Glaucoma

With the advent of electronic health records, it is now easier than ever to keep up with what medications a patient is actually taking, and (especially in the arena of glaucoma) the several classes of medications, such as steroids, beta blockers, and antihistamines, that can influence how patients’ eyes behave. With this in mind, I had a patient come in the other day with an interesting question regarding her intraocular pressure (IOP).

It’s been a busy week for ophthalmology research and news after both the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Seattle and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting in New Orleans.

Treating and managing chronic glaucoma can be rewarding as an optometrist. The frequency of office visits to monitor this chronic disease provides ODs an opportunity to develop a close relationship with their patients while providing medical eye care.

Researchers have found a significant correlation between depression and visual field loss in patients with glaucoma, according to a study in Ophthalmology.

What if glaucoma is actually a “two-pressure” disease caused by a differential between intraocular pressure (IOP) and cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFp)?

Congenital anomalies, angle closure, and juvenile open-angle glaucoma aside, it can be generally agreed upon that glaucoma tends to be a disease of relatively older persons. This rings especially true in the arena of normal-tension glaucoma in which intraocular pressure (IOP) may play less of a causative role compared to vascular and hemodynamic dysfunction.

It’s an oft-repeated mantra among those of us who treat glaucoma: The goal of glaucoma therapy is to maintain adequate functional vision until the patient dies. Like a lot of mantras, we spout it almost glibly.

It has been estimated that by the year 2020, there will be an increase in the number of Americans living with glaucoma from 60 to 80 million. Given that women outnumber and outlive men, this will result in a vast number of patients who will require optometric care.

It is important for optometrists to be familiar with these devices and the rationale behind the device chosen. This article describes what each device is, how they work, complications, and postoperative care.

At the completion of the examination, I was getting ready to walk her up to the front when she stopped me and said she had a very serious question. We both sat down, and she asked me how long she had before she went blind because her mother went blind from glaucoma before seeking ophthalmic care.

Not very long ago, a 55-year-old African-American female presented with complaints of redness in her right eye for one week’s duration with mild discomfort. Medical history was significant for arterial hypertension, which was reportedly controlled with an oral beta blocker.

Sleep apnea is a lot more common than you might think, and it’s affecting your patients’ eyes and vision in drastic ways, says Brad Sutton, OD, FAAO.

Leaders in their respective specialties came together at the American Academy of Optometry 2015 meeting in New Orleans to share their latest research in dry eye and glaucoma.

For the last few years, doctors have warned that life expectancy may decrease nationwide. The primary culprit-obesity-has been wreaking havoc on patient health and the healthcare system, and many systemic health problems have been on the rise.

Glaucoma comes in more than one flavor, and while open-angle glaucoma has received more attention, its angle-closure cousin has flown under the radar in the United States.

From advances in medical technology and testing to increased awareness among the public, eyecare professionals are better able to identify glaucoma before it starts wreaking havoc on a patient's vision. But when it comes to identifying glaucoma progression, things get a little murkier.

Medical care is often fraught with clinical conundrums, from the logistical of figuring out what to do with patients who refuse to take medicine, to tests or imaging that don't match diagnoses.

A recent editorial in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) raised some questions about the indications for medical marijuana, which vary greatly by state.

With that in mind, there are several aspects of my own EHR software that I really appreciate over paper charts. Besides the fact that I can actually read what I wrote (or typed), one thing that I particularly enjoy is the fact that I am able to consistently look at a new patient’s optic nerves without knowing his or her intraocular pressure (IOP) values beforehand.

Bob Prouty, OD, FAAO, educated a packed house at the American Optometirc Association’s Optometry’s Meeting on marijuana’s use in and outside of eye care.

For years now, there has been considerable evidence indicating that glaucoma should be considered a neurological disease and not an entity isolated to the eyes alone. Perhaps the most compelling evidence for such a characterization is the fact that the retinal ganglion cells affected by glaucoma do not synapse until they arrive at the midbrain (specifically, the lateral geniculate nucleus).

Liverpool, UK-The British Contact Lens Association meeting features several panel discussion on a theme. Topics included a look into the future for managing myopia and contact lens discomfort. In addition, improve the success of your multifocal contact lens fits with expert suggestions.

Liverpool, UK-The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) opened the first day of its 2015 conference with a day-long focus on myopia management. Ian Flitcroft, MA DPHIL FRCOPHTH, calls myopia a public health time bomb.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, found that exposure to cats and cockroaches may increase the risk for glaucoma, while contact with dogs could help guard against the disease.

Researchers at the Cullen Eye Institute at Baylor College of Medicine have developed nanowafer technology to delivery ocular drugs, an alternative to inefficient eye drops.

A recent study found an association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and glaucoma that is not attributed to the use of beta-blocker therapy.

In honor of the unofficial stoner holiday-April 20-we wondered how the legalization of marijuana in some states has affected optometrists.

A few days ago, a 61-year-old white male presented with a gradual and painless loss of vision in his left eye.

Compliance is a common concern with glaucoma patients, but a study recently published in Ophthalmology found that generic medication may help increase adherence, possibly due to lower cost.

David Friedman, MD, says glaucoma has a major impact on a patient’s quality of life, but shared his tips for treating these concerns.