Shadows in your vision can be a difficult thing to describe to your ophthalmologist. Different types of shadows can be associated with very different vision issues. For example, serious but common conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to partial or complete loss of central vision, may include a gradual full-vision darkening, sort of like the effect of peering through a sheer dark veil.

Retinal detachment, which most often results from vitreous fluid pulling away from and tearing the retina – and more rarely from injury, can bring about similar visual shadowing, but also may cause dark spots or light flashes to appear in the field of vision. But if the shadow is more like a tiny dark dot, squiggly line, or web, you may be experiencing a more common, less harmful affliction known as eye floaters.

Eye floaters are caused by the binding together of minuscule fibers in the vitreous humor, a gel-like substance in the eye, which becomes more fluid as we age. These microscopic strands are suspended in the liquid and appear as shadows on the retina, moving as the eye moves. For most people, the effects are negligible, and many are able to just ignore the minimal annoyance of the nearly transparent shadows flitting across their field of vision, especially since these floaters are more noticeable when looking at a bright surface like a blank screen or white wall.

If you experience these tiny shadows in your vision, don’t panic. One or two floaters are common for most people. However, if you suddenly see a greater number of them or they are accompanied by flashes of light in your vision, see your eye doctor right away, as this may indicate a more serious condition, like detachment of the retina, described above.

In today’s work environment where everyone is required to stare at a computer monitor for long periods of time, eyestrain is almost inevitable. In fact, a new term has been coined for this type of discomfort, the “computer syndrome eyestrain”. There are cases when an underlying problem, such as uncorrected vision or muscle imbalance, can worsen the condition.

Causes and Symptoms

Aside from using the computer monitor, there are other causes of eyestrain. These include straining to see in dim lightening, exposure to bright lights, driving for long periods, and reading. Eyestrain can be very annoying, but it usually goes away on its own once an individual has rested his eye muscle. However, it is important to take note that reducing eyestrain is a requirement to maintain a healthy vision.

To achieve this end, it is essential to identify the symptoms of eyestrain. Common symptoms an individual needs to watch out for include burning or itching eyes, dry eyes, watery eyes, double vision, sore neck, headache, or increased eye sensitivity. The computer syndrome eyestrain causes additional problems because a person will suffer from difficulty in shifting his eye from the monitor to paper documents. In addition, there will be afterimages when you shift your gaze away from the monitor.

Treatment and When to See the Doctor

In essence, the treatment for eyestrain should included changes in your working habits. Some people prefer to wear glasses that are specifically prescribed for reading or using the computer. Eye experts also suggest doing eye exercise regularly to help your eyes focus in different directions.

If rest and home remedies are unable to relieve the eyestrain, it might be necessary to see the doctor. This is especially true if there is a noticeable change in vision, double vision, and chronic eye discomfort.

A contact lens is a corrective or cosmetic lens placed on the cornea of the eye atop the iris. The idea of applying a corrective lens directly to the surface of the eye was first proposed and sketched by René Descartes in 1636, but in was not until 1887 that the German physiologist Adolf Eugen Fick constructed the first successful contact lens.

Made of various kinds of plastic, contact lenses come in a number of varieties, including hard and soft (although soft is by far more common now), and disposable and extended-wear. The specific dioptre needed to treat the patient’s condition can be prescribed by an optometrist and provided by an oculist.

Heavily tinted contacts, which may or may not be prescription but are tinted to change the colour of the iris, are used for cosmetic reasons. Some standard contact lenses are tinted slightly in order to make them more visible for handling purposes.

Many contact lenses are created under strict international standards, standards like ISO 14443

Lasik is a laser eye surgery that is used to correct vision problems such as near- or farsightedness. In lasik surgery, a laser is used to reshape the cornea of the patient. The lasik surgery can be performed as an outpatient procedure by a doctor in scrubs, though patients are advised to avoid rigorous physical activity while the eye heals. Lasik surgery can corrent many minor vision problems, though if those problems are severe enough, a patient may still require corrective lenses after the surgery .

Nearly two million people are affected by macular degeneration and this is the leading cause of blindness for those over 65. One fifth of all 80 year-olds suffer from this age-related disease.. There is a central region of the retina where an image must be recorded which is on a tiny piece of tissue that is only about two millimeters in diameter. When that small piece of tissue dysfunctions, we have macular degeneration.

A test to determine if this is the disease that is robbing a patient of his sight is to inject a fluorescent die into the blood stream. In a normal eye the fluorescent compound is clearly seen within twelve seconds in the fine blood vessels of the retina. But if macular degeneration has begun the tiny vessels remain dark.

With this disease new blood vessels grow, which is also a problem. Laser beams can cauterize these vessels but additional problems can occur. The laser however shows promise in aiding those who have this progressive eye disease. Micro surgical removal of the blood vessels may be possible and another method is to rotate the retina which is complicated and has its own problems to resolve.

We do know this disease, which has the potential to blind its recipient, has some contributing factors. Cigarette smoking and heredity are factors as well as free radical damage.

Of course not smoking again becomes a better health choice. Studies have not been conclusive as to the effect vitamins would have to prevent radical damage. However vitamin E has shown to aid in preventing radical damage in other cells of the body. Vegetables also can be assumed to help although tests of them have been inconclusive.

For more info on macular degeneration, you could consult a health directory.