The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-03-25
Keeping Up
WNj&l6S@eien{Fe
You Need Not Stop
Reading in Order
to Rest the Eyes
Good Advice Given
by Ophthalmologist
g Science Service.-WNU Service.

Cambridge, Mass. = Read
when, where and how you like,
but insist on sufficient illumina-
ton, use glasses if glasses are
necessary, and have a periodic
eye examination every two or
three years.
This is the fundamental principle
for the care of the eyes, DR.. Theo-
dore L. Terry, instructor in ophthal-
mology at the Harvard medical
school, declared in an address here.
Do not try to save your vision by
avoiding reading, sewing or the
movies, he advised, because eyes do
not wear out. It is disease, he de-
clared, that destroys vision.
To avert disease he advised pc
riodic examinations. Often, he said,
diseased conditions can be discov-
cred in such examinations before
the patient notices any symptoms.
Naturally the eyes are then much
more amenable to early treatment
than when the maladies progress
so far that the patient is aware
that something is very wrong.
Some Danger Signals.
Aside from these regular exam
nations, however, DR.. Terry also
urged examinations when any blur
ring of vision, Inflammation or pain
in the eyes, or headaches related to
their use, is noticed. Important
danger signals, he warned, are rain
bow-like halos around artificial
lights, and blurred vision early in
the morning which clears as the
day advances.
Any eye examination, he empha-
sized, should invariably include
general survey of the eye as whole
because that organ very frequently
can be used as barometer of dis
ease in some other part of the body.
At times, he said, evidence of other
dangerous diseases have been found
in eye examinations, and, again,
many are amenable to treatment if
discovered early. Included among
diseases of this type, he cited, are
kidney disorders, tuberculosis, syph-
Ills, various blood diseases, several
types of poisons and even brain
tumorS.
The Eye Grows.
Periodic check-ups, he continued,
are also important to meet changing
conditions of the eye, for that organ,
like the fingernails and the hair, has
the ability to grow throughout life.
Thus, even adults occasionally need
changes of glasses, possibly every
two years. If glasses need to be
changed every few months, he
warned, it may be the beginning OF
a serious disease, maybe glaucoma,
diabetes or cataract.
While improper glasses do not
produce permanent damage to the
eyes, except in the case of crossed
eyes or possibly in nearsightedness,
they may be responsible for ocular
fatigue, sleepiness and headaches.
Concerning crossing of the eyes,
DR.. Terry said that in many in
stances it can be corrected by
glasses if they are used soon after
the condition begins, even in chill
dren eighteen months of age. An
operation corrects the appearance
but does not restore normal eye
condition. A misalignment in the
adult, he said, is usually due to a
spasm or paralysis of one or more
of the eye-turning muscles and may
indicate serious trouble.
Most common cause of blindness
after middle age, he said, is glau-
coma, an abnormally high pressure
in the eye. While it may be due to
disease or injury, frequently no
cause is evident. Usually the dis
ease gives no warning until it is too
late although halos around lights,
faulty vision in the morning, or
painful eyes and headaches may oc-
cur. Invariably it leads to blind
ness without adequate treatment
ranging from the use of drops to
repeated operations.