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.

VEGF Injections for Diabetic Macular Edema

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor injections such as Lucentis® and Eyelea® are now considered the best treatment option for Diabetic Macular Edema. Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a significant cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. According to a study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology reporting an analysis of multiple studies on Diabetic Maculopathy published between January 1, 1985 and July 31, 2013, although laser photocoagulation has been the standard treatment for DME for nearly 30 years, there is increasing evidence that better outcomes can be achieved with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor injections. In fact, the number of patients with DME gaining an improvement of seeing an additional 10-15 letters on the eye chart was at least 2 times greater for those patients treated with the VEGF inhibitor injections as compared to being treated with laser treatments. Thus, the researchers concluded that VEGF inhibitor therapy is superior to laser photocoagulation for treatment of moderate to severe visual impairment caused by DME.

If you or someone you know has diabetes and is concerned about their risk of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) or Diabetic Retinopathy, it is critical that they have regular dilated eye exams at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

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

Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Exams & Tests

Eye exams for diabetic retinopathy need to be thorough dilated eye exams of the retina and when necessary include advanced testing such as retinal photography, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in order to really document how the retina and it’s blood vessels are functioning. Depending on the severity and the risk of progression of each patient’s diabetic retinopathy we will advise them of the frequency and intervals for their exams. But, patients with diabetes need to know that it is terribly important to keep their appointments.

Vision loss from diabetes and especially catastrophic vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with early detection, diagnosis and treatment. If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams at Alabama Eye &Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

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

Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month

Prevent Blindness America has designated November as National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Although there is no cure for diabetic eye disease, annual dilated eye exams for diabetes patients are essential to help slow the progression of the disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age with almost 8 million people ages 40 and older who have diabetic retinopathy, a potentially blinding eye problem.

Preventing Vision Loss from Diabetic Retinopathy

Vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

In addition to having regular eye examinations and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, restricting alcohol consumption, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham is located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine ophthalmologists Marc Michelson, M.D. and Tyler Hall, M.D.

Improve Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance

We are hopeful that when diabetic patients understand that while there is no cure for diabetic retinopathy, with careful management of risk factors such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, moderation of alcohol consumption and routine exercise along with regular annual dilated eye exams, the potential vision loss from diabetes and associated diabetic eye problems can be minimized. BUT-this requires that patients do their part and keep a strict schedule and compliance with their eye doctor’s recommendations for diabetic eye exams and testing.

Research on Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance

Researchers reporting in the journal Ophthalmology, identified and studied variables that help to predict adherence with annual eye examinations using the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey (CADEES). This new questionnaire was designed and structured to measure patient beliefs and understanding related to diabetic retinopathy and the need for annual eye examinations.

Factors Influencing Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance

A number of factors seemed to influence diabetic patient compliance with annual eye exams. First, patient understanding and beliefs concerning whether insurance covered most of the eye examination cost was considered very influential. Next, whether it was difficult to schedule or physically get to an eye exam appointment also had a meaningful impact on eye exam compliance. Then, whether patients had been counseled and told to make obtaining an eye examination a top priority as well as whether they had been previously told that they had signs of diabetic retinopathy were also important in whether patients attended their diabetic eyeexams. In addition, clinicians can also have a positive impact on diabetic patients compliance with eye exams counseling newly diagnosed patients as well as those with uncontrolled blood glucose more diligently on the importance of annual eye examinations and discussing and helping patients remove perceived barriers and misconceptions.

If you or someone you know has diabetes they need to have regular annual dilated eye exams to prevent vision loss from diabetic eye diseases and problems. Please share this information with anyone you know who is diabetic and ask them to contact Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or http://www.facebook.com/michelsonlaservision.

Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham is located at UAB-Highlands, 1201 11th Avenue S, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 and staffed by UAB Medicine ophthalmologists Marc Michelson, M.D. and Tyler Hall, M.D.