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Archive for January, 2012

Early Detection Needed for Glaucoma

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

By the time you find out you have glaucoma, often called “the silent thief of sight,” saving your vision may be too late. This is because many people do not realize they have it, according to a University of Southwestern medical Center ophthalmologist. Due to this, he recommends increasing the need for early detection.

Glaucoma risks increase in people 40-years-old or older, those who have a family history of glaucoma, or are of Hispanic or African-American decent. Testing through eye dilation every two years is recommended. However, every person should see an ophthalmologist yearly, especially those who may have significant risk factors for glaucoma.

Symptoms of glaucoma include:

• Red eyes
• Eye pain
• Halos
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Vomiting

Symptoms also include vision loss, but it can be so gradual that victims often do not realize the severity until most of their vision is gone. This loss is irreversible and the onset can be very fast.

If you have risk factors, such as age, family history, or genetics, you should see an ophthalmologist to be tested for glaucoma. If you have any of the symptoms of glaucoma, and have ruled out other health issues, contact an experienced ophthalmologist immediately. Once glaucoma steals your vision, you cannot get it back.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with an experienced ophthalmologist to be tested for glaucoma, please find one in your area today through eyes.com.

Posted in Diseases and Conditions, Glaucoma | Comments Off

Contact Lens Over Wear Syndrome (OWS)

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

If you wear your contact lenses longer than the appropriate timeframe every day, you are at risk of developing a condition called contact lens over wear syndrome (OWS). Over wear syndrome often leads to eye pain, tearing, redness, and a decreased overall vision quality. Typically, OWS is the result of patients wearing their contacts to bed at night, or failing to replace them with new contact lenses when necessary. OWS is often painful and can result in serious vision problems.

If over wear syndrome is left unaddressed, it can lead to:

• Eye infections
• Decreased vision
• Growth of vessels in the cornea
• Permanent loss of your best corrected vision

When you wear your contact lenses for too long, you essentially starve your corneas of oxygen. Your body’s reaction to this deprivation is to produce new blood vessels in your cornea that help provide the oxygen your eyes lack. Unfortunately, these new blood vessels often alter the shape of your cornea, and they can leak, leaving deposits.

If you are not cautious, wearing your contacts for too long can threaten your vision. LASIK eye surgery is a valuable solution for patients who want to be freed from their daily dependence on contacts. However, if you have OWS, you will need to stop wearing your contacts for a certain period of time and let your eyes heal before LASIK can be performed.

If you have further questions about contacts, OWS, or LASIK, please contact an experienced ophthalmologist in your area today.

Posted in Contact Lenses, Eye Safety, LASIK, Laser Vision Correction | Comments Off

Nutrition for the Eyes

Monday, January 30th, 2012

Eating a proper diet is a great way to help reduce your risk of many serious eye diseases. The following vitamins and minerals are essential to maintaining the long term health of your eyes.

Eating a diet rich in antioxidants will help rid your body of harmful free radicals which may contribute to the development of age-related eye disorders such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Including lots of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet will help provide your body with the antioxidants needed to reduce your risk of these conditions.

Vitamin A is crucial to maintaining the health of your eyes. It contributes to the proper functioning of your retina and reduces your risk of night blindness, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. Liver, eggs, spinach, and carrots will provide you with an excellent source of vitamin A.

Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and will help reduce your risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Citrus fruits, orange juice, sweet potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, and green peppers are all great sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin E is helpful in preventing cataracts. You can find abundant sources of vitamin E in nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified products such as breakfast cereal.

By including these foods in your diet, you can help keep your eyes healthy for years to come.

Please contact eyes.com today to find an experienced eye doctor in your area.

Posted in Nutrition for the Eyes | Comments Off

Daily Aspirin Use Linked to Wet Macular Degeneration

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Seniors who use aspirin daily may be twice as likely to develop an advanced type of age-related macular degeneration, compared to seniors who use the drug less frequently.

Daily aspirin users may be more vulnerable to developing wet macular degeneration (also called “wet AMD”). Wet AMD is generally less common than the dry type. The wet form occurs when blood vessels grow behind the macula, the central region of the retina. These blood vessels can leak blood and other fluid, causing the macula to be raised out of its normal position. Wet AMD causes a rapid loss of central vision, whereas the dry type progresses in stages. Central vision is critical to your ability to drive and read, and to see objects clearly.

The European study looked at whether aspirin use causes the abnormal growth of blood vessels behind the macula. The study examined 4,700 seniors over the age of 65 for three years, between 2000 and 2003. Findings of the study included:

• Daily aspirin use was associated with late-stage wet AMD, and less so to early-stage dry AMD.
• For wet AMD, the association became stronger as the frequency of aspirin use increased.
• Early AMD was found in about one third of the participants, and advanced AMD was found in about 3 percent. Of those individuals who had advanced AMD, more than two-thirds had the wet form, while about one-third had the dry form.
• 17 percent of the individuals took aspirin daily, 7 percent took the drug once a week or more, and 41 percent took aspirin once a month.
• One-third of participants with wet AMD took aspirin daily.

The study suggests association, not a cause-and-effect relationship. If you are currently taking aspirin for heart disease risk, you should not discontinue use based on this study, especially without first discussing the issue with your doctor. The association between aspirin and AMD requires further research. Based on this study, doctors may consider advising against aspirin for painkiller use for people who already have AMD.

You should discuss all medication changes and medical choices with your doctor.

To learn more about macular degeneration, please find an eye doctor in your area.

Posted in Macular Degeneration | Comments Off

Take-Home Glaucoma Test Could Lead to Earlier, More Accurate Diagnosis

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

A new, at-home glaucoma test could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of this group of vision conditions that are collectively among the leading causes of blindness.

Glaucoma diagnosis currently requires a trip to your ophthalmologist for a series of tests designed to measure your intraocular pressure, check for optic nerve damage and map your peripheral vision. But a hand-held device developed at the University of Arizona College of Engineering can be used comfortably at home to test for glaucoma symptoms over an extended period.

The device softly rubs your eyelid to detect intraocular pressure; elevated intraocular pressure is one of the primary causes of optic nerve damage in glaucoma patients. Because eye pressure varies over the course of a day, the device’s ability to take multiple tests may catch instances of glaucoma that would otherwise be missed.

The roughly electric toothbrush-size instrument was designed by Eniko Enikov, a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona, in collaboration with Phoenix-based ophthalmologist Dr. Gholan Peyman. Their initial work was funded by the National Science Foundation, and they are presently seeking investors to assist with the product’s final development and eventual commercial availability.

“The innovation with our device is that it’s noninvasive, simpler to use and applies to a variety of situations that are either difficult to address or impossible to test using the current procedures,” Enikov said in a Jan. 3, 2011, article on the University of Arizona College of Engineering website.

If you have questions about glaucoma or glaucoma treatment options, please contact eyes.com to locate an ophthalmologist near you.

Tags: Glaucoma
Posted in Glaucoma | Comments Off