Eye Didn't Know!

Sunglasses For The Masses

Did you know? Various excellent charities exist for collecting used prescription eyeglasses and donating them to the poor in other countries, who otherwise might not be able to afford them.

Sara Schairer, however, had the brilliant idea of collecting and donating used sunglasses. She visited the Flying Samaritans eye clinic in Tecate, Mexico, and was impressed that the diseases we treat surgically, cataracts and pterygia, were caused, at least in part, by sun exposure. She noticed that none of our patients were wearing sunglasses! 

The clinic distributes dozens of prescription eyeglasses each month, but no one had thought of distributing sunglasses.

Sara singlehanded started an organization, Sunglasses For The Masses, to coordinate collection and distribution of "gently used" sunglasses.

Last weekend Sara came to Tecate and distributed 40 pairs of sunglasses. What a great start!

Did you also know? Visit Sara's website, Sunglasses For The Masses, to learn how you can donate your old sunglasses, and how you can help spread this wonderful idea. And if you ever think that one person cannot make a difference, think again!

 

Vitamin C and Cataracts

There is a much higher concentration of vitamin C in the aqueous humor (the fluid in the front of the eye which bathes the cornea, iris, and lens) than in the bloodstream. For many years, some researchers have speculated that taking vitamin C could lessen the incidence of cataracts.

A new study from Sweden refutes that claim. Over the course of ten years, women who took vitamin C supplements had a higher incidence of cataracts than those that did not. Those on birth control pills and vitamin C had an even higher rate. The increase was not huge, but was significant.

This study and others show that until properly controlled studies are done, speculating on the benefit of vitamin supplementation often is fraught with errors, (and in the case of many purveyors of supplements, wishful thinking, misrepresentation, and fraud).

"You use lasers to remove cataracts, right?

Did you know that cataracts are NOT removed with a laser? Ophthalmologists use many types of lasers for dozens of indications, but removing cataracts is not one of them! The state of the art in cataract removal today is called phacoemulsification, which uses a tiny probe to dissolve the cloudy lens and remove it from inside the eye. After the cataract is removed, a soft, rolled-up implant made of silicone or acrylic is inserted through a three millimeter incision, and unfolds in place within the eye. Because the tiny incision heals very quickly, it is unusual to have any restrictions on activities after surgery.

Did you also know? Most modern cataract surgeries take less than 15 minutes, and many doctors only use eyedrops (no needles!) to anesthetize the eye.

Homeopathy Relief for Cataracts?

Did you know? I visited the drugstore today and took a stroll down the aisle for eye products. In between the myriad of useful eyedrops for dry eye, I noted a whole row of drops purporting to be homeopathic products. One in particular, claimed to relieve the symptoms of cataract!

Among its claims were: to "stimulate the eye's natural ability to relieve symptoms of cataract." This is odd, because the eye has NO natural ability to relieve symptoms of cataract.

Furthermore, it claims that:

"The active ingredients in this medication temporarily relieve symptoms associated with cataracts and aging eyes, such as:
Cloudy/blurry vision
Glare and halos around light, especially at night
Gray/faded colors."

Wow. If this were true, then eye surgeons would quickly be out of a job.

There is simply no conceivable mechanism for these claims to be true, and there are no studies which show these claims to be true.

What are the "active ingredients" in this product? This is hard to know, since homeopathy is based on a 200 year old, discredited theory that "microdilutions" of ingredients produce therapeutic effects. But the ingredients are said to include dilutions of Cineraria Maritima and Conium Maculatum.

Cineraria Maritima is a white, dusty perrenial plant. I have found no evidence that an extract of this plant, at full concentration (as recommended by some practitioners), or diluted nearly beyond detection (as advocated by homeopaths) can affect the symptoms of a cataract.

Conium Maculatum is otherwise known as Poison Hemlock! Let's just say that it's a good thing that the hemlock is diluted.

(poison hemlock, courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

A cataract is the natural clouding of the lens within the eye which occurs with aging. It is thought that excess light may contribute to cataract progression. Trauma and certain medications like steroids can accelerate cataract formation.

If a cataract is not causing decreased vision or impairing activities, one may do nothing. When the cataract causes symptoms, fortunately, cataract surgery is a wonderfully successful surgery in the hands of a skilled surgeon. There are currently no compounds which have been shown to delay the progression of cataracts, though many are investigating this. See my previous post for one such attempt.

Do yourself a favor, and don't waste your money on "homeopathic" treatment for cataracts. Do wear a hat and sunglasses when outdoors.

If you know of any evidence of benefit for these compounds, please let me know. (I was unable to find any clinical studies in the medical literature).

Did you also know? For a review of homeopathy, please see this excellent article.

(image of an advanced cataract, courtesy of the ascrs image library)

Cataract Cure???

Did you know? A company in Philadelphia, Othera Pharmaceuticals, is testing an eyedrop which they hope will retard the progression of cataracts. A cataract occurs when the natural lens within the eye becomes cloudy. It is thought that one stimulus for cataract progression is oxidation. Othera is testing a compound, OT-551, which is a potent anti-oxidant, and is able to penetrate into the eye. They are testing the compound first in patients who have undergone a vitrectomy (a surgery for retinal problems) because these patients frequently develop cataracts over a short period.

Did you also know? The concentration of Vitamin C in the front of the eye is many times greater than its concentration in the rest of the body. This may help prevent cataracts.

Eyewords: Cataract

Did you know? A cataract is the term we use to describe the natural lens inside the eye when it turns cloudy, impairing vision. The word cataract comes from the Latin cataracta, which means waterfall, or cascade. (cataract is still sometimes used to mean this.) It is thought that this word was used, because in very advanced cataracts, the lens sometimes turns white, similar to the appearance of churning water in a waterfall.

(image courtesy www.blakeshawphotography.com)

Did you also know? White cataracts are no longer common in this country, though I see them on occasion. I often see them while working at the Flying Samaritans Eye Clinic in Tecate, Mexico. I can attest that these advanced cataracts are often difficult to remove surgically!

(image courtesy ascrs image library)

Aspartame

Did you know? A recent study showed that consumers of diet soda had the onset of cataracts an average of seven years later than non-drinkers. The authors postulated that aspartame may inhibit changes in lens protein which lead to cataracts. This study was small, (216 patients), retrospective, and may have had confounding influences, but it's an interesting observation. Diet soda on the rocks?

Did you also know? Cataract surgery is more successful than ever, with expert surgeons able to remove the cataract in 10-15 minutes, often with only eyedrops as an anesthetic!

Smokeless tobacco

Did you know? A new study, conducted in rural India and published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology has linked the use of chewing tobacco to the formation of cataracts. Nearly 4,000 subjects were examined. After adjusting for age and gender, users of smokeless tobacco had a 67% higher risk of cataracts than those that did not. Interestingly, there was no association with the use of cigarettes. Read more about it here: bjo

Did you also know? India has been a leader in the development of hospitals devoted to high volume, low cost or charity cataract surgery, subsidized by charging those who are able to pay.