Author Archives: Dr. Joseph Dello Russo

Eye Vision Problems During Pregnancy

Expecting women go through various eye vision changes during their pregnancies. Not only there are their hormones and metabolism starting to change, but their blood circulation system is also suffering from various changes. Adding up the additional amounts of water their bodies is retaining and we have the complete picture of the main factors that contribute to the apparition of eye problems during this special time of life.

 

How Does Pregnancy Influence Eye Vision

 

Pregnant women retain larger amounts of water in their bodies; this is likely to trigger cornea thickness and curving. These elements can influence the correcting effects of glasses and contacts. This is one of the reasons why laser eye surgery is not recommended while carrying a child and the same goes for changing vision glasses prescriptions. Most of these specific changes are temporary and thus likely to go away a few months after bringing your child into the world. Eye dryness and irritation are other another typical issues affecting pregnant women – and these are issues likely to occur during breastfeeding as well. Women suffering from diabetes need to consult with their ophthalmologist before deciding to get pregnant in order to identify any potential retina blood vessel damages. Women suffering from glaucoma on the other hand might notice improvements during pregnancy, so if you are one of them, if your pregnancy allows you to, you could consider working from home, building the budget for your future child’s needs. Check out the link here addsource.com/about-us/ if you need some additional tools to analyze the performance of your promotional strategies.  

When To See Your Doctor

If you are experiencing blurry or double vision, you have started seeing flashing lights or spots or you have become extremely sensitive to light, it is highly recommended you get in touch with your midwife or physician. Also, if you are experiencing temporary puffiness around the eyes, eye vision losses or if you suffer from high blood pressure and preeclampsia, you are more likely to suffer from eye problems.  

Vision in Our World

Whenever one of us has a health question nowadays, it is not at all uncommon to use the Web. It’s simple, straightforward, powerful, and perhaps best of all, it’s very private (assuming you use the best precautions online). When the Web and the wider world of digital media have so much astounding content to see it is quite clear that people also use the Web to make sure they can continue enjoying those resources through lasik.

 

 

 

Visual World

 

 

Aside from the Web there are many powerful new communication technologies becoming available. Many of these are and will be vision-based. Although there is plenty of support with voice-control and other newer ways to access these media — vision is in many cases a required form of  participation from users.

 

The good news is that there are also many ways to correct vision problems. Many more people could avoid vision problems entirely by using screens moderately.

 

On the other hand, our screens and devices are getting more sophisticated. Especially the screen technology, which has resolution sharper than human eyes' sensitivity. Although many people will still spend too many hours looking at screens, at work and at home, fortunately the eye strain has lessened intensity now.

 

 

Sharper Viewing

 

 

The danger with acquiring superior technology, of course, is that logging longer hours online or using computers, laptops, tablets and mobiles more could be a serious temptation.

 

In response to the overall escalation of vision-oriented tasks, in our high-tech modern world, we think a whole generation will grow up using better eye-care habits, using better optometrics or lenses, and, even eating diets that are optimized for the health of the eyes.

 

 

Better Discretion

 

 

But there are limits for all of us, regarding how much time scutinizing screens our eyes can tolerate. Everybody's eyeballs are a different story, after all — our genetics limit or grace various parts of each body. Sometimes we can only cope with the equipment we're given.

 

In many cases of people with serious eye disabilities — or those who face long healing time after injuries and medical procedures — quite honestly, decisions will have to be made about which screen-based tasks or amusements (from slots online to social networks) could be avoided, at least some of the time.

 

THE EXCIMER LASER EVOLUTION

Pioneers of the Excimer laser for Refractive Surgery took attendees on a journey through the quarter-century following the first clinical application of the Excimer laser to correct astigmatism on the 25th Anniversary of the Excimer laser. In a combined meeting with the International Society of Refractive Surgeons of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (ISRS/AAO) and the European society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) on Sunday, Stephen Trokel, M.D., N.Y., described how the laser was developed, how it evolved and then reached clinical application.

The Excimer laser was originally used for etching silicone computer chips in the 1970s. In 1982, Rangaswamy Srinivasin, James Wynne, and Samuel Blum, who worked in IBM research laboratories, found that tissue could be removed with a laser without causing any heat damage to the neighboring material. Dr. Trokel saw the potential for this to be applied to corneal refractive surgery. Charles Munnerlyn, Ph.D., Santa Clara, Calif., who was introduced to the Excimer laser in 1983 by Dr. Trokel, discussed the evolution of Excimer laser algorithms. It was Dr. Munnerlyn’s algorithms for required ablation depths that Dr. Trokel first used to begin performing the surgery on rabbits.

From a historical narrative, to the description of present applications of the Excimer laser, speakers moved on to discuss the future of the Excimer laser. Theo Seiler, M.D., Ph.D., Zurich, Switzerland, talked about the application of the laser on eyes that have undergone collagen cross-linking, which he said has a high efficacy and low complication rate. Presenting a case study, he said the combination of surface ablation and collagen cross-linking seems to be a reasonable approach though further research is needed.

As a sum up of the Excimer laser’s advancement through the years, Yaron S. Rabinowitz, M.D., Los Angeles, Calif., presented a video of the history of the laser, which will be made available for members of the Academy. This year’s Barraquer medal was awarded to Roger F. Steinert, M.D., Irvine, Calif., who delivered the Barraquer lecture titled, “Corneal Surgery is Refractive Surgery.”

TIMOLOL EYE DROPS RECALLED

After a health risk warning from Canadian authorities, Sandoz Canada (Quebec) has recalled its prescription timolol eye drop, regulatory agency Health Canada said on its Web site. The agency has warned consumers not to use Sandoz timolol ophthalmic solution in 0.25% and 0.5% strengths, noting some bottles may contain greater quantities of the active ingredient than is represented on the label.

According to a local news report, potential adverse events include red eye, eye irritation, inflammation of the eyelids and/or cornea, drooping of the upper eyelid, double vision, dizziness, headache, abnormally slow heartbeat, abnormally low blood pressure, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and cardiac failure.

Health Canada will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the recall being implemented by Sandoz, which plans to send a separate notification to doctors regarding the recall. To date, no adverse events have been recorded in Canada in association with Sandoz timolol, according to the news report.

Editor’s note: Timolol has been the most popular drop for glaucoma for about 30 years. This notice does not state whether this alert restricts usage in the U.S. It will certainly be available again, since a simple adjustment of the concentration would seem easy to correct.

MOST AMERICANS UNAWARE OF UV IMPACT

A new survey conducted by the New England Eye Institute (Boston) and Transitions Optical (Pinellas Park, Florida) has found that only 5% of consumers are aware that ultraviolet (UV) exposure can cause damage to their eyes, the two organizations reported jointly in a press release.

The study also found that more than half (57%) of respondents said they do not wear protective eyewear when in the sun for extended periods. Those surveyed said they spend about 3.5 hours outdoors daily, which represents an average of 1,000 of unprotected UV exposure per year.

A total of 80% of respondents were aware of the risk of skin cancer associated with UV exposure, the organizations said.

PRESIDENT BUSH’S VETO OF THE MEDICARE BILL

President Bush vetoed H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, last week. The House and Senate immediately voted to override the veto. The legislation provides for an 18 month “fix” by stopping the 10.6% reduction that was effective on July 1, 2008 and the 5.4% cut scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2009. It extends the June 2008 rates through December 31, 2008 and provides for an additional 1.1% update in 2009.

Editor’s note: A welcome relief for doctors and hospitals who find it difficult as of now to even meet their overhead. Cutting doctor fees will effect patient care, except congress does not realize this.

PATIENT SELECTION KEY TO SUCCESS OF LASIK MONOVISION TO CORRECT PRESBYOPIA, STUDY SAYS

LASIK monovision is a viable and increasingly accepted method for correcting presbyopic and pre-presbyopic refractive surgery candidates, according to results from a recent study. In addition, crossed monovision, in which the dominant eye is corrected for near vision, may be applied successfully in suitable candidates.

“Although the overall success of monovision was good, patient selection is extremely important, as not every patient can adapt to monovision,” the study authors said. “Patients selecting monovision should also be aware that the reliance on one eye for distance vision makes an enhancement procedure more likely than if bilateral distance vision is chosen.”

Roger F. Steinert, MD, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed the preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes of 284 patients 45 years or older who elected to undergo LASIK to correct myopia or hyperopia. Subsequently, refractive success, functional success and patient enhancement rates were evaluated for patients treated with monovision correction. Of 284 total LASIK patients, 188 (67%) elected to undergo monovision correction and 96 (34%) chose bilateral distance correction.

Editor’s note by Dr. Dello Russo: Monovision is the preferred choice if one can get adjusted. The only way to determine this before lasik is a trial with lenses prior to lasik. People with certain personalities, occupations and lifestyles are better candidates than others. If you see ads for “getting rid of reading glasses”, monovision is what it’s all about. I have mono myself.

GOOGLE INTRODUCES NEW HEALTH WEB SITE

An article from the July 2008 issue of Ophthalmology Times reveals that Google has launched a new health site www.google.com/health, designed to allow patients to create pesonal online profiles, import medical records, learn more about health issues, search for doctors and hospitals. The Cleveland Clinic is a partner in this venture.

Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Product and User Experience at Google, said that “through our health offering patients will be empowered to manage their own records”.

EYELASH LENGTHENER

Allergan will seek approval from the FDA to market an ointment that claims will lengthen eyelashes. Allergan announced on ASCRS Eyeworld’s website on June 16, 2008, that its use produced “significant growth” in recent trials.

Editor’s note: the first hurdle will be to prove to the FDA that this product does not harm the eye. The FDA will not easily approve its use since it’s simply for cosmetic use. It first must be shown to “do no harm”.