Eye Pressure Lowered with Cataract Surgery

For patients who have both cataracts and high intraocular pressure or even glaucoma, there is new research that shows a beneficial effect of cataract surgery in lowering eye pressure. This is important because some 20% of patients with a cataract do indeed have a high eye pressure. Research in Current Opinion in Ophthalmology showed the lowering effect that cataract surgery had on eye pressure-or intraocular pressure (IOP). From their review, researchers reported that there are sufficient data to suggest that cataract surgery provides a lowering effect on IOP in the long term and the amount of the lowering is proportional to the preoperative IOP. That is, eyes with higher preoperative IOP have the greatest average lowering, whereas eyes with IOP in the lower range of statistically normal tend to have an IOP that is unchanged from before cataract surgery, or even higher following cataract surgery.

If you or someone you know has cataracts and a high eyepressure or glaucoma and is thinking about cataract surgery, please share this information and ask them to call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision and schedule an appointment.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham is a leading eye care center located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205.

Postmenopausal Estrogen Therapy Reduces Glaucoma Risk

Postmenopausal hormone therapy may have an added benefit of reducing your risk of developing glaucoma. Researchers reporting a study in JAMA Ophthalmology found that taking estrogen only postmenopausal hormone (PMH) treatment may help specifically reduce the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the most common type of glaucoma. By reviewing data from 152,163 women 50 years or older the researchers found that 1.9 percent of enrollees developed POAG. Each additional month of use of PMH containing estrogen only was associated with a 0.4 percent reduced risk for POAG whereas each additional month of use of estrogen + progesterone or estrogen + androgen hormones did not affect risk for POAG. This is interesting information and will most likely be the subject of future research to understand how it might be used to develop new treatment options for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).

If you or someone you know is concerned about glaucoma, has any risk factors for glaucoma or needs to schedule a glaucoma eye exam please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Blindness from Glaucoma Decreases

If you already have glaucoma or have risk factors that increase your chances of developing glaucoma, you will be pleased to learn that thanks to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma the risk of going blind have been greatly decreased. In fact according to research from Mayo Clinic, the chance of vision loss and risk of blindness from glaucoma has dropped by nearly 50%. In the Mayo Clinic study, they reported that the likelihood of losing sight in one eye was 28 percent for patients diagnosed with glaucoma between 1965 and1980 and that the number fell to 13.5 percent for patients diagnosed between 1981 and 2000.

About Glaucoma, Diagnosis & Treatment

Glaucoma is a condition where the eye does not drain fluid properly, resulting in high pressure in the eye that can damage the optic nerve. In the United States, 2.7 million people age 40 and older have the condition. If left untreated, glaucoma reduces peripheral vision and eventually may cause blindness. At Alabama Eye & Cataract Center our doctors stress the importance of patients having regular eye exams with glaucoma testing as this is the best way to detect glaucoma early and initiate treatment as quickly as possible. Patients have a key role to play here in following through with making and keeping their appointments. This is especially important for any patient who has one or more glaucoma risk factors such as any family history of glaucoma, a marginally elevated eye pressure, diabetes, being a smoker, high blood pressure, being of African-American or Hispanic descent, an early onset of menopause or suffering from sleep apnea to name a few

If you or someone you know is concerned about glaucoma, have any risk factors for glaucoma or needs to schedule a glaucoma eye exam please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center is leading eye care center in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205.