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HERPES VS COLD SORES~ IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Herpes…the word always seems make people cringe and curl their face in disbelief. It is associated with sores along the nether regions of the body. Many people are plagued with …
Glaucoma part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today we will be completing our 2 part blog series on glaucoma. Let’s get right into it, shall we? The symptoms you may experience with glaucoma can vary slightly depending on the type you have. This is …
Glaucoma part 1
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Glaucoma is one eye condition that can become very dangerous very rapidly. If you notice symptoms that are coming on very rapidly it is imperative that you receive treatment to avoid any complications. Throughout this 2 part blog series I will be reviewing exactly what glaucoma is, as well as the different types and how they are diagnosed. I will also be reviewing the symptoms and risk factors. From there I will be reviewing the most common complications that can occur. Lastly I’ll be reviewing how to help reduce your risk factors and how you can help the symptoms of glaucoma that you experience.
What exactly is glaucoma? Now I bet your thinking – oooh I know, it’s an increase in the pressure in the eyes! While increased eye pressure does play a part in glaucoma it’s not the whole story. Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve. This is the nerve that brings visual information from your eyes to your brain. While this damage is often related to an increase in eye pressure it can happen with normal eye pressure.
There are 5 types of glaucoma. The first type is called open –angle glaucoma. This is the most common form of glaucoma. Basically what happens is that parts of the fluid drainage system in the eye don’t work properly. Thus the fluid builds up leading to an increase in eye pressure. (1) Please see the below picture to see what this looks like when compared to a healthy eye. (2)
The next type is called acute angle-closure glaucoma. You may have heard this referred to as closed angle glaucoma. This is where a bulging of the iris completely blocks drainage of fluid from the eye. This can cause pressure to increase rapidly in the eye. (1) For a picture of what this would look like compared to a healthy eye please see the following picture. (3)
The next type is called normal tension glaucoma. This is where the optic nerve becomes damaged, however the pressure in the eye is normal. It is theorized that the damage may be due to a reduction in blow flow to the nerve caused by atherosclerosis. (1)
Glaucoma can also occur in children, childhood glaucoma is another form of glaucoma. Children may be born with glaucoma or develop it. Lastly there is pigmentary glaucoma, which is where small pigment granules flake off from the iris and block or slow fluid drainage in the eye. This cause’s an increase in pressure over time. For what this may look like please see the attached picture. (4)
How are you diagnosed with glaucoma? The doctor may perform several tests to determine if you have glaucoma. First they can measure the intraocular pressure called tonometry. The doctor can also test for optic nerve damage by doing a dilated eye exam and imaging test. The doctor can also check for areas of vision by doing a visual field test. The doctor may do an exam called pachymetry to measure corneal thickness. Lastly the doctor may do gonioscopy to inspect the drainage angel. (5)
In our next blog we will cover symptoms, risk factors, complications and the best ways to reduce glaucoma risk factors and symptoms.
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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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