Eye Disease | Anne Arundel Eye Center

Gene Therapy may help with Choroideremia, a Rare Degenerative Eye Disease

January 22, 2014 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

An interesting article popped up on WebMD last week: “Gene Therapy May Help Against Rare Blinding Disease.” According to a clinical trial published in The Lancet, gene therapy helped improve vision in six male patients with Choroideremia, a rare degenerative eye disease. This was especially true for two patients with advanced choroideremia.

“In truth, we did not expect to see such dramatic improvements in visual acuity and so we contacted both patients’ home opticians to get current and historical data on their vision in former years, long before the gene therapy trial started,” said lead author Robert MacLaren of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford. “These readings confirmed exactly what we had seen in our study and provided an independent verification.”

What is Choroideremia?

Choroideremia causes the pigment cells in the retina to die off, shrinking the retina and reducing vision over time. This rare eye disease is caused by defects in the CHM gene on the X chromosome. Because of this, most patients with the choroideremia are male.

This rare degenerative eye disease affects about one in every 50,000 people.

Gene Therapy may help with Choroideremia

Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, believes gene therapy is the future of choroideremia treatment. Gene therapy could be used to prevent blindness by fixing defective genes in patients before the eye disease can take root. This, Dr. Fromer believes, is true for choroideremia as well as other eye diseases, such as macular degeneration (AMD) or retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

The main Message is one of hope for the future. If this therapy leads to improved diagnoses and treatment of AMDor RP, this would be a great benefit for many millions of patients.

“This is something that we’ve been trying to accomplish for years in retinal science, and it’s very encouraging,” said Fromer. “We’ll go from putting a Band-Aid on the lesion to preventing it from happening. This is a new pathway to fix things before they get broken.”

Of course, the key is early detection. This is why it is so important to have your eyes examined regularly. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that adults, ages 18-60, have their eyes examined every two years, while adults older than 60 have their eyes examined annually.

Early detection means early and more effective treatment.

If you have any questions about how Gene Therapy may help with Choroideremia, a Rare Degenerative Eye Disease, or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

Gene Therapy May Help Against Rare Blinding Disease

Annapolis Eye Doctor: Is the Eyelid Crusty & Swollen? It may be Blepharitis

April 1, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

Have you noticed that your eyelid has become slightly swollen, red, and crusty? You may be suffering from a common eye condition known as Blepharitis. This common inflammation of the eyelid is often caused by excess bacteria growth, blockage of the eyelid’s oil glands, and occasionally allergies.

Symptoms of Blepharitis Include:

Burning
Sensitivity to light
Redness
Swelling
Blurry vision
Dry eyes
Excessive Tearing
Crusty Debris
Feeling like something is in your eye
Styes, bumps on the eyelid that are raised and painful to the touch

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at your earliest convenience. While Blepharitis cannot be cured, it can be treated and controlled with simple eyelid hygiene techniques that are easy to learn and follow.

If left untreated, Blepharitis can lead to more serious issues, such as scarring or injury to the eye’s tissue.

Blepharitis Treatment

Wet a clean washcloth with very warm water and place it over the closed eyelid for five minutes to help soften the clogged oil glands and loosen crusty debris that has collected on the lashes.
Using the washcloth, apply a diluted solution of 50% baby shampoo or mild soap to the affected area.
Use the washcloth with baby shampoo or Ocusoft Lid scrub pads to clean the eyelid margin. You want to scrub from side to side, not up and down. Make sure you get the lid margin (where your lashes are) while being careful not the scratch the eye itself.
Rinse the affected area with a clean, warm, wet washcloth and pat dry.
Take your fingertip and ‘roll’ your finger from the cheekbone up to the lid margin, and from the brow down to the lid margin. This should be done multiple times in order to cover the whole margin of both eyes. Please ensure the pressure is firm. Don’t hurt yourself, but don’t be afraid to apply a firm, gentle pressure.

If you are in the early stages of Blepharitis treatment, avoid using eye makeup. This may help prevent further irritation.

To learn more about the Blepharitis, please contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Source:

Eye Health and Blepharitis WebMD

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month: When was your last Eye Exam?

January 11, 2013 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by elevated pressure inside the eye and sometimes other factors that cause the fibers running through the optic nerve to slowly deteriorate. The optic nerve is the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain.

Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Want to hear a scary statistic? More than 60 million people suffer from glaucoma, but nearly half of them are completely unaware they have the eye disease. This is because glaucoma displays no symptoms and, at first, only affects peripheral or side vision. As a result, an individual can lose as much as 40% of their vision before even noticing. So when was the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam?

Early detection of Glaucoma means earlier, simpler and more effective treatment!

Once a person begins to lose their vision, the damage is irreversible. This is why eye exams are so important. Early detection and treatment are your best options to slow or even prevent further vision loss brought on by glaucoma. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss.

Another scary statistic: glaucoma is the second leading cause of vision loss in the United States behind only cataracts.

So once again, when was your last comprehensive eye exam? Call to make an appointment with your eye doctor to receive a thorough screening for ocular diseases, such as glaucoma!

Risk Factors for Glaucoma

You are of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent
You are over the age of 60
You have a family member who has already been diagnosed
You are diabetic
You are severely nearsighted (myopic)

While everyone should have their eyes examined regularly, those with the above risk factors should increase the frequencies of those examinations.

To learn more about Glaucoma Awareness Month, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Nonrefractive Vision Problems, like Glaucoma and Cataracts, are on the Rise

December 13, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

According to a recent study published in the December 12^th issue of the Journal of American Medical Association, nonrefractive vision problems are on the rise in the United States, increasing in prevalence by 21% since 1999. Common nonrefractive vision problems include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts. Unfortunately, these vision problems cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses.

$Nonrefractive Vision Problems$

A nonrefractive vision problem is one that is caused by an underlying medical condition, like diabetes.

“The increasing diabetes prevalence in the U.S. is leading to more vision loss,” said researcher David S. Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH. “The number of people who have had diabetes for more than 10 years has more than doubled in the last six or seven years.”

“We have to recognize that this is a large public health problem so we can start developing methods to deal with it,” he added.

If you or a loved one has diabetes or is at risk of developing diabetes, it is important to have your eyes checked frequently. This will help you catch many of these nonrefractive vision problems early enough to prevent any serious vision loss.

“Certainly people need to be aware of the risks of getting nonrefractive vision impairment down the road,” said Alan N. Carlson, MD. “If there is a family history of certain diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetes, you should be seen more regularly by an eye doctor to make sure these diseases are caught earlier when they are much more treatable.”

To learn more about Nonrefractive Vision Problems, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Source: Vision Problems rising rapidly in the US WebMD

An Overview of Common Eye Disorders explained by your Annapolis Eye Doctor

November 30, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

Blurry vision, spots, eye strain, headaches, trouble reading, and glare are just a few of the common warning signs of eye problems. If you are experiencing any of these signs and symptoms, it is important to visit your eye doctor as soon as possible. She will be able to examine your eyes and administer tests to evaluate and diagnose a variety of eye problems including the following:

Common Eye Issues

Myopia: More frequently referred to as nearsightedness, Myopia affects 33% of all Americans between the ages of 12 and 54. This common eye problem results in the blurring of vision when viewing objects at a distance.

Hyperopia: More frequently referred to as farsightedness, Hyperopia is a common focusing problem resulting in the blurring of vision when viewing objects that are near.

Presbyopia: This common age-related eye problem results in the blurring of one’s vision when reading. Presbyopia is a result of the normal aging of the eye’s lens.

Astigmatism: When the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, is shaped more like a football than a basketball, light rays do not focus properly on the retina. This results in blurred vision. Astigmatism is commonly treated using glasses or contacts.

Glaucoma: This common eye disease is actually a group of eye diseases, all of which lead to damage of the optic nerve, usually as a result of a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). The optic nerve carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration: AMD damages the central part of the retina, known as the macula, and may eventually permanently distort a person’s central vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy: Currently, between 40-45% of Americans with diabetes have some varying degree of Diabetic Retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease and one of the leading causes of blindness in American adults. This common eye disease results in damage to the blood vessels in the eye, which leads to damage to the adjacent retina.

Cataracts: As we grow older, our eyes undergo natural wear and tear, resulting in the clouding of the lens in the eye, better known as cataracts. In fact, more than half of all people age 80 and older are affected by cataracts.

And that is just the beginning!

Medical Eye Exams at Anne Arundel Eye Center

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, cataracts and other eye diseases.

Not only does an AAEC offer a wide range of advanced procedures to improve and preserve your vision, but board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles is passionate about further educating patients and their families about the eye disease they are afflicted with.

To learn more about Common Eye Diseases, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Source: What Eye Problems Look Like WebMD

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