The first known cornea transplantation is claimed to be performed in 1905 by Eduard Zirm (at the Olomouc Eye Clinic, now the Czech Republic), making it one of the first types of transplant surgery successfully performed. There is information in the literature, however, that back in the 1970s, the implantation of the lens inside the eye was often followed by severe edema, due to cell damage during the surgery. The need for a viscous, clear, physiologic lubricant to prevent such cells from scraping was getting evident. The first HA products are reportedly developed in the 1970s and 1980s and later approved for use in eye surgery in a variety of ways.

Nowadays, special hyaluronan solutions, known as ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs), are widely used in surgery on the surface and inside the eye to prevent dryness and to stimulate faster-wound healing. Medical grade hyaluronic acid and a number of its derivatives facilitate procedures, including vitreoretinal surgery, cataract surgery, anterior segment surgery, glaucoma surgery, and corneal transplantation.

In some cases, these products could be directly injected into the eye during surgical procedures to maintain the shape of the eye.

Other hyaluronic acid-based biomedical products (various kinds of eye cells and tissue implants or substitutes) have also been showing excellent biocompatibility, and tolerance, and encouraging efficacy in ophthalmic surgery. Some of them have been extensively studied and approved others are still being investigated in the long process of official clinical confirmation and results in verification.

Apart from its surgical application, hyaluronic acid in an aqueous solution, under the form of artificial tears, has proved to be an effective means of reducing dry eye symptoms and improving the vitality of the eye cells.

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It is well-known that hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in our bodies. It is responsible for giving us healthy skin and strong bones. Despite this, many scientists claim that high HA levels and taking HA supplements can cause cancer. On the other hand, some argue that young people who have naturally high HA proportion in their bodies usually have minimum chances of having cancer. You can find many intensive types of research with conflicting conclusions on this topic.

HA in Mouth Cancer

Recently, a study was conducted in Finland to investigate the role of HA in mouth cancer. At the end of the research, around 43% of patients with mouth cancer had died. Varied HA levels in patients were analyzed and it was concluded that hyaluronic acid is an early indicator of tumor progression. As it acts as a healing agent, it is produced more at the site of the tumor by damaged cells. This helps to track the stage of cancer a patient is suffering from.

Tumor Development & Hyaluronic Acid

There are several reports that state that cancer cells are spread in our bodies due to raised HA levels. Yes, it is true that a high proportion of medical-grade hyaluronic acid is directly linked with tumor progression but there is a clear difference between link and cause. You cannot say that oral HA medication causes cancer. A simple example to understand this can be the relationship between car accidents and the road. You can never blame the road for an accident. Similar is the relation between tumor development and hyaluronic acid.

If you research this topic on your own without little background knowledge, you are more likely to reach a wrong conclusion. This is because there are many reports in the medical literature that need further elaboration or supportive evidence to be considered valid. As for this topic, it is easy to find misleading and confusing statements in search engines and other resources. So, it is better to consult a reliable and expert doctor if needed.

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Nearly 50 % of the body’s HA is located in the collagen of skin and lips. Cosmetic-grade hyaluronic acid is an excellent skin moisturizer and its properties and functions contribute to increased smoothness and reduced wrinkling. It is also present in the joints – it acts as a shock absorber lubricating the fluid in the joint tissues.

HA is also claimed to remove or neutralize metabolic waste products resulting from the destruction of the cartilage, thus bringing relief from severe joint pain. This really omnipresent compound is a vitally important component of the human eye located in the vitreous fluid, where its content is reaching almost 80%. Beneficial effects have been reported of the supplementation with this substance on eye tissues, especially for people suffering from dry eyes. Medical grade hyaluronic acid is a substantial connective tissue component in the gums playing important roles in the regeneration of the gum tissue and reducing any inflammation that leads to bleeding gums. Recent research shows that the throat and other mucous membranes have large concentrations of HA.

Hyaluronic Acid is widely present in the connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, etc.) found everywhere in the body. Its major functions here are binding, support, protection, and insulation. It is located as well in the scalp and hair follicles, nourishing and hydrating the tissue which gives rise to hair.

Is it not incredible that the high presence of hyaluronic acid is found even in the fetal tissues! There it forms a very special substance in which embryonic cells have the perfect environment to develop and multiply rapidly. Could one light-heartedly say it is not essential to life?

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How hyaluronic acid benefits our eyes?

Effective Hyaluronic Acid Rich Eye Cream

You cannot get the best results by just using face or skin moisturizers and creams. This makes it important to choose wisely between different brands and qualities of eye creams available in the market. Of course, this choice depends more on your skin type and the problem you are facing, but hyaluronic acid, being a natural ingredient, is useful in almost every case. So, whenever it comes to buying an eye cream, make sure you check HA is in the ingredient list.

Although eye cream is mostly used to remove wrinkles and dark spots moisturizing that area is important to maintain skin health. This hydration is due to water in the cream, but hyaluronic acid is more effective here. HA molecules can absorb up to 1000 times more mass of water than themselves helping to stretch the skin and make it more elastic. As a result, rigidness, and wrinkles under the eyes cure. Perhaps, the most important benefit you can get by using HA-rich eye cream is that you are least likely to suffer from any side effects. Hyaluronic acid, being a natural substance, prevents eye irritation. For treating the skin under the eyes, you need a gentle eye cream that may not harm you. For that, natural product is at the top of the preference list. In short, HA-rich eye creams are more gentle, hydrating, and safe.

Advancing Eye Surgery with Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is the main lubricant and a very important component of the jelly-like substance within the eye. Due to its natural uses in maintaining proper eye functionality, HA is being used to improve eye surgery outcomes.

The eyes contain even more hyaluronic acid than your joints, which signifies that the compound has a heavy role to play in their normal functioning. Experts have researched the effects of using a variety of chemicals during eye surgeries to prevent side effects or make the surgery go smoother. One of the many compounds used to achieve this is hyaluronic acid – although HA, in particular, is completely safe, non-toxic, and natural. Hyaluronic acid is used in many procedures including cataract surgery, vitreous detachment, and corneal transplantation.

The vitreous humor is a gel-like substance that fills our eyes acting as a very important structural component. Of this component, there are some major sub-components including water, hyaluronic acid, and collagen. The collagen and sodium hyaluronate for the eyes binds together to make an intricate structure that functions – under normal circumstances – to keep the eye stable. Since medical-grade hyaluronic acid is so substantial to the inside eye, it is commonly injected during surgeries which would cause internal fluid to leak. Hyaluronic acid can be used to replace the lost vitreous humor and eventually serve as a component of the new vitreous humor in the future.

Hyaluronic acid is being used in cataract surgery to cushion the negative impacts on what is known as corneal epithelial cells – a layer of cells lining the inner cornea. Before hyaluronic acid was administered during these surgeries, the cornea’s epithelial cell count would drop an astonishing 45% post-surgery. After a scientist found that HA worked wonders on rabbit test subjects, the chemical was put on trial in South Africa. The results were absolutely remarkable, with only a 9% cell loss compared to the prior 45% cell loss without HA. After these results were confirmed, cataract surgery techniques and devices were immensely improved. Radical surgeries were undertaken and completed without the destructive side effects which would occur without hyaluronic acid.

A Passive Component to Sustain Intra-ocular Conditions

Not only does HA do a lot to actively aid in the process of many eye surgeries, but it also serves as a passive component that merely sustains intra-ocular conditions. Either way, HA has allowed scientists to bring the field of eye surgery to the next level by offering safe, useful, and tested benefits. It has given professionals a lot of room to experiment due to its wide-ranging benefits with respect to the eyes.

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