Eyes are the window to the soul

Knowing about people’s health through eyes has always been useful for doctors. Moreover, people often say that eyes are the window to the soul. It seems that Professor Jin Zhang, from University of Western Ontario, has taken that into account, he created new contact lenses that might be a release for diabetic patients. The lenses are made by embedded nano-particles into hydrogel. The great part in this is that the nano-particles react to the blood found in the tears. According to the level of sugar in the blood, the lenses change colors, warning the wearer that his or her levels of glucose have changed.

Thank to this new device, diabetic people will have the opportunity to avoid the uncomfortable process of self-monitoring and taking blood samples throughout the day. Regarding this, professor Zhang points out that “There is a need for a non-invasive measure to detect the levels of glucose, instead of taking a blood sample,”

Personally, I think that the device is great since it improves people’s quality of life. The only problem that can come up with the lenses is the cost. Maybe, people with low incomes will have to wait for months or even years until the can get their pair of contact lenses. 

In this video you can learn more about contact lenses technology in general. And from minute 1:44 you will find specific information about this topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK9F221JF48 

Medicine for your eyelashes

Lumigan is an ophthalmic solution commonly used by people with open-angle glaucoma, to regulate high eye pressure. Human body produces a fluid called prostamides which, in the eyes, have the function of regulating the pressure by opening drainage canals. Lumigan plays the role of prostamides in people who have eyesight problems.

However, this solution has been recently used with esthetic purposes. Lumigan turned to have side effects such as increasing the amount of brown pigment in the iris. Even though this is not a dangerous process as it is not related to cancer, the side effects are not normal whatsoever. In addition to that, the medicament darks not only the eyelid skin, but also the eyelashes.

As many of you might know, eyelashes have been the subject of esthetic industry for long time, to solve women´s attractiveness problem. Lumigan has been reported to make eyelashes grow longer, darker, and thicker. Putting these two facts together, we have as a result the use of Lumigan to make eyelashes grow. In other words, women are using medicine to solve beauty issues. Won’t it be hazardous?  Despite the fact that studies don´t related to cancer, they don’t show what it can cause in the long term. Would you use it in order to look prettier?

Look this photos with the "before and after Lumigan application"