SAS 9

• Hyperopia is a refractive error, which means that the eye does not bend or refract light properly to a single focus to see images clearly.
• In hyperopia, distant objects look somewhat clear, but close objects appear more blurred.
• Presbyopia is when your eyes gradually lose the ability to see things clearly up close.
• Presbyopia is a normal part of aging and is often first noticed shortly after age 40.
• Myopia is a common vision condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry.
• Myopia occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.
• Scotomas is an area of partial alteration in the field of vision consisting of a partially diminished or entirely degenerated visual acuity that is surrounded by a field of normal – or relatively well-preserved – vision.
• Double vision or diplopia is a condition where the eyes point in different directions.
• Strabismus is when your eyes are not lined up properly and they point in different directions.
• Blurring, redness, itching, discharge, pain, tearing, edema, lesions, visual disturbances, and photophobia are common symptoms of eye conditions.
• Eye History, Family History, Lifestyle Habits, and Health Assessment are important aspects of a comprehensive eye examination.
• A patient who can see objects that are near but is not able to see objects from afar has Myopia.
• Variations and abnormalities of the eyelids include Ptosis, Entropion, Ectropion, Lid retraction and exophthalmos.
• A patient who has hyperthyroidism can have Ectropion.
• Patients should remember to wash their hands when inserting or removing lenses, to wear and remove them as prescribed by the health care provider, and to keep them clean and not share contacts.
• When teaching a patient who is going to use contact lenses for the first time, the nurse must teach the patient that prior to the application of the contact lenses the patient must clean the contact lenses.
• Nystagmus is the fine rhythmic oscillations of the eyes.
• The patient can be declared legally blind if the patient has a visual acuity of 20/200.
• The components of the eye examination include Vision tests, Inspection of the eye, eyebrows, lids, conjunctiva and sclera, cornea, lens, iris, and pupils, and Extraocular movements: assessment of cardinal fields, convergence, corneal light test, cover – uncover test.
• A nurse is assessing a patient who has Bell’s Palsy and observes for the drooping of the eyelid of the affected side.
• When the nurse is assessing a 4-year old child, she has noticed that the child has an eye misalignment.
• Opacities of the Cornea and Lens include Corneal arcus, Corneal scar, Pterygium, Nuclear cataract, and Peripheral cataract.
• Excessive tearing of the eyes can be commonly caused by Nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
• If patients are using solutions, they should discard unused portions at the expiration date.
• Infections can occur and injure the eye if contact lenses are not taken care of properly.
• Visual acuity is expressed as two numbers (e.g., 20/30): the numerator indicates the distance of the patient from the chart and this number should always be 20 unless the patient moved closer to see, and the denominator is the distance at which a normal eye can read the line of letters.
• Testing near vision with a special hand-held card, the Rosenbaum chart, helps identify the need for reading glasses or bifocals in patients older than 45 years.
• The external eye examination includes Inspecting the eyebrows, noting their quantity and distribution and any scaliness of the underlying skin, and Position and Alignment of the Eyes: Stand in front of the patient and survey the eyes for position and alignment.
• Screening tests for detecting strabismus and amblyopia include simple inspection, the cover uncover test, corneal light reflex and visual acuity tests.
• Lid lag as the eyes move from up to down should be noted.
• The activities and environment in which people work and play should be assessed and precautions taken to avoid eye injury and promote healthy habits.
• The nurse would examine the patient’s eyes without dilating the pupils, limiting the view to the posterior structures of the retina.
• A crescentic shadow on the medial side of the iris is normally not visible due to the iris being normally fairly flat and forming a relatively open angle with the cornea.
• To see more peripheral structures, to evaluate the macula well, or to investigate unexplained visual loss, ophthalmologists dilate the pupils with mydriatic drops unless this is contraindicated.
• Changes in vision shift with age, and amblyopia, also known as ―lazy eye‖, affects approximately 2 – 4% or preschool children.
• Strabismus is eye misalignment, and these are found most frequently in infants and children up to 5 years old.
• The size, shape, and symmetry of the pupils should be inspected, and if the pupils are large (5 mm), small (<3 mm), or unequal, they should be measured with a pupil guide.
• Eye injuries and trauma can occur in the home, during recreational activities, and in the place of employment, and protective eyewear should be utilized when there is a chance of injury to the eye.
• The extraocular movements should be assessed, looking for the normal conjugate movements of the eyes in each direction, or any deviation from normal.
• The iris should be inspected at the same time, with clearly defined markings.