Grandma Talks about Cataracts

I guess you would call me a typical grandma. I like to crochet, bake, play bunco and of course spend time with my grandchildren. My vision is very important to me so when I was diagnosed with cataracts I was very nervous. Dr. Buck recommended that I consider the ReSTOR® Lens implant due to my current prescription and my regular activities. While it was more expensive, it has corrected more ranges of my vision than I could have ever imagined. I can play with my grandkids in the yard and not have to worry about my glasses falling off. I can play cards with my friends with no problem. I do need some readers for very small print like a recipe or phone book or if I am sewing something very intricate but that is no big deal to me at all. Very pleased with my results!

If you or someone you know has a question about cataracts, cataract surgery and lens implants, please feel free to call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Diabetic Macular Edema Best Treated with Injections

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a significant cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Retinal laser photocoagulation has been the standard treatment for DME for nearly 30 years decades but now there is evidence that better vision outcomes can be achieved with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor injections such as Lucentis® or Eylea®. According to researchers reporting in the American Journal of Ophthalmology reviewing and publishing an analysis of studies on Diabetic Maculopathy published between January 1, 1985 and July 31, 2013, the number of patients with DME gaining an improvement of seeing an additional 10-15 letters on the eye chart was at least 2 times greater for those patients treated with the VEGF Inhibitor injections as compared to being treated with laser treatments. Thus, the researchers concluded that anti-VEGF therapy is superior to laser photocoagulation for treatment of moderate to severe visual impairment caused by DME.

If you or someone you know has diabetes and is concerned about their risk of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) or Diabetic Retinopathy, it is critical that they have regular dilated eye exams. Please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser to schedule an appointment.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Attend Your Diabetic Eye Exam Appointments!

Patients need to do their part in preventing vision loss from diabetic retinopathy by being compliant and attending scheduled eye exam and testing appointments. Researchers reporting in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, studied and identified variables that predict compliance with their scheduled annual eye exams using the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey (CADEES), a new questionnaire designed to measure health beliefs related to diabetic retinopathy and annual eye examinations.

Factors Influencing Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance
A number of factors seemed to influence diabetic patient compliance with annual eye exams. First, there is variable compliance depending on whether patients think that their insurance will pay some or all of the cost of a diabetic eye exam. Second, compliance depended on whether it was difficult to schedule or physically get to an eye exam appointment. Third, there was variable compliance depending on whether patients had been counseled on the importance and priority of a diabetic eye exam and fourth whether they had been previously told that they had diabetic retinopathy. Clinicians can also help patients with compliance with the diabetic eye exams by carefully counseling newly diagnosed patients much more diligently along with those who have uncontrolled blood glucose on the importance of annual eye examinations.

If you or someone you know has diabetes they need to have regular annual dilated eye exams to prevent vision loss from diabetic eye diseases and problems. Please share this information with anyone you know who is diabetic and ask them to call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Exams & Tests for Diabetic Retinopathy

While there is no cure for diabetic retinopathy, all the data and information from clinical studies demonstrates that with early diagnosis and treatment it is possible to avoid catastrophic vision loss from diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Regular eye exams at intervals recommended by your eye doctor along with the appropriate types of testing are the best way to help prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.

Eye Exams & Tests for Diabetic Retinopathy
The eye examinations for diabetic retinopathy need to be thorough and when necessary include advanced testing such as retinal photography, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in order to really document how the retina and it’s blood vessels are functioning. Depending on the severity and the risk of the progression of each patient’s diabetic retinopathy we will advise them of the frequency and intervals for their exams. But, patients with diabetes need to know that it is terribly important to keep their appointments.

Vision loss from diabetes and especially catastrophic vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with early detection, diagnosis and treatment. If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems with regular eye exams by calling Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser to schedule an eye exam.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Diabetic Eye Disease Still a Problem

As Prevent Blindness America has designated November as National Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, it is time to remind people that diabetic eye disease and eye problems from diabetes area still on the rise in the U.S. and require attention to prevent vision loss and even blindness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes affects more than 25 million people in the United States. There are some 8 million people ages 40 and older who have diabetic retinopathy and in fact diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20-74 years of age.

The vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented if it's caught early and treated in time. More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines recommending a dilated eye exam every year. As part of Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month we are urging people with diabetes to have a dilated eye exam every year. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. However, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease.

Preventing Vision Loss from Diabetes
In addition to having regular eye exams and testing at the direction of your eye doctor, patients can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetic eye disease by not smoking, controlling their cholesterol and lipid profile and blood pressure, as well as working to eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, fruit and green leafy vegetables and exercising.

If you or someone you know has diabetes or even elevated blood sugar levels they should work to prevent diabetic eye disease and problems by having regular eye exams at Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center. To schedule an appointment call us at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.