Glaucoma is a frightening vision condition that affects the optic nerve, and if the damage continues untreated, it can lead to blindness. But experts say there is reason for hope. “There are new medications and procedures to treat glaucoma,” said Dr. Andrea Zimmerman, a low vision specialist with the Lighthouse Guild in New York. Additionally,… Continue reading The Latest News on Glaucoma
Category: Glaucoma
Traditional Glaucoma Test Can Miss the Severity of the Disease
The most common tests for glaucoma can underestimate the severity of the condition by not detecting the presence of central vision loss, according to a 2018 Columbia University study. The study, published November 8th in JAMA Ophthalmology, found that administering a variation of the visual field test that better assesses macular damage can improve diagnosis… Continue reading Traditional Glaucoma Test Can Miss the Severity of the Disease
Direct Injections into Eye Show Promise for Treating Visual Illness
Although most of us shiver at the idea of injecting medicine directly into the eye, that method may work better when it comes to treating the serious eye illness macular edema, research shows. The study, conducted by researchers at a number of institutes including Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai, was published in the journal Ophthalmology.… Continue reading Direct Injections into Eye Show Promise for Treating Visual Illness
Scientists Seek to Better Protect The Eye from Glaucoma
Enhancing the protection of neurons in the eye may help in the battle against glaucoma, according to new research. Current glaucoma therapies work to reduce pressure in the eye by increasing outflow and/or reducing fluid production. Dr. Kathryn Bollinger, ophthalmologist, glaucoma specialist and retinal cell biologist, has come up with evidence that a good additional… Continue reading Scientists Seek to Better Protect The Eye from Glaucoma
New Glaucoma Drugs Yield Large, Lasting Reductions in Intraocular Pressure
Two novel ocular hypotensive agents that have just been approved for use in humans — netarsudil and latanoprostene bunod (LBN) — greatly reduce intraocular pressure, with lasting results in various animal models of glaucoma and in humans. Two articles that highlight these two breakthrough drugs, as well as cutting-edge articles on the effects of amitriptyline… Continue reading New Glaucoma Drugs Yield Large, Lasting Reductions in Intraocular Pressure
10 Tips to Reduce Your Chance of Losing Vision from the Most Common Cause of Blindness
Glaucoma, a condition that damages the optic nerve because of increased pressure on the eye, affects nearly 60 million people worldwide. The condition, which can be treated though not reversed, is one of the leading causes of vision loss. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), it’s long been thought that lifestyle choices don’t… Continue reading 10 Tips to Reduce Your Chance of Losing Vision from the Most Common Cause of Blindness
Estrogen Therapy May Help Protect Against Glaucoma
Women who took estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after ovary removal had a lower risk of developing glaucoma, according to research presented in November at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The study, conducted at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and the University of California, San Francisco, appears to… Continue reading Estrogen Therapy May Help Protect Against Glaucoma
Rare Y-Shaped Protein Discovered That Is Associated with Glaucoma
So unheard of was what researchers discovered in a protein associated with glaucoma that for over two years they ran it through a gauntlet of lab tests and published a new research paper on it. The tests validated what they initially saw. It was a Y-shape. That made it an extreme oddity significant to science,… Continue reading Rare Y-Shaped Protein Discovered That Is Associated with Glaucoma
New Eye Test Detects Earliest Signs of Glaucoma
A simple eye test could help solve the biggest global cause of irreversible blindness, glaucoma. In clinical trials, the pioneering diagnostic — developed by researchers at University College London (UCL) and the Western Eye Hospital — allowed doctors to see individual nerve cell death in the back of the eye. Results of first clinical trials… Continue reading New Eye Test Detects Earliest Signs of Glaucoma
Glaucoma: Drug-Dispensing Contact Lens Lowers Eye Pressure
A contact lens designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye could improve outcomes for patients with conditions requiring treatment with eye drops, which are often imprecise and difficult to self-administer. In a study published online on August 29th 2016 in Ophthalmology, a team of researchers have shown that a novel contact lens-based system, which… Continue reading Glaucoma: Drug-Dispensing Contact Lens Lowers Eye Pressure
New Eye Test Could Detect Glaucoma Years Earlier
Scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia have developed a testing protocol that identifies the blinding eye disease glaucoma four years earlier than current techniques. The patented method involves patients looking at small dots of light of specially chosen size and light intensity. An inability to see them indicates blind spots… Continue reading New Eye Test Could Detect Glaucoma Years Earlier
February Is Low Vision Awareness Month: Tips for Managing Age-Related Vision Loss
As our population ages, the incidence of age-related conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetes is increasing. These conditions may result in vision loss that is not correctable with glasses, medication or surgery. A permanent decrease in visual acuity may make it difficult to complete everyday tasks – this loss of functional vision is called low… Continue reading February Is Low Vision Awareness Month: Tips for Managing Age-Related Vision Loss
Dietary Nitrate & Green Leafy Vegetables May Lower Risk of Glaucoma
Greater intake of dietary nitrate and green leafy vegetables was associated with a 20 percent to 30 percent lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study published online in January 12016 by JAMA Ophthalmology. A release from the publisher explains that elevated intraocular pressure and impaired autoregulation of optic nerve blood flow are… Continue reading Dietary Nitrate & Green Leafy Vegetables May Lower Risk of Glaucoma
Glaucoma Patients Who Increase Visual Scanning Can Pass Driving Tests
Some people with glaucoma-related binocular (both eyes) vision loss can pass a standard driving test by adopting increased visual scanning behavior, reports a study in the October 2015 issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. A release from the publisher reports… Continue reading Glaucoma Patients Who Increase Visual Scanning Can Pass Driving Tests
What You Must Know About Glaucoma
By Sondra Forsyth
In April of 2013, I went for my annual eye exam. I’ve worn glasses or contacts for distance correction ever since elementary school but over the years, other than the usual age-related need for “readers”, I’ve never had any vision problems. This time, though, I saw a look of concern flash across the optometrist’s face when she did the test for ocular pressure.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.