Western Pennsylvania Healthcare News

For many people has become strictly necessary to use sunscreen for the skin, we see many people buying sunscreen like if there was a nuclear war and how much cream they get to protect themselves from the sun. Although it’s true that ultraviolet rays are harmful to the skin, your eyes need protection too. The eyes, as many people claim, are the mirror of the soul and what more reason than to keep these mirrors healthy.

Exposure to the sun for a long time can cause serious damage to the layers that surround the eye, cornea, and even the lens. According to some studies, long-term exposure to the sun’s rays can lead to cataracts and is one of the factors that contribute to macular degeneration, which currently affects 29% of the population. That’s why we must be especially careful when choosing the right glasses.

Our children are also vulnerable to the sun’s rays because the lens is not fully developed and does not have the ability to filter out UV light during childhood. This is why it is good to protect them from the sunrays. We see the use of eyeglasses or sunglasses as more of an aesthetic than a health problem and we are in a very serious mistake, as the use of sunglasses should be one of the main reasons to protect our eyes from the much-feared ultraviolet rays.

Check our recommendations for protecting our eyes from the sun and ultraviolet rays: [Read more…]

By Jeffrey Whitman, M.D., Key-Whitman Eye Center

While our vision brings us joys year-round, summer in Texas is a special time to take in the sights. Whether it’s gazing up at the stars in Big Bend National Park or marveling at the architecture in Galveston’s Strand Historic District, your eyes allow you to take in life’s many pleasure.

But in Texas, eye disease is a particular problem. According to the Texas Department of Health Services, 18% of Texans have an eye disease. Due to the increase in America’s aging population, the impact of diabetes, hypertension, and tobacco use, eye disease and vision loss are on the rise in the Lone Star State.

Common vision loss ailments include macular degeneration. Symptoms for this disease may include a dark area in the center of your vision and the gradual loss of the ability to see objects clearly. Another leading cause of vision loss is glaucoma, which causes progressive degeneration of the optic nerve and again, leads to loss of vision.

Cataracts remain the most common cause of blindness, especially for older individuals, although this condition can be easily corrected. Finally, there are complications from diabetes known as diabetic retinopathy which doesn’t necessarily produce symptoms and can result in damage to the blood vessels in the retina. The best defense is early, and regular, vision screenings, particularly if you suffer from diabetes. [Read more…]