Director of the Stem Cell and Retinal Regeneration Program at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute (GHEI), Henry Klassen, MD, Ph.D., leads life-changing research that will affect and influence vision-saving treatments for years to come.
Watch below to hear from Dr. Klassen on his recent stem cell research:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month is observed annually every February. It’s an awareness month targeted at spreading information about AMD and other sight threatening diseases that could lead to visual impairment.
AMD is a disease that is a leading cause of low vision in Americans older than 50 years of age. The macula is the part of the eye affected by this disease, a pigmented, oval-shaped part of the retina. About 5mm in diameter, it is responsible for the central vision required for driving, reading, and fine detail. AMD, is a progressive disease that causes retinal cells to slowly die, though it causes no physical pain.
Medical experts have been able to identify some risk factors that might lead to the onset of AMD, including high blood pressure, high levels of blood cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. Other risk factors that a person has no control over are age, heredity, race, and gender. Symptoms of the disease include blurry vision, blind spots, straight lines appearing wavy, doorways seeming crooked, and objects appearing farther away or smaller. When any of these symptoms present themselves, the concerned individual is advised to immediately visit an ophthalmologist.
For more information on AMD and other visual impairments – EYE CONDITIONS
The Discovery Eye Foundation is committed to finding a treatment for Dry AMD which makes up 85% of AMD cases and for which there is no FDA approved treatment as yet. This could preserve the vision of millions of people. Luckily, there are treatments for Wet AMD. Right now, research supported by DEF at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Medical School is on the cutting edge of promising breakthroughs that could make the difference in the lives of so many.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and the perfect time to raise awareness about this disease. Early on there are no symptoms. In fact, many people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it. Learn about glaucoma and the steps you can take to reduce your risk of vision loss.
There are several types of glaucoma, although the most common type of glaucoma is age-related Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. It affects people starting at age 40, but can develop anytime later in life.
So, the way to detect if you have it is to get regular thorough eye examinations every two years after age 40.
ARE YOU AT RISK?
Anyone can get glaucoma, but certain groups are at higher risk. These groups include African Americans and Hispanics over the age of 40, and all people over the age of 60. Since it is hereditary, people with a family history of glaucoma and people who have diabetes are at higher risk.
4 GLAUCOMA GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER
1. Glaucoma can affect people of all ages – Although it is generally associated with seniors, glaucoma can strike anyone.
2. Demographics do play a role – Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among African Americans; it’s also highly prevalent in Hispanics over the age 65.
3. Is glaucoma hereditary? – The risk of developing primary open–angle glaucoma is up to nine times more likely if parents or siblings have the disease.
4. Hope for future glaucoma patients – Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early diagnosis and treatment can help control the disease and slow or stop the process of vision loss and blindness.
There are many steps you can take to help protect your eyes and lower your risk of vision loss from glaucoma.
Thanksgiving is almost here; a meal that nourishes the family bonds and traditions. It’s the one time of the year where you can guarantee your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. This meal also has another added bonus — almost every item on the Thanksgiving table is healthy for your eyesight!
Here are several of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and their corresponding benefits to your eye health:
No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey, roasted golden brown and stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs. Turkey is loaded with zinc and B-vitamin niacin, which helps prevent the formation of cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, so gobble up! You are “preventing” cataracts with every bite.
These foods and other leafy greens are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that protect the retina, which may also help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Sweet potatoes are full of Beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant that promotes night vision and overall good eyesight. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with vitamins C and E. Diets that are rich in these vitamins can help prevent or delay the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Cranberries contain bioflavonoids, a large class of antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are found in the pulp, skin and rinds of foods that contain vitamin C. Both flavonoids and vitamin C help protect the eyes from free radical damage caused by pollution and the body’s normal metabolic processes.
Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, so pumpkin pie is an eye-healthy dessert. In fact, one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Vitamin A provides nourishment and protection to the eye’s lens, cornea and macula (part of the retina), so it improves night vision.
A diet that’s full of the right nutrients is a great start to keeping your eyes healthy, but don’t forget that regular eye exams are equally important! We hope you enjoy a happy and delicious Thanksgiving with family and friends.
*For more eye healthy recipes click here EYE COOK
It’s back-to-school time! As your child prepares to start another school year, don’t forget to take care of one of their most important learning tools — their eyes. Find out how you can help keep their eyes healthy, and why an eye exam is so important.
Be aware of vision problems:
Your kid may be spending more time in front of the screen than usual — and that could put him or her at increased risk for certain vision problems or eye conditions.
Watch for behavioral changes that may signal vision trouble, for example:
Help minimize any risk to your child’s eyes by doing the following:
Make sure they take frequent screen breaks. Instead of focusing directly on the screen, encourage your child to look around the room every now and then, or take some time to stare out the window (at least 20 seconds is recommended by the American Optometric Association). You can even remind them to blink.Don’t Forget the Eye Exam
It’s easy for us to forget about our eyes let alone our child’s, but it is very important to get your child’s eyes checked regularly.
It is absolutely critical to ensure healthy eye development and that they have the visual skills necessary for successful learning. No matter where your child will be participating in school this year — don’t skip the trip to the eye doctor.
The American Optometric Association recommends children have an eye exam by the time they reach one year old, at least once between 3 and 5 years old, and once a year after first grade until they graduate. Your eye doctor can recommend the best frequency for your child.
Your child should still receive a comprehensive eye exam, whether or not they have received a vision screening at school or even at their pediatrician’s office. While vision screenings can indicate some vision trouble, they often only test your child’s ability to see things that are far away, such as a classroom whiteboard. Also, keep in mind the school screeners usually do not have all the necessary equipment or training to detect many eye health problems in children.
A comprehensive eye examination looks at complete eye health, and includes tests for the following, in addition to an understanding of patient and family health history:
Specialists state that 80% of what your children learn in school is taught visually. Untreated vision troubles can put children at a substantial disadvantage. Be certain to arrange that your child has a complete eye exam before school starts.
Most people have eye problems at one time or another. Some are minor and will go away on their own, or are easy to treat at home. Others need a specialist’s care. Some eye issues come with age while others may be a serious condition.
If you’ve never had a problem with your eyes it can be easy to forget how important it is to take care of them. The good news is that it’s never too late to start taking care of your eye health. Regular eye health appointments and eye exams can lead to early diagnosis. This is key to correcting or slowing most eye conditions. Always see your eye care professional if your vision problem lasts for more than a few days or worsens.
The five most common eye conditions leading to loss of vision or blindness are:
Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when your tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Tears can be inadequate for many reasons. For example, dry eyes may occur if you don’t produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality tears. Dry eyes can also feel very uncomfortable.
Signs and symptoms, which usually affect both eyes, may include:
A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that typically will affect your vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. People who have cataracts often have other vision problems in one or both eyes that accompany the cataract, such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism (blurred vision), and/or presbyopia (reading problems).
The lens lies behind the iris and the pupil. It works much like a camera lens. It focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye, where an image is recorded and sent to the brain. The lens also adjusts the eye’s focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away. The lens is made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that normally keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it.
But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger or more dense making it harder to see. There are no known medications or diets to prevent age-related cataract so currently the only treatment is cataract surgery. Consult an ophthalmologist for a cataract surgery evaluation.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina.
We know that:
In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid or blood inside the eye. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.
Two important tips for diabetic retinopathy prevention: 1) Diabetic retinopathy is worse in patients with poor blood sugar control, so follow your diet and medication prescriptions carefully. 2) Get a dilated eye exam from your ophthalmologist every year for early diagnosis and treatment.
Glaucoma is a disease that causes damage to the major nerve of the eye called the optic nerve, a part of the central nervous system that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.
The eye experiences a gradual increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) due to an imbalance of the fluid produced in the eye and the amount of fluid drained. Over time, elevated IOP can cause vision loss. The most common form of glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma which affects about 3 million Americans. However, there are other types including narrow angle, congenital, normal tension, and secondary glaucoma.
At age 50 about 2% of the US population has glaucoma, increasing to 4% by age 70 and 10% for those over age 80. While anyone can develop glaucoma, there are some risk factors that increase the likelihood of having this disease, which include:
Often people with glaucoma are unaware they have the disease because there are no symptoms, so it is recommended that you have a dilated eye exam every two years. With early diagnosis there are treatments that can often protect against irreversible damage to the optic nerve that can lead to serious vision loss. Glaucoma can be treated with eye medications, lasers, and various surgical procedures. However, if glaucoma is not controlled can cause debilitating loss of vision.
Age-Related Macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye condition affecting as many as 15 million Americans. The disease attacks the macula of the eye, where our sharpest central vision occurs, affecting reading, driving, identifying faces, watching television, safely navigating stairs and performing other daily tasks. Although it rarely results in complete blindness, it robs the individual of all but the outermost, peripheral vision, leaving only dim images or black holes at the center of vision.
As the disease progresses color vision and central vision sharpness deteriorates. the gradual destruction of light sensitive cells continues until large areas are totally gone. Peripheral vision remains, but the ability to clearly see straight ahead and to see color is lost.
For many people, the first sign of macular degeneration is something they notice themselves. Straight lines like doorways or telephone wires may appear wavy or disconnected. When you look at a person, their face may be blurred while the rest of them is in focus. Lines of print may be blurred in the center or the lines may be crooked. For some people, there is a sudden blurring or loss of sight in the center of vision. For any sudden change in vision, you should contact your ophthalmologist immediately.
AMD can be classified into Early AMD and Late AMD. In Early AMD, a patient may have drusen, which are small protein/lipid deposits underneath the retina, and they can still have good vision. In Late AMD, there are two common forms that occur—wet (neovascular AMD) and dry (atrophic AMD). The wet AMD has abnormal blood vessels beneath the retina that leak blood which can greatly distort the vision and cause a central blind spot. Approximately 10-15% of patients have the wet form. Fortunately, there are treatments for wet AMD. To date, the dry, atrophic form of AMD does not have any treatments available. In dry AMD, the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which are the posterior-most layer of cells in the retina, undergo extensive degeneration that causes the overlying retina to lose function. We do not know what causes the RPE cells to become unhealthy and start to die. Many research laboratories worldwide are studying the causes of dry AMD and how to treat it.
Low vision affects millions of Americans — including many older adults. People with low vision aren’t blind, but because of their vision loss, they may not be able to do everyday tasks like driving or reading even with glasses.
What is Low Vision?
When your eyesight is impaired to the degree that you struggle with daily tasks like reading or cooking – or that you have difficulty recognizing faces, you may have a medical condition referred to as low vision. Someone with low vision can’t simply put on a pair of glasses or contacts and see well; this condition is beyond the typical loss of vision that occurs with aging.
Individuals experiencing low vision can struggle with maintaining independence; hobbies, reading and even socializing may become challenging as vision loss progresses. Because of the impact low vision can have on your life, it is important to have your eyes checked by a low vision specialist if you have any concerns. Since it is unusual to be able to restore vision once it is lost, screenings can help preserve the vision you have and help you access adaptive lenses and devices if you need them. While there is not a cure for low vision, a low vision specialist can help you adapt and if needed, create a vision rehabilitation program designed to meet your specific needs.
If you are experiencing trouble seeing even with prescription eye glasses, ask your optometrist or ophthalmologist for a low vision evaluation. If your practitioner does not perform this evaluation, request a referral to a low vision specialist in a private practice, at a Braille Institute or a University Eye Care Institute.
Low vision is often caused by one of these conditions:
In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid or blood inside the eye. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision. Read More
The eye experiences a gradual increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) due to an imbalance of the fluid produced in the eye and the amount of fluid drained. Over time, elevated IOP can cause vision loss. The most common form of glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma which affects about 3 million Americans. However, there are other types including narrow angle, congenital, normal tension, and secondary glaucoma. Read more
Reducing your risk for Low Vision
Practicing healthy daily lifestyle habits can reduce your risk for low vision. A healthy diet, not smoking and maintaining healthy blood pressure are important first steps. Other healthy habits that can lower the risk include:
Low Vision Reading Apps on Your Smartphone
Reading often is one of the most difficult challenges for visually impaired people. Many people with low vision give up reading altogether, because what used to be an enjoyable, effortless activity now requires thought, preparation and a lot of adjustment. In short, reading is just no fun anymore.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has listed some of the top apps, devices and resources for people with low vision, below are a few listed for reading app, for more apps visit American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Reading
Regular eye exams are essential for all adults; it is recommended that adults over the age of 60 have eye exams each year. If your vision can not be improved to the point that you are able to see the things you need to see or read, your eye care professional can refer you to a low vision specialist. This specialist differs from a conventional optometrist and is trained to evaluate your low vision problem and offer solutions to help you retain or regain independence and the ability to do things you enjoy again.
More Low Vision resources
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. Glaucoma has no early symptoms — that’s why half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.
The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. There’s no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but those at higher risk include:
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with glaucoma, you may have lots of questions. Starting treatment early is the best way to stop the damage and protect your vision. Talk to your eye doctor about your symptoms and treatment options.
Here are a few questions to ask your doctor:
Visiting the doctor can be stressful, especially when you’re dealing with a new diagnosis. It helps to have questions written down ahead of time.
With COVID-19 and a shift to online learning by many schools, children are spending even more time looking at screens. Staring at digital screens for a long period of time can cause hazy, blurred vision and can make eyes burn and feel dry, itchy and irritated. This condition is known as digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome. Other symptoms of digital eye strain can include:
What Parents Can Do:
Children, especially younger ones, will likely need help and reminders to use digital screen devices in an eye-friendly way. If you have any questions about keeping your child’s eyes and vision healthy, talk with your pediatrician.
The past year has taken a toll on the physical and mental health of millions of people. While we were rightly focused on slowing the spread of the pandemic, widespread shutdowns brought about a more sedentary, inactive lifestyle, which has led to increased weight gain and worsened mental health for many. As we look ahead and as more people receive the vaccine, it is time to start reprioritizing physical activity and placing much needed attention on our health.
It’s no secret that exercise is the best way to get in shape and to prevent serious health conditions, especially after this pandemic. But did you know that you can actually exercise your way to healthy eyes too? By eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you can help prevent eye conditions linked to obesity and being out of shape.
Below are a few tips on how to get your fitness regimen back on track.
Stay active, get plenty of exercise and keep a healthy diet. When you’re tempted to slack off, or quit exercising all together—give yourself a day off to relax. Just remember how terrific you’ll look and feel when you keep moving.
You’ll probably agree it’s worth working out a few minutes each day to reap the rewards of good health and great vision!
Click here for Eye Healthy Recipes.
