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Forms of Cataracts and Treatment

As human, we are created with natural lens; this lens allows light rays into the eyes then sending clear images to the retina, helping us to see clearly. The lens must always be clear. When the protein in one’s eyes begins to break down (i.e., form clumps), it stops the lens from sending enough light to retina which in turn can’t form clear images then cataract is said to be developing. This will produce blurry, foggy images/visions.

The cataract develops slowly and it affects one’s vision as it develops. Even though both eyes are likely to develop cataracts, the cataracts won’t develop at the same time. Cataracts is found mostly among the aged.

How do Cataract Come to be?

Our lens majorly contains water and proteins. When these proteins begin to break down, they stay around the corner of the eye. The protein deposited at the corner of the eyes begin to make the lens cloudy and making seeing difficult. There are several other reasons why a person can develop cataracts. They are written below There are several underlying causes of cataracts. These include:

• Aging.
• Having a family history of cataract.
• Indulging in smoking and/or heavy alcohol drinking.
• Leaving in an environment that has bad air population.
• Exposing the eye to too much sunlight.
• Abuse usage and inappropriate use of steroids and other medications. he long-term use of steroids and other medications
• Having certain diseases like diabetes certain diseases, such as diabetes
• Having an eye injury or surgery.
• Radiation therapy

How to know one is having cataracts?

Once you begin to feel the following, you should know that cataract is by the corner. Some of the things you will notice is that: Common symptoms of cataracts include:

• Your vision begins to become blurry.
• You will be having difficulty seeing at night.
• Colors begins to look faded.
• You begin to see Halo around lights (glare) especially when driving at night. increased sensitivity to glare
• You begin to need brighter light before you can read.
• Your vision begins to double especially for the eye that is affected. double vision in the affected eye
• You begin to change your glasses prescription frequently; you begin to become more near sighted.

Forms of Cataracts

cataract-types

There are different forms of cataracts. These different forms are classified based on how the cataracts develop and where they do develop in the eye.

• The cataract that forms in the in the middle of the lens thus making the nucleus yellow or brown is called the Nuclear cataract.
• The cataract that forms at the edge of the nucleus or lens is called Cortical cataracts.
• The cataract that forms at the back of the lens is called the Posterior capsular cataract; it forms faster than the other types of cataract mentioned above.
• Secondary cataracts: these are caused by disease or medications. The diseases that tend to form cataract in the eye are glaucoma and diabetes. Using steroids prednisone can sometimes lead to cataracts.
• Traumatic cataracts: this kind of cataract develops after an injury to the eye or a surgery has been done to the eye. It might take several years before it can occur.
• Radiation cataracts is formed when one undergoes radiation treatment for cancer.          

Treatment of Cataracts

 

Undergoing surgery is the best way of treating cataract. In case you don’t want to do surgery, you can use stronger eyeglasses, or magnifying lenses, or sunglasses that have anti-glare coating.

You can also give our Clear Vision a try, it works effectively for Cataract an other eye problem.

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Glaucoma: Causes, Types, Tests, Treatment

Glaucoma is a set of condition that that talks about the damage that affects the optic nerve that is mainly caused by elevated pressure in the eye. Once it is neither treated well nor treated at all, it can lead to blindness. It is often caused by too much pressure either in one eye, or the two eyes but it is possible to have normal level of pressure in the eye and still have glaucoma.

It is only an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist that can spot glaucoma’s early signs. They can help to begin glaucoma treatment before it results into vision loss.

Once one is diagnosed with high eye pressure or the early signs of glaucoma, the best to do is to do routine check-ups and quick glaucoma treatment so as to either prevent or slow vision loss. The least you should do is panic.  

Causes of Glaucoma

As stated earlier, when the pressure in the eye is higher than normal, Glaucoma occurs. A quick discussion on the eye anatomy will help us understand how glaucoma comes to be.

There is a clear fluid in the front of the eye that is called Aqueous Humor, this nourishes the tissues inside the eye and it ensures the eye maintains its normal shape. The Ciliary Body (found at the back of the iris) constantly produces the Aqueous Humor. The Aqueous Humor is drained from the eye through a mesh-like tube called Trabecular Meshwork. This located at the angle where Cornea and Iris meet inside the eye.

Intraocular Pressure (IOP) is the balance between Aqueous Humor produced and the amount that us drained through the Drainage Angle. Once the Drainage Angle is clogged, the Aqueous Humor can’t drain fast enough thus making the IOP increase beyond normal, this will birth glaucoma.

Glaucoma

Other Reasons for Glaucoma Formation:

• Family history of glaucoma
• Eye injury or trauma
• Hereditary predisposition to glaucoma
• Underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
• Regular use of certain medications, including steroids
• Thin corneas
• When one’s eye condition is either too nearsighted or farsighted
• Being over age 60

Sometimes, it doesn’t have a definite cause.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

The symptoms vary on the severity and type of glaucoma. Routine eye check-up is needed to help detect glaucoma early. Some general symptoms includes:  

• Eye pressure is elevated
• Blurry vision
• Headache
• Eye pain
• Blind spots in your eyes
• Eye Redness
• Cloudy eyes

Types of Glaucoma

Several types of Glaucoma exist, they include:

• Open-angle glaucoma: It is also known as the Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG). This form is very common. The drainage is not clogged, but the Aqueous Humor doesn’t drain as fast as it is meant to.

• Angle-closure glaucoma: It is also called a Closed-Angle Glaucoma. It is a rare type of glaucoma. It occurs when the iris bends forward thus cutting off the drainage angle completely. It can have sudden appearances and can cause severe pain and nausea.

• Secondary glaucoma: This occurs when another eye condition or injury causes the glaucoma. It can either be open-angle or angle-closure glaucoma.

• Developmental glaucoma: Also called congenital glaucoma, childhood glaucoma, or pediatric glaucoma,

Test & Diagnosis of Glaucoma

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will perform a number of tests to determine if you have glaucoma or are at risk for the disease.

One of these tests checks the pressure inside your eyes, or IOP. This is called tonometry. Many people (even some eye care professionals) may call this the “glaucoma test,” but in fact, your IOP measurement is just one factor in determining your risk of glaucoma.

Tonometry testing is a quick, painless, and important part of your routine eye exams.

There are two basic types of tonometry tests to check your IOP:

Applanation tonometry.

Non-contact tonometry. 

Treatment of Glaucoma

Maragbafin Clear Vision also works for glaucoma and consistent use of the herb births changes.

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All You Need To Know About Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that causes pain when one’s joints are inflamed i.e., swollen. Beyond painful inflammation, it also causes stiffness of the joints. It can affect one joint or multiple joints. It affects people regardless of age, background, sex. race, etc., 

Causes of Arthritis

arthritis-pain
male all joints pain in blue

There is no general cause for all types of arthritis. The cause or causes may vary according to the form of arthritis the person has.

The possible causes of Arthritis may include:

• injury, which leads to degenerative arthritis.
• An abnormal metabolism which leads to gout and pseudogout
• Hereditary, osteoarthritis is an example of sure.
• infections, such as in the arthritis of Lyme disease
• dysfunction in the immune system, such as in RA and SLE

The major forms of arthritis are usually linked to a combination of different factors, but some don’t have specific causes and tend to appear unpredictable in the way they appear.

Types of Arthritis

There are different types of Arthritis, the most common types are;

Osteoarthritis: this the most common type of arthritis. It is found mostly in people aged between 40 years and above. Women and people whose family has an history of this condition, tends to have it more. It affects the smooth cartilage lining that can be found in the joint thus making movement difficult and with pain and stiffness. Once this occurs, the tendons and ligaments work harder, this will lead to the bones rubbing on one another, alter the shape of the joint and force the bones out of their normal position. The hands, spine, knees and hips are the most affected joints

Rheumatoid arthritis: this often starts between the age of 40 and 50 years old. Women have higher tendency of having this than men. The immune system of the body focuses their attack on the affected joints leading to pain and swelling. The Synovium (the outer covering of the joint) is first affected, from here, it spreads across the joints causing more swelling and change in the shape of the joint. People having Rheumatoid Arthritis tend to have issues with tissues and other organs in their body.

There other types of Arthritis and conditions that relates to it. They are;

• ankylosing spondylitis – this a long-term inflammatory condition which affects the bones, the muscles and the ligaments of the spine, this leads to the joints been and stiff and fused together. Swelling of tendons, eyes and large joints are problems associated with this.
arthritis-pain
• cervical spondylosis – this is also be called ‘degenerative osteoarthritis’, the joints and the bones found in the neck are affected causing pain and stiffness.
• gout – is a form of arthritis which is caused by too much Uric Acid in the body. It can develop in any joint causing severe pain, swelling and redness.
• psoriatic arthritis – an inflammatory joint condition that can affect people with psoriasis.
• enteropathic arthritis – this a chronic type of inflammatory arthritis that is associated with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease also known as IBD, there are 2 major types namely ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In every 5 people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis at least 1 person will develop enteropathic arthritis. The Peripheral joints and the spine are the most affected areas affected by inflammation.
• reactive arthritis – tends to cause inflammation in the joints, eyes and tube that urine passes through (urethra). It develops shortly after an infection in the bowel, genital tract or / and, less frequently, after an infection in the throat.
• secondary arthritis – is a type of arthritis that develops afterjoint injury and it can also happen many years afterward the joint injury.
• polymyalgia rheumatica – this is a kind arthritis that affect most people that are over 50 years of age. Here the immune system causes muscle pain and stiffness especially across the shoulders and legs.

Symptoms of Arthritis

Since there are various types of Arthritis, the symptoms also vary; this is dependent on the type of Arthritis one has. The most important thing is to have a precise diagnosis once you begin to feel the following;  

• joint pain, tenderness and stiffness
• inflammation in and around the joints
• restricted movement of the joints
• warm red skin over the affected joint
• weakness and muscle wasting

Arthritis and Children

Arthritis can be found mostly in older people, but it also affects children. The most common Arthritis found in children is known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). It causes pain and swelling one or more joints, causes are unknown. The popular types of JIA are

• Oligo-articular JIA
• Polyarticular JIA (polyarthritis)
• Systemic onset JIA
• Enthesitis-related arthritis

Treating Arthritis

 

There is no permanent cure to Arthritis, but there are treatments to help slow down the effect. The major treatments are Medication. Physiotherapy and Surgery.

Another effective treatment is Maragbafin’s Arthritis Soap and Cream as well as the Tea.

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Weightloss To The Rescue: Obesity

overweight

What is obesity and overweight?

The word ‘Overweight’ can be used in two different ways. Sometimes it is referred to someone who is heavy. Other times, it is used when a someone is in between normal weight and obesity. Overweight and obesity can be defined as the accumulation of excessive or abnormal fat that may likely affects one’s health.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height used commonly to differentiate between overweight and obesity in adults. It can be defined as the weight of a person in kilograms divided by the square of the person’s height in meters (kg/m2). For an overweighed person, the BMI is 25 or above. An obese person, the BMI is 30 or above.

Causes of obesity and overweight

causes-of-obesity

The main cause of obesity and overweight is when the energy between the calories consumed and the calories expended is imbalanced. On a global level, there has been:

• an increase in the intake of energy-dense foods thatgives high fat and sugars; and
• an increase in the rate of physical inactivity because of the increase in sedentary nature of the different types of work, different modes of transportation and increase in urbanization.
• lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing, and education.

Common health consequences for overweight and obese people includes:

An increase in BMI is a one of the major risk factors for some noncommunicable diseases like:

• heart disease and/or stroke (cardiovascular diseases);
• diabetes;
• musculoskeletal disorders (majorly osteoarthritis – a disease that disables and degenerate the joints);
• some cancers this includes breast, endometrial, ovarian prostrate, gallbladder, colon and kidney.

The higher the BMI, the higher the risk of having these noncommunicable diseases.

Children with obesity have higher chance of having breathing difficulties, fractures, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, disability, psychological effects, andmay even die prematurely.

Also, double-burden of malnutrition which occurs majorly in low-income and middle-income countries also causes overweight and obesity.

• These countries deal with infectious disease and undernutrition, while the issue of noncommunicable disease like obesity and overweight is growing rapidly under their nose.
• Most places where undernutrition exist, obesity also exist.

Children in most low- and middle-income countries face the issue of malnutrition especially during pre-natal, infancy, and young childhood. These children eat meals that have high fat, sugar, salt, energy-dense, and micronutrient-poor foods which are lower in cost and nutrient quality. Compound with this, they tend to engage in low physical activity thus increasing childhood obesity.

Ways of reducing Obesity and Overweight

Overweight and obesity, and other noncommunicable diseases, can be prevented. When an individual has a Supportive environment and community, the person’s choice will be better shaped and they will make better choice when it comes diet, and physical activity thereby preventing overweight and obesity.

At the individual level, people can:

• take Maragbafin Weightloss Tea;
• limit energy intake from total fats and sugars;
• increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; and
• engage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes spread through the week for adults).

The food industry can be of help by sensitizing the important role healthy diets plays and doing the following;

• reducing the amount fat, sugar and salt in processed foods;
• ensuring healthy and nutritious choices are affordable and available to everyone. that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers;
• stop the marketing of foods that are high in sugars, salt and fats, majorly the ones that are for children and teenagers, and
• supporting people exercising regularly in workplaceand at home.

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