Did you know that 50% of vision loss is “preventable”? We can protect our eye health by following the recommendations below…

1. Wear sunglasses: The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays increase the risk of many diseases such as cataracts and age-related yellow spot disease.
2. Eat a healthy diet: Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, vitamins C and E can help prevent or delay problems such as age-related yellow spot disease and cataracts.
3. Exercise regularly: Try to move for 30 minutes at a time, five days a week. Exercise increases the amount of blood and nutrients circulating through your body, including your eyes.
4. Stop smoking: Tobacco use increases your risk of cataracts, optic nerve damage and yellow spot disease.
5. Wear eye protection: It is important to wear them during jobs and hobbies that can lead to eye injuries, such as some professions or sports.
6. Limit your digital screen use and follow the 20/20 rule: Stop using digital screens 1 hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted from digital screens can make it difficult to fall asleep.
7. Pay attention to eye hygiene: Washing your hands frequently will help reduce the number of germs that come into contact with your eyes. Also, wash your eyelashes with warm water once a day.
8. Do not rub your eyes: Rubbing or scratching the eyes hard can damage them. Contact your doctor if you have itching.
9. Get enough sleep: In addition to harming our bodies, insufficient sleep can increase dry eyes and lead to eye twitching.
10. 10. Get an eye exam once a year: Early diagnosis and treatment of eye problems is important. Children in particular may not realize they have eye problems or may not speak up. Regular eye examinations should not be neglected.

    January 2025

A study conducted in China has revealed that at least 1 in 3 children suffer from myopia, a short-sightedness problem.

The study, conducted by scientists from Sun Yat-Sen University in China, examined the distance vision of more than 5 million children and young people from 50 countries on different continents. The researchers found that at least one in every three children is myopic. Stating that they expect this rate to increase over time, the researchers concluded that approximately 740 million children and young people may have myopia by 2050.

The researchers, who found that myopia increased 3-fold to 36 percent between 1990 and 2023, stated that this eye defect increased significantly as the time spent indoors increased with the Covid-19 outbreak. Drawing attention to the importance of external factors in myopia, which also occurs due to genetics, the researchers stated that the problem of not being able to see far away clearly is 7 times more common in Asia, where children start education at an earlier age, compared to Africa. Stating that prolonged exposure to screens increases the risk of myopia, the researchers noted that girls, who spend less time outdoors compared to boys, are busy at home with activities that require looking at close range, such as reading, writing, playing computer games or looking at the phone screen for a long time.

Because of this, the researchers said, more myopia was detected in girls than boys. “It is important to recognize that myopia may become a global health problem in the future,” the study authors said. The research was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

January 2025

Cataract surgeries are based on replacing the clouded intraocular lens. During the surgery, the patient can regain clear vision thanks to the lenses placed
in the patient’s eye.

Cataract surgeries are based on replacing the clouded intraocular lens.  During the surgery, the patient can regain clear vision thanks to the lenses placed in the patient’s eye. So which lens is suitable for which patient, which criteria are important in lens selection? Batıgöz Health Group Çankaya branch Eye Health and Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Uğur Ünsal answered the questions about cataract surgery.

The Only Treatment Surgery

Cataract is the haze and blurring of the natural intraocular lens inside the eye. Cataracts cannot be treated with drops or any other method, the only treatment is surgery. Cataract surgery is the removal of the clouded intraocular lens and the placement of a new intraocular lens. The surgery is usually performed with topical drop anesthesia applied to the patient’s eyes, and takes an average of five to ten minutes.

In infants, congenital cataracts can lead to reduced vision and loss of vision. Eye examination of babies in the first 12 weeks of life is important in this regard. Cataract surgery is also performed in infants and children and general anesthesia is preferred. There are three groups of lenses used in cataract surgery. The first group is the monofocal lens. In this lens, the rays coming into the patient’s eye fall on the back of the eye from a single focus. The patient does not need glasses when looking far away. But he/she needs to use near glasses. The second group of lenses are Edof lenses, which have an extended focus that allows both distance and middle distance vision. While this type of lens provides the patient with distance, intermediate and some near vision, some patients may need a low-numbered near lens. A third group of lenses are trifocal lenses, popularly known as smart lenses, which provide vision at far, intermediate and near distances. These lenses provide satisfactory vision at distance, near and intermediate distances.

Patient Needs are Important

If the patient also has astigmatism, it would be more appropriate to use astigmatized models of these lenses. Just as we do not buy a normal pair of glasses when we buy glasses or undergo an eyeglass examination, but if we have astigmatism, we use astigmatized lenses, this option is also available in lenses today. In other words, if a monofocal lens is found suitable for the patient, but the patient also has astigmatism, it is beneficial to prefer a monofocal lens with astigmatism or a trifocal lens with astigmatism, and if astigmatism is present, it is beneficial to prefer a trifocal lens with astigmatism. A monofocal or monofocal astigmatic lens can be preferred for all patients who will undergo cataract surgery, but it is beneficial to choose trifocal or trifocal astigmatic intraocular lenses only for suitable patients.

Patients with retinal problems at the back of the eye, severe eye pressure or corneal problems at the front of the eye should not be implanted with smart lenses or trifocal intraocular lenses. The most important criteria affecting cataract surgery are the technological infrastructure used during surgery, the needs of the patient and the experience of the physician. When these criteria come together, much better results will be obtained. When a personalized lens is preferred after detailed eye examinations and modern medical facilities are used during surgery, both patient happiness and physician happiness will increase.

January 2025