Articles related to Optometry

Controversies about contact lenses are ongoing, and the American Optometric Association Contact Lens and Cornea Section leadership is once again thrilled to present a fresh series on this subject in this yearly piece for Contact Lens Spectrum. These debates concern the following topics: On-label vs. off-label myopia management treatments Do we overprescribe scleral lenses? Should all contact lens wearers be fitted with daily disposable lenses?

A 68-year-old Caucasian man complained of blurry vision while reading and visited the eye clinic for a thorough eye examination. His best-corrected baseline visual acuity with +1.00/+2.25 glasses was 20/20 OD and 20/25 OS at distance and close-up. External testing revealed normal confrontation fields and no afferent pupillary impairment, which were ordinary. A +2.75D enhancement enhanced near vision. The anterior segment evaluation resulted in a normal reading of 15 mm Hg OD and 14 mm Hg OS on the Goldmann applanation tonometer. What could it be?

After cataract surgery, a fragment of the lens is thought to stay in the eye in 0.3% to 1.1% of cases. Following cataract surgery, the retained cortex and nucleus respond differently: While the nucleus triggers a potent, destructive inflammatory response, the cortex only induces low-grade inflammation. Increased postoperative drops are administered more frequently, and if necessary, IOP-lowering medications are added.

The Aging Cell article, penned by Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, an assistant professor in the departments of physiology & biophysics and ophthalmology and a member of the faculty at the Center for Translational Vision Research at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, describes the transcriptional and epigenetic changes occurring in aging retina with the help of her coworkers. The research team demonstrates how stress, such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye, promotes epigenetic and transcriptional alterations in retinal tissue that are similar to those associated with aging. And how repeated stress in early retinal tissue causes signs of accelerated aging, such as an accelerated epigenetic age.

Except in cases when you are concerned about or have confirmed a diagnosis of DME, patients with moderate NPDR do not need to be sent to a retina specialist. Patients with moderate NPDR should also be examined every six to eight months since they run a 12% to 27% risk of developing PDR within a year. Finally, patients with severe NPDR are at a significant risk of disease progression and irreversible vision loss, have a 52% chance of acquiring PDR within a year, and are almost certainly dealing with neuropathy elsewhere.

After taking part in this educational activity, participants should be better equipped to recommend retina experts for immediate examination and preventative therapy for patients with suspected moderate to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and investigate new information for stopping the progression and vision-threatening side effects of DR.