Discussing The Seriousness Of Open Angle Glaucoma

open angle glaucoma

If you are serious about the health of your eyes, then you should make sure that you see your optical doctor on a regular basis. Making sure that you have regular optical exam, for example your yearly exam for glaucoma, will go a long way towards insuring that you keep your vision. Open angle glaucoma affects more than 80 percent of the people that contract glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease that can be cured if found in the early stages.

There are other types of glaucoma but open angle is the one that affects the eyesight of most people. The sad fact is that there are more than 3 million Americans who have glaucoma but are not aware of it yet, based on statistical research. Glaucoma works by damaging the optic nerve through pressure in the eye or decreasing the blood supply to the optic nerve. If it is caught early enough by scheduling eye exams, then glaucoma can be arrested, and a person’s vision can be saved. However, any damage that glaucoma has caused up to that point is not fixable. The people who are most at risk of contracting glaucoma are black people, people over 40, or anyone that has a history of glaucoma in their family.

Most people who contract glaucoma discover that they have open angle glaucoma. This type is the most common and occurs in over 80 percent of all glaucoma cases. Glaucoma destroys a person’s vision by affecting the optic nerve, by putting pressure on and or stopping the blood supply to it. Whatever damage the glaucoma causes is permanent, yet if caught early, then it is very treatable. Many people do not realize that they have glaucoma because the loss of vision happens so slowly; they cannot tell it is happening to them. The only way to make sure that you are safe from the ravages of glaucoma is to be diligent about your health of your optical system and seek attention for any eye problems. Make sure that you have your yearly eye examination and you can perhaps save your vision.

Finding out that you have contracted an eye disease is very difficult to deal with. Open angle glaucoma affects over 80 percent of the people that contract glaucoma. The good news is that it is a treatable disease. If people make sure that they have regular exams with their optical doctor, then they will be safe from the damages of this disease.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

What Are The Various Types Of Macular Degeneration?

macular degeneration

Degeneration of the macular is also called AMD, which stands for age related macular degeneration. This type of disease generally happens to people who are 65 years of age or older, and is a leading cause of blindness in people of this age group. Unfortunately, as the population ages more cases of this type of eye disease are being seen.

There are two types of macular degeneration (AMD). Dry, which is also known non-neo vascular and wet, also known as neo vascular. Wet refers to the growth of new blood vessels in the macula, where they are not suppose to be. The dry form is much more common and affects about 85 to 90% of all AMD patients. While both forms are not good to have, the wet form is much worse than the dry. Dry AMD is usually an early stage of the disease and can result from the macular tissues getting older and thinning out.

Dry AMD causes loss of vision in the central part of the eye. Sometimes dry AMD can progress on to wet AMD. Wet AMD is when blood vessels grow underneath the retina and then leak fluid and blood. This leakage will cause permanent damage to the cells of the retina. This damage is severe and causes the cells to die, which creates blind spots in the central vision. The growth of the blood vessels is the body’s misguided attempt to try and correct a problem that it knows is happening. Unfortunately, this just makes things even worse for the health of the eyes and is what causes AMD to really do its damage.

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects the aging, women, Caucasians, and people with a family history of AMD. This disease works slowly and painlessly and usually results in a profound vision loss. AMD causes shady areas in the central vision of the eyes, and it also causes fuzzy and distorted vision. Of the two forms of this disease, wet and dry, dry AMD is the more common form. This is good news considering the wet form of AMD is much more damaging to the eye. Doctors are not totally clear on what causes this disease. There has been talk and speculation of different genes and family history of the disease being the biggest factors. AMD affects the aging, white people, women, and people with a family history of this disease. Hopefully, doctors will have more answer about AMD as time goes on, especially considering that there is no known cure for this eye disease as of yet. Treatments can help and keep a quality of vision but it cannot totally cure this disease.

If you suspect you or a loved one has contracted macular degeneration, then you must see a vision doctor immediately. It is crucial to begin treatment for AMD as soon as you know that you have it. It will progress until more and more of the vision is destroyed. AMD has no known cure as of yet but treatments can go a long way to helping someone keep their sight for as long as possible.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , ,

Your Eye Health

eyesight

Taking care of your eyes is perhaps one of the most important things that you can do for your health. However, sometimes no matter what steps you take to ensure you stay healthy, you can still get sick. Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes, yet it is actually the name for a group of diseases that affect the optic nerves. It is caused by a few different things but the end result is the same.

Anyone who is serious about eye health issues and about keeping their eyes healthy will make sure that they get regular eye exams. As we get older, parts of our body breakdown and the eyes are especially vulnerable. A glaucoma test is done once a year and is basically a puff of air blown into each eye. While this is not the most comfortable test, it is a very important test because glaucoma works slowly and can sometimes do a lot of damage before it is detected. If detected early, then there is a better chance of successful treatment. Once the damage has occurred, it is irreversible and that is why it is important to take your doctor visits seriously. This is also why it is important to have regular screenings for glaucoma and it usually starts with the peripheral vision. Without regular screenings for glaucoma it is possible for a large part of the nerves to be destroyed before anyone realizes what has happened.

Glaucoma can destroy through increased pressure inside the eye or by causing poor blood supply to the optic nerve fibers. There are a few ways that glaucoma can attack and destroy and each person is different and will have different experiences. Glaucoma usually happens as a person ages; however, it can happen at any time or at any age. There does seem to be some correlation with glaucoma and family health history. Therefore, if anyone in your family has ever had glaucoma, then it is extremely important that you have your eyes checked regularly. Once glaucoma takes hold, the damage is done and it is irreversible. Your eyes will never recover. The best the doctors would be able to do is to salvage as much of your vision as is left after the ravages of this disease.

The health of your eyes is something you should always take seriously and never take for granted. Making sure that you have regular exams and letting your doctor know if you have any concerns with your eyes is especially important. Your eyesight is one of the most important senses and you want to make sure that you do everything you can to keep it working for years to come.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Taking A Look At The Treatments Of Glaucoma Eye Disease

eye disease

The good news is that glaucoma is an eye disease that can be treated. The bad news is that any damage that has already been caused by glaucoma cannot be repaired; it will either stay the same or get worse. The best chance for anyone who contracts this eye disease has is to catch the development early, as treatment for glaucoma is more successful the earlier it is discovered.

Glaucoma is really the term given to four different but similar diseases of the eyes. All of the different types of glaucoma do basically the same thing; they increase pressure in the eyes. All of the different treatments for this eye disease are aimed at reducing this high-pressure. This is not to say that pressure in the eyes will always cause glaucoma, but once glaucoma has developed, the high-pressure will speed up the process. Some of the different treatments of glaucoma include eyedrops, medication and surgery. The fact that more and more eye health information is readily available to the public about glaucoma and the damage that it can do to eyes, means that treatment will be more widespread and successful.

Once a person has been diagnosed with glaucoma, it is important for them to begin immediate treatment. The first line of defense in treating glaucoma is medicated eyedrops. The medications in the drops can consist of beta blockers, prostaglandins, alpha-stimulators, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, miotics and epinephrine. Doctors will only move onto oral medications if the eyedrops do not work effectively. Oral medications for glaucoma treatment have a high percentage of side effects, which is why doctors like to try the medicated eyedrops first. If all else fails, then surgery is a last resort. A glaucoma patient could either receive traditional surgery or laser surgery; it will depend on what their doctor thinks is best. The main goal of surgery is to reduce the pressure in the eyes.

Glaucoma is a disease that if left untreated can have disastrous effects on a person’s vision. Treatments for glaucoma are usually quite successful as long as it is caught early and the treatment is started as soon as possible. Unfortunately, any damage already done cannot be fixed, so make sure to schedule yearly eye exams.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , ,

You Should Avoid Getting Infected With Any Eye Diseases

pink eye

Eye diseases are not fun to get or to have. Unfortunately, even people who try to take care of their health can wind up with eye problems. Trying to eat healthy and exercise can help every part of your body stay in shape, yet if you are having issues with your eyes then the best thing to do is to get help from a doctor immediately.

There’s so many diseases that can affect the eyes that it is hard to keep track of them all. Luckily, there are trained professionals, such as eye doctors, who are specialized in this area. Sometimes eye problems can happen due to eyestrain or a person not taking care of their eyes correctly, yet there are others who are genetically predisposed. Open angle glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye, pink eye and eye infections are some of the many things that can affect just about anyone. Some diseases are curable and some are not. There are some that can be stopped in their tracks and stopped from advancing, and there are some diseases that can be reversed totally. If you are having any type of eye trouble, then you need to have an eye exam and determine what your specific condition is. Once determined by an eye specialist, you will gain the knowledge of how to take care of whatever eye health issue you have.

If you find you’re unlucky enough to contract one of the many eye diseases that are out there, then don’t get too upset until you know all the facts. Medical advances are such these days that there are very few diseases that will totally ravage eyes enough for you to go blind. As long as you take care of your health, and make sure that you get regular eye exams, there is a very good chance that anything you ever contract can be taken care of. The key with any sort of eye issues, as well as any other health issue, is early detection. If you have regular exams, whether it is for your eyes or your body, then you are more likely to catch anything before much damage can be done.

Taking care of your body and your eyes should be your first priority in life. Eyesight is considered one of the top rated of the five senses, and you don’t want any eye diseases destroying your vision. Making sure that you get regular eye examinations is the first offense and the best defense against any type of eye problem.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , ,