Keep an Eye on our Vision
Imagine living in a world of darkness. Simply household chores may seem like a Herculean task. Losing one’s sight can indeed be a debilitating condition that affects a person physically, emotionally, mentally and even economically.
Our Windows to the World
The eyes capture light from their surroundings before transforming it into impulses that the brain interprets as images. They are extremely sensitive, and will not hesitate to swell, turn red, tear or itch to warn the body of the presence of foreign bodies or possible allergies. Containing potent lysozymes, tears secreted from the eyes disable invading pathogens to curb their entry into the body.
Turning A Blind Eye
For many of us, our job requires us to sit for many hours in front of the computer. This, plus poor television and reading habits can overtax the eyes, gradually leading to eye fatigue and worsening vision. Age is another factor contributing to a declining immune system that could lead to deteriorating vision.
Keep an Eye for these Common Eye Maladies:
Diabetic Retinopathy – An insidious disease that has little or no early warning signs. Exacerbated by diabetes, the accumulation of blood vessels in the retina.
Retinal Vein Occlusion – Due to blockage of the central or branch retinal vein, retinal vein occlusion causes swelling and leakage of blood fluids. In addition, abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina may lead to blindness from bleeding, scarring or retinal detachment.
Glaucoma – Glaucoma is a result of damage to the optic nerve, mostly caused by abnormally high pressure within the eye. There is some evidence showing that glaucoma may also be due to inappropriate destruction of healthy eye cells by a malfunctioning immune system.
Keratitis – Keratitis is the result of cornea inflammation due to bacterial or viral infection. Herpes simplex keratitis, a viral infection, is triggered by stress, excessive exposure to sunlight or a compromised immune system.
Cataracts – Affecting almost half of the people between the ages of 65 and 74, and about 70% of those over 75, cataracts are the clouding of the eye lens that can lead to impaired vision.
All is Not Lost
Poorer eye health may be inevitable with age but we need not throw in the towel just yet. To boost eye health, Nutritional Immunology encourages erecting an immune fortress through a nutritious diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants. A moderately active lifestyle can also help stave off other diseases that may aggravate eye ailments.
If you are in Singapore, there is a free talk on “Caring for your Eyes” this month:
13th February 2009, 1pm-2pm (Singapore time)
National University Hospital
5 Lower Kent Bridge Road
Health Education Hub
Main Building 1, Level 1
Registration: Free
Enquiry: (65) 67722184
Posted on February 10th, 2009 by Jacklyn
Filed under: high blood presssure, phytochemicals | 3 Comments »
Dear friends,
4. Healthy Diet ~ Many people has their own definitions when comes to healthy diet. To some, healthy diet means taking a lot of vitamin and mineral pills. To some, healthy diet means boiling some soups with animal parts or some expensive parts of rare species.. According to Nutritional-Immunology, healthy diet means nutrients deriving from the plant sources. In fact, we use the below 6 criteria to determine if the food is a safe source of nutrition:
