Can People with Glaucoma Wear Contact Lenses?

July 20th, 2008

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by Amy Nutt

Glaucoma is an eye condition in which one’s optic nerve is damaged and destroyed over time. Most commonly, glaucoma can be attributed to increased eye pressure as a result of drainage blockage. Other causes of glaucoma include poor blood supply to the optic nerve fibers, weak nerve structure, or a deficiency in the nerve fibers.

If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, you are likely to already be experiencing vision problems. You may have already been prescribed corrective lenses. If you are new to wearing glasses, or even if you’ve worn glasses for a lifetime, you may wonder if you’re eligible to wear contact lenses.

The Good News

Over the past 40 years, corrective contact lenses have seen tremendous improvements. Because of this, almost anyone can use contacts to correct their vision ? including many people who suffer from glaucoma. Today’s contact lenses come in both hard lens and soft lens forms.

- Hard (Rigid) Lenses

Modern rigid lenses allow oxygen to pass through them in order to reach the eye. This newer version of the hard lens is generally tolerated well, even by some people with glaucoma. New developments in rigid lenses include a bifocal feature, which provides correction for both nearsightedness and farsightedness. If you think rigid lenses might be a viable option for you, it is very important that you consult with a contact lens specialist. When you see the contact lens specialist to determine if rigid lenses are right for you, make sure to mention that you have been diagnosed with glaucoma.

- Soft Lenses

Soft contact lenses have become enormously popular because of their comfortable fit. In many cases, soft prescription contact lenses can also be worn for extended periods of time. Soft contact lenses have also been worn by many glaucoma patients with little to no consequence whatsoever. Again, it is important to note that if you think soft contact lenses may be appropriate for you, it is crucial that you see an ophthalmologist that specializes in contact lenses and/or glaucoma first.

The Bad News

Topical eye treatments are the most common form of medication used in the early stages of glaucoma. What does this mean? Two words: eye drops. Most doctors will prescribe several types of eye drops to treat glaucoma. You will likely be applying eye drops every single day or as much as several times a day. Unfortunately, skipping one or more doses can cause further damage to the optic nerve. What does this mean to potential users of corrective contact lenses?

Interactions

Before you start using prescription contact lenses, be sure to find out if the medication contained in your eye drops can possibly interact with the contact lenses. The most common interaction that can take place is that the preservative in some glaucoma eye drops can be absorbed into certain types of lenses, leading to intolerance of contact lenses. The best way to ward off the risk of harmful interaction is to keep your contact lens specialist apprised of your glaucoma diagnosis and treatment.

In conclusion, corrective contact lenses are a great option for people who need vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism corrected. Even people who have been diagnosed with glaucoma may be able to experience the freedom and comfort that prescription contact lenses offer. The key to wearing contact lenses when you have been diagnosed with glaucoma is to discuss any possible problems or any interactions your glaucoma treatment may have with the lenses with your contact lens specialist.

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Back Pain Suffering in Maryland

July 12th, 2008
by Aaron Beartoes

Maryland is located in the mid Atlantic region of the United States. It’s categorized as one of the states of the south by the Census Bureau. Before it was a division of the Chesapeake Bay Colony where cash crops like tobacco was cultivated by farmers owning slaves. Maryland is now the wealthiest state in the United States, above New Jersey which was a previous title holder.

The people of this state suffer from back pain. This poses a challenge to doctors and medical professionals. Caution should be exercised in order to avoid this disease. Back pain especially in the lower back is a frequent cause of anxiety, disturbing a majority of Americans at some time in their lifetime especially in the state of Maryland.

In Maryland, low back pain is a widespread musculoskeletal disorder causing back pain in the lumbar vertebrae. It can be either acute, sub acute or chronic in its clinical appearance. In general, the indications of low back pain do illustrate momentous development within two to three months from its commencement. In an important number of persons, low back pain has a tendency to be persistent in nature with a waxing and waning value to it.

Physical origins may comprise osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, deterioration of the discs between the vertebrae, or a spinal disc herniation, a vertebral fracture (such as from osteoporosis), or rarely, a tumor (including cancer) or infection. In a little percentage of victims this situation can turn into chronic. Populace revisions demonstrate that back pain influences mainly adults at a few phases in their life and accounts for added sick leave and disability than any other single medical condition.

The clinical analysis of the fundamental reasons of pain will state the treatment and management of low back pain. For a great majority of sufferers, low back pain will be treated with non-surgical concern. For acute short term back pain, some home remedies may be valuable.

In Maryland, various chiropractic treatments combined with spinal treatments for acute or chronic pains may also be prescribed to heal or control back pain especially in chronic conditions. Frequently used low back surgery include: microdiscectomy, discectomy, laminectomy, foraminotomy, or spinal fusion. The latest treatment of degenerative disc disorder is lumbar artificial disc replacement. There are also a diverse number of surgical measures meant to preserve movement of the spine.

Other measures of treatment are, analgesics (pain medications), like NSAIDs or acetaminophen. Acute or chronic pain can be relived effectively by using muscle relaxants. Antidepressants are also prescribed for low back pain.

Intensive multidisciplinary treatment courses may help sub acute or chronic low back pain. Chronic pain can be cured by acupuncture along with exercise.

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