!

 

[Arwenn]

I`m wondering if styes are considered cold sores from the chicken pox virus that show up under the eyelid and maybe stress related?

These are two different things - cold sores are due to a virus and stye to bacteria (usually Staphylococcus).

Yup, the etiology of styes is usually bacterial. Herpes Zoster lesions present very differently, and follow the nerve distribution.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

I`m wondering if styes are considered cold sores from the chicken pox virus that show up under the eyelid and maybe stress related?

These are two different things - cold sores are due to a virus and stye to bacteria (usually Staphylococcus).

Yup, the etiology of styes is usually bacterial. Herpes Zoster lesions present very differently, and follow the nerve distribution.

Thank you for clarifying. :)

 

[shijing]

There are a few scattered threads, here's one I created about Macular Degeneration and ketogenic diets, with excerpts from studies done. Would it be best to merge the threads?

Mitochondrial DNA, ketogenic diet & pathogenesis of Macular Degeneration

Spending many Hours reading from an LCD? Tired eyes?

Red eye

Glaucoma

Thanks Arwenn -- I just merged the above threads, as well as the one Lilou mentioned on vegetable oils and macular degeneration.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Just an update on the stye under my eyelid. All gone! I made a new batch of colloidal silver and have been using it as a wash in both eyes. The redness in my eye along with the itchiness and swollen eyelid are gone! I will still take vitamins and CS for the next couple days. What a relief. I`m thinking that all the dog hair (from grooming dogs), maybe I should do an eye wash at the end of my work day? I wear eye glasses, so that gives me a little protection, :)

Just a note: When I use the CS as an eye wash, I can feel the relief right away.

 

[Arwenn]

Just an update on the stye under my eyelid. All gone! I made a new batch of colloidal silver and have been using it as a wash in both eyes. The redness in my eye along with the itchiness and swollen eyelid are gone! I will still take vitamins and CS for the next couple days. What a relief. I`m thinking that all the dog hair (from grooming dogs), maybe I should do an eye wash at the end of my work day? I wear eye glasses, so that gives me a little protection, :)

Just a note: When I use the CS as an eye wash, I can feel the relief right away.

That's excellent news N2F, I'll have to keep Cs in mind as an eyewash recommendation.

 

[Lilou]

I'm happy to hear your stye cleared up with just colloidal silver, N2F. I agree, making lid scrubs and eye washes part of your routine (especially after dog grooming) is a good preventive measure.

I just remembered that it was not recurrent styes that Z used Iodine on, it was a chalazion. (that's probably why I couldn't find the thread ) A chalazion is small cyst that forms because of a blocked meibomian gland (the glands that produce oil for the tear film). It can look like a stye, but it is painless. A stye, on the other hand, will be tender and inflammed.

[quote author= Arwenn]
Wow Lilou, you really were very lucky to have therapeutics endorsement! I am looking at doing the course, it is costly here too and time consuming, plus it takes you out of your practice (and with children and pets) it's really hard for me to leave. Maybe one day. I still haven't got through all my books on the recommended reading list, thats keeping me busy enough for now! [/quote]

Yeah, they make it pretty tough to get the license. It's too bad they wouldn't just let optometrists do a short apprenticeship with an opthamologist for endorsement. You actually learn more from them than you do a rigorous pharm class. As climate change starts having bigger impacts globally, I think the knowledge itself will be enough and the piece of paper from a government won't matter much.

 

[Arwenn]

{snip}

Yeah, they make it pretty tough to get the license. It's too bad they wouldn't just let optometrists do a short apprenticeship with an opthamologist for endorsement. You actually learn more from them than you do a rigorous pharm class. As climate change starts having bigger impacts globally, I think the knowledge itself will be enough and the piece of paper from a government won't matter much.

Well said Lilou. I have worked along-side my local ohthals, and I am truly humbled by what they know. I learnt heaps more in the time I spent with them, rather than some of my course lectures.

What I've also found handy, is gathering knowledge about ocular issues from all different modalities. For example, the stuff about Scotopic sensitivity syndrome and IRLENS, Traditional Chinese medicine (eyes are the sense organ of the liver, and the liver is the 'seat' of anger), Homoeopathy, herbs for eyes (eg bilberry) etc. It's an eclectic assortment of information, but you never know when one of those things may be of help sometime somewhere!

 

[Serendipity]

A short story of mine that I thought I should share, not sure if this is the proper thread though.

About two months ago I started experiencing vision problems. My eyes would get really tired quite early in the day, sometimes even after waking up, and my vision was blurry and it was hard to focus on objects and read the texts and inscriptions. And just a week before that, none of this would present any problem to me, in fact I had healthy vision my whole life, plus I'm only 23, so I thought it was very weird. But on the other hand, it's true that I am spending considerable amount of time exerting my eyes, from university classes in the morning to reading on the PC afterwards.

During that time, I saw my brother cooking sweet potatoes, and found out that there is in fact a store that sells them in my area, which I didn't know before. Then I saw a post on facebook about health benefits of sweet potatoes and read that they are high in carotenoids, like beta carotene which is precursor of vitamin A, that help strengthen the eyesight. I took it as sort of a sign :P , and since then I've been eating a portion of sweet potatoes with my dinner and my eyesight has been normal to this day.

But it might have proved as but a coincidence, because just recently I realized that there had been other, probably even greater factor at play here. During the time when my eyesight problems were happening, my sleep cycle was messed up. There was even a period where I switched day and night. Coincidentally, I got my sleep patterns back in order about in the same time when I introduced sweet potatoes in my diet.

In conclusion, while consumption of sweet potatoes might have been of some help to improvement of my vision, I think what played a main role in this instance was proper/improper pattern of sleep.

 

[Persej]

Awesome for headache sufferers

This new "eyecare" line of monitors from BenQ are a godsend for people with eyestrain and headache issues from viewing computer monitors. My employer graciously got me 2 of this particular model as soon as I found out about them.

I have suffered from migraines for over 20 years, but 2 years ago I started getting them almost every day I came into work. This precipitated seeing numerous doctors and specialists, lots of medications, tests, expensive acupuncture, vitamins, diets, you name it. Some things helped but the migraines persisted. Over 6 months ago I discovered wearing dark-orange sunglasses in the office caused a significant improvement, down to 1-2 migraines per week. I also tried prescription tinted computer glasses, Gunnars, MigraLens, and others, but the sunglasses worked best.

The obvious triggers here were the computer monitors I was staring at and surrounding lighting conditions. But to do my job there was no way of getting around that. PWM, the technology nearly all LED monitors use to reduce the brightness from 100%, makes the backlight of a monitor turn on and off rapidly, creating a flicker effect that is mostly imperceptible but can cause eyestrain and headache in those who are sensitive to it. Some people suggest turning the brightness to 100% to avoid PWM, but that creates a high-contrast situation that is a migraine trigger in itself.

This monitor does not use PWM at all. There is additional circuitry added to allow it to adjust the brightness through direct current (DC) instead. This makes a world of difference in the overall comfort of viewing the monitor. Even my non-migraine-suffering coworkers have commented that these monitors are noticeably easier on the eyes. Using these monitors I am able to work pain-free and without sunglasses. Words cannot describe what a relief that is.

The blue light-reducing feature is a nice convenience as well, although a similar effect can be achieved on any operating system easily using the free f.lux software program. I had used that on previous monitors but it wasn't enough, PWM was clearly part of the problem.

_http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-Connected-Monitor-EW2440L-24-Inch/dp/B00GWFNMGG