Castor oil for your eyes

 

Castor oil is a thick, odorless oil made from the seeds of the castor plant. Its uses date back to ancient Egypt, where it was first used as lamp oil and later for medicinal and beauty treatments. Cleopatra reportedly believed the oil would brighten the whites of her eyes. 

Castor oil has been touted as a cure-all for generations. Though it is only approved by the FDA as a laxative, not as an eye remedy. Modern research has found that castor oil does have high levels of fatty acid.

There are also stories of castor oil being used as a form of torture. It has side effects, which can be potentially debilitating:

• abdominal cramps

• Vomiting

• bloating

• Dizziness

Many people who are making these videos on TikTok are claiming that applying castor oil in and around the eyes will treat dry eye and other vision problems. As we all know, much of what we see people do on social media makes me wonder where their brains are. 

Eyecare professionals warn people not to use castor oil in or around their eyes. If you are having issues with your eyes, seek help from a medical professional before doing more harm than good. Castor oil on store shelves is not meant to be used on the eyes and could have dyes, preservatives, fragrances, or other ingredients that can cause irritation or infection. It also may not be sterilized. Many do not realize castor oil is also a main ingredient in cleaning products. These TikTokers make videos based on folk tales when science-based treatments have been evaluated in long-term studies and are approved for use. There is no scientific evidence to support claims made by TikTokers about castor oil's benefits for vision, including, treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, floaters, presbyopia, or other eye problems.

Sources:

www.nbcnews.com

www.ophthalmologytimes.com

www.forbes.com

www.webmd.com

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How Corrective Lenses Work

 

Corrective lenses work by refraction: they bend light rays as they pass through them, so they change direction. That means the rays seem to come from a point closer or further away from where they originate—and that's what makes objects seen through a lens seem either bigger or smaller than they really are. Light focuses on the correct part of the retina, bringing an image into clarity. 

There are primarily two types of corrective lenses today: eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Like eyeglasses, contact lenses correct refractive errors. They do this by adding or subtracting focusing power to the cornea and lens.

A lens is an optical tool or device that tends to both converge and diverge a beam of light. 

A simple lens usually consists of only a single piece of transparent material. 

Categories of simple lenses:

1. Convex lenses (sometimes called positive lenses). This lens type is thicker at the center and thinner at the edges. It bends light inward to correct farsightedness. 

2. Concave lenses are shaped round inwards at the center and bulge outwards through the edges (lenses that cave inward). They are used to treat myopia as they make faraway objects look smaller than they are.

A compound lens is a lens made of simple lenses mounted on a common axis usually in placing two elements close together or side by side and often cemented together.

Sources:

www.framesdirect.com

www.urmc.rochester.edu

www.interestingengineering.com

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What is that brown spot on your eye?

For the most part brown spots on the eye are harmless. Brown spots on the eye are caused by a clumping of pigment cells, similar to how freckles or moles form on the skin, some people are born with these spots.

A brown spot on the eye's white part is often called a Nevus (or nevi, plural). The Nevus is made up of Melanocytes, which are the cells that produce melanin, the pigment colors are hair, eyes, and skin.

In sporadic cases, the brown spot could be a type of cancer known as ocular melanoma. It can occur in the middle layer of the eye.

The exact cause of ocular melanoma is unknown. Ocular melanoma starts as melanocytes. It is thought to have multiple factors, including:

• DNA

• Exposure to UV light

• The environment

Just because ocular melanoma is found in rare cases. If you see a brown spot appear on your eye, it is best to have it evaluated with a thorough clinical examination, eye examinations, including slit lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Sources:

www.healthline.com

www.nvisioncenters.com

www.news-medical.net

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Fun Eye Q Test

 

Why Do Children Benefit from Back-to-School Eye Exams?

Imagine trying to learn with blurry vision, eye strain, or headaches. Vision is one of the most important learning tools a child has. Undiagnosed vision problems can impede a child's education. Some children do not even know or can describe a vision problem they may be having because they have always had it, or it has progressed so gradually.

Because of cost or convenience, it may be tempting to rely on school-provided vision screenings, but these are simple vision acuity tests and only show part of the picture of a child’s visual health. School screenings are missing up to 75% of children with vision problems or problems with eye health. A child who can see clearly and has 20/20 vision can still have eye health problems.

As children progress through their education, they face increasing demands on their visual abilities. The size of print in textbooks gets smaller and the amount of time spent reading increases. To meet these demands a child should have the vision skills to be an effective learner:

• Visual acuity

• Eye Focusing

• Eye Tracking

• Eye teaming

• Hand-to-eye coordination

• Visual perception

• Recognition

• Comprehension

• Retention

Without a comprehensive eye exam from an Optometrist, many eye and vision disorders go undetected, or worse a child may be misdiagnosed as having ADHD, dyslexia, another learning disability, or a behavior problem. Signs of vision problems that are less obvious to watch for are:

• Difficulty completing tasks.

• Not performing up to their full potential

• Difficulty working alone and following directions.

• Difficulty organizing and prioritizing work and time.

• Heavy reliance on pictures or auditory memorization

• Lack of interest in books or reading

• Disruptive or inattentive in class

Much of a child's learning is visual, a child lacking visual skills may be lacking a substantial portion of their education. Future success in life, not just school, is at stake. Future success will be built on a not so solid educational foundation if not given all the advantages of good vision.

Sources:

www.Optometrists.org

www.aoa.org

www.clevelandclinic.org

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