pelf-ism is contagious

Mike and Tish @ Blogs We Luv will be blogging for The Glaucoma Foundation during this up-coming blogathon. And as an added incentive, they will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card at the close of Blogathon 2007, and for every $5 you contribute, you will be eligible for one entry into the drawing.

You see, at present, there is no cure for glaucoma. However, if it is diagnosed and treated early, blindness can be prevented.

I am one of the lucky glaucoma patients. I was diagnosed eight years ago, at the age of 27. I see my doctor frequently, and I am on daily medications to control the disease. I have suffered very little optic nerve damage so far, and with any luck, it will stay that way. I dream of the day a cure is found – hopefully in my own lifetime.

- Tish @ Blogs We Luv

Two weeks ago, I wrote about my Grandpa’s glaucoma — whatever object you focus on will appear clear and crisp, but there would be an area to the side of your focus which will be blurry. But as soon as you gaze at the blurry area it becomes crisp because now you are focusing on that area – and so now a different area on side will become blurry.

Now, my grandpa isn’t as “lucky” as Tish. His glaucoma is already at an advanced stage, and despite applying eye drops as prescribed by his ophthalmologist, the pressure in his left eye remains high (high pressure causes progression of glaucoma and visual field defects).

And the scary thing is, it runs in the family! Is anybody in your family affected by glaucoma? You may read more about glaucoma, which is the leading cause of preventable blindness at The Eye Digest or The Glaucoma Foundation. Or if you’re feeling generous today, or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, please support Mike and Tish by pledging to donate to The Glaucoma Foundation

My Grandpa developed cataract on both his eyes a few years ago, but he only underwent a cataract surgery on his right eye (cataract surgery involves the removal of the natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens). And over the years, the cataract on his left eye has deteriorated to an extent that the ophthalmologist has no confidence in treating it

And he was also recently (OK, maybe not so recently) diagnosed with glaucoma.

What is glaucoma?

If you have glaucoma – whatever object you focus on will appear clear and crisp, but there would be an area to the side of your focus which will be blurry. But as soon as you gaze at the blurry area it becomes crisp because now you are focusing on that area – and so now a different area on side will become blurry.

Historically, glaucoma has been viewed as a disease caused by increased eye pressure. The current view is that glaucoma represents a common end stage clinical presentation of several different diseases. To understand this view, think of heart failure - which is not a disease but a clinical end stage because of many diseases like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, etc. Glaucoma is similarly regarded as a final common end stage pathway of a number of different conditions. While high eye pressure is the most important risk factor for the development and progression of glaucoma, it is still only a risk factor and not the disease itself.

- Source: Glaucoma @ The Eye Digest

His ophthalmologist prescribed him some eye drops and his right eye responded to the eye drops and his eye pressure seemed to have decreased BUT the pressure in his left eye remained high.

High eye pressure not only increases the risk of developing glaucoma, but also causes progression of glaucoma and visual field defects. The mainstay of glaucoma treatment is to lower the eye pressure, either with eye drops or surgery.

Source: Glaucoma Treatment @ The Eye Digest

And apparently, glaucoma runs in the family (!!!).

Glaucoma tends to run in families. In the Baltimore Eye Study, the risk of having glaucoma was approximately 3.7-fold higher for individuals who had a sibling with glaucoma (risk was slightly lower if a parent or children had glaucoma instead of a sibling). In the Rotterdam Eye Study, the risk of having glaucoma was 9.2-fold for individuals who had a relative with glaucoma.

- Source: Glaucoma @ The Eye Digest

If you’re interested to take an eye test, the Glaucoma Symptom Scale (opens in a new window) measures symptoms of glaucoma as well as symptoms of glaucoma treatment. It provides a valid and reliable estimate of symptoms associated with glaucoma and its treatments. The normal score is 100 and implies the absence of all glaucoma-related symptoms. If you have symptoms of glaucoma, the score will be less than 100, the lower the score the greater the symptoms.

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