Fuchs Dystrophy Severity Risk Factors

Fuchs’ Dystrophy is a type of corneal disease that affects the inner most layer of the cornea the endothelium. Fuchs’ Dystrophy is slowly progressive and can be found in both eyes and is slightly more common in women than men. While it is possible to observe Fuchs’ Dystrophy in people in their 30’s and 40’s, it usually does not compromise vision until people are in their 50’s or 60’s.

Researchers reporting in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science studied the effects of smoking, and other risk factors, on the development of advanced Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) and on central corneal thickness (CCT). As predicted, being female increased the odds of developing advanced Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) by 34% and smoking increased the odds by 30%. Besides reporting that smoking was associated with an increased risk of developing advanced FECD, diabetes was also associated with increased in corneal thickness-reflecting greater risk of corneal swelling.

If you or someone you know is concerned about Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy and its risks are encouraged to  schedule an eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205.

Cataract Surgery: Critical Retina Exam Necessary

When you visit Birmingham Cataract Surgeons Marc Michelson, M.D. and Tyler Hall, M.D. you can rest assured that you will a complete retinal exam. This is because they need to carefully correlate the degree of your current vision loss with the density and position of the cataract itself. This is a necessary step in order to understand the cause of the vision loss. In fact, a through retinal exam may reveal that you have an undiagnosed pathology, such as epiretinal membranes, retinal wrinkling or macular pucker with edema. Many of these pathologies occur in the age group of patients who are candidates for cataract surgery. The prime age range for cataract surgery—60 years old to 75 years of age—have been revealed in some studies to have a prevalence of epiretinal membranes, from 7% of patients older than 60 years and in 20% of patients aged 75 years or more. In order to ensure the best possible outcomes of your cataract surgery, we will make sure that you have the necessary examination and testing to help you get the best results from your cataract surgery.

If you or someone you know is concerned about cataracts and needs to have a cataract eye exam they are encouraged to  schedule an eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205.

Glaucoma Treatment with Vascular Diseases

Patients with certain vascular diseases may be more difficult to treat if they develop a type of glaucoma called Normal Tension Glaucoma. Normal Tension Glaucoma, although a less common eye disease, still causes optic nerve eye damage as the intraocular pressure inside the eye, although “normal”, still results in the loss of visual field vision or “side vision.” The disease is further complicated if an eye patient also has vascular disease, or if vascular diseases such as stroke, cardiovascular disease or migraines run in their family. This connection was reported by researchers at the World Glaucoma Congress. In fact, these factors related to vascular disease may indicate less effectiveness of eye pressure (IOP) treatment putting patients at greater risk.

The the Collaborative Normal Tension Glaucoma Study is the landmark study for guiding treatment-in which 65% of patients in the untreated group of that study never showed any progression during 7 years of follow-up. But, for those at greater risk due to some other vascular disease we have to be diligent in our examinations and testing to help preserve eye health and vision.

If you or someone you know has vascular disease or is concerned about their risk of glaucoma please call 205-930-0930 or visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or visit www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision to schedule and eye exam and glaucoma evaluation.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Eat More Fish to Lower AMD Risk

How should Birmingham residents combat Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD? Eat lots of fish! (AMD) is a common cause of vision loss in seniors. Recently, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the disease may be associated with a high dietary fat intake. The results of their study found that eating fish, such as tuna, four times a week, may reduce the risk of macular degeneration. The subjects of the study were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who did not have AMD at when the study commenced. After 12 years of follow-up, 567 people with a visual loss of 20/30 or worse were identified. Fat intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. 

The study found:

·         Those patients whose total dietary fat intake was in the highest quintile had over one and a half times the risk of AMD as those whose fat intake was in the lowest quintile,

·         Linolenic acid consumption was directly associated with the risk of AMD,

·         High intake of docosahexaenoic acid was associated with a modest reduction in the risk of AMD.

·         Those who ate four or more servings of fish a week were at a 35% lower risk of AMD when compared to those who ate fewer than three servings of fish a week.

They added that a high intake of fish, a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid, may reduce this risk. Thus, the researchers concluded that dietary fat intake was associated with an increased risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and that this may have been due to the presence of Linolenic acid in the fat.

If you or someone you know has a family history of age related macular degeneration or wishes to learn more about their risk of AMD, please call 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Hordeolum Eyelid Lump: What is It?

“Eyelid lumps and bumps are something we see patients for Alabama Eye & Cataract Center on a pretty frequent basis,” remarked Birmingham Ophthalmologist Tyler Hall, M.D. One type of common eyelid problems is called a Hordeolum. Hordeolum is a painful inflammation of the eyelid caused because a lump forms in the oil glands of the eyelid and swells, forming a tender bump. Most of the time, the infected lump drains and heals on its own, without treatment. Other times, the infection spreads, clogging other glands and becomes more difficult to get rid of.

Where can a Hordeolum form? The bacterial infection can occur on the inside of the eyelid, known as an internal Hordeolum. However, the infection can also occur on the outside of your eyelid, near the eyelashes and when that happens, it is known as a stye. Unfortunately, Hordeolum also can be acute and appear suddenly and heal in a short time, or be chronic in nature and long lasting. What can you do to get rid of a Hordeolum? Common treatments for Hordeolum include warm compresses applied at home, prescription and non prescription lid scrubs, antibiotics, steroids, lid massages and others types of treatment.

If you or someone you know suffers from eyelid lumps or bumps they are encouraged to  schedule an eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Dry Eyes, Contact Lenses & Birth Control Pills

Birmingham contact lens wearers may be interested to learn about the relationship between having dry eyes, wearing contact lenses and birth control pills.  Many of you may not have known that there is indeed a relationship between dry eye symptoms in women using oral contraceptives who wear contact lenses. This correlation was outlined in a study published in the journal Cornea. The study found that dry eye signs and symptoms in healthy young women were common among oral contraceptive pill (OCP) users who were contact lens wearers,. As it turned out, there were no differences in dry eyes between the phases of the menstrual cycle and no evidence that tear osmolarity-or saltiness-was affected by OCP or contact lens use in the young women. However, the study found that the combination of OCP use and contact lens wear together may increase the severity of dry eye symptoms.

If you or someone you know is bothered by dry eye symptoms and is a contact lens wearer and take oral contraceptive birth control pills, you are encouraged to  schedule an eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205

Protect Eyes from UV Damage

Birmingham Ophthalmologist Marc Michelson, M.D. commented on the need to us proper UV eye protection to prevent damage from the intense sunlight we experience this time of year.  “May marks Ultraviolet (UV) Eye Protection Awareness Month and is a good time to remind our community of the need to wear UV protective eyewear and sunglasses as well as how to avoid UV eye damage by taking some simple precautions,” commented Dr. Michelson.

It is easy to forget the damage that UV from sunlight can cause to one’s eyes. Unlike the damage that can be caused to your skin which shows up as a sunburn, wrinkles and/or sun spots, UV eye injury can happen over a long period of time and can cause significant damage to eye health and vision. What kind of damage occurs? Without protection, exposure to UV has been linked to many eye problems. In some cases, it is thought to speed up such eye diseases such as cataract, age related macular degeneration (AMD), certain cancers on the delicate skin around the eye, Pterygia-a growth of white tissue on the surface of the eye-and even Photokeratitis, a type of sunburn of the cornea. “One of the most concerning aspects of UV eye damage and injury is that it is cumulative and often doesn’t become noticeable to patients for many years,” noted Dr. Michelson.

Some precautions regarding UV eye protection include:

·         Always wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses without UV protection may shade the eyes but actually cause the pupils to dilate, allowing in even more harmful rays.

·         Wear a brimmed hat along with sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

·         Choose wrap-around sunglasses to protect the eyes and the skin around the eyes.

·         Be aware that although some contact lenses may offer UV protection, they cannot protect the entire eye and the skin around it.

·         Choose sunglasses made of unbreakable polycarbonate, especially for children and for those who lead active lifestyles.

·         Be sure to ask your doctor about the photosensitizing side effects of any medications that you might take.

·         Always wear eye protection when using a tanning bed. According the American Academy of Ophthalmology, tanning beds can produce UV levels up to 100 times more than the sun, which can cause serious damage to the external and internal structures of the eye and eyelids.

In our optical shop, we have a wide range of sunglasses with UV protection lenses for your selection. Effective UV protection should block out about 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation and it doesn’t have to be expensive. In addition, your everyday eyewear should have UV protection as well. Our optical shop uses a number of UV blocking eyeglass lens materials, photochromic lenses and specialized coatings. Patients visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center can speak with our staff who will be able to provide the proper counseling and fitting of UV protecting lenses and eyewear. Our eye care professionals can offer a wide variety of UV blocking lenses, coatings and color changing lenses to keep you safe.

If you or someone you know has a question or concerns about ultraviolet (UV) eye damage and injury and how to select protective eyewear please feel free to call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Michelson Laser Vision is a leading Birmingham eye care practice with offices located with Alabama Eye & Cataract Center, at the UAB Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S., Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205.