There are a lot of myths associated with eye care, while care is essential too much care can often put your eyes in jeopardy. Most often these myths are not backed by any scientific data or explanation, which is why we felt the need to educate you and bring the facts forward so as to bust the existing myths on eye care.

Myth 1: Cataracts can be dissolved with eyedrops

     Fact: Cataracts are developed during the course of time and when you start aging, the lens in the eyes begins to lose its clarity and becomes cloudy making it difficult to see. Cataracts are simply defective lenses in the eyes and they cannot be dissolved with the use of any eye drops. The defective lens has to be removed through cataract surgery and replaced with a new one.

Myth 2:  Cataract surgery is dangerous

     Fact : Cataract surgery is the most safest and common surgery adopted by many with a very high success rate. It is completely painless with a faster recovery time without the need to even stay in the hospital. The use of the latest technology in cataract surgery makes sure that it is performed with precision and with the least risk or complications.

Myth 3: Reading in dim light can damage your eyes

     Fact: It is believed that when you read in dim light your eyes can be damaged and you might end up having headaches, eye fatigue, stress, etc. You might experience difficulty seeing and reading in dim light, but it won’t damage your vision in a long term. While it can make your eyes feel tired faster, reading under proper bright light can make your eyes less tiring and easier to read.

Myth 4:  Eating carrots can improve your vision

    Fact: Carrots essentially rich in Vitamin A helps to maintain eye health because of their nutrient content. Our eyes need only a small amount of Vitamin A for good vision and it can be obtained by consuming green leafy vegetables, dairy, fish, nuts, etc. Consuming food rich in Vitamin A can help maintain your eyesight but it will in no way improve your vision.

Myth 5:  Watching TV too close can harm your eyes

     Fact: Sitting close and watching TV can contribute to eye strain, dry eyes, or headache but it will not damage your eyes. Kids sit close to the TV only because they are engaged deeply in the content played on it. At times sitting close to the TV can also be an indication of nearsightedness in children which will require immediate attention from an eye doctor.

.Myth 6: If you cross your eyes, it will stay that way

     Fact: Your eye muscles are capable of moving in different directions; left, right, up, and down hence crossing them will not force them to stay in that position forever. Crossed eye or squint usually occurs because of any underlying nerve damage, eye disease, muscle damage, etc. Hence, feel free to move your eyes is all directions as it is the best exercise you can give to your eyes.

 Myth 7: Staring at a computer screen won’t damage your eyes

     Fact: Staring at the computer screen or any other digital device continuously without any breaks may become uncomfortable and tiring but it will not cause any damage to your eyes. Look away from the screen every 20 minutes, blink regularly, look at a faraway object or go for a short break to give your eyes rest from digital eye strain.

Myth 8: If you can see fine, you need not have an eye exam

     Fact: Having 20/20 vision is amazing but some eye diseases will not show any symptoms, so you will need to visit an eye doctor and get your eyes checked to make sure they are in a perfect and healthy state. Through detailed and comprehensive eye exams, your eye doctor will be able to analyze and diagnose any issues related to vision even though symptoms are not seen, for example; glaucoma.

 Myth 9: Wearing eyeglasses for a prolonged time can weaken your eyes.

     Fact: Continuous use of our nose to smell everything fragrant does not weaken the smelling power of the nose, the same applies to eyeglasses. Eyeglasses worn to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia will not weaken the power of the eyes.

.If you are a person, who wears contact lenses or wear glasses, understand that these are just instruments to help improve vision for those suffering from vision and eye problems. As you grow old, your vision can start deteriorating and your eyeglasses are certainly not at fault here.

     Our eyes are very delicate organs that need proper care and protection. Our eyes help us see the world in its most beautiful and natural form. The health of our eyes should be a priority, for life without vision is not acceptable. Good quality vision is what improves the quality of life.

     To maintain healthy eyes, one needs to visit an eye practitioner on a regular basis to rule out any eye-related issues. While eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, wearing protective eyewear, and avoiding smoking can contribute towards a healthy pair of eyes. Here are some suggestions on healthy habits to adopt for healthy eyes from Dr Rani Menon’s Eye Clinic.

     1. Wash your hands

It is a common belief that you should not touch your eyes with your hands, hence washing hands on a regular basis is essentially hygienic. Most of the commonly appearing vision problems occur when you touch your eyes with unwashed hands

There are a lot of diseases that can pass down from your hands to your eyes by simple touch and not maintaining basic hygiene. Some bacterial and virus infections can cause long-term damage to the eyes. To avoid any further risks, avoid touching your eyes with your hands if they haven’t been washed.

     2. Your contact lenses should be handled safely

Contact lenses have to be stored and handled in a clean and safe environment to keep your eyes in a healthy condition, listed below are some ideas to follow if you are wearing contacts.

•  Never reuse the solution 
• The solution has to be discarded when expired as it can cause eye infection
• The tip of the solution bottle should not be touched with hands or eyes
• Sterilize the case in which you store your contact lens
• Always make sure to wash your hands before touching the contact lenses
• If the contact lens falls on the floor, make sure to clean it thoroughly or discard it if found damaged
• Never expose your contact lens to air-borne illnesses and always keep them in a clean place

     3. Refrain from dangerous cosmetic procedures

We only have a pair of eyes hence adopting dangerous cosmetic procedures like tattooing your eyeballs or inserting a foreign substance like inks can cause eye inflammation. If the person performing the procedure is not professional or careful enough you can even lose your eyesight permanently.

Piercing is another procedure where metal rings and rods are pierced into the eyelids, sometimes people pierce to shut the eye completely or to escape any kind of trauma. Even using cosmetic or decorative contacts which are not approved or prescribed by your optometrist can cause problems with your eyes.

     4. Use of proper eyewear

When working around dangerous things like power tools or sharp objects, it is essential that you use proper protection as it is easy for things to lodge into your eyes, if not careful. If your occupation demands, safety glasses must not be avoided as your eyes can be exposed to harmful lights, radiation, chemicals, infectious diseases, dust, debris, and flying and falling objects.

The occupation that demands the use of protective eyewear is construction, welding & wood works, manufacturing works, mining, healthcare jobs, office work etc.  Even using proper sunglasses on a daily basis is essential to block dangerous UVA or UVB from causing harm to eyes or strain, injuries, hazards, diseases, and other difficulties. 

     5. Eating eye-healthy foods

A healthy diet goes a long way to keep your eye healthy, a complete nutritious diet consisting of a whole variety of fruits and vegetables isn   essential to keep the health of your eyes and improve your vision. On that note, some foods that can help boost vision are oily fish like salmon and tuna rich in omega 3 fatty acids, green leafy vegetables like kale, and spinach, eggs rich in proteins, whole grains like barley and quinoa, bell peppers, and vitamin-C rich citrus fruits, seeds and nuts, etc.

    6. Eye Exercise

Regular eye exercises can help reduce strain, and stress, regulates blood sugar levels and increase blood flow helping maintain the health of the eyes. Any kind of exercise that keeps your body in motion and your heart rate up lets you have a healthy eye.

     7. Give your eyes some rest 

Constantly staring at your digital devices for a long time can be harmful to your eyes because of the blue light emitted from the devices. It is essential to maintain a distance with your devices as the blue light can cause strain and make your vision stressful. Wearing blue light protection glasses, looking away from the screen, staring at far away objects, and going for walks can help give your eyes some rest.

     8. Stop Smoking

Smoking increases your risk of vision loss as you age; though the effect is not visible immediately it can have a huge impact on your eyes as you age.

     9. Make regular doctor visits

Visit an optometrist on a regular basis to identify any eye problems. With a change in lifestyle, the health of our eyes can become deteriorated. Hence doing a routine check on your eyes can help identify eye diseases and take the necessary precaution. 

     Visit Kerala’s most trusted eye clinic, Dr Rani Menon’s Eye Clinic for professional eye check-ups and to receive proper guidance for any eye-related problems. Making occasional visits to the Optometrist can reduce the risk of eye diseases and contribute to a healthy eye.

     It is common knowledge that vision can be corrected using contacts or glasses, but if you don’t want to wear them, then there is always an option to say goodbye to your glasses and contacts through Lasik surgery. Lasik surgery or Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis is a laser treatment that corrects defective vision without the need to wear glasses or lenses.

     Everyone wants to do Lasik surgery in Kerala but the apprehensions associated with Lasik surgery never die down. Lasik surgery cost may act as the biggest contributor towards making this life-changing decision. Regardless of which, in this blog we let you know the common questions often asked before opting to choose Lasik eye surgery.

What are the Do’s and Dont’s to be looked into during the first week after Lasik surgery?

     During the first week of Lasik surgery, care must be taken to ensure maximum results from the surgery. Listed below are some Do’s and Dont’s to follow post-surgery to avoid any further harm to your eyes.

Is Lasik surgery painful?

     No, Lasik surgery is not painful and is completely safe; the whole surgery is performed by numbing both eyes using anesthetic eye drops. You might feel slight a bit of pressure after the Lasik procedure but it is never painful. Your eyes might experience slight itching or burning sensation after the procedure but it is completely safe.

To which age group is a Lasik surgery effective?

     Lasik surgery is effective for those between the age group of 18 and 40. 

Are there any risks or side effects associated with Lasik surgery?

     Lasik surgery contains very few side effects which are not potentially harmful to the patient during the initial days after the surgery. Some of the side effects associated with Lasik surgery are dry eyes, inflammation, infection, impaired night vision, glare, double vision, seeing halos, etc. These are not permanent side effects and will eventually heal over time. 

When can I see the results from the Lasik surgery?

     Lasik surgery results in improved vision without the use of glasses or contact lens. After the surgery, you have a good chance of getting 20/20 vision. Results depend upon the severity of the vision. If it is of lesser intensity, then the results will be fast and if it has the most intensity, then the result will be slower. Lasik surgery is the permanent, practical, quick, convenient, and long-term solution to wearing glasses or lenses daily.

What all vision conditions can the Lasik surgery treat?

     Lasik surgery can correct the following refractive errors of the eye such as:

• Near-sightedness or Myopia: An eye condition that lets you see objects closer but not far away.
• Farsightedness or Hyperopia: An eye condition that lets you see distant objects clearly but nearby objects blurry at a younger age.
• Astigmatism: An eye condition that causes blurred vision for distant and nearby objects.

     Now that you have a clear picture of what a Lasik surgery entails, you are at will to choose the best Lasik surgeon or eye doctor. But, if you ask us for suggestions, we can proudly tell you that the best Lasik surgeon in Thrissur is Dr Rani Menon’s Eye Clinic offering the most advanced and modern treatment for Lasik Surgery in Kerala. Choose Lasik surgery to read better, look better and live a better life.

The advancement of new and modern technologies has made eye treatments a lot less complicated and surgeries have become more convenient and easier. Using a laser on the eyes for correction is called laser photocoagulation or laser photoablation. Laser treatment for the eyes is safer, faster, quite painless and involves no or low risk. Apart from these, laser treatment requires no sutures of bleeding and hence the patient can recover much faster. Laser treatments are most commonly done to correct refractive defects so you can see clearly without the aid of glasses or lenses. Laser treatments are also used to treat the following:

• Diabetic eye diseases
• Proliferative diabetic retinopathy 
• Diabetic macular edema
• Macular degeneration 
• Glaucoma
• Short-sightedness (Myopia)
• Corrective Refractive Errors
• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
• LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis)
• LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis)
• Reshape the cornea of the eye
• Astigmatism 
• Retinal Tears

Laser eye surgery procedure uses a laser beam to reshape the eye surface and improve conditions like short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism etc. Even presbyopia can be overcome to an extent with laser treatment. More people are now considering laser eye surgery options because of the safety and better success rates that laser offers. Having a thorough understanding of laser eye surgery options and its advantages can help make your decision easier. The main advantage of laser eye surgery to correct refractive issues is that you need not go back to the inconvenience of wearing glasses or lenses. You can engage yourself in leisure activities and sports you always wanted to do but couldn’t because you were wearing glasses or lenses.

Laser treatment called trabeculoplasty is used to treat some types of glaucoma, wherein laser is used to drain out the fluid from the eyes and lower the pressure inside the eyes. Scatter is another type of laser surgery used to treat diabetic retinopathy where the doctor uses laser to shrink the blood vessels causing vision problems in your eyes. Diabetic macular edema can also be treated with laser therapy and have proved to show only fewer side effects. Age-related macular degeneration also relies on laser surgery as a treatment, laser surgery reduces swelling to a large extent. However, laser surgery doesn’t restore the vision you have already lost but it can slow down the damage created to your central vision.

Laser surgery is performed by a surgeon specialized in it. The surgery will only be performed after ample eye check-ups and reviews by an experienced ophthalmologist. Laser eye surgery is quick and painless and is done usually under local anesthesia wherein people are awake throughout the procedure. The use of anesthetic eye drops before the surgery numbs the eyes and helps conduct the procedure without any pain. The patients need not stay back at the hospital and can go home in an hour or two once the surgery is over without any other health complications. Laser eye treatments are one of the safest technologies offering a 100% success rate that will last for a long time. You can even restore your 20/20 vision with minimum complications within a couple of hours after the operation procedure. Though considered exorbitant, the cost of laser treatment in Kerala is now affordable. Considering the pros and cons, laser treatment will be your long-term solution for defective vision.

Even though Laser eye surgeries do not involve long-healing time, it is important for the patients to take consider the following post-surgery:

• Do not expose your eyes out into the sun 
• Do not touch or rub your eyes or the nearby surface
• Continue to use prescribed medications like eye drops
• On-time follow-ups and post-surgery check-ups