EyeMark Newsletters

There’s a crazy little thing called love, and it’s with us every month of the year. In fact, some might say love is all around. (You feel it in your fingers, you feel it in your toes...) But if you want to know what love is, or what love has got to do with it, just visit any store in the weeks leading up to February 14th. A long time ago, four guys in a band reminded us that you can’t buy me love. Clearly, they’d never been to a mall or an online shopping platform. But is it really about balloons and flowers? Is that the true power of love? When someone asks how deep is your love, are they really asking how deep are your pockets? Surely, we’re talking about endless love. The many-splendoured thing. Because where do we begin to tell a story of how great a love can be? If you can’t help falling in love, you’ve probably heard that love hurts. It’s blindness. It’s a drug. Sometimes it’s summer lovin’ and, well... sometimes it’s love on the rocks. But that loving feeling. You know that loving feeling. When someone says love me do. When someone asks, can you feel the love tonight? When someone’s told you lately that they love you. When someone loves you tender. Always forever. Even when it must have been love but it’s over now. (Bye bye love, as they say.) So when someone just calls to say they love you (instead...

Many people, both adults and children, suffer from headaches which may vary in severity and frequency, and many of those people struggle to establish the cause and suitable treatment. Some headaches or medical conditions, such as migraines or head trauma, may cause visual symptoms such as blurred vision, a visual aura, or light sensitivity, but the headaches themselves are the primary source of pain. Other headaches may be caused by a visual problem and may be a sign that the eyes are changing or have difficulty focusing, for example with eye strain or an uncorrected refractive error such as short-sightedness. EYE STRAIN       A typical headache as a result of eye strain usually occurs after over-using the focusing muscles of the eyes for extended periods of time on tasks such as reading or sewing. When the eye muscles become tired, a headache can develop around or behind the eyes. A common cause of headaches that seems to be on the rise is digital eye strain, a condition that can arise from prolonged periods of digital screen usage. This can present with a headache, commonly felt behind the eyes, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light. DIFFICULTY FOCUSING       Both adults and children may experience headaches resulting from uncorrected refractive errors, including shortsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The eyes are required to work harder as they try to compensate for being unable to focus clearly. The appropriate prescription for glasses or contact lenses to correct the problem will generally alleviate...

The eye is a delicate and complex organ which is often exposed to factors which cause visual problems. Some of these problems can be managed safely with simple home remedies, but these remedies are supplementary and should not replace professional treatment. It is important to be aware of the symptoms that require medical intervention and is always best to consult an eyecare professional before using home remedies. DRY EYES       Dry eyes occur when the eyes don’t produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly, leading to a dry, gritty or burning sensation in the eyes, itching, redness, watery eyes and sensitivity to light. Use artificial tears which are similar to natural tears and help to lubricate the eyes and reduce inflammation. Place a warm cloth gently over closed eyes for 10 minutes to help increase tear production. Slices of cucumber placed over closed eyes has a soothing effect. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts and flax seeds, can improve tear quality. Maintaining hydration in the body by drinking water benefits tear production. To help spread moisture evenly across the eyes, be aware of blinking regularly particularly during screen use. CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE) Pink eye is an inflammation of the eyes that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergens, or irritants. It is characterised by redness, itching, irritation, a burning sensation, tearing, discharge and often crustiness on the eyelids. Viral conjunctivitis typically clears up after a few days, while conjunctivitis caused...

The term “presbyopia” comes from the Greek word meaning “old eye”, which accurately describes the condition which affects people over the age of 40. Along with greying hair and stiffening joints, presbyopia is one of the inevitable aspects of the normal aging process. As we get older, our eyes gradually lose the ability to focus clearly up close. When light enters the eye, it passes through the cornea, the pupil and the lens before it reaches the retina at the back of the eye. In younger eyes, the lens is able to quickly and easily change shape to focus the light on the retina, allowing us to focus on objects both near and far. However, the lens becomes less flexible with age, losing its ability to change shape as easily. SYMPTOMS OF PRESBYOPIA       The gradual deterioration of vision typically begins around the age of 40 but is often noticed only sometime later. Common symptoms include difficulty seeing close objects, eye fatigue or headaches after doing close work, needing brighter lighting when reading or doing close work, blurred vision at normal reading distance and needing to hold reading material at an arm’s distance to focus properly. Even if you are not experiencing symptoms, it is advisable to have an eye examination by the age of 40 to check on your visual health. It is possible to have presbyopia in addition to or in combination with other types of vision problems, such as shortsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Farsightedness, hyperopia, is...

Does the colour of our eyes have a meaning and symbolism of its own, which might tell us a little about the person behind the eyes? Of course there are numerous factors that contribute to who we are. Can eye colour be a factor that reflects certain aspects of a person’s personality? There is the belief that eye colour holds a deeper meaning about a person and may literally be a window to our personalities. Eye colour is determined by genetics and pigmentation. The pigment responsible for eye, skin and hair colour is melanin. The more melanin in the iris, the more light is absorbed, making the iris appear darker; the less melanin, the less light is absorbed, and the eyes appear lighter. No two people have the same makeup of melanin in their eyes, making each iris as unique as fingerprints. The four most common eye colours are brown, blue, hazel and green. Almost half the world’s population has brown eyes, while less than 10% have green eyes. Less common colours include grey and amber. Although some people may appear to have black eyes, this pigmentation cannot naturally occur in the eyes and may be very dark brown eyes that appear black under certain light conditions. BROWN EYES       Brown eyes are often associated with warmth, kindness, strength and stability, and studies have shown that brown-eyed people tend to be sociable, confident and ambitious. People with darker eyes are seen by others as intelligent, practical and easy to...

GLAUCOMA AWARENESS WEEK 9 – 15 MARCH 2025 World Glaucoma Week is a global initiative organised by the World Glaucoma Association. Their goal is to alert everyone to have regular eye and optic nerve checks in order to detect glaucoma as early as possible because there are available treatments for all forms of glaucoma to prevent visual loss. The theme for 2025 is “See the future clearly”. WHAT IS GLAUCOMA? Glaucoma is a group of chronic conditions of the eye which slowly, silently and progressively damage the optic nerve which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. If untreated, it can lead to irreversible vision loss. It is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. HOW DOES GLAUCOMA AFFECT THE EYES?       The eyes constantly produce a clear fluid called aqueous humor which circulates in the front part of the eye and drains out through the drainage angle, keeping the pressure within the eyes stable. In most types of glaucoma, the eye’s drainage system becomes blocked, and the intraocular fluid cannot drain. As the fluid builds up, it causes pressure to build inside the eye, which can damage the optic nerve. If the pressure remains too high for too long, the damage to the optic nerve can lead to permanent vision loss. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLAUCOMA? Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma, characterised by a gradual loss of vision due to damage to the optic nerve. Angle closure glaucoma,...