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Safety glasses for the workshop

I have a small business making garden furniture out of reclaimed bits of metal in my workshop. I'm also shortsighted. But when you are working in the workshop, it's important that you can see exactly what you are doing, which is why I have been searching for prescription safety glasses. Although my normal glasses are good for most tasks, safety glasses can withstand severe forces without shattering and feels just like wearing my normal glasses. This blog has some different models of safety glasses compared for different workshop conditions, as well as some options for getting yourself fitted for prescription safety glasses.

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Safety glasses for the workshop

An Overview Of Pterygium

by Rachel Alexander

Pterygium is a condition that causes a benign growth to develop on the protective layer of mucous membrane situated on top of the white part of your eye. In severe cases, the growth can also cover the cornea, which causes loss of vision. It's not always possible to identify the cause of pterygium, but factors that increase your risk of developing this condition include exposure to environmental irritants and allergens, damage from UV rays and being regularly exposed to windy conditions, which can dry your eyes out. Here's an overview of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment approach for pterygium:

Symptoms

Pterygium can grow for a while before you begin to experience symptoms. Common early symptoms include blurred vision, redness around the eye and local irritation. As the condition progresses, you may experience a burning sensation and wearing contact lenses will cause discomfort. Additionally, floaters and flashes of light can appear in your peripheral vision, and you'll experience a gradual decline in your vision as the growth grows, particularly if it causes scarring to develop on the cornea.

Diagnosis And Treatment Approach

Your optometrist can diagnose pterygium during a routine eye exam using a slit lamp. This is a type of imaging device that allows your optometrist to see and capture magnified images of the relevant parts of your eyes. When you are diagnosed with pterygium, images of your eyes will be kept on file to allow the optometrist to determine if the growth has changed between eye exams.

Treatment for pterygium depends on the severity of your symptoms. Removing the growth is not recommended unless your vision is being affected. For small growths, corticosteroid eye drops and anti-inflammatories may be used to reduce discomfort. Growths that are affecting your vision can be removed, but there are risks associated with this surgery, as there are with all surgical procedures. You should discuss these risks, such as infection of the surgical site and damage to the surrounding eye tissue, with an ophthalmic surgeon. Surgical removal of a growth will restore your vision unless your cornea is severely damaged, in which case, you'll require a corneal transplant. Pterygium typically gets worse if left untreated, so ensuring the condition is treated early could save you having to wait years for a transplant.

If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, or if you're overdue for an eye test, schedule an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible. 

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