EyeMark Newsletters

Because we’re still celebrating our Rugby World Cup victory, in some ways it’s feeling like 2023 was a good year. Every day when I ask my three-year-old how his day was, his answer is the same: “Good and bad.” In his way he continues to remind me that no day or week or year is ever one or the other. But when December rolls around, we look back on the year and put a label on it anyway. So, 2023... good year or bad year? Well, it depends who you ask. Things weren’t looking good for the soon-to-be Charles III because so many artists reportedly declined to perform at his coronation. Eventually Kylie Minogue’s less famous sister agreed as did the not-so-famous members of the band Take That. But the new king didn’t seem to mind. After all, he got Lionel Ritchie. It wasn’t such a great year for the king’s countryfellow and employee of the British Museum. He was fired after stealing over 2000 artifacts from the museum’s vast collection. (Did he mention in his defence that most of those artifacts were already stolen anyway?) It was a good year for cultural phenomenon Barbie when she became a cultural phenomenon all over again. Her movie passed the $1-billion mark at the box office, and it’s still going. What isn’t still going is the equally iconic Phantom of the Opera, which brought down its final curtain on Broadway this year after 13 981 performances. Elon Musk’s year was a mixed bag...

The age-old question of whether we truly see ourselves as we are has intrigued philosophers, psychologists and scientists for decades. Many people wonder which version of themselves is more accurate, the one in photographs or the one in the mirror. Does the mirror show me what I really look like? Is it true that the camera never lies? Do selfies show me a true picture of myself? Most people prefer the image of themselves in the mirror to the one in photographs, the one seen directly with the eyes rather than through the lens of a camera. THE HUMAN EYE VS THE CAMERA There are similarities and differences between the human eye and the camera. Both contain a lens through which light enters. Both process the light to capture images, but while the camera simply captures the image, the visual system makes sense of what is seen. Unlike the camera, which records static images of particular moments in time, the eyes are constantly receiving a flow of dynamic visual input which is interpreted by the brain using information such as expectations, past experience and environmental factors. The photographic image is two-dimensional, but the human eye receives images in three dimensions. By means of small muscles, the eyes are able to adjust their focus as they look around. The camera relies on a variety of lenses to adjust the focus at various distances. An advantage of the camera is that an image that has been captured can be recorded but the eye...

Sharing a celebratory or social drink with family and friends or having a drink to unwind at the end of a busy day is an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Regular overindulgence in alcohol may have more negative consequences and can lead to problems in both general and eye health. Alcohol can affect the eyes in different ways, with some symptoms having a short-term effect while the effects of others may be more far-reaching and sometimes more serious. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS       The short-term symptoms of excessive drinking are usually temporary and unlikely to have long-term implications for eye health. Common effects include blurred vision, double vision, reduced peripheral vision and distorted vision, involuntary jerky eye movements and twitching of the eyelids. Because alcohol is a diuretic, it can lead to dehydration and dryness of the eyes, irritation, discomfort and increased sensitivity to light. As a result of constriction of the blood vessels in the eyes, the eyes appear red and the blood vessels become more prominent. The suppressive effect of alcohol significantly lowers the reaction time of the pupils, changing the way the eyes respond to light and other stimuli, making it difficult to distinguish differences in brightness between colours and impairing depth perception and the ability to judge distances between objects. LONG-TERM EFFECTS       The full extent to which excessive alcohol consumption over an extended period of time can impact the eyes is still largely unknown. It has been linked to the early onset or development of...

Refractive errors, including shortsightedness, farsightedness, age-related farsightedness (presbyopia) and astigmatism, are the most common vision problems, affecting one in three people worldwide. They are generally easily treated, with a number of options available to help correct vision and improve eye health. Depending on the nature and severity of the problem, the optometrist may offer a choice between glasses and contact lenses and sometimes surgery. Each presents its own advantages and disadvantages. How does one decide which is best to manage their specific vision problem? WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GLASSES AND CONTACT LENSES? While contact lenses and glasses are very different, they do share some similarities. Both require an eye examination and regular follow-ups by an optometrist as well as a discussion around which would best meet your individual needs. There are a variety of options for each. Cleaning, careful handling and good hygiene are essential for both. The costs may vary in terms of initial outlay and ongoing expenditure, but both are an invaluable investment in the visual quality of life. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF GLASSES? Because glasses are not worn directly on the eye and do not require the same careful cleaning and storage as contact lenses, they come with a lower risk of eye infections. Glasses offer some protection from serious eye injuries, and prescription sunglasses provide protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Different lens coatings for glasses can help to reduce eye strain, minimise glare, enhance vision for certain sports and help to...

      Although often called surfers’ eye, a pterygium does not only occur in surfers, but is a common complaint that can affect anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors exposed to the sun and wind. A pterygium is a benign wedge-shaped growth that develops on the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the front surface of the eye. Sometimes associated with a pterygium is a pinguecula, a yellowish raised growth on the conjunctiva. While they may appear similar and have similar causes, these are different conditions. A pterygium is a fleshy growth that contains blood vessels, whereas a pinguecula is a deposit of fat, protein or calcium. Sometimes, a pinguecula can develop into a pterygium. As the growth becomes larger, it develops its own blood supply which causes it to become more bothersome and take on a pink or reddish colour. SYMPTOMS Both conditions typically form in one or both eyes on the inner corner of the eye closest to the nose and grow towards the pupil. They generally spread slowly over time, without any symptoms, but if there are symptoms, they are usually mild. Common symptoms include eye redness, dryness, irritation, burning, itching, tearing and a gritty sensation. In rare cases a pterygium can cover the pupil and cause vision problems. CAUSES The exact cause is unknown, but pterygium and pinguecula are believed to be caused by exposure to UV light as well as wind, dust, smoke and other irritants. They occur more often in people who...

With summer comes fun outdoors and cooling off with a swim, but also exposure to the harmful rays of the sun and the risks present in water. While tanning beds and activities such as welding produce UV light, the biggest UV threat to the eyes is the sun. Our eyes are also vulnerable to the invisible dangers in the ocean, lakes, rivers and even chlorinated swimming pools. ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION       There are three types of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, UVA, UVB and UVC. The appropriate amount of ultraviolet radiation benefits the body by facilitating the processing of vitamin D in the body, producing serotonin and aiding bone development. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays can be harmful to the body and particularly the eyes. UVC radiation is considered a minimal threat because it is absorbed by the earth’s ozone layer. Exposure to UVA and UVB rays poses a risk for both short-term and long-term damage to the eyes and vision. Short-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause damage in the eyes that is similar to a sunburn. The eyes become red and puffy, feel gritty, are sensitive to light and there is excessive tearing. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually temporary. However, damage from UV radiation is cumulative over a person’s lifetime and if the eyes are exposed to long-term UV radiation without adequate protection, there may be a greater risk of developing cataracts and/or macular degeneration later in life. NOT ALL SUNGLASSES ARE CREATED EQUAL       With so...

OR WHY SA REALLY DESERVES TO WIN THE WORLD CUP   It's not about who scores a try or wins a match. It's about the nation that goes the distance. A nation that stares adversity in the face and doesn't give up. It's about people who are more resilient than anyone else on earth. It's called big match temperament, and that's what makes a winner. It's also why the Webb Ellis Cup belongs right here. Not because of fifteen men on a rugby field... but because of all 59 million of us. And so, no matter what happens on October 28th, we're already the champions of the world. Here's why... Wake up in darkness. Bedtime in darkness. It needs to be said (because a conversation isn't a conversation without loadshedding). Can you imagine what the Ozzies would do if they had to survive one weekend without electricity? Politicians would apologise, ministers would resign... and the locals would go mad. No power to energise their fully-functional traffic lights? Unthinkable. Their nation would probably fall apart. Here, on the other hand, we wake up in darkness and give thanks to the heavens, because at least it's happening now and not when MasterChef is on. Queuing like nobody queues. The British love a good queue. They form queues where no queues are even necessary, and they just love standing in them - politely and calmly. But you know who really knows how to queue? We do. Put a British family in a Home Affairs...

Toothpaste! Mouthwash! Ice cream Soda! These are just a few of the comparisons made by Springbok rugby fans as they expressed outrage, anger and disbelief at the colour of the kit worn by the Springboks in their first Rugby World Cup match against Scotland. What could possibly be the reason behind choosing a colour that does not reflect or represent our national colours or our proud heritage? According to the Rugby World Cup organisers, there is a valid reason: the new policy "caters to fans, players and even match officials with color vision deficiency, commonly known as color blindness". Teams are encouraged to choose colours that avoid clashes in situations where the colours of two teams may "appear too similar or lack contrast". What is colour blindness? Colour blindness is a misleading term as it is extremely rare to be unable to see any colours at all. A more accurate term is colour vision deficiency, a condition in which people see colours differently, see a limited range of colours, are unable to differentiate between shades of similar colours, or have difficulty seeing the brightness of certain colours. How do we see colour? The human eye contains millions of light-sensitive cone cells which work together to detect colour in the visible spectrum of light. When light enters the eye, it is translated into signals that are transmitted to the brain where the sensation of colour is experienced. There are three types of cones that see colour, red, green and blue. With full...

Water is a critical element for the efficient functioning of the body. It keeps us hydrated, lubricates joints and mucous membranes, regulates body temperature, keeps organs healthy, energy levels high, delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and flushes out waste products. We lose water through bodily functions like sweating, urinating, bowel movements and breathing. Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves than enters the body. High consumption of caffeine, salty foods and alcohol contribute to dehydration. The human body is made up of 50% to 65% water, but some organs, such as the eyes, contain more water than others. The percentage of water in the eye varies from structure to structure. The cornea, the front surface of the eye contains about 80% water, while the lens contains 70%. The inside of the eye is filled with two fluids, the aqueous humor in the front part of the eye (98% water) and the vitreous humor, the clear gel that fills the back of the eye (99% water). With such a high water content, the eyes are more vulnerable to dehydration than some other organs.       The body's response to fluid loss is to conserve the amount of fluid still in the body and restrict fluid output, affecting all the organs in the body, including the eyes. Symptoms of dehydration include thirst and dry mouth, decreased urination, muscle cramps, headaches, lightheadedness, sleepiness and reduced tear production. When the eyes stop producing tears, they are no longer properly lubricated, leading to dry...

Do you visit your optometrist regularly or only when you aren't seeing clearly, or your glasses are broken? During a regular comprehensive eye examination good vision is just the beginning and all aspects of eye health are assessed. A number of eye diseases develop gradually with no symptoms until the disease is advanced and vision loss is irreversible. Early indications of eye disease are frequently noticed in an eye examination. This early detection is key to early treatment and an improved long-term outcome. When it comes to having good vision for a lifetime, it is important to be in good overall health. Many chronic health conditions that affect the body can affect the eyes, too. As well as picking up early signs of eye disease, a comprehensive eye examination can provide a full picture of general health, sometimes identifying early warning signs that may be the first indication that a disease may be present in the body even before symptoms are experienced, or a diagnosis has been made by a medical specialist. DIABETES       Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body does not produce or process insulin effectively, resulting in fluctuating blood sugar levels. Temporary vision changes can occur as a result of these fluctuations, but long-term uncontrolled diabetes can result in more severe eye problems. Diabetes increases the risk of cataract and glaucoma development. Diabetes can cause damage to the blood vessels in the body. Over a period of time, the tiny blood vessels supplying the...