Initial tests using embryonic stem cells in humans indicates that one day they may be used to help treat blindness. The value of stem cells is that they can transform themselves into any cell in the body. This possibility arises from treatment of two legally blind individuals, one with the dry form of age-related macular degeneration. The other with stargradt disease which causes serious vision loss. Currently there is no cure for either condition. However, four months after each patient received an injection of embryonic stem cells in one eye, both demonstrated improvement in reading progressively smaller print. Researchers are quick not to conclude too much from the study as the change in the patients may have been psychological. But it does provide potential.
Retinopathy
Retinopathy is a non-inflammatory disease of the retina, the membrane lining the back of the inner eye. This membrane is responsible for converting focused light images into electrical messages which are sent to the brain. Symptoms of retinopathy include sudden loss or decrease in vision or vision field, flashes of light or floating spots, all of which should prompt an immediate appointment with an eye care specialist. The most common cause of retinopathy is diabetes, causing damage to the blood vessels of the retina. There is also hypertensive retinopathy, caused by damage to retinal arteries related to high blood pressure. Sickle cell anemia can also adversely affect retinal blood vessels, as can prolonged sun exposure and certain drugs. Regular eye examinations can reveal any of these conditions and initiate a favorable plan of treatment.
BONE DRUGS MAY HURT EYES
Women taking drugs for bone thinning osteoporosis prevention may be at risk for developing serious inflammatory eye diseases. Research finds that women taking bisphosphonates for the first time had a 45 percent risk of developing uveitis and scleritis, inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, and inflammation of the outer eye wall. Symptoms of these diseases include blurred vision, eye redness, eye pain, light sensitivity and dark spots in the vision field. Some rare cases may result in blindness but prompt medical treatment may reverse the blinding symptoms once the drugs are stopped. Biophosphonates are generally safe, but patients with previous eye inflammatory histories or new symptoms should be quick to take action.
OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE
A comprehensive eye exam is of utmost importance. There is much more to good vision than the ability to look straight ahead with sufficient clarity. Among the many aspects of vision deficiency assessed in an in-depth eye exam is peripheral vision, or side vision. Many people are unaware that their peripheral limitations cause them to constantly move their gaze to focus. Because peripheral vision is so instrumental in ensuring driving safety by helping to increase reaction time significantly, it is in everyone’s best interested to be examined. While sudden loss of peripheral vision may be indicative of a detached retina, progressive loss of peripheral vision may be due to a number of causes with symptoms including decreased ability to see in dim light and an inability to navigate while walking.
Women's Eye Health
As women typically live longer than men, they are at greater risk for developing vision inhibiting conditions and diseases such as cataract and macular degeneration. For this reason, they have a particular incentive for comprehensive eye exams as they age. Additionally, there are a number of autoimmune diseases that affect the eyes, including rheumatoid arthritis, sjogren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis. These are all linked to serious eye complications. Most autoimmune diseases are more prevalent among women, especially sjorgen’s syndrome. Tennis great, Venus Williams recently revealed that she suffered from the disorder, which produces dry eyes. Among the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which affect more women than men, are double vision, eye discomfort, vision loss and uncontrollable eye movements.
Farsighted Benevolence
Approximately 40,000 corneal transplants are performed each year in the United States. This surgery involves removing the central portion of a damaged cornea and replacing it with donor tissue. The dome-shaped cornea that covers the front of the eye responds well to minor injuries and abrasions, but scarring and severe diseases can take a greater toll. One of the eye disorders which may result in a need for corneal transplant is keratoconus, involving progressive thinning and curvature of the cornea. Today, thanks to technological advances, the success rate of corneal transplantation is 95%. But without the generosity of donors, many people in need of corneal transplants would be denied the opportunity of seeing again. There is no substitute for human corneal tissue. If you wish to become a donor and save someone’s sight, contact an eye bank near you.
Working To Preserve Eyesight
The federal occupational health agency reports approximately 1,000 eye injuries occur in American work places each day. A very unfortunate statistic is that three out of five of these injuries occur by not wearing eye protection or wearing ill suited eye protection for the task at hand. It is estimated that more than nine out of ten eye injuries in the workplace could be prevented with the use of proper safety eyewear. It’s critical to note that improper eyewear may actually have the potential to do more harm than good. This can occur when shattered lens fragments enter the eyes when not wearing recommended safety eyewear with shatterproof lenses, both at home or work.
For Those With Hints Of Something More Serious
The presence of isolated pockets of yellowish skin around the upper and lower eyelids, Xanthelasmata, may be neither painful nor harmful but may be indicative of a more serious underlying condition. Recent research indicates that people who develop these collections of yellow plaques may be at risk for cardiovascular disease which may linger even after the removal of these plaques. A physician should definitely be consulted at the first sign of this condition with a view toward a check of blood cholesterol level. Arcus senilis, white or gray corneal rings, can result from cholesterol deposits in the eye.
A Complication of Diabetes
Diabetic individuals may develop an eye disorder commonly associated with diabetes. Almost 30 percent of diabetics in America over age forty-five have the diabetes related disorder known as diabetic retinopathy. Four percent of the diabetic population of America are affected severely enough that their vision is threatened. Diabetic retinopathy involves damage to the retina and is a leading cause of new cases of legal blindness among adults aged 20-74 years. With the incidence of rising diabetes, it is reasonable to assume that the statistics surrounding this disorder may be obsolete and outdated. It’s imperative that diabetic individuals schedule regular, comprehensive eye examinations.
Outdoor Caution
Outdoor enthusiasts know that it is important to wear sunglasses that protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Sailors, golfers, and other outdoor enthusiasts should also know that wraparound sunglasses help protect the eyes from developing a non-cancerous growth that often occurs among those who spend excessive amounts of time in sunny, sandy, dusty, windblown areas. A ‘’pterygium’’ is a raised triangular growth of abnormal tissue that forms on the thin tissue (conjunctiva) that covers the white part of the eye, most commonly on the nasal side. While no treatment is usually necessary, a developing pterygium may block vision and even alter the shape of the cornea to cause astigmatism. If so, it should be surgically removed.
Twitching's Off Switch
Blepharospasm is the technical name for eye twitching, something that may be nothing more than a nuisance but also quite disruptive. Occasional eye twitching does not require treatment other than stress reduction therapy. Unless the involuntary blinking or spasms of the eyelids are associated with Tourette’s syndrome or related neurological problems, which may require evaluation and treatment, the problem is not typically cause for concern. Otherwise, twitching caused by anxiety or rest may relieve fatigue. Blepharospasm is likely caused by abnormal function of the basal ganglion, which is the part of the brain responsible for controlling the eyelids’ muscles. If so, an injection of botox into the muscles is a considered treatment before undergoing myomectomy, the surgical removal of some of the muscles and nerves of the eyelids.
How The Brain Sees
If you think about it, the eyes may be tasked with collecting imagery from the world around us. However, it is the brain’s job to make sense of the information collected by the eyes and enable us to see. Further, researchers wanted to know whether there is an area of the brain that is actually responsible for reading. Using functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans, it was found that people reading Braille activate the exact same part of the brain as sighted people use. This finding upends the conventional theory that the brain is divided into specialized regions which process the information they receive via one sense or another. According to this research, the brain is not so much a “sensory” machine as it is a “task” machine that can perform a function regardless of where the sensory input comes from.
More Than Mismatched Socks
Color blindness may seem like a relatively innocuous malady, but it does pose some problems. Color blindness is generally passed from generation to generation and is more prevalent in men. People with color vision problems may find it difficult to distinguish between red and green stoplights and so have to concentrate more attentitively on their driving. Most color vision problems are inherited which means that the color sensing cone cells in the retina are not functioning properly, in which case there is no effective treatment other than wearing color enhancing lenses. But when color blindness is caused by cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, addressing the underlying condition may help ease the symptoms.
Unsightly Bulges
Keratoconus causes progressive thinning of the cornea, the transparent outer covering at the front of the eye. This leads to the development of a cone-like bulge, adversely altering vision. This condition occurs in about one in every 2,000 individuals, usually first diagnosed in patients in their late teens or early twenties. Initial symptoms usually include slight blurring and increased photosensitivity. Keratoconus may progress for a decade or two and then stabilize. Soft contact lenses may be used early on to correct mild nearsightedness and astigmatism, followed by rigid gas permeable (rgp) contacts if the cornea continues to thin and change shape. In severe cases, a corneal transplant may be required. A new treatment called corneal collagen cross linking may help strengthen the corneas of keratoconus patients. It involves a single application of riboflavin eye drops activated with low dose ultraviolet light for about a half hour.
Can Laser Surgery Correct Presbyopia
Presbyopia is an age related condition making it difficult to read fine print without reading glasses. Although laser refractor surgery does not prevent presbyopia, an ophthalmologist or optometrist can correct one eye for distance vision and the other for near vision to produce monovision for which contact lenses are often used to create. Pre-testing using contacts to simulate monovision correction may help patients assess how well their brains adjust to the discrepancy between eye corrections, facilitating seamless switching between clear close up vision and distant vision. The larger the difference between corrections, the more depth perception may diminish. If so, mini-monovision with correction of one eye for distance and one for intermediate vision may be best. Recently approved by the FDA, variable focus lenses used to replace the natural lenses of middle-aged and older adults with cataracts provide another option overcoming presbyopia. Some signs and symptoms of presbyopia include eyestrain, headaches or feeling tired from doing close up work. Another sign is the need to hold reading materials at arm's length to focus properly.
When Parents See Red
Conjunctivitis, or ‘’Pink Eye’’ as it is commonly known, is a common infectious eye disease among children at school or day care. The first symptom of conjunctivitis is eye discomfort followed by redness. The natural urge to rub the eyes can cause further inflammation of the conjunctive, the thin transparent membrane lining the inner surfaces of the eyelids, which fold back to cover the front surface of the eyeball. Also, discharges from the eyes during conjunctivitis cause crusts over the eyes. Treatment varies according to type. Bacterial conjunctivitis responds to prescription antibiotic drops or ointment, while viral conjunctivitis will disappear on its own. Both can be soothed with warm compresses to closed eyes.
Hardly Cause For Celebration
Popped champagne corks can travel at speeds of 50 miles per hour. These traveling missiles can cause serious eye injuries and sometimes loss of vision when they hit the eye after exploding from bottles of sparkling wines. Being aware of this, every precaution should be taken when opening a bottle of the bubbly. First, never shake a bottle of the sparkly. To properly open a bottle, place a towel over the bottle to cover the cork, then firmly grasp the cork. Next, with the bottle pointed at a 45 degree angle and away from everyone, twist the cork slowly until it leaves the bottle, unable to fly because of the towel covering. In this way, a champagne celebration can be just that, and not a trip to the emergency room. Eye injuries associated with incorrect popping of champagne corks can and do lead to potentially devastating consequences, such as detached retina, scarring of the cornea, and acute glaucoma.
Talking Dirt
Parents always tell their children to stop eating dirt for all the obvious reasons, and some legitimate not so obvious reasons. An internet survey of nearly 600 ophthalmologists revealed that 68 patients were affected by a parasite disease known as ‘’ocular toxocariasis’’ (OT) during a recent one year period. OT, which can occur when a person ingests dirt contaminated with microscopic toxocara eggs (which can come from the feces of an infected dog or cat), can lead to permanent vision loss. As a preventive measure, pet owners are urged to have their dogs and cats dewormed, properly dispose of pet waste, and restrict children’s play to clean, safe areas.
A Cataract Is Not A Tomato
Ophthalmologists are often asked if a cataract must be “ripe” before surgery is elected. This notion stems from the fact that patients used to wait for their cataracts to harden, or “ripen” before they could have surgery. In those days, as various proteins in the normally flexible eye lens clumped together, and as the lens got stiffer, it was easier to remove a fairly intact lens through a relatively large incision. The best results were attained by extracting a solid lens that did not fall apart as it was lifted out. Today, lens “ripeness” is irrelevant as modern surgical procedure entails breaking up and suctioning out the clouded lens utilizing the “phacoemulsification” technique that requires a minuscule incision. There is no objective test to determine the need for cataract surgery. Patients must decide for themselves on the basis of their vision loss.
Clouded Thinking
It would seem apparent that seniors would know of an eye condition which is a leading cause of blindness in their contemporaries. Yet, when older individuals express their knowledge of cataracts, misinformation abounds. An unfortunate aspect of this lack of knowledge of cataracts results in preventing those who need treatment from getting it by unrealistic expectations of treatment. Simply put, the U. S. National Eye Institute states that cataracts occur when the eye lens grow cloudy. Cataracts do not grow on top the eye. Nor should you wait until the eye lens becomes completely white before seeking surgical treatment. Cataracts can be removed and replaced with a clear, man-made lens with cataract surgery. With a 95% success rate, the surgery is generally performed under light sedation as an outpatient where the patient returns home the same day.
