Are Glasses and Contacts Interfering with your Career

Are Glasses and Contacts Interfering with your Career?

If you’ve spent years grappling with the daily struggle of glasses or contacts on the job, you’re not alone. 

Many people with vision problems know the hassles all too well – constantly cleaning smudged lenses, fearing that your glasses will break, or the discomfort of dry and irritated eyes from wearing contacts for extended periods. But what if there’s a way to escape this daily grind?

LASIK, a groundbreaking eye surgery, has helped millions of people regain their visual freedom and work with more ease and comfort. 

In this article, we’ll explore how LASIK can be a game-changer for those tired of the hassles of glasses and contacts on the job.

The Daily Hassles of Glasses and Contacts

Before diving into LASIK, let’s take a moment to understand the daily challenges faced by those who rely on glasses or contacts to see clearly. Whether you’re in a corporate boardroom, on a construction site, or anywhere in between, vision problems can be a significant hindrance to productivity and job satisfaction.

Visual Disturbances

Glasses can fog up in humid environments, while contacts may shift and cause blurry vision. Both can be incredibly distracting, making it challenging to concentrate on tasks.

Maintenance

Keeping glasses clean and free of scratches is a never-ending battle. Contacts require diligent cleaning and constant replacements, leading to ongoing costs and inconvenience.

Safety Concerns

For jobs that involve physical activity or exposure to hazardous materials, glasses can pose safety risks. Contacts can also be problematic, as they can trap particles against the eye, leading to discomfort and potential injury.

Performance Impact

In certain professions like professional athletes, dancers, and more, glasses and contacts can affect performance and even pose a safety risk when vision is compromised or reaction time is delayed. Professional athletes and dancers understand the importance of precision and timing. Glasses and contacts can be a hindrance, affecting their performance and potentially putting their careers at risk.

Cost Factors

The financial burden of glasses and contacts can add up significantly over time. The ongoing cost can be a significant factor to consider when exploring alternatives like LASIK.

Dry Eyes

Extended contact lens wear can cause dry eyes, which can be excruciatingly uncomfortable, particularly if your job involves staring at screens for extended periods. Discomfort can lead to reduced productivity and overall job dissatisfaction.

Limited Peripheral Vision

Some jobs require excellent peripheral vision, which glasses may restrict. Contacts can also limit your field of view, depending on the type. If your job demands a wide field of vision, glasses and contacts can be limiting. Your performance may be compromised, affecting your career growth.

Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK, is a surgical procedure that has transformed the lives of millions by offering a permanent solution to vision problems.

LASIK is proven to be a highly effective procedure, but it may not be suitable for everyone. To determine if it is the right choice for you, have a Comprehensive Eye Screening and consult with an experienced eye surgeon who can evaluate your specific needs and medical history.

But why choose Shinagawa for your LASIK journey? Shinagawa is the most trusted name in eye care in the country, offering a range of LASIK options tailored to your unique needs.

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines: 

(+63) 917 862 7454

(+63) 921 217 0517

(+632) 7-368 5238

Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/

Do you inherit bad eyesight

Do you inherit bad eyesight?

Our genes determine many of our traits, such as hair and eye color, personality, and abilities like singing and sports. But have you ever thought about how much you inherit your eyesight and predisposition to eye diseases?

We will explore some common eye problems and how likely you are to have them based on your parents’ eye health. Scientists found 500 genes linked to eye problems. We’ll discuss a few common ones.

While most common vision problems can be attributed to genetics, it’s important to note that poor eyesight or development of eye conditions or diseases aren’t solely based on inherited factors. It’s also down to factors caused by your own health, environment, lifestyle, or even ageing. We’ll cover what you can do in these areas to help preserve good eye health and to protect your vision.

Is short-sightedness inherited from your parents?

Short-sightedness (also known as myopia) occurs when your eye is too short to properly process the images you’re looking at. This results in anything further away than your near vision being blurry, and requires glasses, contact lenses, or laser eye surgery in order to be rectified.  Common signs of myopia include eye strain, headaches and blurry distance vision.

If two short-sighted parents have a child together, there is a 1 in 3 chance that their child will also be short-sighted. If a child only has one parent who is short-sighted, there is a 1 in 5 chance they will be short-sighted. If neither parent is short-sighted, the chances of them having a child who is short-sighted are 1 in 40.

Is long-sightedness genetic or not?

Long-sightedness (also known as hyperopia) occurs when your eye is too long to be able to focus on images close to you. In this case, you will struggle to focus on objects like a book or your phone, but your vision further away is fine. Again, this can be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses, or by having laser eye surgery.

You are more likely to develop long-sightedness if one or both of your parents are also long-sighted. This is because refractive disorders are caused by inherited genetic markers. However, research on inherited long-sightedness is limited and knowledge around this develops constantly while studies are on-going.

You can also develop age-related long-sightedness in your 40s, which is known as presbyopia. This occurs when the lens in your eye stiffens with age and can no longer flex as easily to focus on objects or text close to you. Presbyopia, which occurs in middle age, may be influenced by your parents’ experiences.

Are cataracts caused by bad genes?

Cataracts occur as a normal part of the ageing process, forming when proteins in the eye begin to clump together. This results in blurry, clouded vision, dimmed colors and a yellowish tinge across your visual field. You may also feel particularly sensitive to light. Around 400,000 cataract procedures are carried out in the UK each year, so it’s clear that a lot of people suffer with poor vision caused by cataracts.

While cataracts do occur naturally, they tend to run in some families more than others. Not everyone will develop cataracts but, if close members of your family like your parents or grandparents had them, your risk is also higher. If left untreated, cataracts can cause severely impaired vision and even blindness.

Thankfully, cataracts are easily treatable with a simple procedure which is usually completed within 20 minutes. There are a number of risk factors that increase your chance of developing cataracts, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and spending a lot of time in the sun so, if you have a family history of cataracts, you should be especially vigilant about these risk factors.

Is glaucoma hereditary?

Glaucoma occurs when you have abnormally high eye pressure, leading to damage of the optic nerve. It can occur for a number of reasons, often due to the eye’s drainage angle being blocked, but it can also occur due to high blood pressure, in turn causing high eye pressure, leading to peripheral vision damage occurring. Glaucoma is far more likely to have been inherited than to occur randomly – in fact, if you have a family history of glaucoma, you are up to 9 times more likely to develop it yourself. Knowing your family history when it comes to glaucoma allows you to have regular check-ups with your optician. This is especially important as severe damage caused by glaucoma occurs before you have visual symptoms, and can only be picked up at an eye test.

You can lower your chances of developing glaucoma by:

  • Watching your weight
  • Reducing your caffeine consumption to maintain a low eye pressure
  • Exercising daily

Can macular degeneration be inherited?

 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) runs in some families more than others and is more likely to develop due to a family predisposition than it is to occur randomly. AMD is a disease which affects a part of your eye called the macula, which is the central part of your retina. The macula is responsible for your central vision, color vision, and fine detailed vision, so these are the elements of your sight which are impacted by AMD. AMD mainly attacks your central vision which makes tasks like reading, recognizing faces and even using your phone very difficult.

You are 3-4 times more likely to develop AMD if one of your parents or siblings has AMD. If you know you’re related to somebody who has dealt with AMD previously, you should ensure you go for regular eye tests.

Like with plenty of other eye conditions, by the time you can see damage in your visual field, it is too late to restore lost vision. Attending regular checks with your optician allows any problems to be picked up quickly and for you to have any necessary treatment as soon as possible.

Risk factors for AMD include obesity and high blood pressure (both of which are also genetic), as well as a history of heart disease and high cholesterol. Working to control these risk factors by changing your diet and exercise habits will reduce your AMD risk – as well as giving up smoking and reducing your alcohol intake. Read more about AMD on our blog.

Is color blindness hereditary?

Color blindness does not change or worsen over time, but it is inherited from your parents. It is a condition which prevents someone from distinguishing between particular colors – most commonly reds and greens.

It affects two types of cells in your retina; rods and cones. There are around 100 million rods in your retina, and between 6 and 7 million cones. Rods detect light and dark but cannot distinguish between different colors, while your cone cells are responsible for color vision and perceive either red, green or blue shades.

Your color vision relies on all three types of cones working effectively, and color blindness occurs when one cone color isn’t functioning properly. A person with fully functioning color vision has a small degree of overlap of their cones, but a person with color blindness has cones which overlap too much, limiting their perception of color.

Color blindness is passed down through the X chromosome and is inherited from your parents. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. A child always receives an X chromosome from the mother, while the father can give either an X or Y chromosome – so the chromosome a baby receives from its father determines its gender. More men are color blind than women because of a process which Shinagawa have neatly summarized:

A daughter who inherits the color-deficient gene from her father will be a carrier of the gene but she will not be color blind (unless her mother carries the gene, and she receives a paired color-deficient gene from her mother as well)

If a daughter inherits the X-linked trait from both her father and her mother, then she will be color blind.

When a mother passes along this X-linked trait to her son, he will inherit the color vision deficiency and have trouble distinguishing reds and greens

 

Looking after your vision

 

You should have regular eye tests anyway (at least once every 2 years), but if you have a family history of any of the sight-threatening eye conditions we’ve just discussed, you should be especially vigilant about attending. In some cases, yearly eye tests are recommended so that any changes to your vision and eye health can be monitored. Factors which can contribute to poor eyesight include:

  • Exposure to chemicals
  • Bacteria in the eye
  • Toxic gases and pollutants
  • Drug use
  • Overexposure to UV rays
  • Some cosmetics or makeup
  • High blood pressure

Be sure to avoid these where possible, including any known allergens you have, in order to promote good eye health and reduce your risk of vision problems. If you’d like to keep up to date with tips on eye health, make sure to check our blog regularly for guidance.

If you have any questions about ways you can improve your vision with laser eye surgery or lens treatments, please give reach us!

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines:

📱 (+63) 917 862 7454

📱 (+63) 921 217 0517

📞 (+632) 7-368 5238

🖥 Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/

Importance of eye care during pollution

Importance of eye care during pollution

Air pollution has a negative impact on all organs of the human body including the lungs and the heart. Being one of the most sensitive organs of our body, our eyes are always at a higher risk because of continuous exposure to the toxins in air pollution.

Prolonged exposure to the chemicals in the air leads to eye problems like burning, watering, blurred vision, redness in the eye, itching, chronic discomfort, allergic conjunctivitis, other forms of allergies, and many more problems. A recent study has shown that a large number of Indians suffer from ‘Dry Eye Syndrome’ – burning, gritty eyes due to pollution – and this number is expected to increase in the future with the rising air pollution levels.

While one cannot control the pollution levels in the air, it is up to us to take measures to minimize the risk of eye damage and keep our vision healthy.

Some easy-to-follow steps that can be followed are mentioned below:

  • Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching/rubbing your eyes
  • Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals in the air by staying indoors during peak hours of traffic and other pollutants.
  • If you must step out, wear good quality, protective glasses that keep the dust and chemical particles at bay
  • Use eye-drops recommended by the doctors
  • Rinse your face with clean water once home and preferably before you sleep.
  • Avoid direct splashing of water into your eyes, to prevent your tear-film disruption which serves as a natural protection for your eyes from dust and particulate matter.

Irritation in the eye is one of the leading reasons for the visit to ophthalmologists’ clinics in the Philippines. Although it is a good exercise to visit an eye doctor (Ophthalmologist) regularly to keep your eyes healthy and discomfort-free.

Shinagawa Eye Center is equipped with experienced doctors and specialists to identify and treat the causes of your discomfort while helping you provide the best care for your eyes.

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines: 

📱 (+63) 917 862 7454

📱 (+63) 921 217 0517

📞 (+632) 7-368 5238

🖥 Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/

Which Foods Help your Recovery after Laser Eye Surgery

Which Foods Help your Recovery after Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser eye surgery is a procedure which you’ll be completely awake for, so there are no restrictions about what you can eat in the lead up to your treatment. We recommend having your meals as usual on the day of your surgery and ensuring that you are well hydrated. Being well hydrated goes a long way to ensuring your eyes are well lubricated, and this is an essential part of laser eye surgery recovery as you may experience dry eyes during this period. After your treatment, we advise you to continue eating your meals as usual (as well as you can fit them around your post-surgery naps anyway!). However, there are certain foods which can help boost your recovery process after treatment due to their numerous benefits for your eye health.

Which foods are good for laser eye surgery recovery?

In terms of the food groups which are great for post-laser recovery, you should aim for lots of protein and carbohydrates, as well as vitamin C and healthy fats. In particular, chicken, fish and eggs are great for wound healing and tissue regeneration, as are beans, nuts and legumes. Vitamin C is also said to speed up the healing process, and you can eat more citrus fruits, strawberries and bell peppers to increase your vitamin C intake. Healthy fats are known to decrease inflammation, and it is likely that you will experience some inflammation following your eye surgery. Foods which contain healthy fats include avocados, olive oil, dark chocolate and chia seeds.

To help combat the dryness that often accompanies laser eye surgery in the early stages of recovery, you could look to introduce more fish into your diet. Fish contains omega-3 which is a fatty acid known to help reduce eye dryness by improving your tear film’s oily layer. This, combined with flaxseed, is a good option to help lubricate your eyes during laser eye surgery recovery, potentially reducing the discomfort that comes with severely dry eyes. However, above all, to help with this you should make an effort stay well hydrated in the days and weeks after your laser eye surgery.

Which foods should you avoid to benefit your eye health?

Linking back to hydration, a diet high in salty food can lead to dehydration, and we’ve just established that hydration is one of the key components in laser eye surgery recovery. It is also crucial for your overall eye health in general. Salty foods are often processed, bringing us onto processed meats which are usually high in saturated fats. An excess of saturated fat in your diet can lead to high cholesterol and its associated eye conditions, such as macular degeneration, retinal changes and, eventually, loss of vision.

You should also try to avoid processed sugars and foods which raise your blood sugar level too much. Consistently high sugar levels can damage your retina’s blood vessels, causing new abnormal blood vessels to grow. This leads to a number of eye health issues but when new blood vessels grow on your iris, it can increase your eye pressure and glaucoma risk. This is just one example of how dietary choices impact your vision and lead to damage within the eye.

Top 10 foods for good overall eye health

Even if you aren’t currently in your laser eye surgery recovery period, it’s still important that you eat the right balance of foods in order to look after your eye health. 10 of the best foods you can eat to benefit your eyes, including the key nutrients they contain, are:

  • Beans, legumes and nuts – Omega-3, vitamin E, zinc
  • Seeds – Vitamin E, omega-3
  • Fish – Omega-3
  • Citrus fruits – Vitamin C
  • Grapes – antioxidants
  • Leafy greens – lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A
  • Carrots – Vitamin A
  • Eggs – lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin D
  • Sweet potatoes – vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E
  • Dark chocolate – cocoa flavanols

 

Looking at this list, it can be tricky to know exactly what each of these vitamins and nutrients does for your eye health.

To help simplify things, we’ve got some pointers on exactly what each of them is great for when it comes to your eye health.

Omega-3 and its fatty acids

are proven to help protect your eyes from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma. As we touched on previously, oily fish can help minimize dry eye symptoms so if you’ve been dealing with dry eyes, you can try to introduce salmon, tuna, and trout into your diet. Recent studies have also suggested that eating dark meat fish around 3 times a week lowers your chances of developing AMD.

Vitamin E

is known to protect against age-related damage to your eyes. A lot of the eye conditions we’ve mentioned here are more likely to occur as you age, so vitamin E is particularly important when it comes to cataracts, AMD and glaucoma.

Zinc

is proven to reduce night blindness and slow the progression of AMD – in fact, taking 40-80 milligrams per day of zinc could slow AMD progression by 25%. You can find zinc in beans and legumes and it’s particularly beneficial for your retina and its surrounding tissues.

Vitamin C

has been linked to a lower cataract risk, and it’s typically found in high concentration in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Other fruits and vegetables like strawberries and bell peppers also contain vitamin C, as do sweet potatoes.

Antioxidants

Such as those found in grapes are thought to help reduce your likelihood of developing cataracts. Around 18 million people have cataract surgery globally each year, and we perform thousands of those at Optimax. It is suggested that the antioxidants in grapes prevent the initial clumping of proteins in the eye’s natural lens which leads to cataracts forming. One of the key parts of the studies which have confirmed this compared ageing populations in different countries (the US and the Mediterranean), and observed the differences in their diets.

Vitamin D

Lutein and zeaxanthin have been proven to protect your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) damage, which is a key trigger for cataract formation and macular degeneration. Eggs are particularly rich in lutein and zeaxanthin – in fact, eating one egg a day for 5 weeks increases lutein levels by 26% and zeaxanthin levels by 38%.

Vitamin A

Is converted from beta carotene, a nutrient found in orange coloured foods. Examples of these include carrots and sweet potatoes. Vitamin A helps with the production of rod and cone cells in your retina, promoting better vision in low lighting. It also helps to reduce your risk of developing AMD, cataracts and glaucoma.

Cocoa flavanols

are found in chocolate and promote a higher flow of oxygen and nutrients to your eyes’ blood vessels. Apparently, eating a bar of dark chocolate (72%) significantly improves people’s contrast sensitivity and visual acuity, when compared to their vision after having no chocolate, or even just milk chocolate. Although the studies carried out in this area don’t have any evidence to suggest these vision changes are permanent, any excuse to eat more chocolate is good enough!

Our expert doctors are the best in the business when it comes to providing the best post-LASIK care!

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines: 

📱 (+63) 917 862 7454

📱 (+63) 921 217 0517

📞 (+632) 7-368 5238

🖥 Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/

Germs and Our Eyes

Germs and Our Eyes

Habitual rubbing of your eyes could do you no good.

We do that sort of thing without really thinking about it in moments when we’re tired, when we get something stuck in one eye, or when our eyes feel dry or itchy.

It’s an attempt to alleviate the problem, but in reality we could be creating a bigger one, because every time we touch our eyes, we introduce the germs from our fingers (and everything we’ve touched since the last time we washed them) into a sensitive part of our bodies.

The Germs Living on Our Skin, Hands, and Under Our Fingernails

It might surprise you how many types of microscopic organisms live on our skin. They’re part of an ecosystem called “skin flora,” and not all of them are harmful. Some are even beneficial. Others, however, can certainly cause infections or diseases if they breach the barrier of the skin. That’s what makes the eyes such a convenient access point for them. Germs can stick to our skin whenever we touch a surface where they live, then become trapped under our fingernails where they breed and continue to spread to other things we touch (like our eyes).

The Natural Defenses of the Eyes

Fortunately, our eyes are not defenseless. We have eyelashes for practical reasons, not just as tools for flirting. They keep irritants out, and when we blink, it sweeps away debris that reaches the surface of the eye. The tear film over the eye is a complex, layered drainage system that acts like a moat around a castle. But when we rub our eyes, we could easily injure the cornea and create a weakness in the defenses.

We Can Help Protect Our Eyes from Germs

It’s a good idea to avoid touching your eyes whenever possible, especially if you wear contact lenses. If you absolutely must, such as when putting your contacts in or taking them out, you can minimize the risk of contamination and infection by washing your hands with soap first and keeping your fingernails neatly trimmed. The germs under our fingernails are so difficult to scrub away that they’re the reason medical professionals wear gloves when working with patients. (This problem applies to fake nails too.)

Come to Us with Your Eye Infection Concerns

If you experience eye symptoms like itchiness, redness, watering, tenderness, or burning, you might have an eye infection. Schedule an appointment with us so that we can help you fight the infection or discover the cause if it’s something else. In the meantime, try not to rub your eyes!

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines: 

📱 (+63) 917 862 7454

📱 (+63) 921 217 0517

📞 (+632) 7-368 5238

🖥 Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/