Christina’s Project

BLINDNESS/VISUAL IMPAIRMENT RATE PER 1000: 17 YEARS AND YOUNGER

POLLEN ALLERGY AND DAILY LIFE

ALLERGY SEASON INCREASING

POLLEN ALLERGY – MY EYE SYMPTOMS  Discharge from eyes  Eye irritation  Eye pain  Eyelid swelling  Increased tear production  Increased sensitivity to light  Itchy eyes  Watery eyes

THE PROBLEM

SOME DISEASES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO MY PROBLEM  Allergic Conjunctivitis  Allergic reaction that causes inflammation of the conjunctiva.  Choroiditis  Inflammation of the part of the eye called the choroid (layer behind the retina). Usually only one eye is affected.  Conjunctival rash  Conditions of the conjunctiva which can cause rashes. KEYWORD – CONJUNCTIVA

WHAT MY DOCTOR SAYS  “I don’t know…”  “Usually people who have undergone plastic surgery [for double eyelids] are more prone to rare cases like this.”  I never had plastic surgery  Long term case  I am going to the doctor once a month  Have been prescribed steroids eye drops  4 drops everyday

STEROIDS  Effective in treating eye allergies  But reserved for severe symptoms that are unresponsive to other treatments  Side effects:  Elevated pressure (can lead to loss of vision)  Cataract (also loss/interference of vision)  Very effective only for short term treatment

MY QUESTIONS  Is it a genetic mutation?  Was I born with it?  Did I do something that formed it?  Is it going to grow as I grow?  Can it be surgically removed?  Will my eyesight worsen because of this?  What if this was something that the world had never seen before?

REFERENCES  CBC News. (2010, March 19). FAQ: Seasonal allergies: Something to sneeze at. CBC News. Retrieved from f-seasonal-allergies-symptoms.html  Health Grades, Inc. (2011, January 10). Eye symptoms. Retrieved from  Health Grades Inc. (2011, April 29). Allergic conjunctivitis. Retrieved from  Health Grades Inc. (2011, April 29). Choroiditis. Retrieved from  Health Grades Inc. (2011, April 29). Conjunctival disorders. Retrieved from  Health Grades Inc. (2011, April 29). Conjunctival rash. Retrieved from  LaFee, S. (2000, April 3). Eyes have it. In Eye implants could end blindness in foreseeable future. Retrieved May 18, 2011, from SIRS Discoverer database.  Majmudar, P. A. (2005, October 25). Eye allergies. Retrieved May 17, 2011, from  Moffett, T. (n.d.). Conjunctivitis. In What are the causes of eye diseases? Retrieved May 17, 2011, from about_ _causes-eye-diseases.html  National Eye Institute. (2011, May). Impairment in children and adolescents. In National eye institute. Retrieved May 29, 2011, from  Schwartz, D. (2011, May 24). Seasonal allergy: The four seasons of hay fever. CBC News. Retrieved from f-seasonal-allergy.html  Woody, J. R. (2011). Eye allergy (allergic eye disease). Retrieved May 21, 2011, from