high blood pressure

Is There a Link between Glaucoma and High Blood Pressure?

February 20, 2015 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Glaucoma develops when intraocular eye pressure increases, pushing back against the normal blood pressure trying to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the eye. Normal eye pressure is 12-21 mm Hg. Anything above 21 is considered elevated.

We are all potentially susceptible to glaucoma with or without risk factors. Of course, certain factors increase this risk, such as age, race, genetics, and even high blood pressure. That’s right; according to a new study published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, long-term high blood pressure may increase the risk of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Researchers studied short-term (one hour) and long-term (four weeks) high blood pressure in rats with elevated eye pressure.

“When we raised blood pressure . . . for four weeks, we didn’t get the same protection against eye pressure elevation as in the [one-hour] case,” explained Bang Bui, study author. “What this means is that having high blood pressure for a longer time has compromised the eye’s capacity to cope with high eye pressure.

“It seems that hypertension might damage the blood vessels in the eye so that they can’t compensate for changes in blood flow when eye pressure increases.”

Further research is still needed to determine if these results are similar in humans.

Glaucoma Treatment in Maryland

The Anne Arundel Eye Center is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. Over the years, board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision. When caught early, glaucoma treatment successfully preserves vision 95% of the time or more. So the only question is… when was your last eye exam?

Dr. Boles will diagnose your specific condition and make recommendations for treatment and future glaucoma management.

If you have any questions about Glaucoma Treatment or wish to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC), please contact Board Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Kathryn Gurganus Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or Click Here to fill out our contact form.

You can also follow AAEC on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

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

Glaucoma: An Overview from Dr. Nathan Frank

January 30, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

According to a survey conducted in 2002 by Prevent Blindness America, 30 percent of Americans have never heard of
glaucoma and only half of those participating in the survey actually knew what it was. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, and specialists believe that roughly 2.2 million people in America are affected. Only half of these individuals know that they have the disease. Given that January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, this is a great time to review the condition so that you, as patients, can become better informed and more knowledgeable.

Glaucoma is a multi-factorial disease that causes damage to the optic nerve that eventually leads to vision loss. Peripheral (side) vision loss occurs due to damage of the optic nerve of eye, which is similar to a fiber optics cable with about 1.2 million fibers that send images from the eye to the brain. There are two main types of glaucoma: primary open angle glaucoma and angle closure glaucoma. Both are usually marked by increased eye pressure inside the eye, but differ in the anatomical structure of the drainage system of the eye.

Risk factors for glaucoma? Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, newborn babies and senior citizens alike. However, there are several groups of people with an increased risk of developing the disease. Risk is heightened by:

Race (African Americans, Asians and Hispanics)
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Steroid Use
Age (People over 60)
History of eye trauma
Family History of glaucoma
High near-sighted patients

What are the common symptoms of glaucoma? The majority of people that have glaucoma are without symptoms. The visual symptoms that do occur tend to occur later in the disease process.

How to diagnose glaucoma? A comprehensive eye evaluation is imperative to rule out any suspicion for glaucoma. There are several important factors that need to be assessed prior to making a diagnosis. These include: measurement of eye pressure (normal range 12-22), a close assessment of the optic nerve, a peripheral visual field measurement, an exam of the drainage system of the eye, and finally a measurement of the cornea of the eye. These measurements are repeated once or twice a year or more often if there is any concern about progression.

How is glaucoma treated? The best way to protect your vision if diagnosed with glaucoma is to continue care
with your eye care provider. The goal of treatment is to lower the intraocular pressure to prevent further damage to the optic nerve. When diagnosed with glaucoma, the first line of treatment usually starts with the use of a single eye drop that is instilled once a night. If further pressure lowering is needed, additional drops can be used. Further treatment options include laser therapy or, if necessary, surgical treatment.

Glaucoma is a very complicated disease and this is only a brief overview. Some questions may still remain; a great
resource for information is glaucoma.org, a website that is constantly updated with information for those with glaucoma and for those who may know others with glaucoma.

If you have any further questions and would like to learn more about Glaucoma Detection and Treatment, please Dr. Frank and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today!

Cast your vote now for Anne Arundel Eye Center, Dr. Samuel Boles and Dr. Frank in Chesapeake Family Magazine’s Favorite Docs 2012! Voting ends on March 15th.

Dr. Boles and everyone else at the Anne Arundel Eye Center proudly support the efforts of The Polakoff Foundation and their role in the ongoing fight against glaucoma. Click here to purchase tickets online for the Polakoff Foundation’s Mardi Gras Celebration to help raise money to aid the fight against blindness.

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers comprehensive specialized ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision.

Glaucoma and Cataracts may be a natural part of aging. Losing your vision doesn’t have to be.

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!

The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

December 8, 2011 by Anne Arundel Eye Center

Regularly scheduled eye exams – regardless of your age or physical fitness – are an important part of your overall health, not just your vision.

Eye exams for adults are needed to keep your eyeglasses prescription current. Even if you primarily wear contact lenses, having a current eyeglasses prescription is still very important. If something were to happen to your contacts,it is necessary to have a pair of up-to-date backup glasses handy. During your eye exam, your eye doctor will also check for early signs of eye disease and other health-related disorders. Did you know that eye doctors (optometrists orophthalmologists) are often the first healthcare professionals to detect chronicsystemic diseases, like high blood pressure or diabetes?

Eye exams for children, meanwhile, are important for normal vision development and academic achievement. Vision is closely linked to the learning process and poor vision will often result in poor academic performance. And since the effected child does not know what normal vision looks like, he/she is unable to articulate the problem to their teachers or parents. That is why regularly scheduled eye exams are important even if your child does not complain of poor or blurry vision.

What does an Eye Doctor Check for during an Eye Exam?

Your eye doctor will not only evaluate your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses,but he/she will also inspect your eyes for common eye diseases and other problems thatcould lead to vision loss. Your eye

doctor will look for the following:

Refractive Errors: These errors, which include nearsightedness, farsightedness, andastigmatism, are corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or eye surgery.

Regularly scheduled eye exams – regardless of your age or physical fitness – are an important part of your overall health, not just your vision.

Eye exams for adults are needed to keep your eyeglasses prescription current. Even if you primarily wear contact lenses, having a current eyeglasses prescription is still very important. If something were to happen to your contacts, it is necessary to have a pair of up-to-date backup glasses handy. During your eye exam, your eye doctor will also check for early signs of eye disease and other health-related disorders. Did you know that eye doctors (optometrists or ophthalmologists) are often the first healthcare professionals to detect chronic systemic diseases, like high blood pressure or diabetes?

Eye exams for children, meanwhile, are important for normal vision development and academic achievement. Vision is closely linked to the learning process and poor vision will often result in poor academic performance. And since the effected child does not know what normal vision looks like, he/she is unable to articulate the problem to their teachers or parents. That is why regularly scheduled eye exams are important even if your child does not complain of poor or blurry vision.

What does an Eye Doctor Check for during an Eye Exam?

Your eye doctor will not only evaluate your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but he/she will also inspect your eyes for common eye diseases and other problems that could lead to vision loss. Your eye doctor will look for the following:

Refractive Errors: These errors, which include nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, are corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or eye surgery.

Glaucoma: The term Glaucoma refers to a group of eye conditions that lead to damage the optic nerve, usually resulting from a rise in intraocular pressure (IOP). The optic nerve carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

Cataracts: A cataract is clouding of the eye’s lens, which is located behind the iris and pupil. Cataracts do not damage the health of your eye in any way; they just result in blurry vision.

Amblyopia: This occurs when one eye has a much different prescription than the other or when the eyes are turned, resulting in the brain “shutting off” the image from the effected eye. Failure to address this disorder can result in permanent vision loss. Amblyopia is often treated with drops or by patching the stronger eye for a period of time.

Strabismus: Also known as crossed eyes or turned eyes, Strabismus can cause problems with depth perception and can even lead to Amblyopia.

Corneal Disease: There are several different conditions including infections, degenerations and other disorders that affect the cornea.

Diabetic Retinopathy: This is the most common progressive eye disease resulting from long-term diabetes.

And Much, Much More!

If you have any questions about what you have just read or if you would like to schedule an eye exam, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today!

Led by Dr. Boles, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers comprehensive specialized ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision.

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, Twitterand YouTube as well!

Sources:

Why Are Eye Exams Important?