Although not strictly a contact lens as it ‘floats’ on the eye’s lens it is made of a collagen based material similar to a soft contact lens and is biocompatible, meaning the body will not reject it or cause any side effects. The ICL is designed to remain permanently in place and is anchored at its edges to the patients existing natural lens.

Why Use Implantable Contact Lenses?

Those with high myopia (short sight) or high hyperopia (long sight) may not be suitable for the more widely used Laser options which reshape the cornea. ICL or complete lens replacement surgery then become the most widely used options to correct visual impairment.

A significant advantage that ICL has over Laser eye surgery is that it is reversible or the ICL can be replaced with an ICL of different power. This is an important consideration as most people suffer from a deterioration in vision over a period of time as they age. Laser surgery is also governed by the shape of the eyeball. This is not a problem with implantable lenses.

What Is The Surgical Procedure for ICLs?

• Operations are carried out under general or local anaesthetics in an operating theater.
  
• The ICL is contained in a plastic injector then inserted through a small surgical incision in the cornea where it is aligned and anchored in front of your existing lens.
  
• The complete procedure is usually completed within thirty minutes.
  
• You can opt for having both eyes treated at the same time or allow an interval of two or three weeks between each procedure.
• After a short rest period to allow the effects of the anaesthetic to wear off you should be ready to be driven home. You should not drive yourself.

Is it Painful and What Are the After Effects?

It takes a little time for the brain to adapt to the new 20/20 vision that you will experience and in some cases bright lights may cause some discomfort but should only last a few days.

Wear sun glasses if necessary. Avoid heavy exercising and lifting for a week at least and most importantly you should not rub or put any pressure on your eyes until healing has completed usually about three weeks after the operation. You should find your vision will stabilise within a few days as the cornea heals.

What Are The Complications, If Any?

All invasive surgical procedures carry the risk of complications although in ICL surgery this is rare. Infections, glaucoma and the formation of cataracts are potential sight threatening complication but occurrences are rare and can be effectively treated.

It is important to have a regular eye check yearly after any eye surgery as the most common problem is the onset of glaucoma. Sufferers from glaucoma are unaware of any discomfort, which is why it is by far the most common condition leading to loss of eyesight but it is easily controllable with painless laser surgery and regular eye drops if caught in time.

Occasionally the results of the procedure are not quite as expected with some degree of short or long sight remaining. This can be corrected by laser treatment normally after around ten weeks later when the effects of the ICL surgery have settled down.

Is ICL Right For You?

After a complete examination by your eye specialist you should discuss all the options open to you for remedying your visual impairment. Laser or Lazik treatment has been around for years giving excellent results with very few problems reported, it is also much less expensive than the ICL procedure.

However if you are considered unsuitable for laser treatment then ICL is a viable option. The first ICL procedures were launched in 1996, at that time any long term consequences were not known, with the passage of time and the improvements in technique and materials it seems safe to say that no long term will be experienced.

Summary
That so many sufferers from severe visual impairment can now have the option of experiencing perfect, or near perfect, eyesight without the likelihood of any detrimental after effects is a major advance.

If you have been considered unsuitable for laser do not be put off by the cost With an ever increasing number of eye specialists offering the Implantable Contact Lens procedure many practitioners are now offering deferred payment plans.

The Intac implants can be replaced to correct the changes in vision that occurs normally with age, or they can be removed altogether.

Micro-thin synthetic intercorneal rings are surgically implanted into the cornea to change its´ curvature resulting in a correction or reduction in the myopia.

The procedure is also used in the treatment of Keratoconus, a degenerative condition where the cornea becomes thin and more conical resulting in distorted and multiple vision.

Vision will improve within a few days of the surgery but while the healing process takes place vision may fluctuate for up to three months before settling down.

The results of Intac implants have shown excellent improvement in vision, cannot be felt, require no maintenance and are less visible than contact lenses.

To date, of the few that have had the Intac implants removed, there has been no indication of problems occurring when alternative corrective eye surgery has taken place. If contemplating this procedure you should check with your eye consultant that no problem cases have yet come to light.

Although we are aware that our bodies need regular exercise and a healthy diet to keep fit and look good we tend to overlook the needs of our eyes until they begin to fail and common eye  problems occur. What we should be doing is feeding our eyes with the correct foods.

Maintaining a good standard of physical health through exercise and diet is not only good for the body but is also beneficial to vision.

However the eyes need their own extra attention to delay, or even prevent, the onset of the many vision irregularities that can occur as we go through life.

Natural eye beauty and vision are so closely associated with each other that that it is safe to say that whatever diet or exercises are good for one will also benefit the other.

The Food We Should Eat

The effect of long term free radical damage is considered to be the greatest contributor to age related health problems and that includes vision problems.

We all know that as we age our eyesight is likely to deteriorate.

We are most likely to become increasingly long sighted, meaning we need visual aids for close work such as reading small print, short sight can worsen, the onset of cataracts may occur, this is when the lenses in the eyes can begin to gradually cloud over, and unless treated can causer blindness.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in those over 65.

Pressure of the fluid in the eye ball can increase, this condition is known as glaucoma and it also can lead to blindness, you may not even know that you have the problem as there are no obvious symptoms so however sharp you feel your vision is, get regular eye check ups at least every two years, particularly as you get older.

These and other related vision problems may be delayed or avoided by including in your diet regular foods rich in essential carotenes, flavonoids, lutein and other beneficial natural substances that act as antioxidants.

These foods include-:

• Eggs
• Fresh fruits. Try to eat two or three servings a day
• Spinach, Broccoli and Kale and other green leaf vegetables best eaten uncooked (many are good in salads), otherwise steamed
• Red vegetables especially carrots, best uncooked otherwise steamed
• Berries and nuts. Blueberries prunes and raisins are very good
• Seafood

Supplements to Add to your Diet

Take Fish oil supplements daily or eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc., two or three times a week. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and other foods may reduce the risk of AMD. You could try DHA Fish Oil

Include a daily supplements containing Vitamins C, E, Beta-carotene and Zinc in your diet.

However, there is some evidence that vegetable oils may increase the risk of vision problems so limit your intake.
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Sagging brows and drooping lids can be surgically treated surgically or with regular Botox injections. The third way is to defy gravity with simple exercises that lift and tighten the area around the eyebrows and lids.

With patience and setting aside a few minutes everyday you can achieve an age defying and totally natural look by toning and strengthening the muscles surrounding the eyes.

Exercising those muscles  will reverse the ongoing droopiness and restore a youthful appearance to probably your most noticed feature.

Exercise 1 for Eyebrow Lift

• Place the two middle fingers of each hand just under each eyebrow with the palms lying flat but gently on your face.
  
• With your eyes remaining open, use your fingers to very gently exert upward and outward pressure for about five seconds before using the muscles above your eyes to press your brows down against your fingers for a further five seconds while your eyes still stay open.
  
• Repeat up to ten times.

Exercise 2 Eyebrow Lift

• With your fingers and thumbs together place the palm of your hands over your eyes with the heels of your hands just under or on your cheek bone.
  
• Gently rotate your hands clockwise ten times then anticlockwise ten times without taking your hands of the surface of your face.
  
• Repeat up to ten times. This exercise is also great for helping to relax after too much time at the computer or watching TV.

Exercise 3 Eyebrow Lift

• Start by looking straight ahead.
  
• Look up as far as you can without moving your head. This will cause your forehead to wrinkle as you use the muscles around the eyebrows.
  
• Hold for five seconds and then look down for five seconds.
  
• Repeat up to ten times. You will feel the muscles in the eye area working and don’t worry that this exercise will cause wrinkles on your forehead, its more likely to tighten that area up as a bonus.

Results

This is where you will need patience as it is unlikely that you will see any noticeable results for at least four weeks but if you persevere you will eventually be rewarded with a definite improvement as that tired sagginess begins to give way a younger, more vital looking, you.

However the health of your eyes is often ignored until a serious problem arises. Most eye problems last only a couple of days but if any symptoms last longer you should consult your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Below is a list of the most common eye problems that you may experience at one time or another.

Eye Tic

Having your eye constantly twitching is very annoying but usually harmless. Most of the time it can only be felt by you and not seen by anyone else.
Possible causes could be:-

• Stress - Everyone suffers from stress overloads at some time and we all deal with it in different ways. If you are suffering from eye tics you should try to locate the source of stress and find ways to alleviate it.
• Nerves - Associated with stress, you may find that your eyes begin to twitch if you are facing an exam or interview.
• Tiredness - If you are always tired you should consult your medical practitioner to rule out a possible medical condition. However tiredness is usually the result of not getting enough sleep.

Pink Eye

Known as conjunctivitis, this unpleasant and often painful ailment is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which can be treated.

Possible causes could be:-

• Too much caffeine – about 250 milligrams of caffeine is considered to be a reasonable amount to take in any one day. Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, cola drinks and chocolate.

Itchy Eyes

When your eyes itch its natural to rub them, but this only aggravates the condition and makes them red and sore looking.
Possible causes could be:-

• Pink eye – as above
• Blepharitis
• Dry eye syndrome
• Allergies – Allergic conjunctivitis is inflammation of the tissue lining the eyelids (conjuctiva) due to a reaction from allergy causing substances such as pollen. The obvious solution is to withdraw the offending substance if possible. Also you may suffer from a reaction to certain eye makeups such as mascara allergy.
• Wearing eye makeup is an essential part of many womens daily routine, but it may be wise to take note of these eye safety tips.

Tired Eyes

Possible causes could be:-

• Dry eye syndrome
• Computer vision syndrome
• Farsightedness – A common vision problem, hyperopic, where people can see distant objects well but are not able to focus on near objects. Can also cause headaches and eyestrain but can be corrected with glasses or contact lens.
• Astigmatism – Blurred vision  usually caused by an irregularly shaped cornea but can be corrected with glasses or contact lens.

Floaters

Floaters are those irritating little dark specs that you see in the background of your eye intermittently. Many people get them but if you see flashing lights or sudden pulses of bright light you should seek immediate medical advise.

Possible causes could be:-

• Detached retina – a serious condition in which the retina becomes detached from the under lying tissue.
• Diabetic retinopathy – a progressive eye disease which can lead to blindness.
• Posterior vitreous detachment – a common condition which causes the jelly-like substance of the eye to change. This usually occurs in older people.
• Glaucoma – the optic nerve is damaged and this leads to vision deterioration an blindness unless caught in time.
• Age – as we age we are more likely to get floaters.
• Medication – there are reports of some medication causing floaters.
• Eye Injury -  people who are hit in the eye may suddenly see floaters.