Conditions

Nearly two thirds of patients with cancer will undergo radiation therapy as part of their treatment plan. There are a variety of common side effects associated with radiation therapy. Read about prevention and management of radiation side effects excerpted from a booklet of Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). Radiation Treatment Radiation therapy is an extremely important treatment option in the management of cancer. In the last two decades spectacular progress in technology has led to…

Sciatica pain can cause extreme distress. This is a quick analysis of what causes it and 6 tips on how we can try and prevent it. Sciatica Sciatica pain is the pain and tingling caused by the sciatica nerve. It is usually felt as an intense pain in the leg and the pain travels all the way down from the spine. Sciatica is not a condition but a symptom itself that can have various underlying reasons. Causes of Sciatica pain: Injury or trauma: Direct injury to the spinal column can cause nerve…

Susmita Mitra, Director - Special Projects at Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), underlines the concerns and worries of cancer patients and emphasizes the importance of Psycho Oncology, a comparatively recent addition in cancer care, to build a positive frame of mind, ease trauma and facilitate recovery. It is well recognized that compared to any other disease, a diagnosis of cancer results in immense trauma to the patient on one hand, and his family members on the other, as they grapple…

Information about Dry Eyes provided by Dr. Ankita Daftary, Opthalmologist, Mumbai What is dry eye disease: It is an extremely common and often unrecognised disease affecting millions of people. It is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance and tear film instability with potential damage to ocular surface. It is accompanied by increased osmolality of the tear film and inflammation of ocular surface. Dry eye disease is a…

Tear substitutes form the mainstay of treatment. They are aqueous solutions containing polymers that determine their viscosity, retention time and adhesion to ocular surface. They are cellulose derivatives like HPMC-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and CMC-carboxymethycellulose, polyvinyl derivatives like polyvinyl alcohol, chondroitin sulfate and sodium hyluronate. Artificial tears provide improvement in symptoms of eye irritation, blurred vision and visual contrast sensitivity. However…

Dry Eyes can progress through various stages - from mild to severe. Each stage can have different complications. On examination in mild form of dry eyes, the tear film may show mucous debris and strings of mucoid discharge. The picture may be of a non-specific chronic conjunctivitis. In moderate cases, there may be corneal epithelial erosions, punctate keratopathy, and filamentary keratitis. Severe cases present with corneal ulcer, opacities and neovascularisation.  

A doctor, typically an opthalmologist needs to do a complete examination of the eye. He/she will ask you for other health conditions, your history of eye health, your habits and practices. They may even need to measure the volume and quality of tears using - Schirmir test.  - Fluorescein dye test - Lissamine green test  

Treatment modalities: The treatment of dry eyes can be divided into: Medical therapy: Is the mainstay of treatment for mild to moderate type of dry eyes. Tear substitutes or artificial tears are aqueous solutions containing polymers that determine their viscosity, retention time and adhesion to ocular surface. In moderate to severe cases, where there is a lot of inflammation, drugs like topical cyclosporine A and corticosteroids are administered. Oral tetracycline and essential fatty acids…

Therapy of dry eyes require a multipronged approach. Mild cases of dry eyes- Patient will benefit from preventive measures like behavioural and environmental modifications. Certain preventive measures are as follows- Avoid direct blow of air to your eyes e.g hair dryers, car heaters, and air conditioners. Use humidifiers in winters. Wraparound glasses help during outdoor activities. During prolonged use of screens and long reading hours one should take a break of few seconds every half an hour…