Soft contact lenses - are they safe?Written by Tanya Turner
I have a very bad eyesight and I don't look good in glasses. I want to switch to contact lenses, but there is a lot of talk about contact lenses causing eye infection. Are soft contact lenses safe? This is a very common question. Many people would like to switch to contact lenses, but they are afraid that this can cause diseases such as keratitis (inflammation of cornea) Lets look at dangers wearing contact lenses might present and how you can avoid them. There are two main lens types - RGP (rigid gas permeable lenses) and soft contact lenses. Here we will talk about soft contact lenses, since they are most popular type. Contact lenses features that can put you at risk of keratitis The quality of your contact lenses, how much oxygen they let through to your eyes and how high is percentage of water in lens should all be considered. It is important to select lenses made from high quality polymer with a high (more than 50%) water content. Also lenses should "breathe" - in other words, they should let enough oxygen through. A good choice would be Acuvue Advance lenses or any of Focus contacts. Also see more suggestions on healthy contact lenses. Another consideration is thickness of lens. The more corrective power your eyes require, thicker lens is. A thick lens presents a higher risk of infection. If your eyesight is very bad, RGP lenses might be a better choice for you, instead of soft contact lenses. Third, having your lens properly fitted is especially important. The lens shouldn't be too tight across surface of your eye. There should be space for tears between lens and your eye. Only an experienced eye doctor can fit your lenses properly. You should never buy contact lenses without a prescription, on assumption that they will fit you. Most likely they won't, and you can do irreparable damage to your eyes.
| | Gestational DiabetesWritten by Andrew Palmer
Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before, but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnancies, making it one of top health concerns related to pregnancy. What is cause of gestational diabetes? While no-one really knows true cause, there are some contributing factors that might increase risk of developing gestational diabetes. These factors include: * Obesity in woman * A family history of diabetes * Having had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy. * Older maternal age (over age of 30). * A previous delivery of a large (greater than 9 pounds) baby . What are risks of gestational diabetes? High sugar levels in your blood can be unhealthy for both you and your baby. If a woman had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, there is an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child. Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes have a greater change of developing diabetes, but there is also some other risks involved, such as macrosomia, or a "fat" baby. Babies with macrosomia face health problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders during birth, or a higher risk for breathing problems.
|
