Category: Glaucoma

Medical Literacy: Getting the Information You Need At Your Next Visit to the Doctor

doctor and patient
Image from genome.gov

An editorial in Glaucoma Today speaks to doctors about being careful to make sure patients understand all of the medical information set before them so that they can make informed choices and best take care of their own conditions.  The author, Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD, gives her colleagues the following check list to keep in mind:

1. Slow down. Communication can be improved by speaking slowly and by spending a small amount of additional time with each patient.
2. Use plain, nonmedical language.
3. Show or draw pictures. Visual images can improve the patient’s recall of information.
4. Limit the amount of information provided—and repeat it.
5. Use the “teach-back” technique. Confirm that patients understand by asking them to repeat back instructions.
6. Create a shame-free environment. Encourage questions.

If your eye doctor, or any other medical professional that you visit, has not read this article, you may be able to use these points to your own advantage (teach the teacher, if you will) so that you walk out of your appointment empowered and informed.

Ask the doctor to slow down and speak in terms that make sense to you.  Do not be afraid to ask questions.  You are your own best advocate and, when it comes to going home and self-administering medications like those you may be prescribed for glaucoma or other conditions, your ability to follow the doctor’s instructions can play a vital role in your health.

4 Conditions That Can Contribute to Glaucoma

Hypothyroidism

A study of 600 men with recent a diagnosis of glaucoma were shown to be twice as likely to have hypothyroidism than a similar portion of the population without the eye disease.  Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Birmingham, Alabama assert that there seems to be a convincing correlation be correlation between glaucoma and an under-active thyroid.

When this study was published the authors were not ready to state whether thyroid replacement therapy would help fend off glaucoma.

We recommend considering natural approaches to the treatment of hypothyroidism including iodine supplementation and limiting exposure to lead and other chemicals.

Source: scienceblog.com

Hypertension
Researchers tie blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure to glaucoma

Although intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered a primary risk factor for the development of glaucoma, there is evidence to suggest that glaucoma may continue to progress despite lowering patients’ IOP to targeted levels.

Several recent studies point to vascular risk factors in the development of glaucoma. This new research indicates that blood pressure (BP) and ocular perfusion pressure have become increasingly important in understanding and treating glaucoma.

Although doctors cannot currently visualize ocular blood flow directly, they can easily measure glaucoma patients’ BP and IOP to calculate their ocular perfusion pressure and quantify the vascular changes.

An article published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology explores the relationships between BP and IOP, BP and glaucoma, and perfusion pressure and glaucoma. Study authors suggest that ocular perfusion pressure and its fluctuation may be parameters that need to be measured in the treatment of glaucoma patients.

Learn more about glaucoma, including self-help tips

SOURCE: Blood Pressure and Glaucoma, Costa, et al, Br J Ophthalmol, 30 March 2009, doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.149047.

Thyroid Link
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham believe that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Their study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, reviewed data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to quantify the association between a self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma and a self-reported history of thyroid problems.

Of the 12,376 survey participants, 4.6% reported glaucoma, and 11.9% reported a history of thyroid problems. The prevalence of glaucoma among those who reported thyroid problems was 6.5% compared with 4.4% among those who did not report thyroid problems. This association between glaucoma and thyroid problems remained after adjusting for differences in age, gender, race and smoking status.

The results of this study lend support to the hypothesis that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Although further research on the topic is expected, study authors suspect that hypothyroidism may diminish outflow in the eye.

SOURCE: The association between thyroid problems and glaucoma, Cross, et al, British Journal of Ophthalmology 2008;92:1503-1505.

Herpes Virus
Three of the eight strains of the herpes virus can cause vision loss, including varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox and also shingles, and herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). Shingles, which can affect older adults who have had chickenpox earlier in their lives, is marked by a rash that wraps around one side of the body, generally on the face or trunk. When the rash appears on the face it can affect the corneal tissue and this can lead to keratitis (inflammation and scarring of the cornea), inflammation of the retina or optic nerve, glaucoma, or cataracts, any of which may also result in blurred vision or blindness.

Both HSV-1 (transferred through saliva) and HSV-2 (genital) can cause ocular herpes, a recurrent infection, and the most common cause of corneal blindness in the United States. Once people develop ocular herpes, they have a 50% chance of recurrence within weeks or years, possibly triggered by fever, stress, sunlight, or eye injury. Approximately 400,000 Americans have ocular herpes, with 50,000 new or recurring cases every year. In 12% of cases, both eyes are affected.

Source: https://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/vision/1538-1.html

 

Glaucoma Research Focuses on Anticardiolipins and IOP

Anticardiolipin Levels

A recent Canadian study on the progression of glaucoma shows that age and abnormal anticardiolipin antibody levels are key factors in the decrease of sufferers’ field of vision. Anticardiolipin antibodies are associated with such diseases as lupus, syphilis, and antiphospholipid syndrome, but the presence of these antibodies does not necessarily indicate that a patient has any of these conditions. According to study authors, “While this finding (regarding anticardiolipin antibodies [ACA]) is significant, its practical implications are unclear as only 5.5% of the tested patients had abnormal ACA levels.”

Researchers also looked at changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and determined that a modest IOP reduction in patients with progressing glaucoma significantly reduced the rate of visual field decline.

Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/727024

Corneal Arcus

Another new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology describes how a condition called corneal arcus, a condition in which a ring of lipids builds up around the cornea, may be responsible for increases in eye pressure.

Corneal arcus is associated with cardiovascular disease.  Researchers can not explain why corneal arcus increases eye pressure, but say “There may be changes in biomechanical properties of the cornea in eyes with corneal arcus, as such mechanisms are emerging as important clinical variables that may affect intraocular pressure measurements.”

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/jaaj-ccc110510.php

 

The Trouble With Eye Drops

A new study finds that the majority of people who self-administer eye drops to manage their glaucoma are having trouble hitting the target.  More than 25% of those studied failed to get the drops in their eyes.  Of those who were successful, few were able to give themselves exactly the right dosage.  Researchers were surprised by the low success rate and by the fact that most people did not realize that they were having trouble getting the study’s required single drop in each eye.

Study authors say that this proves that eye care providers should teach patients the best way to administer the drops, which is usually with a mirror, tilting the head back and placing the drop in the eye while holding down the lower eyelid. Family members and certain devices may also be of help.

SOURCE: https://link.reuters.com/rum98m

Number of U.S. Cases of Glaucoma Don’t Have To Be On the Rise

A recent article in Yahoo New states that the changing nature of the US population will mean more cases of glaucoma.  Age, obesity, and race can all be factors that may influence one’s chances of getting glaucoma (blacks and Hispanics are more likely to develop the disease).  Known as the “silent thief,” by the time one notices the tell-tale decrease in peripheral vision, the disease is already in a very advanced stage. Glaucoma is the damage of the optic nerve, and though often linked to pressure in the eyes, this is not always the culprit.

The number of cases of glaucoma does not have to increase, however, just because we are living longer or because the population is becoming more diverse.  Changes in diet and lifestyle can reduce your risk of glaucoma and other eye diseases and improve your overall health.  For more details, please visit our pages on glaucoma management.

Sleep Position Can Improve Eye Pressure in Glaucoma Patients

A recent study out of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto New indicates that glaucoma patients can reduce intraocular pressure by sleeping with their head elevated at a 30-degree angle as opposed to sleeping with their heads flat on a mattress.  This resulted in a 20% lower IOP.  Study participants exhibited no differences in blood pressure or ocular perfusion pressure between the two positions.  Ocular perfusion is the relationship between IOP and blood pressure – another glaucoma marker.

Previous studies had established that raising the head lowers IOP and that lying down supine results in higher IOP.  Scientists found that comparing lying down to a 45 degree raised position from the horizontal results in a 10% to 15% lower IOP.

This new research gives some more specifics to help the glaucoma patient.

Sources:

Ophthalmology,  Feb 24, 2010
https://www.aao.org/publications/eyenet/201101/glaucoma.cfm
https://www.eyeworld.org/article-sleeping-position-alters-intraocular-pressure

 

Contact Lens May Offer Improved Glaucoma Treatment

A vitamin E packed contact lens has the potential of preserving the vision of people being treated for glaucoma. While the contact lens can’t repair damage that has been done, it can prevent any further decline in vision.

A vitamin E packed contact lens has the potential of preserving the vision of people being treated for glaucoma. While the contact lens can’t repair damage that has been done, it can prevent any further decline in vision.

Typically open angle glaucoma is treated with eyedrops.  The new contact lenses would allow for a slow release of the medication and hold the medicines in place which would allow for the medicine to reach the targeted areas within the eye.

Vitamin E is the mighty component that allows for this slow release of the medication. Not only does the Vitamin E aid in delivering the medication to the eye, it also has the added benefit of protecting the eye from sun damage, since ultra-violet radiation is blocked by Vitamin E.

These trials so far have been done on animals, but shows promise for human use.

Low Vision Rehabilitation

A 2010 clinical trial seeks to find alternative ways to treat glaucoma, specifically investigating how to help those who’ve been told that no more can be done.  This trial is operating under the hypothesis that “state-of-the-art low vision aids in patients with advanced glaucomatous visual loss will provide an improvement in visual tasks and thereby an improvement in quality of life.”  Researchers want to study how low vision rehabilitation can help those suffering from glaucoma.

Source: https://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01262209

We believe that is possible to both prevent and treat glaucoma naturally.

Green Tea May Help Protect Vision for Those with Glaucoma and Other Eye Conditions

The findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggest that the substances, known as catechins, are absorbed by the lens, retina and other parts of the eye. Catechins are antioxidants thought to protect the body against damage from oxygen.

Substances found in green tea work their way into the tissues of the eye and could protect against common eye diseases like glaucoma, researchers say.

The findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggest that the substances, known as catechins, are absorbed by the lens, retina and other parts of the eye. Catechins are antioxidants thought to protect the body against damage from oxygen.
The study authors gave green tea to rats and then tested their eyes to see if catechins affected them. They did, reducing oxidative stress in the eye for up to 20 hours.

Editor’s Note: See more related information on nutrition and glaucoma.

Researchers Predict Number of Americans with Diabetic Retinopathy Will Soar By 2050

The number of Americans with diabetic retinopathy is expected to increase from 5.5 million to 16 million by the year 2050.  Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes, which can eventually lead to blindness.

Researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey and the US Census Bureau to project the number of people with diabetic retinopathy (DR), vision-threatening DR (VTDR), glaucoma, and cataracts among Americans 40 years or older with diagnosed diabetes mellitus for the years 2005-2050.

Study results showed:

  • the number of Americans 40 years or older with DR will triple from 5.5 million in 2005 to 16.0 million in 2050
  • the number of Americans 40 years or older with VTDR will also triple, from 1.2 million in 2005 to 3.4 million in 2050
  • increases among those 65 years or older will be more pronounced (2.5 million to 9.9 million for DR and 0.5 million to 1.9 million for VTDR)
  • the number of cataract cases among whites and blacks 40 years or older with diabetes will likely increase 235% by 2050, and 
  • the number of glaucoma cases among Hispanics with diabetes 65 years or older will increase 12-fold.

Study authors stress the importance of efforts to prevent diabetes as well as to optimally manage diabetes and its complications.

SOURCE:  Projection of Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Major Eye Diseases Among People With Diabetes Mellitus, Saaddine, et al, Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(12):1740-1747.

Survey Shows That Americans Lack Significant Knowledge of Age-Related Vision Problems, Particularly Macular degeneration and Glaucoma

According to the AOA’s American Eye-Q(R) survey, which assesses public knowledge and understanding of issues related to eye and visual health, only 18 percent of Americans know that macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older, and less than a quarter of all Americans understand the effects of glaucoma.

According to the AOA’s American Eye-Q(R) survey, which assesses public knowledge and understanding of issues related to eye and visual health, only 18 percent of Americans know that macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older, and less than a quarter of all Americans understand the effects of glaucoma.

This is particularly concerning as with the baby boomer population coming of age as seniors.

Source: SOURCE American Optometric Association, URL: http://www.aoa.org www.prnewswire.com

Editor’s Note: Through diet, lifestyle and specific nutritional supplementation, there is a great deal one can do to maintain healthy vision and significantly reduce the risk of onset of eye diseases such as macular degeneration. For more information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com