Glaucoma Status Affected by Certain Medications

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma and is generally treated by eye drops, laser treatment and/or surgery to help reduce the eye pressure or intraocular pressure (IOP). Certain systemic medications that you take for anxiety or depression that are in the class called “SSRI,” such as Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa and Paxil, or blood pressure medications in the class called “calcium channel blockers,” such as Norvasc, Cadizem, Procardia and Calan may be associated with your glaucoma risk. SSRIs are strongly associated with a reduced risk of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma whereas calcium channel blockers were strongly associated with an increased risk. According to researchers reporting in Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this is important and useful information to us as we assess your risk of glaucoma, but is helpful to researchers seeking new medications for the treatment of glaucoma as it might indicate novel approaches with medications used for other systemic diseases.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about glaucoma risk and systemic medications or schedule a glaucoma eye exam, please 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.

Pterygia “Surfer’s Eye” & Melanoma Skin Cancer Risk

Does a Pterygium or "Surfer's Eye" Increase Melanoma Risk?  

A pterygium (pronounced “tuh-RIJ-ee-uhm”) is an elevated, wedged-shaped bump of tissue on your eyeball that starts on the sclera or white of your eye-most often on the side near your nose and can extend to the cornea. Although A pterygium is commonly referred to as "surfer's eye” because being around bright sunlight for long periods of time-particularly the harmful UV reflected light from water such as the ocean-can increase your risk. But there are other causes as well and you don't have to be a surfer or ever see the ocean to get a pterygium. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun appears to be the primary cause for the growth of pterygia but exposure to dust and wind along with dry eye disease are very common causes. Pterygia usually develop in 30- to 50-year-olds, and are rarely are found in children. If you have a light skin complexion and light eyes you have a greater chance of getting a pterygium.

Recently, researchers reporting in the British Journal of Ophthalmology reported the results of a study that considered whether people who had pterygia were at greater risk of melanoma skin cancer. They felt that since pterygia seemed to me more common in light skinned, light eyed people who were exposed to a lot of sunlight, that maybe they had greater melanoma skin cancer risk. They found that having a pterygium indicates a significantly increased risk of developing a melanoma of the skin and that eye care providers who see patients with developing pterygia should advise these patients of this increased risk and recommend regular skin surveillance with a dermatologist. Further, we know that if a pterygium becomes inflamed and affects the cornea, excision- pterygium surgery-may be necessary to avoid vision changes from corneal distortion or even scarring.

If you or someone you know has a pterygium, please schedule an eye exam at 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.

Experience Golf after LASIK

“Last year I decided that I was finally going to have LASIK done. I had been contemplating it for a few years now and it was time. I am an avid disc golf player and I was so tired of being in the hot summer sun and sweating with my glasses on. It was such a hindrance to my game. Not to mention if it was raining out my glasses would get spots on the lenses and I couldn’t see. My good friend is a patient of Dr. Buck’s and told me to give him a call to see if he could help me. I made an appointment and found out I was a candidate! I was nervous at first but thrilled at the same time. I had the procedure on a Friday and was on the course by Sunday. I can’t say enough great things about Dr. Buck and his staff!”

If you or some you know is tired of the hassle of glasses or contact lenses for seeing at distance and would like to find out if LASIK might be a good vision correction option, please 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.