Archive for July, 2009

Jul 30

How Safe is Lasik Eye Surgery in the Elderly Years?



It’s a pretty well-established fact that most people experience a decline in the quality of their vision when they hit their forties. And, with a very large population of baby boomers now in their forties and above, the demand for corrective eye surgery to help improve these common vision problems has been on the rise. But many senior citizens question if it is worth it to have Lasik eye surgery in their later years.

The answer, according to experienced ophthalmologists and laser eye surgeons, is that people are eligible for it at just about any stage of life. Those experiencing problems with their eyesight can enjoy improvement with correction laser vision surgery. The main vision problems that can be improved with corrective eye surgery are astigmatism, far-sightedness and near-sightedness.

Lasik eye surgery in virtually any stage of life is considered a very low risk procedure, overall. But, there are a few precautions that doctors recommend to those who are a bit older. One common condition that the elderly deal with is eye dryness and therefore, after Lasik eye surgery, the elderly are strongly encouraged to take extra care to be sure to keep the eyes well-hydrated and lubricated with eye drops.

Lubrication of the eyes after Lasik eye surgery is not only important for those who are having the procedure done in their later years. Keeping the eyes moist and keeping them from drying out is an important part of aftercare for everyone who has undergone corrective eye surgery, but it is even more crucial for the elderly and for anyone who tends to naturally have dry eyes. Using eyedrops routinely after the corrective procedure is a very simple, yet very effective way to avoid problems and complications. The clinic will provide the patient with the proper lubricating eye drops for post-surgery use.

One of the reasons why in the later years it is still safe and effective is because overall the procedure has proven to have very few complications and has very low risk. This is because the surface of the eye is not cut with traditional surgical instruments, which can cause damage to the cornea. Instead, the small cut that needs to be made is accomplished with a laser beam. This means the incision will be tiny, accurate and extremely clean. All of these factors result in much less risk of infection and other complications.

However, even with a very good track record of success, in general it is not completely foolproof. Corrective eye surgery patients experience complications from the procedure or disappointing results approximately 5% of the time. When the procedure does not go well, the patient might end up having fluctuating vision, seeing halos around light sources, having increased sensitivity to glaring light, and possibly experiencing more dryness of the eyes.

Even though most laser eye surgeons are in agreement that Lasik eye surgery in the later stages of life is still a viable and effective option, they also mention that Lasik vision surgery is not the right procedure for everyone. There are conditions, such as glaucoma and presbyopia, which will not be corrected through laser eye surgery. In fact, with glaucoma, such a procedure can even worsen the condition.

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Posted in Surgery

Jul 29

Blood Pressure and Mean Arterial Pressure



The blood pressure in our body is always changing and it is part of the human physiology. It is very rare that someone’s blood pressure is always the same because we are always active and we are always doing different things like eating, sitting, standing, walking, breathing, moving around and doing so many other things throughout a day.

Every time that we do something different, our blood pressure changes and it react to the different positions that we are in. It is important that doctors and other professionals have the set rate for each person that relates to blood pressure and what it should be, because it is just impossible for anyone to take his or her blood pressure all the time throughout the day. This is why mean arterial pressure is important. Mean arterial pressure “…is a term used in medicine to describe a notional average blood pressure in an individual. It is defined as the average arterial pressure during a single cardiac cycle.” (Source: Wikipedia)

There are different reasons that mean arterial pressure is taken and recorded. Not all are related to health. The mean arterial pressure is known as part of a couple biological processes that do not show any health problems. When an arterial blood flow goes through the body it is going somewhere that it has in mind. Usually the blood is pumped through the arteries and left in the beds of capillaries that will run across the surface of different organs and give them the nutritional substances that are needed to operate properly. This perfusion pressure is thought to actually be the mean arterial pressure.

For the mean arterial pressure to allow an organ to operate the way that it should, it must be at around 60 mmHg. This is enough for an organ of the average size person as long as it is remains at this spot. If the value falls below the average, it means that there is not enough blood pumping into the organ and this will cause the organ to become alchemic. The result will be tissue damage to the organ. The mean arterial pressure should be checked and calculated on a regular basis. Some health officials check the value of a person’s arterial pressure when they check a person’s blood pressure. It is just one of the many calculations that have to be made about blood pressure.

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Posted in Blood Tension

Jul 29

The Lowdown on Playmats and Play Gyms



Lying on their backs and batting at toys helps babies develop eye-hand coordination and visual perception. Lying on their tummies and pushing up against the ground helps babies gain head-and-neck control and prepares them for crawling. The longer babies are happy playing by themselves on the ground, the more they develop their attention span and become comfortable with being independent.

Chances are that you’re not going to just dump your baby on the rug, though. You’ll want to put some sort of blanket or quilt down first, especially if you are a new parent who sees superbugs lurking behind every speck of dust. You’ll probably want to purchase some sort of playmat or play gym, and possibly even more than one.

Obviously, you can use any blanket or quilt under your baby, but there are playmats made of colorful fabrics that are designed specifically for floor play. Some simple ones are Boppy’s Tummy Play Play Pads, which are basically just baby-sized mats with a few toys attached to one end and a small Boppy pillow sewn on its surface so you can prop your baby up on his or her tummy. The Infantino Surfboard Tummy Time Mat and I-Play Tummy Time Prop and Play are constructed in a similar way.

Other playmats are slightly more complicated. For example, Haba’s Splish Splash Playmat has a center panel you can fill with water. Then your baby can press the panel to see the fish inside float around. Simple cloth houses, trees, and a lighthouse are sewn around the side of this playmat for your baby to look at and touch. One Step Ahead offers a Rainforest Fabric Pat Mat with all sorts of sights, sounds, and textures to examine, plus a water mat similar to the one on the Haba Splish Splash Playmat. Furthermore, this Pat Mat has a waterproof bottom, so it can be used outdoors on the ground.

To select the best playmat or play gym for your baby, just observe him or her at play and think about what he or she likes to do. Does your baby grab for things, smile at music, or like pushing buttons? Take these observations into account and then get shopping!

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Posted in Eyes

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