Retinal ischemia causes VEGF to be liberated inside the eye. In cases of diabetes this can lead to diabetic retinal detachment or neovascular glaucoma. Treatments included pan-retinal photocoagulation (laser) or anit-VEGF medication such as Lucentis or Avastin. Ischemia results when oxygen supply does not meet oxygen demand to any tissue. Other examples are the heart and legs. With … [Read more...]
Why Glasses Won’t Help You See
March 31, 2010 By 4 Comments
"Will glasses help?" We often wonder if "correction" will help decreased vision in the presence of retinal disease such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Spectacles can only help so much yet won't "reverse" the loss of vision from the disease. This is opposite to those people who claim they are "blind," yet with glasses see quite well. How do Glasses Work? The goal of … [Read more...]
Legal Blindness and the IRS
March 16, 2010 By 2 Comments
Legally blind vision loss can result from either diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration. Complete blindness can result diabetic retinopathy, but not ARMD. Legally blind, or partially sighted individuals, can still "see," whereas completely blind patients see nothing. Diabetic Blindness Diabetic retinopathy can cause a spectrum of vision loss, from slightly blurry vision to complete … [Read more...]
Diabetes Causes Glaucoma
March 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Glaucoma is a disease that can lead to blindness by destroying the optic nerve. There is an increased risk in developing glaucoma if you have diabetic retinopathy. I am not aware of such a risk with macular degeneration. "Open Angle Glaucoma" is the Most Common for in the U.S. There are many types of glaucoma, but most common in the U.S. is "open angle" glaucoma. All the structures of the … [Read more...]
Your Retina Feels No Pain
February 17, 2010 By 4 Comments
Retinal disease is painless. Diabetic retinopathy doesn't hurt and neither does macular degeneration. For that matter, a retinal detachment is nothing. What does cause eye pain? It can be sinus disease. There are only a handful of problems that cause eye pain. Neither diabetic retinopathy nor macular degeneration causes eye pain, not even a feeling. Corneal abrasions, like skinning … [Read more...]
Neovascularization Causes Blindness
February 15, 2010 By 16 Comments
Both macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can cause "blindness" from neovascularization. Both are diseases of the retina, both can lead to "blindness," both increase with age/time and both can be associated with abnormal blood vessel formation known as "neovascularization." The two diseases differ in the location of the neovascularization. Diabetic Retinopathy - In cases of … [Read more...]
Avastin: An Adjunctive Therapy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
January 27, 2010 By 11 Comments
Avastin® is useful for a variety of eye conditions; it is principally used to treat wet macular degeneration and is becoming a popular option to treat diabetic macular edema. On occasion, Avastin has also been useful, in my practice, to treat patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) also causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in cases of … [Read more...]
A “Toy Story”…………Stories that Blind
December 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
Most retina specialists are also surgeons. We operate on retinal detachments, advanced diabetic retinopathy.............and trauma. Trauma includes careless accidents involving projectiles...........like toys. This holiday season, think about eye safety. Paintball - I hate this one. A compact canister fired at a high rate of speed. The fancier the gun, the faster the projectile. … [Read more...]
You Only Need Good Vision in One Eye to Keep Driving!
December 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In most states, you only need one eye to maintain a driver's license. Most states require one eye to have at least 20/40. In addition, a certain degree of peripheral vision, or continuous field of vision, is required to qualify for an unrestricted license. A restricted license may still be obtained with slightly lower requirements. Please check your own state laws. Can I Drive? … [Read more...]
Retina Laser Treatment Saves Vision
December 1, 2009 By 3 Comments
There are two conditions where laser treatment is needed in patients with diabetic retinopathy: macular edema and evidence of proliferative retinopathy. In cases where macular edema, swelling of the retina in the macular area, is present, "focal" photocoagulation is needed. In cases of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, "pan-retinal photocoagulation," or PRP, is needed. Focal Laser … [Read more...]
