Tag: glaucoma

Researcher states that healthy components of green tea could get into the eye tissue and acts as an antioxidant in the area.

Green tea has been claimed to have some positive benefits, like fighting heart disease and cancer. This effect comes from the antioxidant content of catechins in it. (continue reading…)

Glaucoma is a silent disease that always results in blindness if not properly treated. There are several types of glaucoma, but all are a result of increased pressure within the eye, and a corresponding decrease in blood flow to the optic nerve. Like most diseases, treatment of glaucoma has evolved over the years, and knowing what must be done and considered when therapy is administrated can make the difference between life long vision and ultimate blindness.

There are 10 considerations that should always be kept in mind when treating and suffering from glaucoma. (continue reading…)

Like so many aspects of our health, it’s common to develop problems with vision as we get older. Unfortunately, many older people also have less access to insurance and therefore less access to vision care. A program called EyeCare America which is sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology is designed to help by offering free eye exams to seniors who don’t have insurance. (continue reading…)

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye’s optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma occurs when the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises. However, with early treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.

What is the optic nerve?

The optic nerve is a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers. It connects the retina to the brain. (See diagram below.) The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy optic nerve is necessary for good vision.

What are some other forms of glaucoma?

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form. Some people have other types of the disease.

1. Low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma. Optic nerve damage and narrowed side vision occur in people with normal eye pressure. Lowering eye pressure at least 30 percent through medicines slows the disease in some people. Glaucoma may worsen in others despite low pressures.
   A comprehensive medical history is important in identifying other potential risk factors, such as low blood pressure, that contribute to low-tension glaucoma. If no risk factors are identified, the treatment options for low-tension glaucoma are the same as for open-angle glaucoma.
2. Angle-closure glaucoma. The fluid at the front of the eye cannot reach the angle and leave the eye. The angle gets blocked by part of the iris. People with this type of glaucoma have a sudden increase in eye pressure. Symptoms include severe pain and nausea, as well as redness of the eye and blurred vision. If you have these symptoms, you need to seek treatment immediately.
   This is a medical emergency. If your doctor is unavailable, go to the nearest hospital or clinic. Without treatment to improve the flow of fluid, the eye can become blind in as few as one or two days. Usually, prompt laser surgery and medicines can clear the blockage and protect sight.
3. Congenital glaucoma. Children are born with a defect in the angle of the eye that slows the normal drainage of fluid. These children usually have obvious symptoms, such as cloudy eyes, sensitivity to light, and excessive tearing. Conventional surgery typically is the suggested treatment, because medicines may have unknown effects in infants and be difficult to administer. Surgery is safe and effective. If surgery is done promptly, these children usually have an excellent chance of having good vision.
4. Secondary glaucomas. These can develop as complications of other medical conditions. These types of glaucomas are sometimes associated with eye surgery or advanced cataracts, eye injuries, certain eye tumors, or uveitis (eye inflammation). Pigmentary glaucoma occurs when pigment from the iris flakes off and blocks the meshwork, slowing fluid drainage. A severe form, called neovascular glaucoma, is linked to diabetes. Corticosteroid drugs used to treat eye inflammations and other diseases can trigger glaucoma in some people. Treatment includes medicines, laser surgery, or conventional surgery.

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National Eye Institute. Facts About Glaucoma.

Computer software to spot signs of glaucoma earlier than conventional tests is being developed by UK experts.

The team at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital say the test has the potential to prevent many patients going blind.

Diagnosing glaucoma can be difficult, as patients are often not aware of symptoms until a great deal of useful sight has been permanently destroyed. It is estimated glaucoma affects 67m people worldwide, including 500,000 in the UK – but only half are diagnosed.

Over the internet

The Moorfields Motion Detection Test (MDT) is designed to assess the field of vision.  The software can be downloaded to a laptop computer, and eventually it is hoped to make it available directly from the internet. A central white spot and several white lines are displayed on a grey screen.

The patient is asked to look steadily at the central spot and to press the computer mouse each time one of the lines is seen to move. The lines move at the same speed but move different distances as the test proceeds, meaning experts can detect the degree of visual loss.

Moorfields say the test is affordable, portable, quick – and has the potential to spot glaucoma earlier than conventional tests, and with greater accuracy.

Professor Vis Viswanathan, a consultant surgeon in glaucoma at Moorfields who developed the system, said conventional tests – which concentrate on the ability to see light – fail to pick up a patient’s ability to detect movement.

However, the ability to perceive motion is one of the first things to vanish in people suffering glaucoma.

He said: “A better test would be based on the ability to perceive motion and that is how this test came about.

“In general terms, if somebody is perceiving very small amounts of motion, they are in pretty good shape.”

Steve Winyard, from the RNIB, said current tests often inaccurately diagnosed a problem in people who did not have glaucoma. He said the new test promised to be more accurate…

Source for complete article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7276822.stm