11-27-2024 Primetime Living - Flipbook - Page 18
18 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Aging eyes,
continued from page 11
the eye at a constant pressure, but when
there is a problem with drainage, the
pressure can go up. High pressure does
not always cause glaucoma, but it is the
main risk factor.
“When you have a comprehensive
eye exam,” says Saeedi, “we can check
the eye pressure, and look at all the
structures in the eye including the drainage system of the eye and the optic
nerve. For those with a family history, I
recommend also doing a visual field test,
to carefully test your peripheral vision as
well as a scan of the optic nerve.” Saeedi
is also conducting cutting-edge research
to improve the diagnosis and treatment
of glaucoma by measuring blood flow in
the eye, another potential risk factor for
the disease.
“Current treatments are effective,
slowing or halting the disease. There are
drops to lower the pressure, like blood
pressure medications,” Saeedi says.
“Laser treatment to help drainage in the
eye is performed in the office and takes
about a minute per eye. For cases that
do not respond to these treatments, surgical procedures can be done to reduce
eye pressure, and those are typically
done in the hospital or a surgery center.
“Once you’ve been diagnosed with
glaucoma, you’ll see your ophthalmologist regularly, usually every three to six
months. It’s also up to you to follow
your doctor’s orders and take medications prescribed to help to maintain your
vision.”
Dry Eye Disease
Years ago, when I was wearing contact lenses, I kept sterile saline solution
in single-use applicators around for times
when I worked extra-long days. I used
it rarely, but it was nice to have around.
Then, recently, I felt like my eyes were dry
and looked for some drops I could use.
Once again, I purchased preservative
free artificial tears in single use applicators.
Dry eye disease is fairly common. It
affects millions of people and, depending on which source you access, the
numbers range from 23 to 50 million
Americans.
Dr. Sarah Brem Sunshine M.D.,
assistant professor, department of ophthalmology and visual sciences and
member of the University of Maryland
Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer
Center at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine, specializes in treating corneal and ocular surface diseases
as well as cataracts. Her research focuses on inflammatory dry eye diseases
such as ocular Graft vs. Host Disease,
which affects patients after a bone marrow transplant. She and CousineauKrieger spoke about dry eye disease.
“Dry eye can affect people of all
ages, though it’s more common among
older adults, especially women,” says
Cousineau-Krieger. “It can also be a side
effect of medications you may be taking,
such as antihistamines, antidepressants,
pain medications, blood pressure meds
and those for autoimmune diseases. It
will feel like a stinging or burning of the
eye or feel as if sand or grit is in the eye.
You may want to check with your ophthalmologist if it’s very uncomfortable.
“If you are on a medication that
causes dry mouth, that could be an
indication of dry eye. Next time your see
your ophthalmologist, ask to be checked.
It could save you problems in the future.”
Sunshine says, “Dry eye disease is
due to either poor production of tears or
poor quality of your tears. Dry eye disease can be classified as aqueous deficient or evaporative. Aqueous deficient
dry eye disease is caused by Sjögren’s
syndrome or lacrimal gland problems.
Evaporative dry eye is caused by environmental factors such as contact lens
use and medications or eyelid abnormalities or blinking problems including meibomian gland disease. Dry eye disease
can be an indication. We are seeing an
increased incidence of dry eye due to
people spending more time on digital
devices (phone, computer, tablet). When
using these devices, you do not blink
often enough leading to evaporation of
the tears from your ocular surface.
“In our eyes, there is a tear film which
provides lubrication, protects the ocular
surface, and refracts light into the eye,
which is critical for clear vision. The tear
film is comprised of three layers: the
‘oily’ lipid layer produced by the meibomian gland, the ‘watery’ aqueous layer
produced by the lacrimal gland, and the
‘mucus’ layer with mucin. At its simplest,
dry eye is usually an issue with the tear
film.
“The lipid layer is oily (sebum), the
aqueous layer is water, and the mucin
layer is mucus. They work together to
produce the tear film – our tears – and
keep our corneas functioning. Over-thecounter eye drops can help restore your
tears, specifically preservative free artificial tears which usually come in individual vials.
“Dry eye can be caused by aging, digital device usage and hormonal changes.
Post-menopausal women can be affected by dry eye.
“We are also seeing younger people
developing dry eye earlier because of
increased screen-time, which leads to
decreased blink. I recommend using artificial tears for prolonged screen time. If
it’s more than four or five times a day,
make sure they are preservative-free
drops. Other environmental changes can
help including using a humidifier, lowering your computer screen and turning off
fans or air directed at your face.
“Another relatively easy treatment is
improving your eyelid hygiene and meibomian gland disease. Meibomian gland
disease or blepharitis is inflammation
of the meibomian glands, the oil glands
located at the edge of your eyelids. To
treat this, you can use warm compresses
followed by eyelid scrubs.
“If you are having problems with
burning, pain or light sensitivity as well
as blurred vision, it is important to see
an ophthalmologist who can delve into
potential causes of dry eye ranging from
allergic reactions to inflammation to
changes in the cornea or another eye
problem.”
One aging eye issue not on the list is
a retinal detachment. It happened to a
friend. I was warned that if half my vision
went black, I should go to an Emergency
Department immediately. The signs of
a retinal detachment include flashing
lights, new floaters or a curtain coming
down over your vision. It is reparable, but
you shouldn’t waste any time.
Drs. Cousineau-Krieger, Saeedi and
Sunshine are highly proficient ophthalmologists and provided the information
for this article. They all do research
and are passionate about their areas of
expertise.
Your vision is priceless. It’s up to
you to take care of it by paying attention to changes you may experience. If
you or someone you know cannot afford
eye care, let them know about EyeCare
America.
About EyeCare America
Established in 1985, EyeCare
America, a public service program of the
Foundation of the American Academy
of Ophthalmology, is committed to the
preservation of sight, accomplishing
its mission through public service and
education. EyeCare America provides
year-round eye care services to medically underserved seniors and those at
increased risk for eye disease. More
than 90 percent of the care made available is provided at no out-of-pocket
cost to the patients. EyeCare America
is co-sponsored by the Knights Templar
Eye Foundation Inc., with additional
support provided by Genentech and
Alcon. More information can be found at
www.eyecareamerica.org.
