Disease Prevention & Treatment

Disease prevention can start when we are very young with something as simple as wearing eye protection.   Today's sunglasses protect our eyes from both impact and ultra-violet radiation. 


Eye Disease

The leading causes of irreversible blindness are glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


Early detection and treatment is critical.  The later an eye problem is diagnosed, the harder it becomes to treat.  In many cases, vision that is lost may be gone forever warns the FDA in the March-April 2002 issue of the FDA Consumer Magazine.  Having regular and thorough eye exams increases the chances of early detection.


Glaucoma

Excess fluid builds-up inside the eye, which cuts off the oxygen flow to the optic nerve.  Glaucoma is usually painless and without symptoms, affecting the peripheral vision first.  Any vision lost to glaucoma can never be re-gained.  Treatment is aimed at preventing further loss.  If left untreated, glaucoma will likely cause blindness.  According the National Eye Institute (NEI) approximately 3 million Americans have glaucoma and half of them don't even know they have the condition.


Diabetic Retinopathy

When diabetes is not well-controlled, chronic high blood sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels of the retina.  Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new cases of blindness with approximately 8,000 new cases each year.  About 16 million people have diabetes and many don't know they have the condition.  Half of all people with diabetes will develop some form of diabetic retinopathy.


Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65.   The macula is the central part of the retina, responsible for activities such as reading and driving.  With AMD, the cells in the macula degenerate or break-down, causing loss of central vision.  Peripheral vision remains intact.  According the National Eye Institute (NEI), approximately 1.7 million Americans have some form of AMD.  There are two forms of the disease, the dry form and the wet form.  

Dry AMD represents 90% of AMD cases.  With dry AMD, the cells of the macula slowly break-down, causing a gradual vision loss.  Sometimes, supplements are beneficial in treating the dry form (see ocular nutrition page). 

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina grow under the macula.  These vessels tend to leak blood and fluid, which raise the macula from its normal position.  Damage to the macula occurs rapidly.  Laser treatment is usually done to treat the wet form.

For those who suffer from macular degeneration, there are many low-vision devices available to help with reading, etc.   Some low-vision resources are:

The American Optometric Association www.aoa.org

Lighthouse International www.lighthouse.org

National Association for Visually Handicapped www.navh.org