Ophthalmology

Glaucoma, what is glaucoma? If you are like me, you think it has to do with the pressure in your head and that marijuana is the alternative drug that can make it better. I immediately think about the movie “How High” and see the little old lady sitting on her bed with a pipe saying that it helps with glaucoma too. But is any of this true? Yes and no. Glaucoma does not affect the pressure in your head known as intracranial pressure or ICP. What it does affect is the pressure that is put onto the…

There are many eye diseases and disorders, some mild to very severe. One example of a disease would be Macular Degeneration. Macular Degeneration is the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula. This disease is the leading cause of blindness in people of the age of 55. There are two types of Macular Degeneration, dry and wet. Dry (atrophic), when small yellow deposits form under the macula, causing it the thin and dry out, leading to central vision loss. Wet is…

If you have poor eyesight, the tediousness of glasses and contacts can get annoying, especially after several years. Not to mention, the continued costs of purchasing glasses and contacts every year or so can be costly. The solution to the problem for glasses-wearers is laser eye surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery is not the most affordable for everyone, ranging from $400 per eye to almost $2,000 per eye. It depends on the clinic, doctor, risk, and other factors. Furthermore, traditional group…

Glaucoma is an ocular disease which destroys the optic nerves in the eye due to an increase in the intraocular pressure. This disease is the second most common cause of blindness in the world and Canada (Noertjojo et al. 2006), and the most prevalent form of the disease is Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). It is estimated that by 2020, there will be almost 80 million people in the world with both primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and angle closure glaucoma (ACG) with POAG more prevalent.…

Introduction Eye enucleation is surgery to permanently remove the eyeball (globe). The space that remains (socket) after the eyeball is removed will be filled with an artificial eyeball (implant). Muscle tissue will be sewn onto the implant to keep the implant in place and to give it some movement. The natural eyeball may need to be removed because of: Injury. Diabetes. Tumors. Eye disease such as glaucoma. Inflammation or infection of the inner eye (endophthalmitis). A painful, blind eye.…

Glaucoma - The Silent Thief of Sight To understand well the subject, we must first appreciate how the eyes enables us to see, and the major role of the optic nerve plays in this process. Let us compare our eyes with a camera. When taking pictures, as we click on the shutter, the lens of the camera let the lights go inside then focuses the light on the film and when the light hits the film, an image was created. This idea is same with a normal eye. When light rays enter the eye through the pupil…

Open-Angle Glaucoma According to the authors Ramdas, Wolfs, Kiefte-de Jong, Hofman, and de Jong (2013) of the article "Nutrient Intake and Risk of Open-Angle Glaucoma: The Rotterdam Study", Open-Angle Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to glaucomatous optic neuropathy and eventually, through glaucomatous visual field loss, to the loss of sight. It is also the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Increased intraocular pressure, oxidative stress, and…

What career would I chose to research? I chose to be an optometrist. They help people with their eye problems. I know because I really cannot see the best. Optometry seem like a fun career. The first Eye Care Inc. was made in 1985. Their goal was to have successful practices filled with happy patients. It had 18 doctors originally. The technology has improved tremendously. The history is not as old as other job’s history. “Optometry” means the measurement of vision. Optometry comes from the…

HPI: 21 year old female with past medical history of glaucoma presents to the ED today for an allergic reaction. Patient has a rash all over her body and states the rash started 3 hours ago. She states she started Amoxicillin a week ago due to acute otitis media infection. She was given a course of Amoxicillin for 7 days, with today being her last day. She was at her PCP’s office later today and received a cortisone injection with Benadryl 30 mins prior to arrival and states she has a burning…

Many people do not know that some 2,000 to 3,000 Americans suffer from a very rare inherited genetic blindness. This blindness is caused from a mutation in the RPE65 gene, which is located in the retina and makes a protein that is critical for normal vision. You inherit two of these genes from your parents. One from your mother and one from your father. This genetic blindness occurs when both the genes that are inherited contain mutations. This is why it is so rare. The patients first see signs…