Alternative Health News

Cataracts is a condition of the eye when the lens of the eye becomes a cloudy white colour which makes it difficult for the individual to see out of it. For people who have had cataracts they have described the effect as things look cloudy or blurred, in the infected eye things can look like they are double and that bright lights dazzle them.

The area affected in the eye is the lens directed behind the iris. The most common cause of cataracts is ageing but underlying issues could also be due to other medical conditions or any eye injury.

The tests for Glaucoma are quite straight forward and are carried out by opticians. They view the optic nerve at the back of the eye with a special light and measure the pressure in the eye. Sometimes they may carry out a field test to check the peripheral vision. People over 40 are normally at risk of this condition and research has suggested that those from a African – Caribbean origin under the age of 40. Those who are related closely with someone who is suffering from the condition and someone with diabetes. If detected early the disease can be controlled – the treatment aims to reduce the pressure in the eye.

Glaucoma is the official name given to group of eye conditions where the optic nerve at the back of the eye is damaged. This can be caused by increased pressure from the fluid in the eye – the damage caused by the condition depends on the amount of pressure and how long it has lasted. One of the conditions is known as Chronic Glaucoma – this is where your eyesight seems perfectly normal, there is no pain but in the background the peripheral vision is being damaged. Eventually however this will start effecting your vision and the stage is known as tunnel vision.

Many people in the UK are affected by this visual impairment which is caused by old age. It’s due to the circulation in the eye which becomes poor and lead up to a build up of waste products in the macular region of the retina. This means that your eyes don’t work as well as they once did. The retina is at the back of the eye and through this pictures are sent to the brain – the Macular is the special part of the retina that picks up the fine details. The cause means that vision is blurred in the centre and when reading a bus number or recognising peoples faces for example this is difficult.

There are many herbal supplements you can take to improve your eyes, but if you suffer from myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, they aren’t going to make a great deal of difference.

These are significant conditions that generally have a genetic cause. If your parents both wear glasses, chances are you will too.

Many years ago, the genes that cause poor eyesight would not have been passed on as poor sight would have been a distinct disadvantage in the battle for survival. Nowadays, poor vision is commonplace and we can simply wear glasses or contact lenses to correct our sight.

For many people such measure are unsatisfactory. Many people don’t like the way they look in glasses, while others tire of the inconvenience. One solution that is increasingly popular is laser eye surgery.

When it was first developed, laser eye surgery was seen as something of a risk. Having a laser alter your cornea seemed a dangerous way of treating vision problems when you could so easily just wear glasses. However, as the procedure has become better known and as it has become more refined, it has grown to be accepted as something fairly commonplace. Increased take up has helped drive down prices, which has then allowed more people to undergo the operation, forming a virtuous circle.

These days, laser eye surgery most certainly is a viable option and well worth looking into.

Everyone knows that we need to keep well hydrated and that drinking plenty of water is good for us – the major question is how much is good for us and can you drink too much? There have been many studies into how much water people should drink every day and most studies agree that we need approximately 8 glasses of water a day – but how do you define ‘a glass’? Another survey suggested that we need 2.5 litres of water a day. This should mean that you avoid drinking too much or too little, drinking the right amount of water will mean that your body is able to function properly, alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle. Water helps the brain function, gets rid of waste in your body, keeps your skin clear and improves concentration.

At the moment I have been really getting back into yoga – or body balance as it is called at my gym. I think yoga is a great way to relax, work muscles that I didn’t know I had and regain my focus. Yoga has recently become the must-do sport for most celebrities such as Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Geri Halliwell. Yoga has many health and spiritual benefits, such as improving your overall flexibility as specific yoga positions work muscles, tendons and ligaments that are not normally used or stretched. Yoga also helps flush out toxins from the body as the positions and stretches help to increase blood flow around the body. The primary aim of yoga is to achieve a level of calm for body, mind and spirit, which is designed to create calmness and positive outlook.

No longer are people satisfied with the good old builders brew, there are now hundreds of options available when it comes to choosing a cup of tea. There is the traditional English breakfast tea (a personal favourite of mine) there is now an array of other teas available, such as herbal and detoxing teas, the most health beneficial one being green tea. It is claimed that green tea is packed with health and beauty benefits as it is full of antioxidants. Green tea has also been associated with weight loss management. The different substances contained in green tea have also been associated in helping people fight against cancer, low bone density, cognitive function and kidney stones.

There is a now a diet for every part of your body – there is the detox diet which is designed to cleanse your liver, etc and now there is a diet that is designed for our brains! We are constantly told by advertising companies, magazines and ‘industry experts’ to keep our ‘hearts healthy’ and to top up our gut with ‘friendly bacteria’ but now there is a new organ that we need to keep healthy and it’s our brains. A brain-healthy diet is essential for keeping your memory, concentration and intellect sharp and alert, the basis for the brain diet is that we need to eat regularly throughout the day, preferably three meals and to snack on nuts and seeds, whilst highlighting the risks of drinking too much caffeine on your brain.

Well, as its technically meant to be summer – although you wouldn’t think so judging by the torrential rain we’ve had over the last few weeks, it means all day BBQ’s and all day drinking. It is therefore more important than ever that people are aware of the safe limits in order for them to drive home and also the safe limits per week as often in summer, especially when on holiday, its too easy to drink your weeks allowance in a day! According to the Department of Health women should drink no more than two to three units of alcohol a day. A standard 175ml glass of red or white wine is around 2 units, whereas a large 250ml glass of red or white wine is around 3 units.