[:en]
10 June 2013 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai has revealed some of the findings of its first UAE colour vison study, undertaken by specialists from the hospital amongst people with diabetes in the UAE population. One of the unexpected findings was that significant colour vision defects were revealed in the vast majority of the tested Emirati population, which includes local people with and without diabetes. The general causes of ‘colour blindness’ (colour vision defects) are well known but the Moorfields study findings need more research to asses whether this UAE revelation is due to genetic or acquired factors (such as excessive exposure to sunlight or Vitamin D deficiency), according to the team at Moorfields.
What is commonly referred to as ‘colour blindness’ is not blindness at all but rather a colour vision deficiency – an inability or decreased ability to see colour or perceive colour differences under normal lighting conditions.
The first scientific paper on colour ‘blindness’ was published by an English chemist – John Dalton – in 1798, when he realised that he was colour blind. The paper was titled ‘Extraordinary facts relating to the vision of colours’.
Color blindness affects a significant number of people and especially isolated communities with a restricted gene pool. More than 95 percent of all variations in human colour vision involve the red and green receptors in male eyes and it is very rare for males or females to be ‘blind’ to the blue end of the spectrum.
An Ishihara colour test consisting of a series of pictures of coloured spots, is the test most often used to diagnose red–green colour deficiencies, with a shape or number embedded in the picture and which can be seen with normal colour vision but not with a colour defect.
The cause of colour blindness is now well known and understood and is related to a fault in the development of one or more sets of retinal ‘cones’ that perceive colour in light and transmit that information to the optic nerve. It is more common amongst men than women because it is linked to the genes, although eye or brain damage can also produce similar symptoms.
‘Colour blindness’ can be stationary or progressive in nature and can be linked to other eye conditions such as age related macular degeneration. It can be total (much less common) or partial and there are two major types of colour blindness: difficulty distinguishing between red and green, difficulty distinguishing between blue and yellow. Around 8 percent of males but only 0.5 percent of females are colour blind in some way or another.
One of the Moorfields researchers, Dr Imran Ansari – an Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai – comments: “There are different forms of ‘colour blindness’ which may have a variety of long term lifestyle implications as there is no cure. The condition may be acquired or inherited (congenital). It is usually classed as a mild disability and whilst it can be debilitating to some degree, there are also some situations where it can actually be an advantage, such as penetrating certain colour camouflages. Of course, there are some occupations in which ‘colour blindness’ is a distinct disadvantage, where recognising colour codes could be an important safety factor, such as when driving cars or flying aircraft, for example.”
Myopia
Myopia is a common refractive condition which causes individuals to be near-sighted: they see near objects clearly but distant objects are blurry. Myopia occurs when the cornea and lens focus the light in front of the retina instead of exactly on it. Symptoms of myopia include; difficulty seeing distant objects, squinting frequently, holding books or other objects very close to the face, difficulty seeing writing on signs or watching television and difficulty with driving (particularly at night). Myopia should be diagnosed by a qualified Optometrist, Ophthalmic Surgeon or Eye Specialist. Myopia is best treated with eyeglasses or contact lenses which compensate for the elongated shape of the eye allowing the light to focus properly on the retina. Refractive surgery is another option that eliminates dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
Lacrimal Probing in Children
The tear duct is a channel/passage which runs from a tiny opening in the medial lids through the bone to the inside of the nose, and drains the tears and mucus the eye produces. It should open just before or just after birth but sometimes remains blocked for a considerable time after that, causing watering and discharge from the eye. It is harmless, and does not affect the health of the eye or the vision, although it can make the eyelids red and sore and slightly increases the frequency of infective conjunctivitis.
Intravitreal Injection
The macula is the central part of the retina at the back of the eye. It is responsible for fine vision (reading, writing, watching television, and recognising faces). Patients with diabetes may develop macular oedema (swelling of the retina) due to leaking of fluid from blood vessels. This causes the vision to become blurred.
A course of three injections is recommended with each injection administered one month apart. The procedure is carried out in a clean environment using sterile technique. The eye is cleaned and local anaesthetic drops are given to numb the eye.
The eye may or may not be covered after the injection. If a pad is applied, this may be removed when you reach home.
High Precision Refractive Surgery
When you decide on an eye laser treatment, you expect the best possible results. The more fully developed the methods are, the better the outcome will be. The SCHWIND AMARIS 750S offers you the leading technology for your laser treatment – superior in all important aspects: Speed, precision, safety and comfort.
Dacryocystorhinostomy
[:en]Blocked Tear Duct. The tear ducts start at the inner corner of the eye with two small holes in the corner of the eyelids. Each hole is known as a punctum, they lead into small tubes known as canaliculi, which in turn drains into the lacrinal sac. This lies between the corner of your eye and your nose which has a duct at the bottom, which drains into your nose, which drains nasolacrimal duct. They continue into small channels that join up and reach the lacrimal sac, which leads into the nasolacrimal duct. The tear ducts do not have much spare capacity and this is why we cry. The channels tend to become narrower with age, especially if there has been nose or sinus disease. An obstruction of the tear ducts will give you a watery eye. Syringing of the lacrimal system with a blunt cannula will determine the type and the site of the blockage. Occasionally a special radiograph is necessary. Called a dacrocystogram, which visualizes the locrimal duct at the eye following the injection of an x-ray dye into the duct.
Download PDF
Return to Educational Leaflets Homepage[:ar]الوقائع:
- تنطلق الأقنية الدمعية من ثقبين صغيرين في الزاوية الداخلية للعينين ثم تنضم إلى الكيس الدمعي لتبلغ بعده القناة الأنفية الدمعية.
- إنّ القنوات الدمعية قليلة السعة وهذا ما يجعلنا نبكي. كما أنها تضيق مع التقدم في السن.
- خاصّة لدى الإصابة بإلتهاب الجيوب الأنفية.
- يؤدي انسداد الأقنية الدمعية إلى تدمع العينين.
- إن إدخال قُنَيّة (أنبوب) كليلة (غير حادة) إلى الجهاز الدمعي من شأنه تحديد موقع الإنسداد.
- في بعض الحالات يتم اللجوء للتصوير الشعاعي الخاص.
Amblyopia Therapy
What is Amblyopia?
Lazy eye – the medical term is Amblyopia – is a common eye condition amongst younger children. It means that one eye is not developing properly and becomes ‘lazy’ because the brain is working harder with the good eye to compensate. The problem is that if the brain ignores the lazy eye, the cells in the brain that create vision do not develop properly. Generally, Amblyopia affects just one eye but sometimes both eyes can have a problem.
What causes a ‘lazy eye’?
For children, the most important period for the development of vision is from birth to the age of 6 and if there is any interference with development during this period, then this can lead to amblyopia which is commonly caused by a squint (strabismus) in one eye, anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/ or obstruction of an eye due to cataract, trauma, lid droop, etc.
Why does my child need to wear a patch?
The best and simplest way to treat lazy eye is to cover or patch (known as occluding) the other eye so the vision in the lazy eye can improve and develop the pathways to the brain.
The patch is worn over the good eye and the amount of time the patch must be worn is decided by the Orthoptist/Ophthalmologist and relates to the extent of the visual problem.
With early treatment by patching, vision can develop successfully but this becomes more difficult with older children and the level of vision achieved may not be as good.
My Child’s Treatment
Patient name:
Patient number:
Glasses must be worn
Please patch the eye RIGHT LEFT
For hours a day.
If the child wears glasses, he or she should continue to wear them even with the patch.
Optometrist
[:en]Patients who need to have a vision test or have glasses/contact lenses fitted to correct their vision, go to an Optometrist. An Optometrist is a health care professional who is licensed to provide primary eye care services.
Optometrists examine and diagnose vision defects such as near sightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism (blurred vision), and presbyopia (reduced ability to focus on close objects) among other possible problems.
During an optometric examination, vision abnormalities can be found. So, Optometrists can recommend treatments for patients including prescriptions for eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, medications or a referral to an Ophthalmologist for advanced medical, surgical or laser treatment.
The Optometrist can also perform minor surgeries such as removing a foreign object from the surface of the eye.
To visit Examinations Image Library click here
To read more on Parents and Children, click here[:ar]يلجأ المرضى لأخصائي فحص النظر إذا كانوا يحتاجون لإجراء فحص للبصر أو لتركيب نظارات/عدسات طبية لاصقة لتصحيح البصر.أخصائي فحص النظر هو أحد أخصائيي الرعاية الصحية وهو مؤهل وحاصل على رخصة لتقديم خدمات الرعاية الصحية المتعلقة بفحص العيون.
يقوم أخصائيو فحص النظر بفحص وتشخيص أي خلل في قدرة الإبصار مثل قصر النظر وطول النظر واللابؤرية (تشوش الرؤية) وطول النظر المرتبط بالشيخوخة (أو ضعف القدرة على التركيز على الأجسام القريبة) وغيرها من المشاكل المحتملة.
قد يكشف أخصائي فحص النظر عن مشاكل أو خلل في النظر أثناء الفحص. وفي هذه الحالة يمكن لأخصائي فحص النظر التوصية بالعلاج المناسب للمريض بما في ذلك وصف ارتداء النظارات الطبية أو العدسات اللاصقة أو استخدام أدوات تقوية النظر أو الأدوية، أو تحويله إلى أخصائي طب العيون للحصول على علاج متقدم ومتخصص؛ طبي أو جراحي أو ليزري.
ويمكن لأخصائي فحص النظر إجراء جراحات بسيطة مثل إزالة جسم غريب من سطح العين.
انقر هنا لقراءة المزيد عن أخصائيوا النظارات.
لزيارة مكتبة الصور الامتحانية اضغط هنا.
لقراءة المزيد عن الآباء والأطفال ، انقر هنا.[:]
Medical Retina Clinics
[:en]The team in this service treats conditions at the back of the eye, which are treated medically using drugs, eye drops or lasers, and includes diabetic eye screening.
Conditions treated by clinicians in this service include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessel blockages and inflammation at the back of the eye (uveitis).[:ar]يتولى فريق العمل في هذه العيادة علاج الحالات المتعلقة بمشاكل الجزء الخلفي من العين، والتي يمكن علاجها طبياً باستخدام الأدوية أو قطرات العين أو الليزر. كما يوفر فحص العين لتحديد المشاكل الناتجة عن مرض السكري. وتتضمن المشاكل التي يتولى الطاقم الطبي في هذه العيادة علاجها كل من الضمور البقعي المرتبط بتقدم السن، والتهاب الشبكية الصباغي، واعتلال الشبكية الناتج عن مرض السكري، وانسداد الأوعية الدموية الشبكية، والالتهاب في الجزء الخلفي من العين (التهاب القزحية).[:]
Low Vision Aids
[:en]Where good vision cannot be achieved with spectacles or contact lenses, patients can be assessed in our low vision clinic.
During a low vision assessment, one of our optometrists will perform an examination to identify any refractive errors (problems with focusing) and demonstrate low vision devices such as specialist spectacles, magnifiers or telescopes that could help you see better.
Electronic magnifiers are also available for demonstration, and the optometrist will also talk to you about optimal lighting and other methods to make the most of your remaining vision.[:ar]عندما لا تتحسن قدرة الإبصار بواسطة النظارات أو العدسات اللاصقة، فإن بالإمكان تقييم حالة المرضى في عيادة علاج الرؤية المتدنية.
وخلال جلسة تقييم تدني قدرة الإبصار، يجري أحد أخصائيي فحص البصر لدينا فحصاً يهدف لتحديد وجود أي مشاكل انكسارية (مشاكل في قدرة تركيز الرؤية) وعرض الأجهزة التي تساعد في تقوية النظر مثل النظارات المتخصصة أو العدسات المكبّرة أو المناظير التي قد تساعدكم على الرؤية بشكل أفضل.
كما تتوفر العدسات المكبرة الإلكترونية ويعرضها أخصائي فحص البصر على المريض، كما سيحدثه حول الإضاءة المثالية وغيرها من الطرق التي تساعد المريض على الاستفادة إلى الحد الأقصى من قدرته الحالية على الإبصار.[:]
Paediatric Cataract
[:en]Our paediatric team can manage complex congenital cataracts. The management of congenital cataract is very different to the treatment of a routine age-related cataract. In adults, surgery may be delayed for years without affecting the visual outcome. In infants, if the cataract is not removed during the first year of life, the vision will never be fully regained after surgery. We are able to perform lensectomy, intraocular lens implants on children above the age of one year, secondary intra ocular lens implants and surgery for dislocated lenses.[:ar]يتولى طاقمنا الطبي المتخصص بطب عيون الأطفال علاج حالات إعتام عدسة العين الخلقية المعقدة. وتختلف طريقة التعامل مع إعتام عدسة العين الخلقي إلى حد كبير عن علاج الحالات المعتادة المرتبطة بتقدم السن. فالجراحة لدى الكبار يمكن تأجيلها لسنوات دون أن تتأثر النتيجة من حيث قدرة الإبصار. أما لدى الأطفال وحديثي الولادة فإنه لا يمكن استعادة البصر بشكل كامل بعد الجراحة في حال لم يتم التخلص من الإعتام خلال السنة الأولى من عمر الطفل. ويمكن لفريقنا الطبي إجراء عمليات استئصال العدسة وزراعة العدسات الصناعية للأطفال فوق عمر السنة، بالإضافة إلى زراعة العدسات الثانوية وجراحة حالات خلع العدسة.[:]
Corneal cross-linking
[:en]Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is a treatment for patients with keratoconus which can prevent their condition getting worse. CXL is successful in preventing the condition deteriorating in more than 90% of cases. After treatment, you will still need to wear spectacles or contact lenses. Keratoconus gets worse because the cornea weakens. CXL, also known as C3R, uses ultraviolet light and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) drops to stiffen the cornea. Used together, they cause fibers within the cornea to cross-link – or bond more tightly. This treatment mimics the normal age-related stiffening of the cornea, which is known as natural cross-linking[:ar]هي علاج للمرضى الذين يعانون من تحول القرنية إلى الشكل المخروطي، وبالتالي منع تدهور هذه الحالة لديهم. وتنجح عملية تثبيت القرنية في منع تدهور حالة تمخرط القرنية في أكثر من 90% من الحالات. وبعد العلاج، سيحتاج المريض إلى مواصلة ارتداء النظارات أو العدسات اللاصقة الطبية. يذكر أن حالة تحول القرنية إلى الشكل المخروطي (أو تمخرط القرنية) تتدهور بسبب ضعف القرنية. وفي عملية تثبيت القرنية التي تعرف اختصاراً بـCXL أو C3R، يتم استخدام أشعة فوق البنفسجية وقطرات فيتامين ب2 (ريبوفلافين) لزيادة صلابة القرنية. فعند استخدام هذين العنصرين معاً فإنهما يعملان على تثبيت الألياف داخل القرنية معاً بشكل متقاطع هو أكثر متانة وثباتاً. هذا العلاج يحاكي عملية تصلب القرنية المرتبطة بتقدم السن، والتي تعرف باسم تثبيت القرنية الطبيعي.[:]