A Complication of Diabetes

Diabetic individuals may develop an eye disorder commonly associated with diabetes. Almost 30 percent of diabetics in America over age forty-five have the diabetes related disorder known as diabetic retinopathy. Four percent of the diabetic population of America are affected severely enough that their vision is threatened. Diabetic retinopathy involves damage to the retina and is a leading cause of new cases of legal blindness among adults aged 20-74 years. With the incidence of rising diabetes, it is reasonable to assume that the statistics surrounding this disorder may be obsolete and outdated. It’s imperative that diabetic individuals schedule regular, comprehensive eye examinations.

Outdoor Caution

Outdoor enthusiasts know that it is important to wear sunglasses that protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Sailors, golfers, and other outdoor enthusiasts should also know that wraparound sunglasses help protect the eyes from developing a non-cancerous growth that often occurs among those who spend excessive amounts of time in sunny, sandy, dusty, windblown areas. A ‘’pterygium’’ is a raised triangular growth of abnormal tissue that forms on the thin tissue (conjunctiva) that covers the white part of the eye, most commonly on the nasal side. While no treatment is usually necessary, a developing pterygium may block vision and even alter the shape of the cornea to cause astigmatism. If so, it should be surgically removed.

Twitching's Off Switch

Blepharospasm is the technical name for eye twitching, something that may be nothing more than a nuisance but also quite disruptive. Occasional eye twitching does not require treatment other than stress reduction therapy. Unless the involuntary blinking or spasms of the eyelids are associated with Tourette’s syndrome or related neurological problems, which may require evaluation and treatment, the problem is not typically cause for concern. Otherwise, twitching caused by anxiety or rest may relieve fatigue. Blepharospasm is likely caused by abnormal function of the basal ganglion, which is the part of the brain responsible for controlling the eyelids’ muscles. If so, an injection of botox into the muscles is a considered treatment before undergoing myomectomy, the surgical removal of some of the muscles and nerves of the eyelids.

How The Brain Sees

If you think about it, the eyes may be tasked with collecting imagery from the world around us. However, it is the brain’s job to make sense of the information collected by the eyes and enable us to see. Further, researchers wanted to know whether there is an area of the brain that is actually responsible for reading. Using functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans, it was found that people reading Braille activate the exact same part of the brain as sighted people use. This finding upends the conventional theory that the brain is divided into specialized regions which process the information they receive via one sense or another. According to this research, the brain is not so much a “sensory” machine as it is a “task” machine that can perform a function regardless of where the sensory input comes from.

More Than Mismatched Socks

Color blindness may seem like a relatively innocuous malady, but it does pose some problems. Color blindness is generally passed from generation to generation and is more prevalent in men. People with color vision problems may find it difficult to distinguish between red and green stoplights and so have to concentrate more attentitively on their driving. Most color vision problems are inherited which means that the color sensing cone cells in the retina are not functioning properly, in which case there is no effective treatment other than wearing color enhancing lenses. But when color blindness is caused by cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, addressing the underlying condition may help ease the symptoms.