Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Lutein Plus for the eyes and beyond! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In today’s blog I will be reviewing a very popular Invite product, Lutein Plus. Lutein Plus contains lutein, zeaxanthin and DHA. Let’s start with 2 of the most well-known eye studies, AREDS and …
Macular Degeneration part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In my last blog I began the conversation on macular degeneration. Today I’ll be finishing that important topic. Let’s start with the most common risk factors for macular degeneration. One of the largest risk factors for …
Macular Degeneration part 1
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Macular Degeneration is more common than you might think. In fact according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in those age 50 and older! Now I am sure you noticed this is labeled part 1. This is because I wanted to really get into depth with exactly what macular degeneration is and I did not feel that one part would really do that justice. Anyhoo when most people hear macular degeneration the first thing that pops into their mind is that macular degeneration is a buildup of drusen. While drusen is a big part of macular degeneration it’s not the entire picture. Macular degeneration is a loss of central vision. However there is typically no loss or change in peripheral vision. There are 2 main reasons why this vision loss occurs and these are due to the 2 different forms of macular degeneration. (1) The 1st form is called wet macular degeneration. This form only accounts for approximately 10% of all cases. (2) While this form is less common it is more severe and you will typically loose vision faster. Now what happens when you have wet macular degenerations is new abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These new vessels are “leaky” and blood as well as other fluids leak out and this causes the macula to be scarred. Now the other form is much more common and accounts for approximately 80 % of all cases. This is called dry macular degeneration. This is where drusen is important. When you have dry macular degeneration parts of the macula grow thinner and tiny clumps of drusen grow leading to a loss of central vision. (1) To sum things up both forms of macular degeneration lead to changes and eventual loss of central vision. However their underlying mechanism is different (increase in leaky blood vessels vs drusen). What does this look like? Please see the attached picture for a comparison. (3)
Macular degeneration is a prime example of a very series condition that can have either very subtle or even no early warning signs. It is a prime example of why regular eye screenings are so important. What are some of the symptoms you may experience? At 1st you may have trouble seeing in low light. You may notice that your vision is blurry for both up close and distance. Additionally colors may not be as bright. As the disease progresses there may be vision changes or even vision loss. In later stages straight lines may look wavy or corked. In the center of your vision there may be a blurry or even blank spot. Sudden and significant loss of central vision may indicate the development of wet macular degeneration. (4) Now I bet your question right now is but doc how do I know if lines are wavy? Do I just grab a notebook and look at the lines? There is actually something called the Amsler grid. This can be used to help monitor your vision especially if you have any of the risk factors for macular degeneration. Please see the below pictures for a healthy view of the grid as compared to what the grid may look like if there is macular degeneration. (1)
Healthy
Possible macular degeneration
According to the American Academy of ophthalmology to use this grid you do the following:
When it comes to macular degeneration there is still a lot of talk about! In my next blog we will be reviewing the risk factors, as well as any complications that can occur. Lastly we will be reviewing what you can do to lower your risk factors and what supplements are important when you are diagnosed with macular denegation.
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Grape Seed for our vision? Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND A simple internet search for grape seed will show you how amazing grape seed really is! In fact most people know some of the benefits of Grape Seed. But what they may not know is …
HEPATITIS~ THE TYPES, THE SUPPORT AND CAN IT BE PREVENTED? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Hepatitis is a disease that we’ve all heard about and it also triggers fear for many when it’s discussed. It is often associated with hypodermic needle drug users, …
Cataracts Explained
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to start off this topic on vision with cataracts for one simple reason – it’s extremely common. In fact I bet you know someone who has cataracts whether it be a relative or friend. Just how common are cataracts? Well according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology cataracts affect more than 20 million people age 40 and older! (1)
What exactly is a cataract? Well a cataract is when the lens of the eye goes from being clear to being cloudy. Basically as we age the lenses in our eyes become less flexible and clear and the proteins /fibers in the lens breakdown and clump together. Additionally the lens becomes thicker over time. All of these changes leads to the clouding of the lens. Over time the cataract will become larger and the clouding of your vision will become worse. One way to think of a cataract is to think of a fried egg. At first the “whites” are clear. As you cook the egg the whites go from clear and see through to opaque. That is exactly what happens to the lens of the eye! See attached picture for a comparison of a healthy eye and an eye with a cataract.
What are the most common risk factors for cataracts? One of the most common risk factors is age. Other risk factors include having a family history of cataracts, having a previous eye injury or eye inflammation and prior eye surgery. Life style factors such as excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking, being obese, getting too much sunlight and using corticosteroid medications all increase our risk. Lastly diabetes as well as myotonic dystrophy, galactosemia, neurofibromatosis type 2 or rubella are all risk factors for cataracts.
Now I bet you didn’t know that there is actually more than one type of cataract. The first type is called nuclear cataract which is in the center of the lens. Next is a cortical cataract which is on the edges of the lens. Then there is the posterior subscapular cataract which affects the back of the lens. Lastly some people can be born with cataracts or they develop in childhood. This is called congenital contracts.
Now moving ow what are the most common symptoms of cataracts. One of the first signs is cloudy, blurry or dim vision. You may need brighter lights for certain activities and you may have trouble seeing at night in general as well as a dimming of overall colors. You may also notice that you frequently require a change in eyeglass or contact prescription. You may see a “halo” around lights and even be sensitive to light. Lastly there may be double vision in 1 eye. Overall it’s important to see a doctor if you notice any changes in vision. (2)
What can you do about contacts? Well I’ll be honest once a cataract forms it can’t be dissolved. I mean remember the story about the fried egg? Once an egg is fried it can’t be un-fried. However studies do show a few things that can slow the growth of cataracts or reduce your risk factors for developing them. Let’s take a look at just what these things are, shall we?
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