floaters

Eye Conditions 3 [Show Notes]

 in Podcasts  tagged digoxin / dilantin / episode / flashes / floaters / glaucoma / migraines / nystagmus / see stars by

Eye Conditions in (not) ABC Order

If something happens to your eyes that makes you want to ask the pharmacist if you should go to the doctor, the answer will most likely be “yes, go see a doctor.”  Even at emergency rooms, they will treat you and make you comfortable but always tell you to follow up with your eye doctor.

Photopsias

This is seeing things that aren’t really there, the visual cortex translates other sensations as “sight”.

  • Floaters: “shadows” that float around in your field of vision.  They *can* be a sign of a detaching retina, but that is usually not the case.  They are normal for most people.
    Inside your eyeball is a gel, called vitreous gel.  Throughout your life, that gel begins to liquify.  As it turns to liquid, it may have other bits of gel still floating in that liquid.  And you see “shadows” because they block light from reaching your retina.  Floaters may worsen with dehydration or exhaustion.  If you try to focus on them, they “float” away.
  • Flashes: “seeing stars” – when the vitreous gel/liquid combo gets shook up and sloshed around (i.e. head trauma).  You can also get “flashes” with Digitalis toxicity (Digoxin is a medication derived from the Foxglove plant and developed for arrhythmias.)  This is a medication that the doctor will test your levels for to make sure toxicity doesn’t happen.
  • Waves: looks like radiating heat; caused by spasms of the blood vessels in your eyes.  This may be one explanation of the “aura” that comes before a migraine.  If it happens and no headache follows, it’s caused an “ocular migraine”.

Glaucoma

It is the 2nd leading cause of blindness in the US and around the world.  Glaucoma is known for increased pressure in your eyes.  The fluid around the eyes typically have adequate drainage so nutrients can flow in and waste can flow out.  If that drainage becomes inadequate, the pressure builds up and it can put pressure on the optic nerve (the nerve that connects from the retina to the brain).  It starts with decreasing peripheral vision, and can become “tunnel vision” where a person can only see right in the middle of their field of vision. Medications are eye drops that control pressure and help open up drainage pathways as much as possible.  It doesn’t hurt, and it takes a while for the decreased peripheral vision to be noticeable.  It’s not reversible, but it can be slowed with medication.  Eye doctors have a way to check the pressure in your eyes each time you get your eyes checked.

(Macular Degeneration is the #1 cause of blindness in the US, Cataract is the #1 cause of blindness worldwide).

Nystagmus

Pronounced nigh-stag-mus.  It is the involuntary rapid eye movement side to side.  Caused by a neurological issue, either related to the eye muscles and nerves or the inner ear (one cause a vertigo).  The shaking seems to be worse when a person looks straight at something or someone.  For someone dealing with nystagmus, they usually discover they can tilt or turn their head to make their eyes slightly off center where the shaking wills stop – this is called a “null point”.  Strengthening eye muscles can help the shaking, but it still worsens with exhaustion or stress.

This can be a result of a stroke, multiple sclerosis (autoimmune).  Dilantin is a medication for seizures, and is another medication that has to be regularly measured because too much can cause temporary nystagmus.

Connect with me

Support us on Patreon

*NEW* Join the Pharmacist Answers Podcast Community on Facebook

Subscribe: iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, TuneIn Radio

Like the Facebook page

Music Credits:  “Radio Martini” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Eye Conditions 2 [Show Notes]

 in Podcasts  tagged allergy eye drops / color blind / conjunctivitis / corneal abrasion / detached retina / episode / floaters / pink eye by

Eye Conditions in ABC order

Color blindness

It doesn’t mean that someone sees the world in black and white.
It’s technically labeled as Red-Green color blindness, which means the world is seen in shades of yellow.
The cones in your eyes (a certain shaped cells in your retina) are built to pick up different wavelengths of  light (think ROYGBV).  So the cones that would pick up reds and greens are absent or broken.
Found to be a Y-chromosome trait, so it is more prevalent in males.
Rarely Blue-yellow color blindness is a thing.

Conjunctivitis

pink eye = inflammation of the conjunctiva
conjunctiva = the layer that covers your whole eye

3 types:

  1. Viral: itching, watering, burning, light sensitivity, very contagious, lasts ~ 7 days
  2. Bacterial: green/brown discharge (aka “goo”), foreign-body sensation, contagious, can cause damage if untreated, requires antibiotic drop
  3. Allergic: triggered by allergens, histamine reaction, can accompany a larger, more general allergy reaction, anti-histamine eye drops can help

Corneal abrasion

A scratched or injured cornea.  Symptoms include redness, watering, light sensitivity, foreign-body sensation
Can be dramatic or traumatic like being hit in the face or eye by something, or something as simple as rubbing an itchy eye or getting something out of their eye.
* If you end up with something in your eye, the best option is to flush it out with water or saline
Bacteria on your hands or the thing that scratched your eye can lead to a deeper infection, but most of the time, if you use caution, it will heal itself rather quickly.

**Solution for light sensitivity:  wear sunglasses at night

Detached retina

When the retina detaches from the back of the eye.  Sounds awful but it doesn’t hurt.  The retina a web of nerves in the back of your eye that sends signals to the brain.

Closing curtain sensation is where part of the view of vision will become shadowed as the retina detaches gradually from one side to the other.  Floaters also show up if this is happening. (All floaters ARE NOT related to the retina.)

Sudden detachment can be caused by head injuries or sudden intra-ocular pressure drops (the fluid pressure inside your eyeball).  This sudden detachment is experienced as a flash of light and then sudden darkness.  Sudden or gradual detachment requires immediate medical attention and can be repaired with surgery and medical intervention.
Diabetic retinopathy do to chronic damage can lead to retina detachment.  *The risk of retina detachment occurring after an eye procedure (lasik surgery or cataracts surgery) is skewed for people with severe nearsightedness, possibly due to a genetic disposition of having a shorter retina.

Audience Question

Safe to use allergy eye drops long-term?
Answer:  Sure!  The only problem is that chronic use can lead to your body not responding to the same med over and over as well.  So, to avoid this, swap between drops and allergy tabs – based on if you’re experiencing “eye only” allergies or a wider allergy response that involves the sinuses too.

Connect with me

Support us on Patreon

*NEW* Join the Pharmacist Answers Podcast Community on Facebook

Subscribe: iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, TuneIn Radio

Like the Facebook page

Music Credits:  “Radio Martini” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/