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.
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of rising diabetes, it is reasonable to assume that the statistics surrounding this disorder may be obsolete and outdated.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.
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.
