How is Duane Syndrome caused?

Duane syndrome problem is not primarily with the eye muscle itself but with the nerve that transmits the electrical impulses to the muscle. One needs to know the basic eye anatomy before understanding the condition mechanism.

Basic Eye Anatomy

• Cranial nerves include three of the nerves which extend from the brain to the eye muscles. They control the eye movements by passing the electrical signals.
• Lateral rectus muscle receives signals from the sixth cranial nerve which helps the eye move outwards.
• Medial rectus muscle is controlled by the third cranial nerve which pulls the eye as well as some other muscles inwards.

What happens in Duane Syndrome?

The lateral rectus muscle which is supposed to receive signals from sixth cranial nerve will not receive and therefore the eyes will not be able to move outwards, away from the nose.  Instead, this muscle receives signal from the third cranial nerve. As both lateral and medial rectus muscles involve in pulling the eye inward at the same time, the eye retracts causing Duane syndrome.

What are the various types of Duane syndrome and their symptoms?

Duane syndrome is divided into three types, each associated with individual symptoms. However, in all these three types, the eyeball retracts when the eye moves inward and the eye opening become narrow.

Type 1 Duane Syndrome:

• The affected eye or eyes has limited or no ability to move outward
• The ability to move inward is normal
• The opening of the eye narrows when looking inward and likewise widens when looking outwards

Type 2 Duane Syndrome:

• The affected eye or eyes has limited or no ability to move inward
• The eye ability to move outward is normal
• The opening of the eyes narrows when looking inward

Type 3 Duane Syndrome:

• The affected eye or eyes has limited or no ability to move either inwards or outwards.

The other common noticeable symptoms along with misalignment of eye movements include:

• Closing the unaffected eye to view better
• Tilting the head to right or left in an abnormal posture
• Neck pain
• Double vision
• Headaches
• Difficulty in viewing the things present towards the affected eye

Since these above common symptoms can also be observed with other eye disorders, it is very important to get it determined with a qualified ophthalmologist.

Treatment for Strabismus

Medications and Glasses
Medications are prescribed in the form of eye drops. Atropine and miotics are usually prescribed to treat the eye muscles that control focusing ability. Atropine is prescribed in the case of poor vision and miotics when there is inability in focusing.

Glasses are prescribed as treatment only in mild cases of strabismus, where the eyes are slightly misaligned. Some children may even need prisms, which are special bifocal lenses as a part of strabismus treatment. Using glasses and eye drops as well can improve the eye condition.

Drug Patches and Exercises for Eye
Drug patches are usually used as primary treatment options for lazy eye condition (amblyopia). This lazy eye condition can either be a cause for strabismus or can be caused by strabismus. Drug patches are usually used to cover stronger eye, so that the affected eye is used more. These are to be used for only a recommended period with careful instructions suggested by the doctor.

Yet another effective treatment option is doing eye exercises. However, exercises alone cannot be the only options for treating strabismus and they need to be combined with other treatments.

Botulinum Toxin and Surgery
Botulinum toxins are injected to cause relaxation in the muscle that in turn help affected eye to change its position. This is not suggested as a single treatment, but generally used when the surgical treatment fails to correct the misalignment of eyes.

Surgery is very effective treatment for strabismus which is suggested when all the other treatment options fail. It is performed to loosen or tighten the eye muscles which control the eye alignment, by adjusting the position and length of eye muscles. This is a common treatment option for children. However, in adults, treatment is decided based on the cause.

Especially, strabismus in children requires early diagnosis and treatment to prevent any further complications. Some doctors prefer early surgical treatment for strabismus in infants, where as some others prefer to treat surgically only after two years of age. It all depends on the health of the child.

Types of Juvenile Macular Degeneration

• Cone-Rod Dystrophy

Individuals with this type of condition first experience loss of central vision, followed by night blindness and gradual loss of peripheral vision. The loss of central vision starts in the first 10 years of their life, then sometimes after 20 years of age they may have develop night blindness. Patients after the age of 50 years may have a low vision.

• Corneal Dystrophy

The eye globe is generally made of 5 layers, among which cornea is the front portion with a transparent layer. This type forms a group of disorders which are rare and generally affect both the eyes. This condition might be present from birth however it often develops during adolescence and gradually progresses throughout the life. Some kinds of these dystrophies may be mild and some other types are more severe.

• Sorsby’s Macular Dystrophy

It is also called cystoids macular degeneration or macular cyst. Patients suffering with this condition usually outcome the symptoms between the age of 20 and 40 years. This condition is marked by vision impairment, possible abnormality of color vision and it might be progressive in nature.

• Fuch’s Dystrophy

It a slow progressive disease, affecting the front portion of the eye – cornea. It usually affects both the eyes. This condition is more common among women than men. It often shows early signs in the patients’ of age 30 or 40 years, however the vision is affected after the age of 50 and 60. This is the major cause of corneal transplantation.

The above listed are some of the types of juvenile macular degeneration which are most commonly seen in patients’ age between 40 and 50 years.

What Causes Presbyopia?

Eye lenses have to change its shape and length in order to focus on small objects or on objects which are far or close by the lens. This ability of the eye lens is called elasticity. With the age, this ability of the lens is lost which decreases the ability of the eyes to see nearby objects. This is a normal part of aging process which affects almost everyone. Elderly people, who have crossed the age of 45 years, realize this condition when they have to hold their books little away from them, so that they can read the contents.

What are the Symptoms of Presbyopia?

There are three very specific symptoms of this condition:

• Disability to focus on nearby objects
• Eyestrain
• Headache

What are the tests done to examine this condition?

Doctors perform a detail eye examination, including lens measurement which determines the prescription for contact lenses and glasses.
Test includes:

• Thorough checkup of the retina
• Testing the muscle integrity of the eyes
• Eye refraction test
• Slit-lamp testing
• Visual acuity testing

What are the treatments for curing Presbyopia?

• Till date no treatment has cured this condition, but this can be corrected with contact lenses and eye glasses. In few cases, bifocals are placed to existing lenses, which is enough to correct the problem. But, as the age grows and the ability to focus the close object worsens, this bifocal placement needs to be changed.
• By the age of 65, the elasticity of the lens which is needed to focus the close objects is lost and it becomes more difficult to focus properly on close by objects. At the later stage of this condition, the patients have to hold books, papers and magazine farther away and need larger and light prints to read properly. People, who don’t have problem seeing distant objects, need not have to wear glasses. They may need half glasses which is also known as reading glasses. People having nearsightedness may take off their glasses to read.
• Contact lenses are used which rectifies one eye for far and one eye for near vision. This is known as “mono vision”. This eliminates the requirement of bifocals and reading glasses, but it this affect depth perception. In some cases, mono vision is produced due to laser vision correction. There are bifocal eye lenses which can correct both far and near vision of both the eyes.
• There are certain new surgical procedures which provide solutions for patients who do not want glasses or contacts lenses.

Prognosis of Presbyopia

Vision problem can be rectified with contact lenses or glasses.

What are the possible complications associated with this condition?

If the vision is not corrected, condition gets worsen over the period of time. This causes problem with lifestyle, driving, reading, or work.

Can we prevent this ailment from occurring?

There are no confirmed or scientific methods to prevent this ailment. However, following few nutritious diets can help you overcome this problem during your young age itself. These nutritious diets should include:

• Eating fruits and vegetable rich in antioxidants and vitamin A.
• Drinking one glass of milk daily. It’s the full nutrition for your entire body.
• Leafy vegetables such as spinach should be included in your daily diet plan.
• An egg every day is a must. Make sure your having boiled eggs than fried ones.

Health, if taken care properly from right age, will give you a healthy old age!!!

refers to severe inflammation of the eyelashes causing red, itchy eyelashes. There is formation of white powdery scales on eyelashes which cause difficulty in vision as well as opening of eyes. This is even called as Blepharitis and has 2 types:

• Anterior Blepharitis:

  This affects the front portion of the eyelashes. This is caused by seborrheic dermatitis (similar to dandruff) and infection by Staphylococcus bacteria.

• Posterior Blepharitis:

  This occurs on the posterior side of the eyelashes. The area where the eyelids touch the skin of eye. This is caused by the oil glands present at the posterior end. It is by far the most common type of blepharitis.

What are the Symptoms of Eyelash Dandruff?

Symptoms of this are divided into 2 categories:

1. Initial Mild Symptoms

:

• burning sensation in eyes
• increased tearing
• itching
• red and swollen eye
• dry and crusted eyelids
• For few its only minor irritation and itching

2. Chronic Symptoms

:

• blur vision
• missing eyelashes
• inflammation of other eye tissue, like the cornea

What Causes Dandruff on Eyelashes?

1. Anterior blepharitis is caused by bacteria called staphylococcus blepharits. It may also occur due to a combination of factors like allergies or lice on the eyelashes.
2. Posterior blepharitis is caused by increased oil production by the glands of the eyelids which makes a adaptive environment so that the infectious bacteria can grow faster.

What are the Treatments to Solve this Problem?

Treatment depends on the type of blepharitis you have. But common treatments are:

• Applying warm compress to the eyelids.
• Cleansing the eyelashes.
• Using an antibiotic and massaging the lids. Keeping the safety of eyes as priority.
• Paying extra attention to good hygiene.

Eyes are the beauty enhancer for everyone. Take good care of them so that you get a “killer look”.

Watery eyes causes in children arise when there is any abnormal functioning in the tears production and their flow. Usually, tears are produced in tear glands present under the skin above the eyes. They flow along the front surface of the eye and pass into tear ducts present in the eyelids at the nose. From here, the tears flow into the tear sacs and from there to a wide channel called naso-lacrimal duct present in the nose.

• Blocked naso-lacrimal duct

  Children develop watery eyes when they are born with slightly narrow tear ducts. In 90% of the cases, the tear ducts will widen with age and therefore eyes stop watering. But, some children are very sensitive and often develop conjunctivitis eye condition. This makes the eyes red and sticky with watery discharge which can cause watery eyes.

• Excess production of water

  Certain eye conditions in children like dry eyes and allergies cause excess production of water in the eyes and therefore cause watery eyes condition.

• Infection of the tear sac

  Some children having blocked tear ducts are susceptible to tear sac infections. This condition is just like abscess elsewhere in the body. The infection known as ‘acute dacrocystitis’ starts with blockage in tear ducts and causes watery eyes. The tears trap in the tear sac and will get stagnated. These stagnated tears give appearance of watery eyes in children.

These are the watery eye causes in children. If your child is suffering from this eye condition, take him/her to a physician. Clean the affected eyes with a warm tissue at least 4 times in a day and the physician may prescribe some antibiotics.

Watery eyes can be a cause for concern. To learn about effective methods to treat this condition, please read our related article Watery Eyes Treatment

The following article gives various natural eye colors, both normal and rare. The variation in the amount of melanin pigment is the only factor for occurrence of so many natural eye colors. Read to know more about the wonderful eye colors.

Common Natural Eye Colors

• Brown:

  The most common natural eye color observed in human beings is brown. This eye color is observed when there are large amounts of melanin pigment in the iris stroma. Dark brown colored eyes give an appearance of black colored eyes in people.

• Blue:

  This natural eye color is common among people of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Germany and very rare among Central Asia and Middle East individuals. Blue eyes are observed as a result of relatively less amount of melanin pigment in the iris stroma than in brown color eyes. Blue eyes darken with age among babies.

• Gray:

  This is a darker shade of blue colored eyes. This eye color is observed as a result of less amount of melanin pigment in the iris. Gray eye shade in some people is observed with brown and yellow colors in the eye. People of Finland, Baltic states and Russia usually have gray colored eyes.

• Hazel:

  This is also a common eye color and occurs as a combination of slight amount of melanin pigment in the front border of iris and Rayleigh scattering. It is considered to be the merger of both dark green and light brown colors.

Rare Natural Eye Colors

• Violet:

  Violet or purple colored eyes are generally observed in albinos. A combination of blue and red reflections give the eye a color of violet. This eye color occurs as a result of mutation and is a form of blue eyes.

• Red:

  This is the most rarest eye color among human beings. This eye color is only seen in albinos.

• Green:

  Very less percentage of individuals are born with green colored eyes and therefore considered to be a rare eye color. This is observed due to moderate melanin pigment production.

• Amber:

  Amber eye color occurs as a result of lipochrome deposition in the iris. This is a yellow pigment that gives a strong golden and coppery tint for the eyes. This is very rare eye color in human beings and usually called wolf eyes as it is common among wolves.

• Black:

  This is also a very rare eye color observed in individuals with high amounts of melanin pigment in the iris. The actual fact is the dark brown eye colored people give the appearance of black eye color.

The above given are the common and rare natural eye colors. Most of the people have two different eye colors. For instance, one eye color will be light green and the other eye brown colored. This condition of eye is called heterochromia and occur as a result of birth defects. The eye condition can be corrected by intra-ocular implant that improves the eye color appearance.

Here are the remedies that help to reduce puffy eyes from crying:

• One of the best remedies for treating puffy eyes from crying is using tea bags. Freeze the tea bags and then keep these tea bags on puffy eyes. Leave for a few minutes until they turn warm.
• Place potato or cucumber slices on the puffy eyes and they give a cooling effect. Freeze the slices before putting them on the puffy eyes. It alleviates the swelling and also refreshes the affected eyes.
• Placing chilled apple slices as well as ice cubes are best ways to treat puffy eyes from crying. Wrap the ice cubes in a cloth and place it above the eyes for about 5 to 7 minutes. This effectively cures swelling and reduces the puffiness.
• Applying egg whites on the puffy eyes can also be effective. Beat the egg white and apply on the swollen eyes. Keep for a few minutes and then wash the eyes with water. The egg makes the skin firm and tight and thereby reduces the swelling and puffiness around the eyes.
• Honey has also got the property to reduce puffy eyes from crying. Apply honey on the swollen eyes, but make sure it does not touch the eye since it causes burning sensation. It even eases the pain experienced during swelling of eyes.
• Rose water is another good remedy to reduce puffy eyes from crying. Take a bowl and add rose water and ice cubes in it. Soak a cotton wad in this solution and keep it on the puffy eyes for a few minutes. This gives immediate relief and alleviates the swelling and puffiness.

Extended wear contact lenses can be worn continuously (day and night). They can be used for a period of 7 days. Some of them can also be used for 31 days (or 30 nights). After this period, these lenses can be disposed and replaced by a new pair of lens.

Extended wear contact lenses are made of silicone hydrogel. This material provides transmission of oxygen through the lens, and then to the cornea.

Problems with earlier contact lenses

In 1981, FDA had approved some contact lenses for continual wear. However, these lenses reduced the oxygen supply to the cornea. When oxygen supply is reduced, the eye would be unable to fight the microorganisms. This can increase the risk of eye infection. As a result, eye care specialists advised the patients to remove the lens before sleeping.

In contrast to the old lenses, the newer extended wear contact lenses are made of silicone hydrogel. This material allows the supply of oxygen to cornea and is safe for continuous wear.

If you are interested in extended wear contact lenses, do consult your eye doctor for the lens which suit you. While some may be suitable for 7 day continual wear, others would be suitable for 31 day continual wear.

Causes of eye migraines

The causes for eye migraine are:

• Change in sleep pattern
• Foods that include monosodium glutamate
• Odour
• prolonged use of medications
• Alcohol consumption
• chocolates
• Changes in the hormones

Symptoms of eye migraines

The symptoms for eye migraine are as below:

• Vomiting and nausea
• Extreme sensitivity to sound and light
• Heart attack and stroke
• Dizziness and weakness of the muscles
• visualizes zigzag objects in front of the eyes.

Treatments of eye migraines

The treatment for eye migraine is:

• Rest yourself in a quiet, dark room until you start feeling better.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Practice relaxation techniques, meditation etc.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and non-steroidal drugs are effective.
• Imitrex is available in nasal and oral formulations
• Metoclopramide relieve you from vomiting and nausea.

Diet recommendations for eye migraine

Food like aged cheese, chocolates, hot dogs, citrus fruits, ice creams, fatty foods etc should be avoided. Also foods containing -

• Tyramine, for example: cured or pickled fish and meat, beer, red wine etc
• Phenylethylamine, for example: Cocoa, Yellow cheeses, canned berries
• Histamine, for example: Egg Plant, Yeast, Tomato and its products etc should be strictly avoided.

Diet is not a solution to get over migraine. However, avoiding the above foods, may help prevent this illness in some people.

From the brain, twelve pairs of cranial nerves are distributed to different areas of the face. These nerves run through holes present in the skull which are known as foramens. The cranial nerves controls the facial muscles, It is because of these facial muscles, people make various eye movements etc. A patient with cranial palsy, loses control over one or more muscles thus, leading to paralysis, drooping, or erratic uncontrolled movements.

Causes of Cranial Nerve Palsy

There are many reasons for a person to cranial nerve palsy. Few of them are listed below.

• Head or facial trauma is one of the cause, as this directly damages a nerve.
• During a surgery, due to negligence, the cranial nerves can get damaged leading to cranial nerve palsy.
• Some conditions for example, multiple sclerosis is also one of the causes of cranial nerve palsy as it damages the nerves. Other conditions are meningitis, diabetes, high BP etc.

Treatment of Cranial Nerve Palsy

The treatment for Cranial nerve palsy relies on finding out the cause and approaching it. In a few cases, it is not possible to reverse the condition because of nerve damage. In a few other cases, the patient may regain muscle control. Seeking the help of a physical therapist helps the patient in gaining muscle control and developing coping skills. It is important to visit a neurologist very often to see the progression of the condition.

• When there is a change in facial movements or expressions, consult a neurologist immediately.
• Examinations are conducted to find out the damaged cranial nerve or nerves.
• Make sure you provide the patients complete history, as even the smallest information is very important for the diagnosis.