There’s a crazy little thing called love, and it’s with us every month of the year. In fact, some might say love is all around. (You feel it in your fingers, you feel it in your toes...) But if you want to know what love is, or what love has got to do with it, just visit any store in the weeks leading up to February 14th. A long time ago, four guys in a band reminded us that you can’t buy me love. Clearly, they’d never been to a mall or an online shopping platform. But is it really about balloons and flowers? Is that the true power of love? When someone asks how deep is your love, are they really asking how deep are your pockets? Surely, we’re talking about endless love. The many-splendoured thing. Because where do we begin to tell a story of how great a love can be? If you can’t help falling in love, you’ve probably heard that love hurts. It’s blindness. It’s a drug. Sometimes it’s summer lovin’ and, well... sometimes it’s love on the rocks. But that loving feeling. You know that loving feeling. When someone says love me do. When someone asks, can you feel the love tonight? When someone’s told you lately that they love you. When someone loves you tender. Always forever. Even when it must have been love but it’s over now. (Bye bye love, as they say.) So when someone just calls to say they love you (instead...

The eye is a delicate and complex organ which is often exposed to factors which cause visual problems. Some of these problems can be managed safely with simple home remedies, but these remedies are supplementary and should not replace professional treatment. It is important to be aware of the symptoms that require medical intervention and is always best to consult an eyecare professional before using home remedies. DRY EYES       Dry eyes occur when the eyes don’t produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly, leading to a dry, gritty or burning sensation in the eyes, itching, redness, watery eyes and sensitivity to light. Use artificial tears which are similar to natural tears and help to lubricate the eyes and reduce inflammation. Place a warm cloth gently over closed eyes for 10 minutes to help increase tear production. Slices of cucumber placed over closed eyes has a soothing effect. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and flax seeds, can improve tear quality. Maintaining hydration in the body by drinking water benefits tear production. To help spread moisture evenly across the eyes, be aware of blinking regularly particularly during screen use. CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE) Pink eye is an inflammation of the eyes that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergens, or irritants. It is characterised by redness, itching, irritation, a burning sensation, tearing, discharge and often crustiness on the eyelids. Viral conjunctivitis typically clears up after a few days, while conjunctivitis caused...

Many people, both adults and children, suffer from headaches which may vary in severity and frequency, and many of those people struggle to establish the cause and suitable treatment. Some headaches or medical conditions, such as migraines or head trauma, may cause visual symptoms such as blurred vision, a visual aura, or light sensitivity, but the headaches themselves are the primary source of pain. Other headaches may be caused by a visual problem and may be a sign that the eyes are changing or have difficulty focusing, for example with eye strain or an uncorrected refractive error such as short-sightedness. EYE STRAIN       A typical headache as a result of eye strain usually occurs after over-using the focusing muscles of the eyes for extended periods of time on tasks such as reading or sewing. When the eye muscles become tired, a headache can develop around or behind the eyes. A common cause of headaches that seems to be on the rise is digital eye strain, a condition that can arise from prolonged periods of digital screen usage. This can present with a headache, commonly felt behind the eyes, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light. DIFFICULTY FOCUSING       Both adults and children may experience headaches resulting from uncorrected refractive errors, including shortsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The eyes are required to work harder as they try to compensate for being unable to focus clearly. The appropriate prescription for glasses or contact lenses to correct the problem will generally alleviate...

Does the colour of our eyes have a meaning and symbolism of its own, which might tell us a little about the person behind the eyes? Of course there are numerous factors that contribute to who we are. Can eye colour be a factor that reflects certain aspects of a person’s personality? There is the belief that eye colour holds a deeper meaning about a person and may literally be a window to our personalities. Eye colour is determined by genetics and pigmentation. The pigment responsible for eye, skin and hair colour is melanin. The more melanin in the iris, the more light is absorbed, making the iris appear darker; the less melanin, the less light is absorbed, and the eyes appear lighter. No two people have the same makeup of melanin in their eyes, making each iris as unique as fingerprints. The four most common eye colours are brown, blue, hazel and green. Almost half the world’s population has brown eyes, while less than 10% have green eyes. Less common colours include grey and amber. Although some people may appear to have black eyes, this pigmentation cannot naturally occur in the eyes and may be very dark brown eyes that appear black under certain light conditions. BROWN EYES       Brown eyes are often associated with warmth, kindness, strength and stability, and studies have shown that brown-eyed people tend to be sociable, confident and ambitious. People with darker eyes are seen by others as intelligent, practical and easy to...

The term “presbyopia” comes from the Greek word meaning “old eye”, which accurately describes the condition which affects people over the age of 40. Along with greying hair and stiffening joints, presbyopia is one of the inevitable aspects of the normal aging process. As we get older, our eyes gradually lose the ability to focus clearly up close. When light enters the eye, it passes through the cornea, the pupil and the lens before it reaches the retina at the back of the eye. In younger eyes, the lens is able to quickly and easily change shape to focus the light on the retina, allowing us to focus on objects both near and far. However, the lens becomes less flexible with age, losing its ability to change shape as easily. SYMPTOMS OF PRESBYOPIA       The gradual deterioration of vision typically begins around the age of 40 but is often noticed only sometime later. Common symptoms include difficulty seeing close objects, eye fatigue or headaches after doing close work, needing brighter lighting when reading or doing close work, blurred vision at normal reading distance and needing to hold reading material at an arm’s distance to focus properly. Even if you are not experiencing symptoms, it is advisable to have an eye examination by the age of 40 to check on your visual health. It is possible to have presbyopia in addition to or in combination with other types of vision problems, such as shortsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Farsightedness, hyperopia, is...

GLAUCOMA AWARENESS WEEK 9 – 15 MARCH 2025 World Glaucoma Week is a global initiative organised by the World Glaucoma Association. Their goal is to alert everyone to have regular eye and optic nerve checks in order to detect glaucoma as early as possible because there are available treatments for all forms of glaucoma to prevent visual loss. The theme for 2025 is “See the future clearly”. WHAT IS GLAUCOMA? Glaucoma is a group of chronic conditions of the eye which slowly, silently and progressively damage the optic nerve which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. If untreated, it can lead to irreversible vision loss. It is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. HOW DOES GLAUCOMA AFFECT THE EYES?       The eyes constantly produce a clear fluid called aqueous humor which circulates in the front part of the eye and drains out through the drainage angle, keeping the pressure within the eyes stable. In most types of glaucoma, the eye’s drainage system becomes blocked, and the intraocular fluid cannot drain. As the fluid builds up, it causes pressure to build inside the eye, which can damage the optic nerve. If the pressure remains too high for too long, the damage to the optic nerve can lead to permanent vision loss. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLAUCOMA? Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma, characterised by a gradual loss of vision due to damage to the optic nerve. Angle closure glaucoma,...

2024 was remarkable for many reasons. Not least of which being that the number 2024 is the sum of eleven non-consecutive integers. For those who have any idea what that means, you can celebrate the special significance of the number. As for the rest of us, let’s see what else made this year an interesting one. Japan’s moon landing in January got the year off to an… astronomical… start. The Land of the Rising Sun became the fifth recorded country to execute a soft landing on the moon. The stats didn’t say exactly what a hard landing is, or how many countries have succeeded in that regard (if “succeeded” is the word for it). It was exactly 55 years since Neil Armstrong’s trip, but this time around no one seems to be asking whether it was all staged in a basement somewhere. 2024 was also a year in which a solar eclipse was visible from North America. It happened in April, and little did the USA know that a larger Force of Nature was on its way. It landed in November following a tense election process… but let’s not get into politics. This year also saw an unusual spate of solar storms and solar flares. Not sure what that suggests on a cosmic level, but it sounded significant enough to mention. We also had the so-called “comet of the century” coming closer to Earth than it’s ever been. If you’d rather get onto a first-name basis, its official title is CC/2023...

Helping to ensure that a child’s entry into school is an easy step into his educational journey begins long before buying school uniforms and stationery. As well as being intellectually, emotionally and socially ready for school, the child needs to have appropriate skills in hearing, vision and communication, the three pillars that form the foundation of success in the school years. The development of school readiness skills allows teachers to expand and further develop a child’s skills in the specific areas required for learning. Because 80% of learning occurs through the eyes, clear vision and effective visual perceptual skills are fundamental to learning to read, write and do maths. Visual perception is the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eyes see, allowing us to interpret, filter, organise and make sense of the world around us. Development of visual perceptual abilities can be facilitated by parents in the years before the child starts school. Children are curious natural learners who discover the world around them by play and exploration. Careful selection by parents of appropriate activities and toys can enhance the child’s learning experience, preparing them to engage and thrive in the classroom. WHAT ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF VISUAL PERCEPTION?       Good visual perceptual skills are important, not only for reading and writing, but for many everyday activities. Teaching a child to read and write depends on how well their visual perceptual ability has been built. Each of the following visual skills has a vital role to...

Since the invention of the printing press almost 600 years ago, the production of books has exploded globally, expanding our worlds with the spreading of storytelling and knowledge. The thirst for knowledge and information has continued over the centuries, but in today’s increasingly digital world, interaction with printed media is becoming less and less common as more and more people are spending their time looking at screens rather than the printed page. Which is better for our eyes, our health and our planet? LCD VS. E-INK SCREENS       There are a number of fundamental differences between the screens of e-readers, which use e-Ink, and those of computers, smartphones and iPads, which use an LCD display. LCD screens can display text, pictures and videos in full colour, and because they are backlit are easy to read in the dark or in low light. E-Ink screens, on the other hand, are black and white, are unable to display videos and can only be read in good lighting, including outdoors where it is often difficult to read on an LCD screen. Because e-Ink is designed to mimic a printed page, it is easier on the eyes and minimises eyestrain. Reading in print or on screens not only causes our eyes to work in different ways, but we process what we are reading differently. Computer screens, smartphones, and tablets use pixels which display text and images differently than e-readers and print. They make our eyes work harder and glare on an LCD screen...

Most of the information we use when driving comes through the eyes, and a large percentage of critical decisions that drivers make are based on visual cues. Our eyes control most of our movements while driving, constantly moving, focusing and refocusing as they adjust to the flow of input. Navigating the roads can be challenging and requires a combination and integration of complex skills. These include the motor ability to scan a rapidly changing environment, the sensory ability to perceive information, the attentiveness to process multiple pieces of information, the cognitive ability to judge this information and to make appropriate decisions and the motor ability to execute these decisions quickly. VISUAL ACUITY Visual acuity, the ability to see clearly, is fundamental to safe driving. A driver’s visual acuity must at least be such that he has time, while moving, to detect and to react to obstacles, pedestrians, other vehicles and road signs, in daylight and in darkness. If distance vision is poor, one may not see hazards until it's too late to react safely. PERIPHERAL VISION AND VISUAL FIELD        Being able to see ‘out of the corner of the eye’ without moving the head and while keeping the eyes on the road enables the driver to see cross traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, road signs and obstacles. How wide an area the eye can see while focused on a central point, the visual field, is equally important. Studies have shown that some individuals with some degree of peripheral visual field...