Mud Runs Can Lead to a Loss of Eyesight
The fitness world is constantly going through trends and fads. These used to simply revolve around the latest diet or exercise routine but now, these trends are entering a different sort of territory. Recently, the exercise community has been obsessing over challenges that are meant to prove your strength of will, strength of character, and strength of body. These events are usually obstacle courses in which hundreds of people hurl themselves forward and push their bodies and minds to the limit, all while wading and running through mud that can be high as waist-level.
These events have clearly been exploding in popularity recently; I mean, how many friends of yours have taken part in a Spartan Race? However they also come with a downside that is rarely, if ever, discussed. There have been an increasing number of reports coming in about people getting sick and infected with bacteria and germs from these runs and I’m not just talking about things that are comparable to the common cold. The most recent story is of a woman who fighting for her life and eyesight against a serious case of necrotizing fasciitis that she picked up while doing a mud run earlier this month.
Not only is this woman in danger of losing her eyesight and/or life, but she’s also now stuck with over $100,000 in medical bills due to a lack of medical insurance. While her story is clearly an extreme example and shouldn’t be applied to all mud runs, the fact remains that these can cause far more serious injuries than sprains or broken bones. Last week, dozens of mud runners in France were hit by a brutal version of gastroenteritis that was caused by bacteria in the mud. In 2012, 22 runners in a Nevada mud race contracted diarrhea from animal feces in the water. While not all mud runs will make you sick, people should be aware that there are risks involved beyond physical pain.
For more information on this matter : https://www.yahoo.com/health/mud-run-leaves-woman-blind-in-the-eye-and-with-a-122422587708.html
Technology has truly come a long way in all aspects of our lives, especially in the field of medicine. Researches are rolling out a new app kit called “Peek” which allows to physicians to test a patients’ eyesight in remote areas around the world. Optometrists can use a smartphone device to conduct the tests, which have been proven to be just as accurate as the traditional letter chart we are all so familiar with. 
Everyone has been told at some point in their lives to eat carrots in order to improve their vision, and according to Cynthia Cupal. O.D., F.A.A.O., of the Fenton Vision Center, nutrition is a very important step in maintaining a healthy vision. Cupal believes that healthy eating habits are extremely important, especially for people who have a past of being treated for multiple diseases. In order to practice what she preaches, Cynthia herself leads a healthy life style. She is a certified raw food nutritionist, as well as a member of the Ocular Nutrition Society. The ONS is a nation wide group of optometrists that are dedicated to the prevention of ocular and systemic disease, and patient eye care. 
