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Lasik Eye Surgery. Healthy Treadmills Losing Weight

Buying Contact Lenses: Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing the Right Type of Lenses

Contact lenses will considerably improve your vision without you having to wear glasses. They are extremely lightweight, and they offer you a full range of sight and mobility.

You can buy contact lenses in a number of different ways. You can purchase them online, which is what most people are doing. Companies usually offer hundreds of contact lenses, which they deliver right to your house. When you order online you can get an excellent price.

You can also buy your contact lenses at your optician’s office. Or you can buy them at a local store, for example Wal-Mart.

If you shop around, you can usually uncover some fantastic deals for your contacts. The prices vary depending on the brand and type. The latest brands of lenses are usually expensive.

right type of lenses

You must have a prescription in order to buy contacts. Your optician will let you know if you can wear contacts. Different contact lenses suit different people.

Here are few things to keep in mind when choosing the right type of lenses for you.

1. What is your lifestyle? For example, if you use a computer all day then you might consider wearing glasses because computer use can dry your eyes out. On the other hand, daily disposable contacts will be easier to play sport in than glasses.

2. Dry eyes problem. Get contact lenses that mainly contain silicone. You can also use contact lens comfort drops.

3. What about allergies? Allergies can make your eyes very sensitive. In this case, you should choose daily disposable lenses.

4. What about your job? If you have a job which means that you have to stay up all night, get extended wear lenses. These lenses can be worn continuously for a certain period of time.

5. Think about hygiene. If your fingernails get dirty at your work or if you smoke then daily disposable lenses are the way to go.

Every living cell in the body has an electrical charge.

Micro Current Stimulation May Prove To Be A Successful Treatment for Macular Degeneration

Micro Current Stimulation (MCS) Therapy is perhaps the most promising treatment currently being investigated for dry age-related macular degeneration. It is a non surgical procedure which involves stimulating the macula and nerve fibers with a very low intensity current using a FDA approved battery operated device. The current is delivered at different electrical frequencies through electrodes applied over closed eyelids. The treatment causes no discomfort or pain and is administered twice each day. While a very effective form of treatment, MCS Therapy is not a cure for macular degeneration and must be continued for the life of the patient. Overall, no side effects or adverse reactions related to this procedure have been observed. Micro Current Stimulation technology has advanced to the point where individuals can learn to apply their own Micro Current Stimulation therapy with a home unit. In many cases, a patient undergoing MCS Therapy will experience an improvement in vision in as little as four days. For individuals with a more severe form of the disease it may take several months.

Human cells are not unlike batteries. They sometimes have low energy stores or are unable to hold energy. Micro Current Stimulation Therapy provides the cells with the “energy” it needs, similar to recharging a battery. Studies have also shown that MCS Therapy increases microcirculatory blood flow, increases ATP concentrations and stimulates amino acid and nutrient concentrations into cells.

Electrical charge is theorized that part of what causes macular degeneration is a loss of the energy source in the cell, or loss of the electrical charge. Just like a flashlight will not work without a charged battery, the photoreceptors in the retina will not function without an energy source. MCS Therapy is believed to increase the energy source within the cell.

The Macular Degeneration Foundation determined in preliminary pre-clinical trials by pioneering ophthalmologists and researchers that micro current stimulation therapy can improve visual acuity, sharpness and color perception in 68 percent of patients with dry macular degeneration and 58 percent of those with the wet form. Reports from Russia suggest similar benefits.

A study published by Dr. Merrell J. Allen and Dr. Leland D. Michael entitled Nutritional Supplementation, Electrical Stimulation and Age Related Macular Degeneration showed that 60 percent of patients showed an improvement in visual acuity following a combination of micro current stimulation therapy and nutritional supplementation.

Drs. Grace Halloran and August L. Reader studied thirty individuals diagnosed with typically untreatable eye diseases including macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, CMV-retinitis, and diabetic retinopathy. The patients were treated with a combination of micro current stimulation therapy and nutritional supplementation. Overall results showed remarkable increase in visual function in visual acuity in most and clearly established the safety of the combination of MCS therapy and nutritional supplementation.

In general, the electrical current gently wakes up the cells from sleep and stimulates the healing process. Simply put, cells are like batteries. When the energy level runs low or runs out, the light goes out. MCS Therapy replaces the electrical charge within the cells of the eye to promote healing and regeneration.

The second way the therapy works is to boost the cells' ability to rid themselves of waste products. A cell with "stuck" waste products becomes a dead cell and interferes with cellular communication throughout the area where it is located. Cells need to take in nutrients and eliminate waste like all other living organisms. The energy supplied by MCS Therapy stimulates the cells to become vital and less sluggish.

The third way MCS Therapy works is by increasing blood supply to the area stimulated. By increasing blood flow to the area cells and tissues are nourished, refreshed and oxygenation is increased.

No side effects or adverse outcomes related to this treatment have been seen. No increase in the conversion to the wet form of AMD has been seen to those who have been treated.

MCS Therapy can be administered in a doctors office or through a home treatment unit. Even if you start your therapy in a doctors office, continued therapy with a home treatment unit is necessary in order to retain any vision improvement and to keep AMD from getting worse.

After learning how to self-administer treatment, you will perform treatment in the convenience of your home with the home treatment unit. This is easy to learn and apply. Once starting with the treatments you will need to continue with treatments twice daily. Each treatment takes 6 - 12 minutes. Those who have discontinued therapy have had their vision deteriorate.

The results have been remarkable, with over 68% of the people treated with Dry AMD showing statistically significant improvement in one or both eyes and 58% of the people with Wet AMD showing improvement. 52% of patients experience an improvement of two or more lines as measured with the standard Snellen visual acuity chart.

The majority of eye doctors in practice today were told that macular degeneration was an untreatable disease and that nothing could be done to restore a damaged retina to a healthier state. It is also interesting to note that most of the doctors in practice today were also trained to believe that nutritional supplements were a waste of time and money. After 20 years, they have finally admitted they were wrong regarding vitamins. Medicine, as a profession, is slow to change or admit its mistakes.

Micro current stimulation therapy is currently viewed by most doctors the way vitamin supplements were viewed 20 years ago, as an “unconventional“ therapy. While small studies have been published in the literature showing the effectiveness of MCS Therapy, admittedly, there have not been any large-scale scientific studies published in the traditional journals. These large-scale studies are what most doctors depend on to guide them in their recommendations to patients.

Several large scale studies are either underway or are currently being developed and they should prove MCS Therapy’s effectiveness once and for all. However, it will take 2 - 4 years and millions of dollars in research funds to complete the studies. In the interim, there is no reason that this option should be withheld from patients. The early reports are showing positive results in 65 to 90 percent of patients treated, there are no known side effects or contraindications, the treatment is relatively inexpensive, and there is no alternative treatment. Why should a patient with an otherwise “incurable” disease not try this option?

MCS Therapy works by increasing intracellular ATP (adenosine triphosphate) concentrations, enhancing protein synthesis, and stimulating the cells ability to absorb nutrients (Ngok Cheng, M.D.). It is theorized that through these mechanisms, MCS Therapy improves RPE efficiency and thereby may restore and/or improve macular function.

ATP is synthesized in the mitochondria process known as the Kreb’s Cycle, the sequence of reactions in the mitochondria that complete the oxidation of glucose in respiration. Kroll and Guerrieri have shown age related changes in mitochondrial metabolism resulting in a decrease of the ATP synthase activity. Guerrieri has gone further to show functional and structural differences of the mitochondria F0F1 ATP synthase complex in aging rats. It is theorized that many retinal diseases, at least in part, is due to a decrease in mitochondria function and the subsequent decrease in intracellular ATP. This decrease in mitochondria function results from free radical damage and the mutation of mtDNA (mitochondria DNA).

It is interesting to note the genetic link between ATP and retinal disease. ATP Synthase (ATPase) is an enzyme which catalyzes the synthesis of ATP. A genetic defect in the ATPase 6 Gene has now been implicated in Retinitis Pigmentosa.

What Is The Difference Between The Micro Current Simulator And Other Devices On The Market?

Research by Cheng demonstrated a very significant difference between the types of electrical stimulators known as TENS devices and those classified as micro current stimulators. The research showed that by treating with currents below 1000 micro Amps (less than 1 milli Amp), there was a 75% higher amino acid uptake and up to a 400% increase in intracellular ATP concentrations. In those treated with more than 1000 micro Amps (more than 1 milli Amp), there were actually depressed levels of these substances, often less than the non-treated controls. It is critically important to note that the less expensive TENS devices do not treat in the safe and effective milli amp range and treat at much higher levels, some as high as 80 milli Amps. This is dangerous and can potentially deplete intracellular ATP and shut down the Kreb’s Cycle, having the reverse effect of MCS™ Therapy. A micro current stimulator has 10 times the circuitry of a standard therapeutic electrical stimulator and is regulated to prevent treatment above the safe milli amp range. Furthermore, make sure any device that you may use is FDA approved. Many on the market are not.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the sale of medical devices (an example is the use of the lasers used for LASIK surgery). Before a medical device can be legally sold in the U.S., the person or company that wants to sell the device must seek approval from the FDA. To gain approval, they must present evidence that the device is reasonably safe and effective for a particular use, the “indication.” Micro current stimulators were generally approved for the following indication: the symptomatic relief of chronic intractable pain and as an adjunctive treatment in the management of post surgical traumatic pain problems. Once the FDA has approved a medical device, a doctor may decide to use that device for other indications if the doctor feels it is in the best interest of a patient. The use of an approved device for other than its FDA-approved indication is called “off-label use.” MCS Therapy is considered an “off-label use.”

Glaucoma Eye Drop Shows Promise in Improving Vision for Macular Degeneration Patients

Eye redness was the clue that something was happening to Celia Ramirez's vision. Although she wasn't having trouble driving or doing other tasks, her children urged her to have a checkup. It turned out she was in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that attacks a person's central field of vision.

Mrs. Ramirez, who lives in Mission in the Rio Grande Valley, had surgery that successfully controlled her eye pressure, but her central vision continued to deteriorate. Her specialist is William E. Sponsel, M.D., associate professor and director of research in the department of ophthalmology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC). Dr. Sponsel's research led him to prescribe treatment with new combinations of medications. "These last two medicines he's had me on, they have really worked," Mrs. Ramirez said. "We've done a lot of praying. This is somewhat of a miracle."

The healthy eye produces enough carbon dioxide to dilate blood vessels around the retina and maintain proper blood flow.

The miracle involves carbon dioxide, which is crucial for vision. The ailing eye does not produce enough. This holds important implications for the treatment of patients with blinding eye diseases such as AMD and glaucoma, which are marked by diminished circulation of blood in the back of the eye. Eye pressure also is a conventional barometer of eye health.

About 60 of 65 patients have seen their vision improve while receiving treatment at UTHSC's teaching hospital, University Hospital. "The patients are receiving combination drug therapy, including agents that trick the eye into retaining more of its carbon dioxide," Dr. Sponsel said. "We have patients with glaucoma and no AMD, patients with AMD and no glaucoma, and patients with both disorders. All appear to demonstrate benefit in the central visual area, regardless of the cause of that visual loss."

The Health Science Center is the first medical center to initiate this combination therapy for patients with central visual loss, Dr. Sponsel said. Considerable research yielded the conclusions that now help patients. "You don't expect these patients to get better, you expect them to get worse," he said. "We have seen dramatic results that bode well for treatment of these disorders in the future."

The researchers measure patients' sensitivity to light on visual function tests. An increase of 10 points represents more than a million-fold increase in actual visual acuity. Mrs. Ramirez's vision in the macula — the central visual area that enables perception of letters and colors — was scored as virtually zero on early tests. After the recent treatment, her score is now 24.

The miracle agents are called "carbonic anhydrase inhibitors" (CAI's). Given as eye drops, CAI's reach the back of the eye rapidly and slow the clearance of carbon dioxide while increasing the supply of nutrients. They help dilate blood vessels within and behind the retina, which is the structure that receives, processes and transmits visual images relayed from the brain.

Dr. Sponsel pursued this line of research in an intriguing way — after discovering that adults who hyperventilated and rapidly blew off their body's carbon dioxide showed decreased vision, eye pressure and circulation in the back of the eye. He was treating subjects one week with a CAI called dorzolamide and the next week with placebo eye drops. During hyperventilation, the subjects on dorzolamide maintained good light sensitivity in their central field of vision, while the same subjects during placebo treatment showed central visual loss. Dr. Sponsel holds two U.S. patents on this work. One valuable aspect of the research is that it proves increased eye pressure is not necessarily the definitive indicator of eye vessel disease.

Mrs. Fernandez is seeing more light at the end of the tunnel these days, thanks to the combination therapy Dr. Sponsel is testing. "Vision is precious," he said. "Despite the odds, she has had a beautiful retention of her ability to see."

The drugs used in this novel therapy, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI’s) are only available by prescription and must be prescribed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Contact Lenses for Healthy Eyes

Contact lenses have so many advantages over glasses that more and more people switch to them. In the past contact lenses were hard and uncomfortable. But, times have changed. Modern contacts have become comfortable to wear, easy to care for and affordable. And everybody can find lenses suitable for his or her individual needs.

There are several important contact lens rules that every wearer should follow. You need to clean them with special cleaning solution not just water, and never wear your lenses overnight unless they are specifically designed for extended (several days) wear. Your eyes need oxygen, so lenses should not be kept in the eye over an entire 24 hour period, it is best to take them off after 10 hours of wear. Oxygen deprivation can lead to serious eye infections, and the vessels in the eye can swell from lack of oxygen. This swelling may cause permanent eye problems. So it is crucial to clean your contacts regularly, and let your eyes rest while you sleep.

Moisture is also very important for the health of your eyes. Modern contact lenses help to retain essential moisture in the eye. Still, some contact lens wearers experience dryness in their eyes especially while staring at a computer screen or working in air conditioned places. If this is the case, ask your doctor to switch you to lenses that are specifically designed for drying eyes and retain moisture better than others. Two examples of such lenses are O2Optix by Ciba Vision and Acuvue Oasys by Johnson and Johnson. Also there are many eye drops to moisturize your eyes while wearing contacts.

You can find several types of contact lenses on the market. Traditional lenses can be used for a long time with regular cleaning and daytime only use. You can wear these lenses for about 6 month. Disposable lenses which are most popular these days are thinner and therefore more comfortable, but they tear more easily. They are made to last for a week or two and then be replaced with a new, clean pair. Disposable contacts are cheaper, than the old fashioned ones. You can even get daily disposable contacts which you wear for a day and throw away in the evening. This illuminates cleaning and storing problems altogether. Many doctors consider daily disposable contact lenses the healthiest choice for contact lens wearers.

There are also color contact lenses that can have prescription powers or serve cosmetic purpose only. Now everybody can have blue, green or even amethyst eyes. Also for parties and clubs you can get costume contact lenses, like cat eyes or red vampire eyes. These lenses are a must have for a Halloween party.

You can get your contact lenses from an optometrist or ophthalmologist’s office, or to save money, take your prescription to a Target or Walmart store. For even more saving and convenience you can order your contact lenses online. To find best online contact lens retailers look at the review sites, this way you can be sure that you are ordering from trustworthy and legitimate company.

Contact lenses can be enjoyable and convenient to wear. Just make sure that you follow your doctor’s instructions on cleaning them and replacing your lenses with a new pair when it is time for it to go.

Find information and advice about modern contact lenses at Contact Lenses Consumer Guide. We also review retailers of discount contact lenses to help you find the best deals.

Is PRK Eye Surgery Right for You?

PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is a type of laser surgery used to correct moderate near sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Like other laser eye surgeries, your vision is corrected by reshaping the cornea of the eye. The cornea is the clear, front part of your eyeball. Light travels through the cornea and is focused on the retina in the back of your eye. If the cornea is misshapen, the light does not focus on the retina, and your vision is impaired.

In PRK eye surgery, the eye surgeon uses a cool, pulsating laser beam on the surface of the cornea. In Lasik eye surgery, a flap is cut in the cornea, and the laser beam is directed under the cornea.

PRK is very accurate in correcting nearsightedness. About 80% of patients have 20/20 vision without glasses one year after surgery. PRK typically costs about the same as Lasik eye surgery. The recovery time to best corrected vision is longer with PRK than it is with Lasik eye surgery. The typical PRK patient has about 80% of their best vision after a month, and 95% to 100% after 3 months. Lasik corrects vision much faster than that.

There will be some discomfort for the first 24 to 48 hours after PRK eye surgery, and frequently patients experience light sensitivity as well.

PRK is performed under local anesthesia, and takes about 10 minutes for both eyes. Generally, a bandage contact lens is applied immediately after the surgery. This contact lens is worn for three to four days to allow the surface of the eye to heal. You will visit your surgeon the day after surgery, and probably several times over the next six months. Once the surface of the eye has healed, the bandage contact lens will be removed.

Your vision might fluctuate for the first few weeks following surgery. Your eyes will be dry, even if they don’t feel like it. Your physician will prescribe eye drops to prevent infection and keep your eyes moist.

Your vision will gradually improve over time. After two to three weeks, you will see well enough to drive a car. Your best vision, however, will not be reached until 6 weeks, to 6 months after the surgery.

PRK has become less common recently. More eye surgeons prefer Lasik procedures because healing time is faster, and the results are more predictable. The final decision on what type of eye surgery to have is up to you. Be sure to know all the facts, and ask lots of questions.

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