Eye Doctor in Dubai

Some people experience corneal erosion of the eye. This mostly occurs in the mornings when the eye lids become stuck to the top most layer of the eye, called the epithelial layer. The epithelial layer loses its grip on the cornea due to eye injury, unhygienic contact lenses, eye ulcers, and eye diseases, such as corneal dystrophy.

Anybody can suffer from this condition as it is connected to other diseases and people who use contact lenses regularly are especially prone to this condition. Wearing contact lenses for long periods of time, not using the proper cleansing liquid and wearing them the wrong way, can cause corneal erosion. Corneal erosion is also a symptom of herpes and occurs after ulcers in the eye. All these conditions leads to the dryness, and then excessive tearing, which causes the epithelial cells to become fused to the eyelids during the night, when the eyes remain closed for long hours. Opening the eyes in the morning will be slightly painful causing a stinging sensation. The pain comes from the epithelial layer tearing off. The phenomenon is similar to removing temporary sticker tattoos off the skin.

The slight stinging may last for a few hours in the morning along with excessive tearing, As the protective sheet becomes dislodged, the patient will feel a constant presence of a foreign particle in the eye. If the symptoms are experienced daily, coupled with redness, excessive tearing, dry eyes, you may be experience the condition of corneal erosion.

Diagnosis

Corneal erosion is diagnosed simply by shining a bright sheet light on to the front of the eye. If corneal erosion is present the tears will be visible to your Dubai Ophthalmologist. Some eye doctors will introduce a fluorescein stain, which is a yellow coloured harmless liquid that highlights any defects on the surface of the eye. If indeed the epithelial layer is damaged it will be easily noticeable to your eye doctor in Dubai.

Treatment

There are two types of treatment levels for corneal erosion; non-invasive medications and surgery. Symptoms are most prevalent in the morning, and therefore your doctor will first prescribe hydrating eye drops to be used during the night. This will treat only mild cases of the condition. If the problem persists, it is referred to as recurrent corneal erosion. Artificial tears will prevent your eyelids from sticking to the surface of the eyeball. Some patients will use this during the day as well if the conditions are severe. Protective contact lenses are prescribed as eye bandages, which will keep the epithelial in place. Eye patches are used to prevent infection.

If artificial teardrops, eye patches and the contact lenses do not work, your ophthalmologist will recommend surgery, which entails light scarring of the epithelial layer with a fine needle. The minute cuts are done at the bottom of the eyeball forming scar tissue. The scar tissue acts as an abrasive that holds the epithelial layer in place.

Ebsaar Eye Surgery Centre is a medical centre that specializes in diagnostics and treatment of problems relating to the eye. Everybody does experience some amount of epithelial tears, but it not noticeable and generally only occurs with dead epithelial cells that naturally fall off and cling to the surface of the eye. However if the problem persists, causing pain or a stinging sensation on consecutive mornings, it is advised that you make an appointment with a specialist Dubai eye doctor at Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center. Early detection and cure will help you avoid more serious treatment like surgery.

10 reasons to see an Eye Doctor

Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center, a specialized Dubai eye clinic with a team of experienced eye surgeons and ophthalmologists led by Dr. Hani Sakla. All our doctors are certified with years of experience and are dedicated to promoting healthy vision in Dubai. Ebsaar’s team of Cataract specialists and Lasik eye Surgeons Dubai, have many years of specialized experience in treating patients with visual difficulties.

The eyes are sensitive organs that guide you through your day. Many people, wear prescription eyeglasses, from as early as age three. Diminishing eyesight is a common problem faced by many in recent times due to daily exposure to UV Radiation, bad nutritional habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking.  

10 reasons to see an eye doctor

Blurry vision

Blurry vision is sign that your eyes are having difficulty focusing on objects correctly. When your eyes are weak, they lose the ability to properly view objects. If you experience blurry vision, and it is not related to any other physical ailment like low sugar, pressure problems and lack of nutrients, you are advised to seek medical attention immediately, so an eye doctor can diagnose and treat the problem in its early stages.

Air Floaters

We have all experienced this at one point or the other in our lives, usually occurring when we’ve bumped our head, close and open eyes to quickly or move between two different light intensities. If you experience persistent floaters regularly and are unable to solve the problem with a few blinks, it’s a sign to see your optometrist.  

Headaches

Low vision is sometimes responsible for headaches. You will notice the headache apparent behind the eyes near the forehead. People report having these headaches, when reading or working on a computer. Straining, weakens the eyes and you will need to seek advice to have it resolved as pain medication will only temporarily reduce the ache, but cure the problem.

Difficulty Reading

People automatically know the distance they need to keep, between the eyes and reading matter. Weak vision will prompt you to change your reading distance by adjusting the length between the eyes and what you read. Speak to your family eye doctor who will check your eyes and prescribe eyeglasses to help reverse the problem.

Distance Misjudgement

Your eyes help you judge distances between your car and another, in activities like playing pool, walking to a store etc. Misjudging the distance distance is a symptom of bad vision that needs correction by an eye doctor urgently.

Premature Eye Tiredness

Your eyes are generally the last to get tired. Your brain and eyes function on one clock, and unless you are physically tired and have had a very long day, your eyes should keep up. If your eyes tire more quickly, they should be examined.

Delayed Accommodation

Your lens muscles are constantly working together to allow just the right amount of light through. This happens when moving from dark light to bright lighting and vice versa. It takes a fraction of a second. If it takes longer and it affects you while driving, there are treatment options that will help your eyes accommodate to different lighting effectively.

Constant Tears

Excessive tears throughout the day mean your eyes are either infected or has a disease. Tears are your eyes defence mechanism against foreign particles, if they are shed excessively, they are literally crying out for help.  

Not seen your eye doctor in two years

Your eyes require the same amount of care and treatment as the rest of your body. If you have not seen a qualified optometrist in a long time, may be its time you do.

Healthy Vision Dubai

Sunglasses are more than just a fashion accessory and wearing the right pair is important in the prevention of many eye diseases. Many people confuse sunglasses as fashion accessories and therefore, buy them based on the fashion statement they make. It is important to understand the protective feature of the pair you buy, and know how effective a pair of sunglasses can be in prolonging good eyesight until old age.

Sunglasses protect your eyes from receiving harmful Ultraviolet Radiation

Ultraviolet radiation is a negative catalyst in the development of premature visual problems which includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. In addition, the skin around the eye is the thinnest and prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays, can cause premature aging. UV rays have been known to age the skin around the eyes, causing wrinkles and fine lines. It is important to buy a good medically approved pair of sunglasses to prevent the onset of these diseases and aging signs. A high quality pair of sunglasses will block 100% of UV rays from coming in contact with your eyes and the skin around it.

Wearing sunglasses reduces glare

Most surfaces reflect and amplify light. Roads surfaces, water, snow, glass buildings, and sand all reflect light back creating a glare. This is especially dangerous while driving or if you’re involved in any type of sporting activities. Polarized sunglasses protect your vision from being distorted; preventing extreme glare. There are many fake sunglasses that claim to be polarized and it important to ensure a good high polarized pair of sunglasses is used for these activities.

Sunglasses reduce headaches caused by fatigued eye muscles

The pupil of the eye dilates and constricts to allow just the right amount of light to the retina. In extremely bright conditions, the pupil will find it difficult to constrict further to prevent bright light from entering the eye. This will force the person to squint, which means your eyelids too will start to close up, further reducing light intensity. The eyelids and pupils are both controlled by tiny muscles in the eye, which show signs of strain when overworked for long periods. This inevitably leads to eye straining and headaches. Sunglasses are designed differently for different purposes, and therefore you need to use the correct pair depending on the time of day and environment.  

Prolonged Healthy Vision

Wearing the correct pair of sunglasses is important in maintaining good eyesight for as long as possible. You will need different pairs depending on the varying activities and environments you are exposed to. You may need to have different pairs, made specifically for each activity or sport. The right pair of sunglasses or protective glasses while working on the computer is also necessary to prevent future visual problems and eye diseases.

If you would like to know more about buying the correct pair of sunglasses talk to your doctor at the Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center and we will be happy to give you any advice you need. 

What does Crossed Eyes or Lazy Eye mean?

When one eye focuses on a different spot than the other, it is called the lazy eye or a squint. Strabismus is the scientific term for eye turn, which has two variations; if the eye turns outwards away from the nose, the condition is referred to as exotropia, and inwards is called esotropia, if one of the eyes turns upwards, the condition is called hypertropia.

The squint eye condition may be constant or occasional. The misalignment of the eyes causes the person to either experience double vision, where both eyes transmit two separate images to the brain; person has trouble with depth perception, or is unable to see objects in 3D; and the person develops abnormal binocular vision. For constant eye turn, glasses with different prescription are worn, one for closer vision and the other further away. Usually, one eye will be able to see objects clearly, and with one or two dimension, where the other struggles and sees blurred objects. If this happens, the eye with the blurred vision will prevent it from developing normally, turning it into the lazy eye, or Amblyopia.

For normal vision to develop both eyes are meant to focus on the same image equally. The brain requires both signals from each eye to be identical in order to create an image. If one of the images received is blurred, or misaligned due to astigmatism or strabismus, the brain works to shut one eye’s function down, as it finds it difficult to workout depth and shape. The good eye is therefore preferred by the brain, which will use it all the time, ignoring the weak or affected one. This will cause one eye to be strong and the other to weaken as time goes on. Glasses are worn from early age, to prevent or slow the progress of the lazy eye, as it will be some time, before the brain does write off the affected eye. However, the eye causing blurred or misaligned vision will not have its vision restored to 20/20. The first step to treatment is to correct the alignment of both eyes, so they work together. Correcting blurred vision will be the second step after strabismus has been cured. Once your child has obtained their new prescription glasses to correct alignment issues, the visual acuity should be checked at home or in the office.

It is most affective to treat strabismus and amblyopia as early as possible to have the highest chances of reversing or preventing eye turn. However, we have been able to correct amblyopia and strabismus in older children and adults. Surgery is an option for treatment of severe strabismus and amblyopia, and mechanical alignment is not necessary early on. Treatment includes exercises, eye patches used to cover the good eye, forcing the affected eye to work properly, eye glasses and regular prescription changes, and other types of visual therapy which helps by exercising the muscles, works the lenses, and nerves in the eyes. Therapy to fix blurred or misalignment of the eye includes reeducating the eyes to function properly. Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center Vision Correction Solutions, founded and lead by Internationally Acclaimed eye surgeon Dr. Hani Sakla has seen many young and older patients with visual problems and pertaining to strabismus and amblyopia. With over 30 years of global experience as eye specialists, Dr. Sakla and his team, is able to offer you the best eye care in Dubai. 

Dry Eyes Dubai

Dry eyes are a result of inadequate tears to moisturize the eyes and protect them from dust and foreign particles. There are many reasons for inadequate tears, this could be because your tears are thick in consistency or is insufficient. Most people blink every few seconds and this helps wash away dust and moisturizes the area. Dry eyes symptoms are itchiness, redness, soreness when closing, and opening the eyelids and individuals who suffer from dry eyes have a constant need to rub them to remove foreign particles.

Dry eyes cause constant irritation and a stinging burn in the eyes. Most people experience dry eyes while in airplanes, riding a bike or cycling, or by being in an air-conditioned room for long durations, where the tears in your eyes dry off due to friction or cold air. Situational dry eyes are temporary and last only as long as your eyes are subject to those conditions. Most people wear protective eyewear to prevent the onset of dry eyes in these situations. Eye drops that act as false tears helps reduce the irritation caused due to cold air, riding a bike, and air travel. However, if your eyes feel dry for most parts of the day, depending on the cause of the symptoms, your doctor will suggest the appropriate treatment. Your ophthalmologist will first ask you to make lifestyle and diet changes along with prescribed eye drops and medication. If these treatment options do not resolve or reduce the symptoms, surgery may be considered for severe cases.

Symptoms of dryness in both eyes:

• Burning or stinging sensation in both eyes, which cause you to rub them often
• Tears are of a thick consistency, causing itchiness
• Harsh wind speeds cause severe stinging and burning especially while riding a bicycle or motorbike without protective eye gear
• Constant need to wash eyes due to fatigue and redness
• Light sensitivity
• Dried up tears and mucus blobs found on the surface of the eye
• Unable to wear contact lenses
• Excessive tearing caused by irritation
• Vision becomes blurred and distorted

You will need to visit your Dubai eye doctor, when these symptoms prolong for long durations causing difficulty in your normal routines.

Dry eyes are a result of two main reasons: Inadequate production of tears to lubricate the eyelid while it blinks or the wrong tear composition. Tears are made up fatty oils, water, and mucus, which combine perfectly to keep your eyes clean and smooth. If the ratios of the compositions are not balanced, a person may suffer from dry eyes. External factors like the environment, medication, and eye surgery also cause symptoms of dry eyes.

If left untreated, dry eyes may cause mild or severe infection and swelling of the eyelids. Scars and redness may become permanent and you may suffer visual difficulties later on in life.

Should you experience dry eyes for prolonged periods, make an appointment with Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center and have your dry eyes treated medically. Your ophthalmologist will need a lifestyle medical history to determine the exact cause of your eye and it may help to have the following listed down before your appointment with our Dubai eye doctors.

• List of medications taken within the last month
• Types of food enjoyed daily and specially anything you may have had that is not normally included in your diet.
• Lifestyle changes – This might be an insignificant change

Once you have these listed down, it will be easier for your doctor to establish the cause of your dry eye and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan for the symptoms.

Conjunctivitis Dubai

A common problem with the eyes is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a thin transparent covering on the inside surface of the eyelid. Conjunctivitis is common amongst many individuals and is usually seen as a pinkish effect around the eyelids and can spread to many individuals in the same vicinity. Conjunctivitis is common in schools and offices, where individuals remain in closed spaces for long durations.

Conjunctivitis is not a serious, however if left untreated develops into serious visual problems. Conjunctivitis is a bacterial, viral, or chemical infection that affects the eye, either airborne or caused through chemical pollutants in the air. Bad eye makeup with chemical irritants is also sometimes responsible for conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is sometimes a symptom of sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Always consult your Dubai Eye Doctor for any type of eye infection to ensure your eyes are safe from danger.  

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis

• Itchy warm sensation in one or both eyes
• Swelling on the eyelids
• White discharge from one or both eyes with excessive tearing
• Redness in the infected eye
• Irritability to light

What are the causes of conjunctivitis?

There are a few reasons that could cause conjunctivitis in the eye. This could be due to seasonal allergies, infectious or chemically induced redness in the eye.

Conjunctivitis caused by Allergies

Conjunctivitis brought on by allergies is common among people living near farms and fields where the air contains dust and pores. Giant papillary conjunctivitis is another form of allergic conjunctivitis in which a large particle finds its way into the eye causing irritability and redness. This happens mainly to people who touch or rub their eyes often or wear contact lenses for a long time.

Conjunctivitis caused by infections

There are three types of infectious conjunctivitis:

Bacterial conjunctivitis caused by two types of bacteria streptococcal and staphylococcal. These two types of bacteria are found on the skin and respiratory systems of humans. It is therefore, easily transmitted through physical contact or air. Infectious conjunctivitis easily spreads among individuals in closed spaces or when in contact with an already infected person. You can be infected with Bacterial conjunctivitis by using contaminated make-up and eyewear.

Viral Conjunctivitis is associated with the common cold and could be a symptom of the flu. Viral infections of the lungs contaminates your respiratory tract, nose and eventually the connected tear ducts and throat. Viral conjunctivitis is a airborne disease as well.

Ophthalmia Neonatorum is a bacterial conjunctivitis that affects newborn babies. Newborns are at risk of contracting a bacterial infection when passing through a birth canal affected by Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. This type of infection is immediately treated to prevent serious visual problems in the future.

Chemical Conjunctivitis

Chemical Conjunctivitis is caused by chemical pollutants in the air, a type of redness and swelling can occur in the eye. High concentrations of chlorine, or chemical sprays like hair sprays and insect spray can seriously harm your eyes.  

How is conjunctivitis treated?

Each strain of conjunctivitis is treated differently and your doctor at Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center – vision correction solutions will examine the cause of your conjunctivitis before administering the right course of medication.

• Allergic conjunctivitis – Conjunctivitis caused be allergies is better prevented, as it is best to avoid the irritant or wear protective glasses during seasonal changes. Cool compresses will bring the swelling down. Artificial teardrops will relieve mild discomfort. For severe cases, antihistamine or anti-inflammatory medication, is prescribed by your eye doctor in Dubai. Steroid eye drops is prescribed, for severe persistent cases.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis – Antibiotic eye drops are available to treat bacterial infections and will generally take a few days to show results when the course is completed.
• Viral Conjunctivitis – viral infections will need to run its course as antibiotic drops or ointment does not cure this type of conjunctivitis. Symptoms may be reduced with the use of cool compresses, and tear drops. For severe pain or inflammation, a steroid eye drop will be prescribed. Some doctors treat eye infections with an iodine eyewash; the effectiveness of which is still not known.
• Chemical Conjunctivitis – When your eyes come in contact with chemicals, it is important to flush it out completely with cold water for many minutes. If the problem persists or severe pain is felt, visit an emergency room for immediate treatment. If left untreated, chemical conjunctivitis may cause partial or complete blindness. Visit an eye clinic Dubai to ensure that an ophthalmologist can look at it to prevent future visual problems.

Stargardt’s Disease

Ebsaar Eye Surgery Center is a specialized eye clinic in Dubai that sees patients with visual difficulties and diseases. Our eye clinic is always at the forefront of technology and research to ensure that all our visiting patients get the best eye care treatment available in Dubai. We treat many diseases related to the eyes like Cataracts, Glaucoma and see patients with low vision quality. We specialize in Lasik treatment as well as Keratoconus.

Stargardt’s disease, similar to Macular Degeneration, but is diagnosed in young children and adults as an inherited disease.

Stargardt’s disease scientifically referred to as fundus flavimaculatus or Stargardt’s Macular dystrophy (SMD). This affects approximately one in 10,000 individuals, defined by the loss of central vision early life not caused by external factors like the environment or nutrition.

The retina contains light sensitive cells rods and cones. Cones cells are sensitive to colour and are more concentrated in the center of the retina. This area of the retina also called the yellow spot. The rods, which are cells sensitive to black and white colour are in the peripheral region of the yellow spot and is responsible for black and white vision.

The retina is protected by a thin yellow covering of epithelial cells, made up of vitamin A. The outer skin of the retina, acts as natural sunglasses protecting the inner eye from harsh UV damage. Stargardt’s disease is when these epithelial cells degenerate and clump together forming dark yellow spots preventing light from reaching the retina. Usually the disease begins in the center of the retina, which is why it affects the central vision first. Gradually, the disease spread to the rest of the retina causing semi blindness and eventually complete blindness.

Studies suggest aggregation or “clumping” of vitamin A in the retina may be associated both with Stargardt’s disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These clumpy deposits are known as “vitamin A dimmers”.

Causes of Stargardt’s Disease

Stargardt’s disease is a hereditary disease that does not have a medical cure as yet The disease is transferred to children when both parents suffer from Stargardt’s Disease. Studies have revealed that the disease is caused by a mutation of a gene that is responsible for processing vitamin A in the eye. However, parents who are only carriers of the recessive gene also transfer this disease to the children.

How fast does Stargardt’s disease progress?

The progression of Stargardt’s disease differs from person to person and vision problems can begin in early childhood to late teens. However, in some cases the onset of the disease does not begin until mid adulthood. As Stargardt’s disease is the degeneration of light sensitive cells, some studies show that by protecting your eyes with proper prescription glasses or wearing medically prescribed sunglasses reduces the progress of this disease.

What are the treatments for Stargardt’s disease?

There are no known treatments so far for Stargardt’s disease. However, initial stem cell research has shown 100% improvement in rats that have a similar type disease. Phase 1 and 2 of the clinical trials began in 2011 and scientists are hopeful that a cure will be found to counteract the onset of Stargardt’s Disease.