Herpes in my Eyes?

When you hear the word Herpes, your first thought may be of an STD. However, there are eight known strains of Herpes virus to which humans are susceptible and some can affect the eye.

Herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1) is the herpes virus most people think of when they think of herpes infections. It affects the mucus membranes, usually of the nose and mouth, but can also cause problems in the eye. Almost all of us have been exposed to this virus. This is the virus which causes fever blisters and cold sores. In the eye, it can cause inflammation and scarring; it usually affects the cornea, but can cause inflammation of all parts of the eye.

Varicella-Zoster virus is another Herpes virus which causes chicken pox and shingles. It goes by several other names including Herpes Zoster, HZV, and VZV. The initial infection with this virus results in an itchy rash (chicken pox); the reactivation of this virus results in a painful rash (shingles). If the virus reactivates near the eye, it can cause severe inflammation in the eye, with a risk of vision loss.

If you have never been exposed to any of these viruses, you are susceptible. You must come in contact with someone who is actively shedding the virus. By adulthood, more than ninety percent of us have been exposed to HSV-1 and VZV. If you have not been exposed in the past, you could theoretically “catch” one of these viruses if you came in contact with the active virus, but this is unlikely. To “catch” chicken pox from someone with shingles, you need to come in contact with a weeping skin lesion. To catch HSV, you need to come in contact with an infected body fluid (e.g. tears, saliva). For the diseases which cause eye problems, you cannot “catch” these viruses just by being in the same room with someone who has one. As with many common contagions, the best prevention is washing your hands.

Annual American Diabetes Association Step Out Walk Coming Up On October 24th

Finding a cure for diabetes is so important to us. It affects our patients, and all Americans, in so many negative ways:

• Diabetes has no cure.
• 20.8 million Americans, or 7% of the population, have diabetes.
• 400,000 Kentuckians have diabetes.
• Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body does not produce or properly respond to insulin, an essential hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy for daily life.
• Complications include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage and severe infections leading to amputations.
• Diabetes is a silent killer. It will kill more people in the U.S. this year than AIDS and breast cancer combined.

That’s why, each autumn, we help sponsor the American Diabetes Association Step Out Walk to help fund education and research and to find the cure for diabetes. This year the Louisville Walk will be held on Saturday October 24th at Riverfront Park.

We cordially invite, you, our patients, to participate in the Walk. Many staff members of The Eye Care Institute will participate. In fact, our practice CEO, Mark Prussian, is on the board of directors of the Louisville office of The American Diabetes Association. We hope you will say yes and join us for this important event. We plan to have a great time and support a truly worthy cause.

New Totally Rimless Frames in our Optical Shops

We are pleased to offer two new brands of totally rimless frames in our optical shops. We now carry Kawasaki brand rimless eyeglass frames and Eyephorics brand rimless frames. Our optical shops at our Story Avenue and Audubon Medical Plaza locations are open from 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. We offer leading designer frames as well as budget friendly frames. All of our lenses are customized for your specific vision needs. Please feel free to come browse in our optical shops.

Don't Give Me That Evil Eye!

Has someone given you the evil eye lately? That may be the term you use for an angry or jealous look but there is an ancient and widespread belief that some people cause toothaches, headaches, disease and death by a look. The belief is believed to have originated in Sumeria and is still prevalent in some parts of the world.

The evil is usually unintentional and caused by praising and looking enviously at the victim. However, in some parts of the world, it is believed that some people are malevolent and deliberately cast the evil eye. Blue or green-eyed people are considered most likely to cast the evil eye, perhaps due to a fear of strangers with light-colored eyes who were suspect among Mediterranean peoples. This belief is carried down to us with terms like “the green-eyed monster” for jealousy.

Even animals were accused. Some with unusual eyes – foxes, grasshoppers, snakes, fish, snails, toads – were often accused of wielding the evil eye. Their images worn on the body evolved into protections against it and are among the amulets and talismans that have been sold to counteract it. You may be wearing an item whose origin was protection. These include the Italian horn, a horseshoe and a blue bead. If you wear them because you think they are pretty, that’s O.K. To your good health and happiness!