<ul class="summary-list"><li>Iranians are selling their organs on Telegram in the face of harsh economic realities.</li><li>Insider reviewed Telegram listings showing people selling their livers, corneas, and testicles.</li></ul><p>As Iran grapples with rocketing inflation and widespread poverty, some are resorting to desperate measures to try to get out of debt: selling their bodies, part by part.</p><p>Insider has reviewed dozens of messages on the Telegram app, widely used in Iran, which appear to show impoverished Iranians advertising a range of organs for sale, with many citing debts and risk of bankruptcy as their reasoning for making such dramatic decisions.</p><p>Selling kidneys is legal in Iran, unlike in other countries, but transactions are regulated and the sale of other organs is forbidden.</p><p>However, messages reviewed by Insider — of which there are hundreds — appear to show a booming online black market of people selling everything from their livers to their bone marrow.</p><p>Perhaps the most shocking sales pitch is from a man advertising his testicles for sale. That listing read: "Selling testicles, 25 years old, blood type O+, left or right testicle (doesn't matter), I am selling because of debt."</p><p>Another listing also advertised testicles for sale, with the man offering to travel to nearby cities for the transplant surgery for the right price.</p><p>The listings appear on three separate Telegram channels, and follow a similar format: the organ for sale, the gender of the intended donor, their blood type, the proposed price, a location, and a brief overview of their medical history.</p><p>One 33-year-old man listed himself as selling his stem cells, bone marrow, and the corneas of his eyes, adding that he is doing so "due to financial problems and bankruptcy."</p><p>Another individual, 31, listed his liver for sale for 900 million Iranian Rials, the equivalent of $21,301.78.</p><p>How many of these sales or transplants have gone through is unclear, but Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, John J. Kuiper Chair in Nephrology and Renal Transplantation at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told Insider he finds the whole thing beyond belief.</p><p>He added: "You don't take corneas from living people, I can't believe you would do that."</p><p>Iran is the only country in the world where it is legal to exchange an organ for money. It can only be a kidney, and it must be done in coordination with a government foundation, with limits on the compensation offered.</p><p>Nonetheless, sellers and donors regularly circumvent the legally-approved process, opting instead for potentially more profitable under-the-table deals, according to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9266983/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 2022 study in the journal Transplant International.</a></p><p>It's also illegal for kidneys to be sold outside of Iran because this would amount to organ trafficking, or even to non-Iranians in Iran.</p><p>But according to <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202201144662">Iran International</a>, desperate Iranians have been going to Iraq to sell their kidneys, and others are being led by middlemen to travel to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey to sell other body parts.</p><p>It's unclear from the Telegram messages whether these listings, which appear in Farsi, the Iranian language, are targeted at international clients or Iranians.</p><p>According to Karmel Melamed, an Iranian-American journalist, it's not a new phenomenon for Iranians to circumvent the official avenues to sell their kidneys, nor is it unheard of for people to sell other organs. What's changed, he said, is how the economy appears to be making it more common.</p><p>"The only difference between the situation today and in the past is that the economic situation is worse today in Iran because of the rampant corruption and hyperinflation caused by the Ayatollah regime there," Melamed told Insider.</p><p>He added that the struggling economy in Iran has led to much of the population being unable to afford food or household staples, leading some to decide to "sell their organs to feed themselves and their families."</p><p>Iran has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, with economic forecasts anticipating hyperinflation in the coming months.</p><p><a href="https://www.economicsobservatory.com/what-are-the-big-economic-challenges-facing-the-government-in-iran">The economy has been hammered by COVID-19, international sanctions, as well as by corruption.</a> And the poorest are suffering particularly, with <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202303144804">the cost of many food items going up more than 50% since mid-2022.</a></p><p>Beni Sabti, who was born in Tehran and is a researcher into Iranian social networks at The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said financial hardships were forcing poorer Iranians to do anything to stay afloat.</p><p>"You cannot believe how the economic situation is that bad in Iran," he told Insider. "Iranians make this very bad compromise with the regime, with their lives, and they are ready to sell their organs to live another day."</p>

Iranians are putting their livers, corneas, and testicles up for sale on Telegram to pay off debts amid rocketing inflation and poverty

<ul><li>Researchers have made a unique gel that can be used as ink for the 3D printer.</li><li>This ink was then used to print 3D human cornea.</li><li>It takes about 10 minutes to print the whole eye using the new bio-ink.</li></ul>Scientists have <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/in-a-first-scientists-create-3d-printed-human-corneas-that-could-treat-blindness/1186520/">developed</a> a technology to 3D print human corneas, which could be a solution to treating different forms of blindness. Currently, doctors often face a shortage of donors for transplants, with yearly requirements crossing 10 million.<br /><br />Almost 180 million people around the world suffer from visual disabilities, according to <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs213/en/">WHO</a>. And, almost 5 million people suffer from total blindness due to burns lacerations, abrasions and diseases of the cornea.<br /><br />A study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014483518302124">Experimental Eye Research</a>, details how stem cells from a healthy donor were used to make material used for printing, called a “bio-ink”. The bio-ink is used to print out the corneas, and the whole process takes just ten minutes.<br /><br /><br />
  
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<br />The researchers have made a gel, which can hold the stem cells while producing a cast that is stiff enough to hold the cells in place, but is also soft enough to be used as printer ink. <br /><br />Further, the researchers say they can make corneas pertaining to a user’s unique specifications. The dimensions of the cornea can be scanned from the patient's eye and then be used to rapidly print a replacement that matches the shape and size of the patient. <br /><br />Researchers said that the solution cannot be directly implemented in medical sciences as of now, but have a lot of future potential. Further testing is going on right now and it may take several years before this technology actually comes to market though. “What we have shown is that it is feasible to print corneas using coordinates taken from a patient’s eye and that this approach has potential to combat the worldwide shortage”, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/in-a-first-scientists-create-3d-printed-human-corneas-that-could-treat-blindness/1186520/">said</a> Che Connon a professor at <keyword id="221176" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Newcastle-University">Newcastle University</keyword> in the UK, who led the research.<br />

Scientists have developed a way to 3D-print corneas for human eyes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Steph Carrasco needed emergency surgery when her itchy eye turned out to be a corneal ulcer. </li><li>Corneal ulcers are open sores on the layer of the eye that covers the iris and pupil. </li></ul><p>A 25-year-old woman nearly lost her eye after what she thought was an itch caused by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/contacts-vs-glasses"><u>contact lenses</u></a> turned out to be an ulcer.</p><p>Steph Carrasco, who is a recruitment consultant based in Wales, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66830112"><u>Wales News Service</u></a> she needed emergency cornea transplant surgery to save her eye.</p><p>An eye or corneal ulcer is an open sore on the cornea, which is the layer that covers the iris and pupil.</p><p>Corneal ulcers are usually caused by an infection or severe dry eye, but those who wear contact lenses may be particularly at risk if they don't clean their lenses correctly or leave them in too long, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10737-contacts"><u>Cleveland Clinic</u></a>.</p><p>People who have or have had cold sores, shingles, chicken pox, use steroid eye drops, have dry eyes, or eyelid disorders that prevent proper functioning of the eyelid are also at risk, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.</p><h2>Symptoms of corneal ulcers include redness, pain, and swelling</h2><p>Common symptoms include eye redness, severe pain, the feeling of having something in your eye, pus or other discharge, swelling, and a white spot on the cornea.</p><p>Carrasco sought medical help because her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/itchy-eyes"><u>eye was itchy</u></a>, but her "quick thinking and thorough" optometrist, Jack Brenton, identified that it was an ulcer, and made sure she didn't leave until he had made arrangements with a hospital for immediate treatment, she said.</p><p>She spent the next week in hospital where healthcare workers tried to reduce the size of the ulcer by administering 72 eye drops a day. However, Carrasco ultimately needed surgery.</p><p>Most corneal ulcers heal within two to three weeks when treated with anti-infective eye drops, or oral medication, but in rare cases like Carrasco's, a corneal transplant is needed.</p><p>"By the time I was admitted to hospital, I could barely see. It was terrifying," Carrasco said. Hospital staff told her that the bacteria in her eye was so "harsh" that had it been left any longer, she would have lost the eye completely.</p><p>Three weeks after the surgery, Carrasco's vision has improved, and her doctors expect her to have made a full recovery by October.</p><p>"I just feel incredibly lucky to have had Jack and the hospital's medical team there to help when I needed them the most," she said.</p><p>Insider previously reported that a man who wore the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/professor-went-viral-not-taking-out-contacts-for-3-years-2023-6"><u>same pair of lenses for three years</u></a> non-stop developed permanent astigmatism and buildup behind his eyelids.</p>

A 25-year-old almost lost her eye after an itchy contact lens turned out to be an ulcer caused by 'harsh' bacteria 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A contact lens wearer may never see from his left eye again after a rare parasite infected him.</li><li>Doctors told Mike Krumholz it may have entered his eye after he napped in his contacts.</li></ul><p>A college student may never see out of his left eye again after he was infected by a rare parasite. </p><p>Mike Krumholz, 21, who lives in Florida, told Insider that he napped for around 40 minutes after his shift at a children's aftercare center on December 19 last year while wearing daily disposable <a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-eye-parasite-swimming-contacts-acanthamoeba-keratitis-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact lenses</a>. He then had a <a href="https://www.insider.com/man-went-blind-one-eye-from-parasite-showering-with-contacts-2019-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shower,</a> took his contacts out, and went to sleep.</p><p>A month later, doctors diagnosed him with a rare but serious eye infection that can cause blindness, called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/acanthamoeba-parasite-will-eat-your-eyeballs-if-you-wear-contacts-2012-9?r=US&amp;IR=T&amp;_gl=1*10vmylt*_ga*MjA1ODA2NDMxOS4xNjUyNDMxMjMx*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY3ODcyMDU2MC41NzYuMS4xNjc4NzIxMDcxLjAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Acanthamoeba keratitis.</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/acanthamoeba/gen_info/acanthamoeba_keratitis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Symptoms</a> of the infection include: eye pain, redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, the sensation of something in the eye, and excessive tearing.</p><p>According to Krumholz, sleeping with contacts, even for a short time, may have enabled the microscopic Acanthamoeba organism to infect the outer covering of his eye, called the cornea.</p><p>Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is hard-to-treat and diagnose, is most common in contact lens wearers, but anyone can get it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, one out of every 500 contact lens users develops a serious eye infection that can lead to blindness every year, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/fast-facts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CDC states</a>.</p><p>The CDC recommends taking steps such as removing contact lenses before any activities involving water such as: showering, using a hot tub, or swimming to prevent an Acanthamoeba keratitis infection. They also warn against sleeping in them as it can increase the risk of infection.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Anat Galor, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told Insider that bacteria, fungi, or parasites that live in the environment can grow on contact lenses. Generally, they're safe when worn and cared for properly, Galor, also a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Miami, said.</p><p>"It could just be a coincidence, and it could just be from showering in it, but my doctors believe that it's from sleeping in it," Krumholz, who shared his story to raise awareness, said.</p><p>"I know that I'm never gonna see fully again, but I don't know how much of my vision I'm gonna get back," he said. </p><div type="image" title="Krumholz eye" height="620" width="828" msid="99216133" hostid="261" sizebytes="28358"></div><h2>Krumholz initially thought allergies caused his itchy eye</h2><p>Krumholz woke up the day after the nap with an itchy, "gunky" eye that felt worse in the daylight, and a runny left nostril. He took his allergy medications because he thought he was having a reaction to his family's dogs, but that didn't help.</p><p>Krumholz, a self-described sports nerd, played baseball for his college team that day, but his left eye felt "irritated."</p><p>The next day, Krumholz visited an optometrist, who immediately referred him to a specialist. That specialist thought his eye was infected with<a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/herpes-keratitis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Herpes simplex,</a> the virus that causes cold sores, and prescribed him antiviral medication. Acanthamoeba keratitis can be easily misdiagnosed as Herpes simplex because it causes similar symptoms, according to<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7298357/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> research</a>.</p><h2><strong>Krumholz saw flashing lights like he was in a nightclub, but he was in his room</strong></h2><p>Despite treatment, Krumholz's eye became so inflamed that it forced shut and he was screaming in pain.</p><p>"It got to the point where there was such severe flashing in my eye that it looked like I was at a nightclub when I'm just sitting in the dark in my room," he said. </p><p>Krumholz said he got scared and went to see another doctor, who also thought Herpes simplex virus was the culprit, and increased the number of antivirals he was on.</p><h2>Doctors thought it was herpes, until he tested positive for a parasite infection</h2><p>On January 31, over a month after he first noticed symptoms, doctors called him to say a scraping taken from his eye on January 17 tested positive for Acanthamoeba, and prescribed him new eye drops.</p><p>About a week later on February 10, doctors performed light therapy to stop the infection progressing and strengthen the cornea's collagen, and took healthy tissue from the white part of his eye to try to heal the infected cornea.</p><p>After about a week, doctors told him that the eye was healing.</p><p>However, his symptoms left him "trapped" in his bedroom for weeks, shuttered off in the darkness, with hurricane blinds pulled down for about a month.</p><h2><strong>Krumholz gets e</strong>ye pain and headaches that feel 'like a lightning bolt' </h2><p>Krumholz said that he still gets excruciating pain that feels "like a lightning bolt" traveling from the back of his head to the top and into his left eye, lasting for around 30 minutes. It then eases to become "uncomfortable," like "sand in your eye," for the next 24 hours. An ice pack provides seconds of relief, he said. </p><p>"I take maybe one or two Advil per year, that's how much I dislike medicine and now I take pain medicine every two hours or so," he said. "It's just the most extreme and uncomfortable pain ever."</p><p>According to Krumholz, doctors told him that in the "best case" scenario he'll be free of the parasite within six months, when he can undergo a corneal transplant to get rid of the part of his eye that was infected and likely damaged by the strong drugs used to treat it. In a <a href="https://twitter.com/KeysToTheBank/status/1636730718628839428">tweet</a> in March, he said the transplant should restore some of his vision. </p>

A college student who slept in contact lenses went blind in one eye after he was infected by a parasite

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers restored vision in a group of 20 patients using an eye implant made from pigskin.</li><li>The implant can help thicken a damaged cornea, the protective outer layer of the eye.</li></ul><p>Eye implants made from pigskin have restored vision in people with blindness or severe vision impairment, according to a study published August 11 in <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41587-022-01408-w">Nature Biotechnology</a>. </p><p>Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden and Tehran University of Medical Sciences worked with 20 patients from Iran and India with damage to the cornea clear, the protective outer layer of the eye. Of those patients, 14 were blind.</p><p>The research team used pigskin to create a material that would help thicken and protect the cornea to restore the eyes' function, Neil Lagali, co-author of the study and professor of experimental ophthalmology at Linköping University, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/eye-implant-pig-protein-restored-sight-blind-people-rcna42681">NBC News</a>. </p><p>The resulting eye implant was so effective that three of the patients had perfect vision after the surgery, and 19 out of the 20 patients had at least some improvement to their vision. After two years of follow-up, patients hadn't rejected the tissue or experienced other complications, although some patients had more vision improvements than others. </p><p>Previously, cornea transplants were done with human tissue taken from volunteer organ donors after they died. But, as with other human donor organs, the tissue was in short supply compared to the number of patients in need, prompting researchers to look for a solution.</p><p>They found that the rich supply of collagen, a type of protein, in pigskin could be used to create a hydrogel to act similarly to the cornea. </p><p>"Collagen from pigskin is a byproduct from the food industry," Lagali told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/eye-implant-pig-protein-restored-sight-blind-people-rcna42681">NBC News.</a> "This makes it broadly available and easier to procure."</p><p>Pigs have recently been the go-to for other potential <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/two-gene-edited-pig-hearts-transplanted-into-humans-nyu-2022-7">transplants to human patients</a>, such as kidneys and hearts — <a href="https://www.insider.com/surgeons-attach-pig-kidney-to-human-breakthrough-procedure-2021-10">genetic engineering has made it possible to change molecules in the pig cells</a> to prevent an immune response and organ rejection in human recipients.</p><p>The caveat of the research is that it may not be effective for all types of cornea transplants, since the implant focuses on a specific part of the cornea.</p><p>But it could be "revolutionary" for people who, like the study patients, suffer from keratoconus, a condition that damages the cornea, said Dr. Marian Macsai, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Chicago who wasn't involved in the study, in an interview with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/eye-implant-pig-protein-restored-sight-blind-people-rcna42681">NBC News</a>.</p><p>The research team plans to further test their results on a larger group of patients, and eventually get the procedure approved by regulators. It could someday help areas of the world most effected by blindness that tend to have fewer resources, Lagali said. </p>

A 'revolutionary' eye implant made of pigskin restored sight in 14 blind people

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A woman had her left eye removed after she showered while wearing contact lenses and it got infected.</li><li>Marie Mason caught a rare parasite infection, called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which can cause blindness.</li></ul><p>A woman had her left eye removed after she caught a difficult-to-treat parasitic infection from showering while wearing her contact lens.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/acanthamoeba-parasite-will-eat-your-eyeballs-if-you-wear-contacts-2012-9?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Acanthamoeba keratitis</a> is a rare but serious infection caused by a microscopic organism that infects the outer covering of the eye, called the cornea. It's most common in <a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-eye-parasite-swimming-contacts-acanthamoeba-keratitis-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact lens wearers</a>, but anyone can get it, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/acanthamoeba/gen_info/acanthamoeba_keratitis.html#:~:text=What%20is%20Acanthamoeba%20keratitis%3F,celled%20living%20organism)%20called%20Acanthamoeba." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the CDC.</a></p><p>Marie Mason, 54, from the UK, wore 30-day <a href="https://www.insider.com/doctor-removes-23-contact-lenses-from-patients-right-eye-2022-10">contact lenses</a> and believes the organism entered her eye when she showered without removing them.</p><p>"It would have got under the lens then multiplied, so my eye was riddled with it, " she <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-63077841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told BBC News</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/man-went-blind-one-eye-from-parasite-showering-with-contacts-2019-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Showering</a> while wearing contact lenses or cleaning lenses with tap water puts people at higher risk of catching Acanthamoeba keratitis, according to the CDC. It can cause severe pain and blindness if untreated, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/acanthamoeba/gen_info/acanthamoeba_keratitis.html#:~:text=What%20is%20Acanthamoeba%20keratitis%3F,celled%20living%20organism)%20called%20Acanthamoeba." target="_blank" rel="noopener">it states.</a></p><p>John Dart, honorary professor at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in the UK, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-63077841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told BBC News</a> that about 150 to 200 people in the UK catch the infection each year. "Very few" lose their eye, but "about half" will lose a substantial amount of vision, he said. </p><h2>Acanthamoeba keratitis can make it feel like sand is constantly stuck in your eye</h2><p>Mason first noticed something was wrong in 2015.</p><p>"I started feeling like I had a foreign body in my eye like a bit of sand or grit which, when you rub, it will normally go away, but it wouldn't," <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-63077841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she said, per BBC News.</a></p><p>Symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can include: eye pain, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and the sensation of something in the eye. The CDC recommends that people speak with a doctor if they get any of those symptoms. </p><p>An optician advised Mason to go to hospital, and doctors diagnosed her with Acanthamoeba keratitis and treated it with various medications, eye drops, and three cornea transplants — but they were all unsuccessful.</p><p>"There was just lots of hospital visits, lots of eye drops, lots of operations and procedures and lots of pain," Mason told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/eye-infection-contact-lenses-shower-b2197870.html">SWNS,</a> a UK-based news agency. </p><p>After five years, the decision was made to remove her left eye, and she has worn a false replacement since the operation two years ago. </p><p>"I do struggle sometimes because my vision on my left side is rubbish, well it's not there. It's quite hard walking down the street when you've got people whizzing by you, and it makes you jump a bit because you don't expect it," she said.</p>

A woman had her eye removed after she showered while wearing contact lenses and it got infected by a parasite found in tap water

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="523547" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Shingles">Shingles</keyword> in the eye, aka herpes zoster ophthalmicus, occurs in about 10% to 20% of all shingles cases.</li><li>It can result in complications like damage to the cornea and blindness, so it's important to see your doctor right away.</li><li>You can prevent shingles in the eye by getting the Shingrix vaccine.</li><li>This article was <strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medically reviewed</a></strong> by <a href="https://www.memorialcare.org/providers/benjamin-b-bert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Benjamin Bert, MD</a><strong>, an ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California</strong>.</li></ul><p>Shingles is a painful rash caused by a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. It's a very common condition, as <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/infographics/5-things-you-need-know-about-shingles#:~:text=Shingles%20is%20a%20disease%20that,can%20be%20prevented%20and%20treated." target="_blank" rel="noopener">one out of three people will develop it throughout their lifetime</a>, most often after the age of 50. Although the shingles rash will most commonly appear on the torso, it's possible for it to affect your eyes as well.</p><p>Shingles of the eye has its own name: herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). Recent research by the <a href="https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/aging-baby-boomers-push-sky-high-incidence-of-shingles-of-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center</a> found that the incidence of HZO tripled between 2004 and 2016. They also determined HZO is most common in those over 75 years old.</p><p>Here's what you need to know about symptoms of shingles in the eye, as well as complications and treatment.</p><h2>Symptoms of shingles in the eye</h2><p>Shingles typically affects only one side of the body. This is because the <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Hope-Through-Research/Shingles-Hope-Through-Research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">varicella-zoster virus lays dormant in your body in nerve cells</a> after you have chickenpox. When the virus is reactivated, it affects a nerve that it travels down, so the shingles rash will appear on the side of the affected nerve. So if you get it on your face, it will only affect either the right or left side. </p><p>Shingles on your face will not always affect your eyes, but there's certainly a possibility that it can. About <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC558704/">10-20%</a> of shingles cases will appear on or around the eye. If you have shingles of the eye, <a href="https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/departments/ophthalmology/team/randall-mclaughlin-od" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randall McLaughlin, OD</a>, associate professor of ophthalmology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, says a painful rash and blisters may appear on:</p><ul><li>The forehead</li><li>The eyelid</li><li>The tip of your nose</li></ul><p>You should be particularly concerned if the rash is on the tip of the nose, as McLaughlin says this is typically the telltale sign that the eye is being affected. Additionally, you may notice changes to your normal vision, such as experiencing blurred vision.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.aao.org/focalpointssnippetdetail.aspx?id=8367b620-245c-4ebf-89e7-eca0c8d35aa3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Academy of Ophthalmology</a>, you may also experience other shingles symptoms that can appear even before the rash surfaces such as:</p><ul><li>Fever</li><li>Chills</li><li>Feeling generally unwell</li><li>Itching</li><li>Burning sensations</li><li>Tingling sensations</li><li>Sensitivity to light</li></ul><p>If you suspect you have singles in your eye, you should see your doctor as soon as you can to prevent possible permanent damage.</p><h2>Complications of shingles in the eye</h2><p>Although it's possible to have complications from a regular shingles infection, your vision is at stake if your eye is involved. Dangerous complications of shingles of the eye may include:</p><ul><li>Eye damage such as scarring of the cornea, says McLaughlin</li><li><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/shingles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blindness</a> in severe cases</li></ul><p>When you have shingles of the eye, the nerves of the cornea become inflamed, and as this heals, it can lead to scarring, says McLaughlin. This can result in decreased vision sharpness, and cannot be corrected with glasses. In some cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary. Blindness, a full loss of vision, is more of a rare complication. This is why it's so important to start treatment early to avoid these possible permanent problems.</p><p>McLaughlin says complications vary on an individualized basis, and not everybody will experience them. The sooner you seek medical attention and start treatment, the less likely you will be to have complications. </p><p>A complication that can arise from any shingles infection is <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postherpetic-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20376588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postherpetic neuralgia</a>, which can leave you with long-lasting pain, numbness, and itching that remains three months or longer after the infection goes away. Again, starting treatment early will reduce your risk of this complication as well. </p><h2>Prevention</h2><p>The best treatment is defense so that the shingles infection never happens in the first place. McLaughlin says the shingles vaccine can significantly reduce your risk of getting shingles. He strongly recommends it for people over 50 years old. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the CDC</a>, the Shingrix vaccine is 97% effective in preventing shingles in people aged 50 to 69, and 91% effective in people 70 and older.</p><p>You only need two doses of the Shingrix vaccine, and then you'll be all set. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The CDC </a>recommends it for people over 50 even if they have had shingles before, if they've had the older (and less effective) shingles vaccine, Zostavax, or if they aren't sure if they had chickenpox when they were younger or not. </p><p>The vaccine has been determined to be safe. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaccines/shingles-herpes-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mild side effects </a>such as pain at injection site, headaches, and fatigue may occur for two to three days.</p><h2>Treatment of shingles in the eye</h2><p>However, if you do end up with shingles, McLaughlin says the most effective treatment is antiviral medication. </p><p>The sooner you can start it, the better. Antiviral medications are most effective when started within 72 hours. These meds will reduce the duration and severity of your infection, as well as lower your risk of having those complications of eye damage, blindness, and postherpetic neuralgia.</p><p>Common <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/treatment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antiviral medications prescribed for shingles</a> are:</p><ul><li>Acyclovir </li><li>Valacyclovir </li><li>Famciclovir</li></ul><p>Additionally, for shingles of the eye specifically, McLaughlin says that steroid eye drops may be prescribed to combat inflammation of the cornea. Regardless of the treatment plan, you will need to be closely monitored by your eye doctor to ensure that you're on the right track to feeling better and that you will heal from the infection without lasting complications. </p><h2>Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/can-you-get-shingles-more-than-once" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can get shingles more than once — here's who's most at risk</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-shingles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">If you've had chickenpox you're at risk of a painful condition called shingles — here's why</a></strong></li></ul>

Shingles in the eye is dangerous and can cause blindness — here's how to prevent it

<br />You might have come across people who tell you with confidence that one can sleep in contacts as they get used to it. They claim that it is okay to do so. In reality, it is not. According to Dr Irina Belinsky, Eye Surgeon at NYU Langone Health, <keyword id="36155" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="contact-lenses">contact lenses</keyword> are safe and defined to be more comfortable these days. But they are safe and comfortable to wear if you take care of them appropriately. To maintain good lenses hygiene, it is imperative to not sleep in, while wearing your contact lenses.<br /><br />Contact Lenses are like a sponge in your eye.<br /><br />No matter how natural they may feel, contact lenses are a foreign material in your eye. They are like a sponge that uses the moisture of your eye to remain comfortable. Not only do they absorb moisture from your eye, but they can also trap bacteria. <br /><strong><br />What Happens when you sleep with your contacts on?</strong><br /><br />When you sleep in with contacts, it can result in causing an eye infection. Though a lot of infections might be mild and go away with anti-bacterial eye-drops, some might be more severe. Even if they go away, the chances are that might cause scarring of the cornea. Such scars can also create a permanent effect on your vision. At times the infection can be so severe that one might have to opt for a corneal transplant or lose sight completely. Fortunately, blinding cases related to contact lenses are extremely rare and occurs when their hygiene is neglected.<br /><strong><br />To maintain good <keyword id="8233573" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="contact-lens-hygiene">contact lens hygiene</keyword>, you need to take care of a few things:</strong><br /><br />1. Know whether it’s time to change your contact lenses<br /><br />2. Mark a reminder to do so every month or every two weeks (as per the instructions)<br /><br />3. Try and stick to it<br /><br /><br />Over-wearing your contacts might not be a good idea<br /><br />Over-wearing the contact lenses can make your cornea go devoid of oxygen (leading to a condition called neovascularization). Over time, the surface of the contact lenses tends to break down with micro-break edges, as well as dry out completely. When your contacts are completely dried out, your <keyword id="25202" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="eyes">eyes</keyword> don’t have enough moisture to hold them anymore.<br /><br /><br />Sometimes (quite rarely) the contact lenses might become folded and entrapped in the eye, underneath the lid. Such a situation can cause severe redness of the eye. It can happen if you put your contacts wrong if you don’t take them out or sleep in with them. <br /><br /><br />Therefore, it is of utmost importance to take off your contacts every day. That way, it’ll help you keep your eyes healthy and prevent you from discomfort.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

What happens when you sleep in your contact lenses

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dd6bf58fd9db25f4d734df4-1010/china organs thumb 2.jpg" border="0" alt="China organs thumb 2" data-mce-source="BMC Medical Ethics/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="An annotated graph showing organ donation data, as produced by researchers in a medical journal." /><p class="source"><span>BMC Medical Ethics/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">An annotated graph showing organ donation data, as produced by researchers in a medical journal.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>A new report claims that China faked its organ transplant donation data to mislead the international community.</strong></li><li><strong>It follows separate allegations that China's unusually high availability of transplant organs comes from harvesting them from persecuted groups like the Uighur Muslims of the Xinjiang region.</strong></li><li><strong>Researchers writing in the BMC Medical Ethics periodical pointed out that China's official organ donation figures almost exactly mirror a mathematical formula.</strong></li><li><strong>This strongly suggests that the data has been faked, the researchers said.</strong></li><li><strong>China was at a recent UN event <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-harvesting-organs-of-uighur-muslims-china-tribunal-tells-un-2019-9">accused of harvesting organs en masse</a> from Uighurs and other groups. China has strongly denied this.</strong></li><li><strong>A campaigner for the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China said the data "appears to be part of an elaborate cover up that disguises the state-run mass murder of innocent people."</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Medical experts have accused China of producing fake organ transplant donation data to mislead the international community, further fueling allegations that it is harvesting organs from persecuted minorities.</p><p>The authors, writing in the journal BMC Medical Ethics, presented evidence of what they call "systematic falsification and manipulation of official organ transplant datasets in China."</p><p>Neither the Chinese Ministry of Health nor its embassy in London responded to repeated requests for comment from Business Insider.</p><p>The official Chinese figures suggest a strong yearly growth in voluntary organ donations, which could explain the apparent ease with which patients in China are able to be matched with organs when in need of transplants.</p><p>Waiting times for organ transplants in China are often a matter of weeks, or even days, a feat few other countries can match.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8b34242e22af259549e754-2000/gettyimages-133578816.jpg" border="0" alt="Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty" data-mce-caption="Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate" data-link="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/members-of-falun-gong-spiritual-movement-meditate-at-the-news-photo/133578816?adppopup=true" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/members-of-falun-gong-spiritual-movement-meditate-at-the-news-photo/133578816?adppopup=true">Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty</a></span></p><p class="caption">Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>However, according to the three researchers behind the report, the figures are literally too good to be true.</p><p>The data, they say, closely matches the quadratic formula, which, when plotted on a chart, gives a steady upward swing.</p><p>They say that the Chinese data matches the equation so closely as to almost guarantee that it was generated artificially rather than collected in the real world.</p><p>The accusation has resurfaced questions of where China could be getting the organs from, if not volunteer donors. It has admitted previously harvesting organs from prisoners executed in its justice system, but <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-organ-harvesting/un-urged-to-investigate-organ-harvesting-in-china-idUSKBN1W92FL">said it stopped in 2015</a>.</p><h2>'Systemic falsification and manipulation'</h2><p>The report was produced by Matthew Robertson, Raymond Hinde, and Jacob Lavee. They are, respectively, experts in social science, statistics, and medicine.</p><p>Their report claims China is continuing to use involuntary donations, but disguising many of them as voluntary.</p><p>"A variety of evidence points to what the authors believe can only be plausibly explained by systematic falsification and manipulation of official organ transplant datasets in China," the report concluded.</p><p>"Some apparently nonvoluntary donors also appear to be misclassified as voluntary. This takes place alongside genuine voluntary organ transplant activity, which is often incentivized by large cash payments."</p><p>The central piece of evidence for China's alleged falsification is the dataset from the official China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS), which follows the quadratic formula.</p><p>"The analysis of both datasets suggests human-directed data manufacture and manipulation," the report says.</p><p>"Contradictory, implausible, or anomalous data artefacts were found in five provincial datasets, suggesting that these data may have been manipulated to enforce conformity with central quotas."</p><p>Total donors in China, as well as the number of available kidneys, and the number of available livers, the paper's authors say, comply almost perfectly to three separate quadratic equations.</p><p>The quadratic formula expresses a relationship between three known quantities - A, B, and C - and an unknown quantity, X.</p><p>It is most often written as <strong>AX<sup>2</sup> + BX + C = 0.</strong></p><p>The chart below illustrates the rise in organs donated and overall donors in China since 2010, according to COTRS data.</p><p>The chart contains two elements.</p><ul><li>The first is a series of points showing donations, drawn in three different colors for different donations.</li><li>The second is a series of lines - in matching colors - which the researchers generated mathematically.</li></ul><p>Their point is that each colored line matches the data points so closely as to suggest that the data is fake.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dd4182c7eece5670e36e735-1353/screenshot 2019-11-19 at 162755.png" border="0" alt="Screenshot 2019 11 19 at 16.27.55" data-mce-source="BMC Medical Ethics" /><p class="source"><span>BMC Medical Ethics</span></p><p class="caption">A graph showing Chinese organ donation data conforming almost exactly to a the quadratic formula.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>'Exposes the lies and deception'</h2><p>The report was seized upon by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, an Australian human-rights charity made up of lawyers, academics, and medical professionals, which campaigns to raise awareness of what it says is widespread organ harvesting in China. </p><p>Susie Hughes, its executive director, said: "This report exposes the lies and deception that mark China's so-called transplant 'reforms.' The falsification of the China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS) data appears to be part of an elaborate coverup that disguises the state-run mass murder of innocent people for their organs in China." </p><p><a href="https://chinatribunal.com/">The ICETA is behind the China Tribunal</a>, an independent body that was created to investigate organ harvesting in China, which concluded in June that the country has harvested thousands of organs from persecuted minorities.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ca76e46569b557ba82551ba-1200/china uighur turkey protest.jpg" border="0" alt="china uighur turkey protest." data-mce-source="Murad Sezer/Reuters" data-mce-caption="A masked Uighur boy takes part in a protest against China, at the courtyard of Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, in November 2018." /><p class="source"><span>Murad Sezer/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A masked Uighur boy takes part in a protest against China, at the courtyard of Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, in November 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-harvesting-organs-of-uighur-muslims-china-tribunal-tells-un-2019-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">At a September appearance in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council</a>, China Tribunal lawyer Hamid Sabi said that the Chinese government was taking hearts, kidneys, lungs, and skin from groups including Uighur Muslims and members of the Falun Gong religious group.</p><p>"Forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, including the religious minorities of Falun Gong and Uighurs, has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale," Sabi said.</p><p>Sabi was presenting evidence from a summary of <a href="https://chinatribunal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/China-Tribunal-SHORT-FORM-CONCLUSION_Final.pdf">the tribunal's final report</a>, published in June, <a href="https://chinatribunal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ChinaTribunal_-SummaryJudgment_17June2019.pdf">which claimed</a> that a "very substantial number" of prisoners were "killed to order" by the Chinese government.</p><p>They were "cut open while still alive for their kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, cornea and skin to be removed and turned into commodities for sale," the report said.</p><p>It was led by Sir Geoffrey Nice, a British lawyer who was the lead prosecutor in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslavian president.</p><p>During a speech in London in October, Nice described China's actions, in the eyes of the tribunal, as "mass atrocity killings" and "crimes against humanity."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safest-walk-ice-penguin-2017-2">The safest way to walk on ice is to impersonate a penguin</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/1Owa3Ngp-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Medical experts say China is falsifying organ donation data, after it was accused of harvesting body parts from Uighur Muslims in prison camps

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c62fbd926289833f53ed816-1200/china uighur protest.jpg" border="0" alt="china uighur protest" data-mce-source="Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty" data-mce-caption="A protester wears a mask painted with Xinjiang or East Turkestan's flag and tears of blood in Brussels in April 2018." /><p class="source"><span>Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">A protester wears a mask painted with Xinjiang or East Turkestan's flag and tears of blood in Brussels in April 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>A nonprofit speaking at a UN Human Rights hearing said that China is engaged in widespread harvesting of human organs from persecuted religious and ethnic minorities.</strong></li><li><strong>The China Tribunal made the accusation at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. It said Uighur Muslims and the Falun Gong religious group were affected.</strong></li><li><strong>The China Tribunal is a pressure group backed by an Australian non-profit, which campaigns on the issue.</strong></li><li><strong>A spokesman for the group said described China "cutting out the hearts and other organs from living, blameless, harmless, peaceable people," describing the situation as an atrocity.</strong></li><li><strong>China has denied large-scale harvesting of organs. It has admitted using executed prisoners' organs in the past, but claims to have stopped in 2015.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. </a></strong></li></ul><p>China was accused of the widespread harvesting of human organs from persecuted groups in the country, at a tense meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday.</p><p>According to testimony from the China Tribunal - a pressure group which campaigns on organ harvesting - the government of China has taking hearts, kidneys, lungs and skin from groups including Uighur Muslims and members of the Falun Gong religious group.</p><p>The China Tribunal describes itself as a group of lawyers, academics, and medical professionals. It is backed by End Transplant Abuse in China, an Australian NGO.</p><p>China has denied carrying out mass harvesting of organs in any circumstances.</p><p>Addressing UN representatives, China Tribunal lawyer Hamid Sabi said the group has proof of the "forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience in China."</p><p>Sabi said that the tribunal had "proved beyond reasonable doubt" that China is committing "crimes against humanity" by harvesting organs from religious minorities like the Uighurs, and Falun Gong, a religious movement banned and widely persecuted by the Chinese government.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/islamic-world-stopped-calling-out-chinas-muslim-persecution-2019-4?r=US&amp;IR=T"> A wave of Islamic countries started to stand up to China over its persecution of its Muslim minority. But then they all got spooked.</a></em></p><p>"Forced organ harvesting from prisoners of political conscience, including the religious minorities of Falun Gong and Uighurs has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale," Sabi said, <a href="https://chinatribunal.com/statement-made-to-the-united-nations-september-2019/">a video published by China Tribunal on its website showed.</a></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8b34242e22af259549e754-2000/gettyimages-133578816.jpg" border="0" alt="Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate" data-mce-source="Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty" data-mce-caption="Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate" data-link="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/members-of-falun-gong-spiritual-movement-meditate-at-the-news-photo/133578816?adppopup=true" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/members-of-falun-gong-spiritual-movement-meditate-at-the-news-photo/133578816?adppopup=true">Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty</a></span></p><p class="caption">Members of Falun Gong spiritual movement meditate</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Sabi was presenting evidence from <a href="https://chinatribunal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/China-Tribunal-SHORT-FORM-CONCLUSION_Final.pdf">the tribunal's final report</a>, which was published in June. It claims that a "very substantial number" of members of Falun Gong were "killed to order" by the Chinese government. </p><p>Falun Gong members were "cut open while still alive for their kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, cornea and skin to be removed and turned into commodities for sale," the report said.</p><p>The body parts were then used for medical purposes, it said, citing extremely short waiting times for organ transplants in Chinese hospitals as evidence of the practice.</p><p>The report from June was led by British lawyer Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, who was the lead prosecutor in the trial of former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-xinjiang-undercover-report-police-paranoia-muslim-crackdown-2019-6?r=US&amp;IR=T">Chilling undercover footage taken inside China's most oppressive region shows it's virtually impossible to escape the paranoid police state</a></em></p><p><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8b35972e22af27e55e59c6-1355/screenshot 2019-09-25 at 103722.png" border="0" alt="Hamid Sabi" data-mce-source="Screenshot/The Independent" data-mce-caption="Hamid Sabi, a lawyer for the China Tribunal" data-link="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-religious-ethnic-minorities-uighur-muslim-harvest-organs-un-human-rights-a9117911.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-religious-ethnic-minorities-uighur-muslim-harvest-organs-un-human-rights-a9117911.html">Screenshot/The Independent</a></span></p><p class="caption">Hamid Sabi, a lawyer for the China Tribunal.</p></div><p></p></div></div></em></p><p>Sabi told the UN on Tuesday that China's efforts involved "hundreds of thousands of victims," and described the process as "one of the worst mass atrocities of this century."</p><p>He did not specify exactly how many organs the China Tribunal believes have been harvested, or the number taken from Uighurs and members of Falun Gong respectively.</p><p>"Victim for victim, and death for death, cutting out the hearts and other organs from living, blameless, harmless, peaceable people constitutes one of the worst mass atrocities of this century," he said.</p><p>"Organ transplantation to save live is a scientific and social triumph, but killing the donor is criminal."</p><p>China has consistently denied that it is involved in any large scale organ harvesting activities.<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-organ-harvesting/un-urged-to-investigate-organ-harvesting-in-china-idUSKBN1W92FL"></a></p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-rights-organ-harvesting/un-urged-to-investigate-organ-harvesting-in-china-idUSKBN1W92FL">According to Reuters, </a>China has insisted that it "stopped using organs from executed prisoners in 2015."</p><p>Business Insider has contacted the Chinese government for comment on the testimony given by Sabi, but is yet to receive a response.</p><p>Sabi concluded by saying that it is the "duty" of international bodies like the UN to investigate the tribunal's findings "not only in regard to the possible charge of genocide, but also in regard to crimes against humanity."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reporter-luke-harding-explains-life-under-fsb-surveillance-2017-12">A reporter who lived in Russia for 4 years reveals what it was like being stalked by Russian spies</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/7EFMio7p-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

China is harvesting thousands of human organs from its Uighur Muslim minority, UN human rights body hears

What happens when you sleep in your contacts

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57b5caa0db5ce953008b779c-793/screen shot 2016-03-17 at 11.35.53 am.png" alt="contact lens, eye" data-mce-source="Flickr/ Niek Beck" /><p class="source"><span>Flickr/ Niek Beck</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>When people ask me why I don't wear contacts, I typically come up with some excuse to avoid admitting the truth: that sticking a plastic device directly on the fragile mucous membrane surrounding my cornea terrifies me.</p><p>But it does, and it's the reason I've always felt A-OK just wearing glasses.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index.html">new report</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes me feel a little justified in my fear of contacts, despite the fact that they're largely safe and effective - at least when worn correctly.</p><p>The report builds on previous findings from 2014, when the CDC found that more than <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6432a2.htm">99% of the contact lens wearers they surveyed reported at least one behavior that put them at risk for an eye infection</a>. Forty-one millions Americans don't share my fear, opting to use contacts on the regular.</p><p>According to the new study, which looked at 1,075 reported infections related to wearing contacts, many of these infections can lead to long-lasting damage. On the bright side, they're typically preventable.</p><p>Here were their main findings:</p><h2>About 1 in 5 reports included someone who'd had a scarred cornea, needed a corneal transplant, or had reduced vision.</h2><p>Roughly 20% of the reported infections included someone who'd had severe problems with their cornea, the eye's clear front dome. The cornea <a href="https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/mdo/presentation/conditions/condition_viewall_page.jsp?condition=Condition_Corneal_Scar_-_Ophthalmology.xml">plays a key role in clear vision</a> and has a remarkable capacity to recover from most minor nicks. But an infection - like the ones described in the CDC's report - can damage the cornea's deeper layers, making it tough to completely heal.</p><p>In some cases, corneal damage can also <a href="https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/mdo/presentation/conditions/condition_viewall_page.jsp?condition=Condition_Corneal_Scar_-_Ophthalmology.xml">cause scarring, which can distort your vision</a>. When the scarring is severe, you may need a corneal transplant, which <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cornea-transplant/basics/definition/prc-20014357">involves swapping part of your cornea with</a><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cornea-transplant/basics/definition/prc-20014357"> tissue from a donor</a>.</p><h2>More than 1 in 4 reports mentioned contact lens habits that are known to increase the chance of getting an infection.</h2><p>While these problems sound severe, most of them are potentially preventable. For example, the report found that many users reported sleeping in their contact lenses when not prescribed and wearing lenses for longer than the prescribed period.</p><p>"Contact lens wearers can reduce their risk for contact lens-related infections by improving their hygiene behaviors, such as not sleeping in contact lenses unless prescribed and replacing their contact lenses as prescribed," the report states.</p><p>So next time you get up to put on your contacts, remember - you're putting in a medical device, and you should handle it with care.</p><h2><strong>Here are some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/7-deadly-sins-of-contact-lens-wearers-2013-10">simple tips</a> for good contact lens hygiene:</strong></h2><p>1. Wash your hands before handling your lenses.</p><p>2. Completely replace yesterday's contact solution.</p><p>3. Wear your contacts for only as long as they're prescribed.</p><p>4. Rinse your lens case with contact solution and wipe it out with a clean towel after every use.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eye-doctor-explains-harmful-eye-practice-2016-6">An eye doctor reveals the most dangerous thing you could do to your eyes</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5oaTM2NDE6nAIJ8OgHDk1ICYNRLHlrSx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '5oaTM2NDE6nAIJ8OgHDk1ICYNRLHlrSx',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

41 million Americans could be putting themselves at risk for permanent eye damage - and it's largely preventable

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Brian Barsky/UC Berkeley" title_caption="The scientists' vision-correcting concept." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d94ea26da8116a380cebda-960/screen%20shot%202014-07-30%20at%203.57.30%20pm.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d94ea26da8116a380cebda-1200-667/screen%20shot%202014-07-30%20at%203.57.30%20pm.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="Vision-correcting screen" width="800" /></a><p class="source"><span>Brian Barsky/UC Berkeley</span></p><p class="caption">The scientists' vision-correcting concept.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>As ebooks start to replace hardbacks and newspapers shift online, most of the reading we do tends to be from a screen. With this new reality creeping in, a couple of scientists at UC Berkeley and MIT are realizing that we might be in need of an upgrade from reading glasses.</p>
<p>During his research on optometry, UC Berkeley Professor Brian Barsky realized that instead of focusing on how we take in an image, we could instead look at how an image is displayed. And he has since been working on developing a vision-correcting screen that distorts itself according to the viewer's vision.</p>
<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:200px"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53da8ba1ecad045774074e0f-1200-2000/dsc_6313.rotated.adjusted.jpg" border="0" alt="Brian A. Barsky" width="200" /><p class="source"><span>Brian A. Barsky</span></p></div><p></p></div>The technology is powered by complicated software and algorithms that change the light that a screen emits to distort the image a user sees. Barsky compares it with someone who is wearing sunglasses and struggling to see a smartphone screen. Instead of taking off the sunglasses, the person could just up the brightness on the screen.</span></p>
<p><span>Similarly, this new technology would alter the image (factoring in more than just brightness) so that the viewer would not need to put on a pair of glasses.</span></p>
<p><span>The back-end technology is paired with a physical screen that attaches to a device and helps transmit a specific image. </span>The screen has tiny pinholes that help direct the light in different directions. Combined with the software, it distorts the device's images so that the user perceives it properly.</p>
<p>So instead of having to put on your reading glasses when whipping out your Kindle, the screen would automatically be set to your prescription, letting you see the words clearly.</p>
<p>The technology also has major implications for people with more-complex vision problems. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For instance, some people with what is called "spherical aberrations" have irregularly shaped corneas and cannot solve their vision problems with glasses or contact lenses. Their only current option is getting a cornea transplant, but Barsky's technology could provide a new solution.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I am hopeful that this research may have the potential to help people who currently struggle to see displays," Barsky told Business Insider. "Considering how ubiquitous displays are now in our society, not being able to see a screen can be an impediment to holding down a job."</span></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53da7b786bb3f78d452ed0c7-1140-854/vision-correcting-screen.jpeg" border="0" alt="vision-correcting screen" /><p class="source"><span>Brian Barsky</span></p><p class="caption">The experimental apparatus Barsky's team is using.</p></div><p></p></div></div>To create a prototype of the screen, Barsky and his UC Berkeley colleagues teamed up with MIT researchers Gordon Wetzstein and Ramesh Raskar. T<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">he design is still in its early stages, but it could feasibly become a marketable screen that would attach to devices like tablets, phones, and computers.</span></p>
<p>"We're not developing a product; rather, we figure out the mathematics and algorithms and try to push the frontiers of science," Barsky said. "We hope that this research will help other scientists and people around the world. It would seem feasible [to bring this to the market], and I am not aware of any major hurdles if people really wanted to do it."</p>
<p>Barsky's team is presenting the display prototype on <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Aug. 12 at the International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Vancouver, Canada.</span></p>
<p> </p>

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