In This Issue: March 2023
- Protect Your Eyes from Mercury in Beauty Products
- What is Double Vision?
- Video Games and Eye Health
- Eye Care Tip of the Month: Protect Your Eyes at Work
Protect Your Eyes from Mercury in Beauty Products
It was recently reported that a woman claims to have gone blind due to high levels of mercury found in a skin care product. Mercury poisoning from skin care products is possible and it can be hazardous to your overall health and eye health. Vision symptoms can include blurry vision, pink eye, discoloration of your eye lens and vision loss. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has stated that mercury is often found in anti-aging and skin lightening products as well as other cosmetics. We encourage you to check the ingredients of your skin care items: if mercury is listed, please dispose of the product according to hazardous waste guidelines. Unfortunately, the cosmetics industry is not regulated by the FDA, so it is up the consumer to be aware of such toxins and minimize your exposure.
What is Double Vision?
Remember the 1978 song “Double Vision” by Foreigner? If so, you might get this song stuck in your head when you hear the term double vision. But what does double vision really mean?
Double vision differs from blurry vision. Double vision, also called diplopia, is a condition where you perceive two images of one single object. The images can occur next to each other (diagonally, horizontally or vertically) or the images can overlap. Blurry vision occurs when there is one single unclear image.
There are many different reasons why this can occur.
- Cornea problems: infections, dry eye, astigmatism, injury
- Lens problems: cataracts
- Eye muscle problems: misaligned eyes (strabismus), Graves’ disease
- Nerve problems: diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, autoimmune diseases, etc.
- Brain problems: migraine, tumor, aneurysm, stroke
If you’re “seeing double-double,” please contact us at (702) 731-2088 to schedule an eye exam. Your condition may be treatable.
Video Games and Eye Health
Love gaming? Adults and kids who spend a lot of time online gaming may experience computer vision syndrome (CVS). Staring at a computer screen for extended periods of time can cause eye strain, blurry vision and headaches. Excessive screen time may even worsen or even lead to nearsightedness because your eyes have to work hard to focus on the close screen.
The best way to protect your eyes from CVS is to limit your screen time. While you are gaming, take a break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds (this is the 20/20/20 rule). You can also try wearing computer glasses to block some of the blue light being emitted from your digital screen.
If you are experiencing any eye irritations, please contact us at (702) 731-2088 to schedule an eye exam.
Eye Care Tip of the Month: Protect Your Eyes at Work
March is Workplace Eye Health Month. On-the-job eye injuries really run the gamut: digital eye strain, chemical or grease splatters, penetration injuries, flying particles, blunt force trauma and eye diseases from blood/bodily fluid splatters. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that 90% of workplace eye injuries can be prevented if you wear the appropriate eyewear that meets OSHA standards for your line of work. Learn more about workplace eye safety by clicking here.
