Archive for the ‘Glaucoma’ Category
November is National Diabetes Month – Annual dilated eye exams encouraged
11.10.2011
November is National Diabetes Month and the National Eye Institute recommends that people with diabetes get annual dilated eye exams. One of the most prevalent and incapacitating complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy and a dilated eye exam is crucial in diagnosing and treating the condition early.
In addition to diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes are at a higher risk for cataracts and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy typically has no symptoms until vision loss occurs which is why it is so crucial for diabetics to have dilated eye exams. Early detection can help prevent 90% of diabetes-related blindness.
Throughout National Diabetes Month, free diabetic eye disease resources are being distributed by the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) to health professionals and community organizations that serve people with diabetes. You can visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/nehep to learn more about the NEHEP and get materials.*
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
Medical Marijuana: Legalize AND Control It
10.26.2011I recently read an article in the LA Times about the medicinal use of marijuana, and the CA Medical Association’s adoption of a “legalize it” stance.
Several US States have already legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes
Wouldn’t it be great if the medicinal value could be separated from the drug’s high?
During my glaucoma fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, we actually performed a study in which eyedrops containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC – the active ingredient in marijuana – were used on patients with glaucoma (elevated eye pressure). Unfortunately, the penetration of THC into the eye was poor, and THC eyedrops were of no medical value.
Yet, plant-sourced medication is the foundation of many therapeutic medications. Digitalis, for example, is a common heart medication.
Although widespread abuses exist, no one questions the value of opiates in the treatment of severe pain. Likewise, there are real uses for marijuana, including treatment of intractable nausea, such as experienced by people undergoing chemotherapy.
The answer is to both legalize it and control it – just as is done with opiates. Such a solution doesn’t guarantee that abuses won’t occur, but it provides a compromise solution for those vying for and fighting against its legalization.*
–
Paul Krawitz, M.D., President
VisiVite.Com
Vision loss a frequent occurence after glaucoma surgery
10.11.2011Patients undergoing trabeculectomy need to be aware of the possible complications and risk of either temporary or permanent vision loss associated with trabeculectomy. Trabeculectomy is a procedure which allows fluid to drain faster from the eye.
More than half of people who undergo trabeculectomy suffer from temporary and sometimes severe vision loss according to results of a recent study. Permanent vision loss occurs in about 8 in every 100 patients.
It’s important for people who are at a higher risk of glaucoma to get their eyes checked regularly because if the condition is detected early, the likelihood of surgery being required is lessened. Usually trabeculectomy is reserved only for patients with the most severe form of glaucoma who haven’t responded to medication or laser therapy.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
October is Eye Injury Prevention Month
10.07.2011With October being Eye Injury Prevention Month, eye care professionals like to remind people that eye safety in the home is extremely important and steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of eye injury. At particular risk are the elderly.
While family members tend to be fearful of elderly parents falling and breaking a bone, eye injuries can be equally devastating. Most eye injuries occur at home and can be associated with a fall. Every year, 2.5 million eye injuries are reported.
There are steps that can be taken to reduce the risks of eye injury:
1. Check to make sure that rugs and bath mats are slip-proof.
2. Make sure railings are secured.
3. If there are any sharp corners and edges to furniture or other fixtures, be sure to cushion them.
If an eye injury occurs, even if it appears minor, always seek the care of an ophthalmologist. Long-term eye health problems such as glaucoma and cataracts can develop as a result of an eye injury.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
Why do some ophthalmologists fail to perform visual field tests on glaucoma patients?
09.22.2011It is an unfortunate truth that many ophthalmologists still do not perform regular visual field testing on their patients with glaucoma, as recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Now there is even more evidence that failure to perform visual field testing in glaucoma is an important part of early diagnosis and treatment of that condition.
Researchers at the University of California found that increasing the frequency of visual field testing results in earlier detection of glaucoma progression. The results of their findings are published online in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
381 patients participated in the study. Participants had 10 or more visual field tests for three or more years. Researchers created a low-frequency data set by eliminating every other visual field test and the original group of visual field tests made up the high-frequency set. Point and global regression analyses were used to compare the proportion of progressing eyes and the time to progression among the two sets.
What researchers found is that progression was seen in 43.6 percent of the eyes in the high-frequency set compared to 34.2 percent of the low-frequency set.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
