Do your eyes feel strained or irritated lately? More patients are making eye appointments during the pandemic due to increased screen time and subsequent dry eye syndrome.

Definition of Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is a common condition that affects 4.88 million Americans. It results when the tear glands do not make sufficient tears to moisten the eyes. Untreated dry eye can cause significant discomfort and vision problems, so if your eyes feel dry, visit an eye doctor as soon as possible for relief.

Dry Eye Cases Increasing in the United States

Eye doctors are citing increased numbers of patients during the pandemic. COVID-19 quarantines and social distancing measures have forced much of the American workforce and school systems to go remote, and eye health is suffering. Staring at computer and smartphone screens all day can decrease blink rate by 33 percent and cause eye fatigue, eye strain and dry eye (Medical Xpress).

It is essential to seek treatment for dry eye because it can lead to severe vision complications, including:

1. Surface damage to the eyes. Severe dry eye can result in inflammation, corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers and loss of vision.
2. Eye infections. Natural tears protect the eyes from infection. Inadequate tear production can put the eyes at risk for invasion from germs and bacteria.
3. Decreased quality of life. Dry eye can make it challenging to perform daily tasks like reading and driving.

Women are More Susceptible to Dry Eye than Men

Of the almost five million Americans with dry eye syndrome, three million are women. The unequal distribution of dry eye among women is due to hormonal factors like pregnancy, birth control and menopause. Because women are more prone to dry eye syndrome, it is imperative that they schedule regular eye exams.

Symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome

How do you know if you have dry eye? Typical symptoms include:

• Red eyes
• Stinging or burning of the eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Watery eyes
• Blurred vision
• A scratchy feeling in the eye

Natural Treatments for Dry Eye

If you are experiencing dry eye syndrome symptoms, call your eye doctor to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam. In the meantime, you can try some of these natural treatments:

1. Take regular breaks from computers, tablets and phones. Remember the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from your screen and look at something at least 20 feet away to reset your eyes.
2. Position your computer screen below eye level. You will not have to open your eyes as wide.
3. Use a humidifier in your work area.
4. Quit smoking or avoid areas where people smoke.
5. Try over-the-counter rewetting drops.

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine reveals ocular hypertension can have a protective effect against glaucoma, a leading cause of vision loss.

What is Glaucoma?

More than three million Americans have glaucoma, a family of diseases that damage the optic nerve and can cause permanent vision loss. Early diagnosis and early intervention are necessary to protect the optic nerve and minimize eye damage.

The most common type of glaucoma is primary open-angle glaucoma. In this type, the channels that drain the eye’s fluid become gradually obstructed, causing the pressure within the eye (intraocular pressure) to rise. In angle-closure glaucoma, fluid builds up suddenly and causes dangerous pressure spikes.

Open-angle glaucoma has few symptoms, so it is essential to detect glaucoma in the early stages to prevent irreversible eye damage. Once symptoms are present, vision loss has already occurred.

Ocular Hypertension

For patients with glaucoma, elevated intraocular pressure is quite dangerous. However, according to a new study from LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence and the University of Copenhagen, some glaucoma patients do not have this same sensitivity: those with ocular hypertension.

Why do patients with ocular hypertension not have the optic nerve damage that is glaucoma? After all, ocular hypertension is when intraocular pressure is higher than “normal.”

The study suggests patients with ocular hypertension possess “increased antioxidant capacity and higher levels of anti-inflammatory, omega-3-derived chemical messengers involved in sustaining cell function in their plasma compared to patients with normal-tension glaucoma and age-matched controls.”

An increased amount of omega-3 fatty acid chemical messengers seems to lower oxidative stress in the eye and prevent the optic nerve from deteriorating.

This new research could result in innovative glaucoma treatments. “The study opens avenues of therapeutic exploration highlighting the significance of the omega-3 fatty acid chemical messengers’ antioxidant capacity as a potential diagnostic biomarker and as a novel treatment to prevent glaucomatous neurodegeneration,” notes Dr. Nicolas G. Bazan, Boyd Professor, Ernest C. and Ivette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degeneration, and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine (Medical Xpress).

Facts about Glaucoma

The results of this study are promising, but the fact remains that glaucoma is a complex disease that can affect any person at any age. It is important to be aware of your own risk for glaucoma. Some risk factors include:

• Being 60 or older
• Being African American, Asian or Hispanic
• Having a family history of glaucoma
• Having a pre-existing medical condition like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease or sickle-cell anemia
• Having thin corneas

Call Your Ophthalmologist

The best way to protect your eyesight is to schedule annual comprehensive eye exams. During the exam, your eye doctor can test your intraocular pressure and determine whether you have ocular hypertension or are at risk for glaucoma.

Call today to make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam. An eye exam offers a window into your overall health, and it is an important part of preventive care.

A new study from the Centre for Eye Research Australia suggests natural treatments like vitamin B3 could protect optic nerve damage that causes glaucoma and blindness. The results of this world-first clinical trial were published in Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve of the eye. It occurs when fluid accumulates in the front of the eye and increases inner eye pressure. This elevated pressure damages the optic nerve. There is no cure for glaucoma, but a comprehensive eye exam can detect glaucoma early to prevent vision loss.

Professor Jonathan Crowston and Dr. Flora Hui of Centre for Eye Research Australia conducted a recent study on patients with glaucoma. The researchers gave glaucoma patients high doses of vitamin B3 every day for 12 weeks, in addition to the patients’ daily medication to lower eye pressure. After the study, patients showed significant improvement in their vision.

“For the first time, we have shown that daily high doses of vitamin B3 can lead to early and significant improvements in patients who are also receiving traditional treatments to lower eye pressure,” Dr. Hui said.  “As a safe therapy that is well tolerated by patients, vitamin B3 has potential as a clinical supplement to support patients who are receiving glaucoma treatment” (Medical Express).

Dr. Hui is optimistic that vitamin B3 can protect optic nerve cells from damage and help repair cells that have already begun to deteriorate. She compares taking daily vitamin B3 to lubricating a car engine with oil to help it run smoothly.

The next goal, Dr. Hui explained, is to conduct a larger trial to evaluate whether patients can continue to improve and slow the progression of glaucoma over time.

Should I Start Taking Vitamin B3?

Before you begin taking vitamin B3, talk to your eye doctor. Even a supplement can have side effects and risks. Your ophthalmologist can suggest natural glaucoma treatments that are best for your condition and will not interfere with your current medication. Always ask your doctor before beginning any new supplement or medicine.

Know Your Glaucoma Risk

There is no way to prevent glaucoma, and everyone can be at risk for the disease. Do you know your risk for glaucoma? Take the Glaucoma Risk Assessment to determine whether you are at elevated risk for the disease.

Schedule an annual comprehensive eye exam to get tested for glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Most eye exams take less than an hour, but they offer the lifetime benefit of healthy vision. Call your eye doctor today get on the schedule.

A new study suggests a diet rich in plant-based fats and proteins and low in carbohydrates could reduce the risk for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve and affects more than 60.5 million people globally. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of the disease and is associated with abnormally high eye pressure due to a reduced ability of the eye to regulate fluid drainage.

According to new research from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing plant-based proteins and fats can lower the risk of POAG with early central vision loss by 20 percent.

Plant-Based Diet Helps Prevent POAG

Researchers analyzed data from more than 185,000 participants of three cohort studies between 1976 and 2017. The researchers hypothesized that substituting protein and fat for carbohydrates would help maintain optic nerve function.

The participants answered health-related questions and completed food frequency questionnaires every two to four years. The team looked for patterns in carbohydrate intake across plant-based and animal-based fats and proteins, as well as other sources.

Plant-based sources gave more favorable results in preventing POAG than animal-based sources for a low-carbohydrate diet.

Diet Cannot Reverse Glaucoma

Dr. Louis R. Pasquale, co-corresponding author and deputy chair for ophthalmology research for the Mount Sinai Health System, said, “It’s important to note that a low-carbohydrate diet won’t stop glaucoma progression if you already have it, but it may be a means to preventing glaucoma in high-risk groups. If more patients in these high-risk categories—including those with a family history of glaucoma—adhered to this diet, there might be fewer cases of vision loss.”

Dr. Pasquale asserts a low carbohydrate diet is therapeutic for many other conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, more research is necessary as this was the first study looking at how diet relates to POAG development, and it was an observational study and not a clinical trial.

What is Your Glaucoma Risk?

Did you know certain individuals are at increased risk for glaucoma? Here are some of the risk factors for glaucoma:

• Family history of glaucoma
• 45 years of age or older
• History of elevated inner eye pressure
• African American
• Diabetes
• Nearsighted
• Farsighted
• History of steroid use

Take a moment to complete the Glaucoma Risk Assessment to determine if you are at elevated risk for glaucoma.

Call Your Ophthalmologist for a Comprehensive Eye Exam

There is no cure for POAG, but your eye doctor can detect glaucoma early if you stay current with your annual comprehensive eye exams.

Glaucoma rarely presents symptoms in the early stages, so schedule a comprehensive eye exam with your eye doctor to discuss your vision health. Make annual eye exams a part of your preventive care so you can enjoy clear vision for years to come.

If you had to cancel your eye procedure or eye exam due to COVID-19, you should reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. Delaying annual eye exams can result in later diagnoses of glaucoma, which causes blindness, and cataracts, which can be easily treated by undergoing cataract surgery.

A recent U.S. study revealed that during the initial months of the pandemic, of all medical service lines, ophthalmology had the greatest patient volume loss. In an analysis of more than 2 million patient visits and encounters from 228 hospitals in 40 states, the study, released by Strata Decision Technology, showed ophthalmology lost 81 percent of patient volume year-over-year when comparing two-week volumes in March and April 2020 versus the same period in 2019.

Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States. About 3.6 million cataract surgeries take place annually. The study found cataract surgery volume decreased by 97 percent, the largest reduction of any surgical procedure. Glaucoma procedures dropped by 88 percent for inpatient and outpatient procedures.

Many Americans have also had their comprehensive eye exams canceled in the past several months. If you missed an eye exam and have had to reschedule, it is important to keep the rescheduled appointment. Millions of patients will be calling to make appointments for comprehensive eye exams this month, so it will only get more difficult to see your eye doctor.

What Can I Do While I am Waiting for Surgery?

If you are waiting for your eye procedure to be rescheduled, you may have to ask for help from family members and friends, while taking precautions to protect against COVID-19. It is easier for loved ones to help you if you provide them with specific requests. You may want to ask people to help you with:

• Shopping
• House cleaning
• Lawn and yard care
• Driving you to and from your eye appointments and doctor appointments

Call your eye doctor today to reschedule your eye procedure or eye exam.

COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts on our lives, with medical procedures and surgeries deemed “elective” postponed in order to slow the virus’s spread. In reality, these procedures are far from optional: delaying medical interventions can result in increased health problems, such as deteriorating vision.

Increased Patient Safety Measures to Combat COVID-19

In recent weeks, we have resumed elective cases and implemented a number of protocols to ensure your safety as you take charge of your health and schedule procedures at our ambulatory surgery centers. These measures include:

• Screening everyone who enters the center for COVID-19 symptoms
• Taking the temperature of every person who enters the center
• Requiring masks for all employees and patients
• Enforcing social distancing guidelines
• Requesting patient escorts remain in the car until patient is ready to go home
• Increasing cleaning of high-touch surfaces throughout the day
• Providing hand sanitizer and tissues

Learn more about all of the steps we are taking to keep you safe.

Patients Feel Safe at our Centers

Patients who have already returned to the centers have first-hand experience of the new protocols in action. Their feedback has been extremely positive, with reactions like:

“During this COVID-19 time, I was especially nervous about my procedure but was immediately greeted by the friendliest nurse around. She was very courteous and kept asking if I was fine. She prepared me for the procedure by carefully doing everything that needed to be done and listened to me. The rest of the staff was also very professional and took great care of my needs. Thank you all for a great experience that I hopefully won’t have to repeat for a while.” – San Antonio, April 2020

“Even during these crazy times, I was treated with the utmost respect, courtesy, and care. My doctor and her amazing team took the necessary steps to make sure I wasn’t put at greater risk during my procedure. They ensured all my questions were answered, and I was 100% ready going into and out of the procedure.” – Escondido, April 2020

“Sanitary, safe, NICE and COMPASSIONATE staff!! Thank you SO MUCH to all of my nurses throughout the entire experience!” – Lakeside, AZ, May 2020

Safely Schedule a Procedure

With increased safety measures in place, there has never been a better time to schedule cataract surgery. Stop putting it off and call your ophthalmologist today to take the first step toward improving your sight!

A new study at the University of Virginia suggests gene therapy could offer new age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatments for wet AMD and dry AMD.

What Causes Age-Related Macular Degeneration? (AMD)

Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and affects more than 10 million people in the United States. This is more than glaucoma and cataracts combined. AMD is caused by the breakdown of the center of the retina, the part of the eye that sends images to the brain through the optic nerve. The middle of the retina is called the macula, and it is responsible for central vision. It provides the ability to read, drive, decipher color, recognize faces and see details in objects.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AMD incidence is expected to double from 48 million to 88 million in the next 30 years.

What are the Types of AMD

AMD is divided into two basic types: wet and dry. Wet AMD comprises about 15 to 20 percent of cases, and the symptoms can often be treated with eye injections. The majority of AMD is dry, and there is no treatment for this variety of the disease.

Gene Therapy Reverses AMD in Mice

Researchers are hopeful that new macular degeneration treatments for wet and dry AMD could be available in the near future. Brad Gelfand of the University of Virginia’s Center for Advanced Vision Science successfully treated age-related macular degeneration in mice. Gelfand discovered the absence of an enzyme called Dicer could initiate both forms of macular degeneration. Dicer levels reduce with age, and the loss of Dicer causes an overgrowth of blood vessels in the retina. Using gene therapy, Gelfand restored Dicer in the mice and found it reversed AMD.

“We weren’t really satisfied with just one system,” Gelfand explained. “We actually got a different model that had originated from a totally different lab, in Japan, and found the same exact thing. Then we went back to some of our old models where we had gotten rid of Dicer and found the same exact thing.”

Further testing will determine the effectiveness and safety of this new macular degeneration treatment.

“It’s not as if this is the final answer to the problem, but it’s certainly a big step along the way,
hopefully… It certainly solidifies the idea that wet and dry AMD share a lot of mechanisms” said Gelfand.

It will take years to develop a new macular degeneration treatment based on Dicer. However, Dicer has the potential to be the premier treatment for dry AMD.

Know Your Risk for AMD

Risk for AMD increases with age, especially in individuals 55 years of age and older. Genetics also play an important role, as well as race. Caucasians are at a higher risk for AMD compared to Latinos and African Americans. Certain lifestyle choices like smoking also increase likelihood of AMD.

Call Your Ophthalmologist

Although currently, there is not a cure for AMD, you can reduce your risk or slow the progression of the disease by visiting your ophthalmologist once a year for a comprehensive eye exam. Healthy lifestyle changes like exercising, eating a balanced diet, avoiding smoking and wearing sunglasses that offer 100 percent UVA and UVB protection can help prevent degenerative eye diseases. Make an appointment today with your eye doctor to talk about ways you can support your vision health.

A recent study reveals a new feedback pathway from the brain to the eye which regulates eye pressure, and this could promote new glaucoma treatments.

Glaucoma is associated with elevated eye pressure due to a reduced ability of the eye to regulate fluid drainage. Excess fluid in the eye causes increased pressure, which can damage the optic nerve over time. This is known as open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma in the United States.

Brain Pressure Affects Eye Pressure

A team of neuroscientists from the University of South Florida conducted a study that proves there is a physiological connection between eye pressure and intracranial pressure (brain pressure). The researchers proved this by “altering intracranial pressure in animal models and noting changes in the fluid drainage properties of the eye that could be blocked by chemicals that eliminate feedback signals from the brain” (Science Daily).

The team found the eye was able to adapt to intracranial pressure changes to restore a healthy pressure differentiation across the optic nerve.

Chris Passaglia, PhD, professor of Medical Engineering at the University of Florida, said, “The drainage control system may service to protect the optic nerve from swings in eye or brain pressure. Its discovery offers a new target for glaucoma treatment. . .” Dr. Passaglia hopes the study can be instrumental in developing new treatments for lowering eye pressure in glaucoma patients and halting glaucoma progression.

Now, the researchers are attempting to verify the exact location of the brain cells that are transmitting messages to the eye, as well as pinpoint the nerve fibers in the eye that the brain mediates.

What Factors Influence Glaucoma Risk?

Glaucoma affects more than three million Americans, but only half are aware they have the disease. Do you know your glaucoma risk? Glaucoma usually does not have symptoms in the early stages, but it can cause permanent vision loss before any warning signs appear.

These are a few risk factors for glaucoma:

• Age 45 or older
• Family history of glaucoma
• History of injury to the eye
• African American
• History of steroid use, either in the eye (drops) or systemically (orally or injected)
• Diabetes
• Nearsighted (myopic)
• Farsighted (hyperopic)
• History of elevated intraocular pressure

What is a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

The best protection against glaucoma is routine comprehensive eye exams. Your ophthalmologist will perform a glaucoma test as well as evaluate your vision for focusing problems, refractive errors and common eye diseases.

Call your ophthalmologist today schedule a comprehensive eye exam for the whole family. Your vision is a precious gift that requires regular care.

A new study from University College London suggests living in more polluted areas increases risk for glaucoma, a common cause of vision loss.

The study, led by Paul Foster, Ph.D., professor of ophthalmic epidemiology and glaucoma studies at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, examined data from 111,000 people across Great Britain who had their eyes examined between 2006 to 2010. The researchers found people who lived in the top 25 percent most-polluted areas were at least six percent more likely to say they had glaucoma than people in the least polluted areas.

Particulate Matter and Air Quality

Air quality is measured by amounts of particulate matter, the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air molecules. Particulate matter can include pollen, dust, smoke, soot, and both organic and inorganic particles.

Poor air quality increases risk for lung and heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In fact, exposure to particulate matter is one of the strongest predictors of mortality due to air pollutants.

Few studies analyze the relationship between pollution and glaucoma. However, ninety percent of the Earth’s population breathes air that is above the World Health Organization’s limits for air pollution.

Air Pollution and Glaucoma

People who lived in more polluted areas were also more likely to have a thinner retina, a typical symptom of glaucoma progression. Pollution did not seem to affect inner eye pressure, the mechanism researchers usually associate with glaucoma progression. The team concluded air pollution must influence glaucoma development through a different route.

The researchers were not sure why particulate matter increased glaucoma incidence. Sharon Chua, Ph.D., a research fellow at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital suspected, “Air pollution may be contributing to glaucoma due to the constriction of blood vessels, which ties into air pollution’s links to an increased risk of heart problems. Another possibility is that particulates may have a direct toxic effect damaging the nervous system and contributing to inflammation.”

Glaucoma Risk Factors

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, more than three million Americans have glaucoma but only half are aware they have it. Often, there are no warning signs, and patients can suffer permanent vision loss before they notice any glaucoma symptoms. For this reason, glaucoma is nicknamed “the sneak thief of sight.”

Besides air pollution, many glaucoma risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing the disease. These may include:

• High eye pressure
• Family history of glaucoma
• Older age
• Thin cornea

Take a moment to complete our Glaucoma Risk Assessment. In a matter of seconds, you can find out whether you are at elevated risk for vision loss.

Make a Comprehensive Eye Exam Appointment

At your annual comprehensive eye exam, your ophthalmologist will evaluate your vision health and test your eyes for degenerative conditions like glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. Do not wait for glaucoma symptoms to appear before you make an appointment for an eye exam. Good vision requires regular maintenance, so call your doctor to schedule a full eye examination.