The Eyes Content Inside your eyes Normal eyes

The Eyes

Content Inside your eyes Normal eyes Diabetic eye disease Diabetic Retinopathy Myopia Hyperopia Cataracts Pterygia Astigmatism Eye Clinic Glaucoma Traucoma

This is what the inside of your eyes look like. Cornea – Is like a window – it let’s light in. Iris – Coloured part of your eye Pupil – Black hole in the iris Sclera – White part of the eye Lens – Focuses like a camera pupil Retina – Is like a movie screen which shows you the picture Optic nerve – Is like a cord that carries the pictures from your DVD player to your TV Aqueous humour – fluid around the lens Vitreous humour – Jelly-like fluid in the eyeball to keep it in shape.

This is a healthy eye Your eyes are like a camera, the light goes through the lens and focuses the picture on the back of the eye. This upside down picture is sent to your brain which turns it the right way up.

Problems with your eye

Myopia – Short Sighted (My-o-pee-a) You can see objects close to you, but you will have trouble seeing objects far away You will need to visit an Optometrist to have your eyes tested, you might need glasses to see a long way.

Hyperopia – Long Sighted (Hi-per-o-pee-a) You can see a long way, but will have trouble seeing objects close to you You will need to visit an Optometrist to have your eyes tested, you might need glasses to read.

Astigmatism (A-stig-mar-tis-m) Blurry vision You will need to visit an Optometrist to have your eyes tested, you might need glasses to see better.

Treatment Myopia, Hyperopia and Astigmatism can be made better with glasses.

EYE DISEASE

Diabetes in the eye If you have bad sugars, this means you could have bad eyes. The veins that carry the blood in your eyes are like rivers. Your diabetes has made lots of tiny rivers in your eyes, so these rivers are very weak. When they break, blood spills into the back of your eyes. It doesn’t hurt so you won’t know that your eyes are bleeding. After sometime your eye goes blurry and it keeps getting worse until you can’t see anymore, everything will go black. The doctor can’t help you see again once it is gone.

Diabetic Retinopathy Not looking after your diabetes can make your eye sick. The blood vessels in your eyes can burst and you will have bleeding in your eye, this will make your eyesight bad.

This is what you might see when looking at things Floaters or Spots Blurred Vision Dark or Empty Spots

Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy Stage 1 Stage 2 Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy The veins are like rivers with weak banks that collapse and start to leak. In stage 1 you wont notice any difference with your sight. The veins are swelling and collapsing more. In stage 2 you still might know it is happening, you will still be able to see.

Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy Stage 3 Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy Stage 4 Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Your veins are blocked and leaking blood. Stage 3 you will have problems seeing. Lots of bleeding in your eyes. Stage 4 you will have bad sight.

Treatment Good news the doctor can use special equipment to stop you from going blind like laser treatment and injections. Laser takes about 10 minutes, you will see a red light, you have to sit very still and look straight into that red light. Laser works by zapping the river banks in your eyes so the river doesn’t overflow, doesn’t make you see any better but stops it from getting worse. The eye specialist can help your eyes with regular treatment, he can’t make you see any better but he can stop it from getting worse. So the sooner you have treatment the better you will be able to keep the sight you have. You will get drops in your eyes to numb them so you shouldn’t feel anything. Next you will be given an injection or laser treatment to stop the bleeding in your eyes. Sometimes you might need both injection and laser. Just remember this is going to help you to keep seeing.

Diabetes Eye Care Everyone with diabetes is at risk of going blind • As soon as you are told by the doctor you have diabetes you should get your eyes checked by an optometrist or Aboriginal Health Worker. • Optometrist can see the problems with your eyes before you get any symptoms. • To prevent vision loss and blindness, control your: – Blood sugars – Blood pressure – Cholesterol

High blood sugar Hyperglycemia (Hi-per-gli-c-mee-a) Symptoms Cause of Hyperglycemia Not eating healthy Not enough insulin or diabetes pills Not enough exercise Sickness

Symptoms of low blood sugar Hypoglycaemia (Hi-po-gli-c-mee-a) Symptoms Cause of Hypoglycaemia Not enough food Missing a meal Too much insulin or diabetes pills Moving around more than usual

What can you do to keep good eyes • • • Look after your health Talk to your Health Worker Eat healthy and exercise See your doctor regularly Have your eyes checked every year

Cataracts Your eye will look like it has a cloud in it. When this happens you wont be able to see properly.

Cataract Treatment The eye doctor will take out the cloudy lens and put a new one in.

Pterygia Skin grows on your eye (Ter-ridg-ee-a) When you have lots of sun and dust in your eyes the Pterygia grows.

How can you stop the Pterygia growing Look after your eyes by wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Treatment You will have to go to hospital and the doctor will take away the Pterygiam. You will feel sleepy when the doctor takes it away so that it doesn’t hurt you.

What to expect at the eye clinic • Your eyes will be checked • You may get eye drops • Picture taken of your eye • You may need to see the eye specialist • (Ophthalmologist) who will tell you what treatment you need for your eyes

Trachoma (Tra-co-ma) Bacteria that causes swelling and scarring of the eye that can make your sight bad. Flies carry the bacteria When they get in your eyes they give you the bacteria. Dirty hands and towels also spread the bacteria.

Trachoma Treatment Prevention Antibiotics –your doctor will • Keep flies away from your face give you medicine • Wash your face and hands • Don’t share towels Surgery – when the • Have eye checks eyelashes have turned into your eye.

Glaucoma - Gloor-co-ma Sneaky thief of sight Glaucoma is high pressure in your eye which causes slow loss of sight Symptoms • • • Very bad headache Problems with seeing Red eye/s Eye pain Sick Halo around lights

Glaucoma Treatment Prevention Eye drops Medication Surgery Regular Eye Exams You cannot stop getting glaucoma but you can look after your eyes by using the eye drops to stop your eyes form getting worse.

Remember Make sure you go to your appointments and take the medicines you are told to take. You have to keep having your eyes checked to make sure they don’t get sick. Be careful what you eat because Bad Sugars make Bad Eyes.

Lions Outback Vision Outreach Eye Health Support program is proudly supported by Quadrant Energy and Santos, Joint Venture Partners in the Devil Creek Gas Plant.