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Not only are we great at what we do but we’re just as nerdy too. Nerdy enough to be in awe of cool sweaters such as this. Could you imagine our staff all wearing “trendy” yet nerdy sweaters such as this?

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National Glaucoma Awareness

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month (sponsored by Prevent Blindness America).  Since you are probably wondering what glaucoma is I’ll give a brief description of what happens in most (certainly not all) cases of glaucoma. 

In the back of your eye, there is an Optic Nerve which acts like a cable carrying visual information back to your brain to process.  In glaucoma, the fluid pressure in the eye is too high and causes the nerve to lose information-carrying fibers.  This loss of fibers causes the eye to lose its peripheral (off to the side) vision first, and can lead to the loss of central vision in more advanced cases.  This most-common glaucoma is called Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG).  It is usually slowly progressive and can be very difficult to detect.

So what are the symptoms of glaucoma?  Usually there are none.  Most often, the patient is completely unaware that there is any loss of vision, and their eyes feel just fine.  That’s why it is sometimes referred to as the “sneak thief” of sight.

What does your eye doctor do to look for glaucoma?  There are a number of tests included in an eye exam which we use to detect glaucomatous changes including a pressure check, a peripheral vision test and a careful examination of the optic nerve.  Photographs of the retina, which include the optic nerve, are very helpful in looking for subtle changes over time.

If your doctor feels that your pressure is too high and/or detects changes consistent with glaucoma there are treatments available.  These include pressure-lowering eye drops, laser surgeries and other pressure-lowering surgeries. 

So what to do?  Have your eyes examined on a regular basis, even if your vision is “just fine”.  Let your doctor know about any family history of glaucoma.  And make sure you take a list of your medications and health conditions.

Sports Injury? Get it Checked Out!

The mother of a 16 year old girl called the office towards the end of the day recently.  The daughter had been at soccer practice and was struck in the face over her left eye by a hard kicked ball.  She was experiencing some “squiggly lines” in her vision.  We had her come in immediately for evaluation.

Even though the eye was not hit directly by the ball, the “jolt” of the ball striking the surrounding area caused damage inside the eye as the contents of the eye were shaken up.  In the periphery of her left eye (way off to the side), the vitreous gel had pulled loose from her retina and torn some blood vessels in the process.  This caused a hemorrhage, or blood leak.  This phenomenon is called “commotio retinae”.

The patient was sent immediately to the office of a retinal specialist for further evaluation.  In some cases, the retina can actually detach and require immediate surgical intervention.  In this case, the retina was intact and no treatment was necessary at that time.  She will soon be cleared for full activity in both soccer and volleyball.

The take-home message here is that even if things “seem OK” after trauma, it’s best to get checked out as soon as possible.  Like many things in life, eye problems can be much easier to fix sooner rather than later.