EyeMark Newsletters

A year that starts on a Friday can't be all bad, right? And it wasn't. As we continued to struggle with further lockdowns, mutations and new virus strains, 2021 wasn't the easiest year we've ever had. We celebrated wins and suffered losses. And now it's almost another year in the bag. In terms of wins, Chloe Zhao became only the second female director to win an Oscar (for Nomadland, which she also wrote, produced and edited). The Nobel Prize for Literature was won by Tanzanian-born Abdulrazak Gurnah. And our very own Black Coffee scored a Grammy nomination. With lockdown restrictions and curfews, the year might've felt like it dragged. But some things went very quickly. We saw the establishment of an exclusive new European soccer league that lasted just two days. A new Swedish prime minister was in office for no longer than seven hours. The EFF's very first mayor lasted a little longer than that, but was soon ordered to resign - by her own party. Other things took longer than expected, like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that eventually happened in 2021. In a world where so many things were turned upside down, it seemed our sense of time was a little mixed up too. Speaking of time and space, Einstein's theory of general relativity was confirmed with the first direct observation of light from behind a black hole - whatever that means. And who knew Einstein's theory even needed confirming? But hey, in a challenging year, a win's a...

Alcohol has been in the news since the start of the COVID pandemic and the alcohol restrictions during the various stages of lockdown. We have heard and read about the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption on families and communities. In individuals, the consumption of alcohol impacts every function of the body, including the visual system. The way the body responds to alcohol differs from person to person, depending on their tolerance threshold and the amount of alcohol consumed. While the short-term changes in the eyes and vision may be irritating, these generally subside shortly after an episode of drinking, the long-term effects of chronic alcohol abuse over an extended period of time can be more serious and more permanent. Short-term Visual Effects Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it removes water from the body by making a person urinate frequently. In the short term, this can have a dehydrating effect, leaving the eyes feeling dry and irritated. Even a minimal amount of alcohol can worsen the symptoms of people who suffer from dry eyes. Balancing the hydration levels in the body by alternating alcoholic drinks with water will minimise the dehydrating effects of alcohol.             Alcohol causes the blood vessels in the eyes to swell, making them appear more prominent and leading to red bloodshot eyes, a typical sign of alcohol consumption. The eyes may feel dry, gritty and sometimes painful. Alcohol decreases the reaction time of the pupils, changing the way the eyes respond...

It has been said that "life is too short to wear ugly glasses"! Glasses are more than a medical device to correct vision. They are often the first thing people notice about you, part of your identity and the image you wish to project. Glasses can enhance your best facial features, while concealing your less desirable features. More and more, glasses have become a fashion accessory, so much so that in certain age groups people wear frames with blank lenses simply to make a fashion statement. Where do we start with the seemingly impossible task of selecting spectacle frames? CHOOSE THE RIGHT FRAME FOR YOUR PRESCRIPTION Behind the aesthetics lie factors that need to be considered to ensure that the glasses serve their essential function of vision correction. For both shortsightedness and farsightedness, generally the stronger the prescription, the thicker the lenses and the more limited your frame choice may be. Your optometrist will guide you towards choosing the right lenses and frames to suit your face and your visual needs. THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE     While everyone's face shape is unique, there are some guiding principles that apply when determining which frames are most likely to suit you. Generally, frames that contrast with the shape of your face bring symmetry and balance to your prominent features. The size of your frames should proportionately match the size of your face. Round faces All the features are uniformly shaped in a round face. The cheeks and forehead are about the...

It is no secret that screens have become crucial to our work, social and recreational lives, and that increased screen time means a significant increase in exposure to blue light. How concerned should we be about all this blue light entering our eyes? What is blue light? Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. Visible light is light that can be detected by the human eye. It is made up of waves of varying lengths and energy. On one end of the spectrum is red light which has longer wavelengths and less energy, while blue light on the other end of the spectrum has the shortest wavelengths and the highest energy. What is the source of blue light?       When people talk about blue light exposure, they are generally referring to fluorescent light and light from the screens of computers, smart phones and TV, but these are not its only source. Blue light, like all the colours of the visible spectrum, is all around us. The main and most natural source of blue light is actually the sun, which contains all the colours of the visible spectrum. Although the majority of blue light exposure comes from the sun, concerns have been raised about the impact of blue light from screens because people spend extended periods of time on them at close range. How does blue light affect the eyes?       The eyes cannot block blue light (they can block UV light) so become irritated by...

Surfers' Eye, as the name implies, is found most commonly in hot dry countries in people who spend a good deal of time outdoors exposed to sun and wind. Surfers' Eye, or pterygium, is a triangular or wedge-shaped growth that develops on the conjunctiva (the clear membrane that covers the front surface of the eye) and grows onto the cornea, the eye's clear protective outer layer. A pinguecula is a yellowish raised growth on the conjunctiva. While pterygium and pinguecula may appear similar, and have similar symptoms and causes, they are different conditions. Pterygium is a fleshy growth that contains blood vessels, whereas a pinguecula is a deposit of fat, protein or calcium. Although these are both abnormal growths in the eye, they are not harmful, but they can cause discomfort. Symptoms       Symptoms of pinguecula and pterygium can range from mild to severe. They typically originate in the inner nasal corner of the eye and spread towards the pupil, growing slowly over time. In the early stages, both pterygium and pinguecula are usually asymptomatic; however, if they become inflamed, they can cause redness of the conjunctiva, dryness, itching, a gritty sensation, tearing, and burning. In its later stages, a pterygium can grow over the iris and pupil and obstruct vision. In some cases, a pterygium may grow only a little, then stop growing altogether. Sometimes, a pinguecula can develop into a pterygium. Causes       Pterygia occur most commonly in people aged 20-40. The exact cause remains...

20/20 vision means that one can clearly see the letters on the vision testing chart at 20 feet away. However, for reading and learning a child needs visual skills over and above visual acuity. In fact, poor visual processing skills, rather than poor eyesight, is frequently at the root of learning problems in children. With the COVID-19 pandemic, schooling was disrupted all over the world and children were forced to learn on-line, impacting their lives in many areas including visual health. Visual Processing Skills Essential for Learning In order to learn to read and write successfully, a child needs to understand and respond to what is seen. The eye sees, the brain interprets. Basic visual skills needed for effective learning include:     Visual acuity - the ability to see clearly for distance, intermediate and close work Focusing - the ability to maintain clear vision over time and to quickly refocus from near to far objects and back again, for example from the teacher to a book Eye alignment - the ability of the eyes to point simultaneously and accurately at an object Convergence - the ability of the eyes to move towards each other when looking at an object, without one eye turning in or out Eye movement control - poor eye movement control may result in losing one's place, skipping letters or inserting letters or words while reading Eye tracking - the ability to keep the eyes on target when looking from one object to another, moving the eyes along a printed page or following...

In 1963, artist Harvey Ball designed what would become the iconic yellow smiley face. He was only paid $45 for his efforts, and never trademarked or copyrighted his work. An opportunity for limitless wealth might've been something to smile about, but apparently Harvey didn't care for such things. He left a legacy in other ways, like the naming of October as World Smile Day. So, as October rolls around, what do we have to smile about? The Americans and the Soviets must've been smiling when a bleeping signal from the Sputnik satellite signalled the beginning of the Space Race in October 1957. If you're in Germany, you can smile at the thought of consuming your share of seven million litres of beer at Oktoberfest. In fact, if you're just about anywhere in Europe, October marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. This is definitely something to smile about for all those people who've consistently forgotten to change their clocks - and missed who knows how many meetings. It's also the time when Daylight Saving starts in Australia, which no doubt turns Down Under slightly upside down. October is also National Sarcasm Month, and Squirrel Appreciation Month... which is vitally important because squirrels are exceptional enough to warrant their own commemorative month. (A little sarcasm there in honour of October...) Somehow it's also Pizza Month and Pasta Month and Sausage Month. Why these foods couldn't be separated into different months isn't clear. It also makes no sense that September is Cholesterol Month...

As a little girl hearing this warning from my grandmother, I was worried about how to control my tears. At some point in our lives, we have all heard old wives' tales about a whole range of topics. When they relate to our visual health, they impact the way we understand our vision and care for our eyes. Some of these are rooted in fact, some are not; some are harmless and make us smile and shake our heads, while others are inaccurate and may cause harm to the eyes and visual health. Children with Misaligned or Crossed Eyes will Grow out of it     This is one of those myths that can cause long term harm. Misalignment of the eyes for the first few months of a baby's life is generally no cause for concern, and by the age of 3 to 4 months it usually corrects itself. If the misalignment persists, it should not be neglected as it can have a long-term effect on vision and other areas of development as the child grows. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical for the prevention of long term problems. Eating Carrots will Improve your Eyesight.     Carrots contain a large amount of vitamin A and beta-carotene, both of which play an important role in the health of the eyes, but carrots alone will not give you perfect vision. Leafy greens like spinach and kale contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help prevent or slow the progression of certain conditions...

With COVID being at the forefront of health concerns over the past months, other health issues have sometimes taken a back seat. Regular check-ups have been forgotten or ignored, or people have expressed anxiety about visiting doctors or hospitals for fear of becoming infected with COVID. Monitoring of chronic health conditions has often been neglected, as has regular checking of visual health. Being in lockdown has placed additional demands on our eyes as we spend more time on digital devices for work, relaxation and social contact, making it more important for us to check our eyes. Under normal circumstances, it is important to have regular eye examinations and, if necessary, to replace our glasses, but recent months have been anything but normal! Generally, we should have a comprehensive eye examination annually or as often as recommended by our optometrist. How often do we need to change or replace our glasses? Various factors need to be taken into account to determine this. As we age, so do our eyes. The changes to our vision may be subtle and barely noticeable, but we will become aware of the signs over time. Your clarity of vision may not be as sharp as before or you may be experiencing double vision, headaches or visual discomfort after reading or working on the computer. Squinting in order to focus more clearly often indicates an incorrect prescription. The feeling of relief after removing your glasses is a tell-tale sign of eye strain, either as a result of the...

Blurred vision is the most common eyesight problem, and the reasons behind it are generally not of major concern, although it sometimes signals something more serious. With blurred vision, the things around you look unclear and unfocused rather than sharp and clear. It may occur in one eye or both eyes and in some cases only part of the field of vision is blurred. It can be accompanied by other symptoms such as headaches, sensitivity to light or irritation of the eyes, and in more serious cases there may be symptoms such as nausea or balance problems. CAUSES OF BLURRED VISION There are multiple causes of blurred vision and various treatment options. Refractive Errors     Refractive errors are the most common type of vision problem. They occur when light entering the eyes is unable to focus correctly on the retina at the back of the eye, making it difficult to see things clearly. Refractive errors include shortsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism (uneven curvature of the cornea) and presbyopia (vision difficulties associated with aging). Some of the symptoms experienced may be blurred vision, squinting, headaches, tired eyes, difficulty focusing on close work, and sensitivity to glare. Treatment for common refractive errors includes prescription glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery. Conjunctivitis "Pink eye", as it is more commonly known, is a condition of the eyes caused by a virus, bacteria or allergy. The eyes become red, swollen and irritated, and there is usually a discharge which may cause blurred vision. Certain types of...