| / Home / Articles / Sarasota Magazine / 2007 / 07 / |
|
|
|
Print this page
Email to a Friend
|
|
Purchase listing| Related Articles | ||
|
|
Looking Into Our Eyes If you're approaching 50, you should know about macular degeneration. Su Byron |
Wong explains that the
drug, which is injected directly into the eye, significantly reduces vascular
growth. “I’m talking about a real ‘wow’ factor,” he says. “The difference for
some of our patients has been the difference between being able to maintain
independence and having to go into assisted living.”
There’s one downside to
Lucentis: the cost. Wong explains that the drug costs $2,000 a pop—far out of
the reach of most people, since it’s often administered on a monthly basis.
Another drug, Avastin, is currently being tested for use in AMD but is not yet
FDA-approved. (The Retina Institute has been chosen by the FDA as a testing
facility for Avastin.) Wong says that thus far results are encouraging. Even
better? If it’s approved, the cost will be around $50 a treatment. “Avastin
could potentially save the health care system $4 billion a year,” he
says.
Nutrition also plays a
part in AMD. Research is indicating that certain nutrients such as zinc, lutein,
zeaxanthin and vitamins A, C and E can lower the risk for AMD and slow down the
progression of dry macular degeneration. Other studies show that consumption of
omega-3 fatty acids may also protect against developing AMD.
Arthur, for one, is
grateful for all of the new research being conducted to fight AMD. By the time
his left eye started showing signs of AMD last year, his retina specialist, Dr.
John H. Niffenegger of the Sarasota Retina Institute, started him on Lucentis,
which has greatly helped slow the progression of the degeneration. “I check in
with Dr. Niffenegger once every six weeks or so,” says Arthur. “If he sees that
the vessels are leaking again, he’ll put me back on Lucentis to help stabilize
the leaking.”
In the meantime, Arthur
has immersed himself in finding resources to help him live with low vision. He
uses ZoomText, a magnification and reading software program, so that he can work
on his computer. He uses Talking Books to keep up with his reading. He’s a great
believer in Lighthouse for the Blind, a national organization with local ties
that promotes independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind
or visually impaired. ”They taught me how to handle simple household chores,
write checks, cook and so on,” says Arthur. Best of all, although he has
difficulties seeing the ball, he still plays golf because “the swing is still
there.”
If you’re of baby-boomer
age, here’s a quick look at three other common eye conditions to be aware
of:
Cataracts: We’re all well aware of the “c” word. Cataracts
occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, and we start to have difficulty
with night driving, reading small print, and problems with light glare. As
Grabow puts it, if we live long enough, most of us are not going to be able to
avoid cataracts in one or both eyes. Indeed, cataracts affect nearly 20.5
million Americans age 40 and older. The good news? The cataract can be removed
and replaced with an artificial lens. This relatively simple procedure usually
corrects nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and
presbyopia.
Dry eye syndrome: As we get older, our bodies produce less oil, which
affects the tear film in our eyes. The result is dry areas on the cornea,
causing irritation, redness and blurred vision. Other causes are linked to
certain medications, thyroid conditions, autoimmune diseases and menopause.
Grabow says that treatment ranges from using artificial tears to having the tear
duct plugged or permanently closed.
Floaters and flashers: This common condition is also age-related. We’re
born with a clear, gel-like substance called vitreous that fills the space
between the crystalline lens and the retina. With age, the vitreous thins and
can pull free from the retina. When this happens, we’ll experience floaters, or
tiny bits of vitreous gel that cast shadows on the retina. Flashes occur when
the vitreous tugs on the sensitive retina tissue. Although floaters and flashes
are usually innocuous, in some cases they can actually harm the retina. For this
reason, Grabow urges anyone experiencing either to see his or her eye
doctor.