October 25th, 2008 by admin
Complete Information on Cogan’s syndrome
Cogan’s syndrome is an uncommon, rheumatic disease characterized by inflammation of the ears and eyes. Cogan’s syndrome causes symptoms that are related to those of syphilic keratitis although there is no evidence of pox transmission in Cogan’s syndrome. Cogan’s syndrome primarily targets children and inexperienced adults in their 20’s and 30’s. Cogan’s syndrome often occurs after an influenza-like transmission. Cogan’s syndrome causes heart inflammation, including conditions such as keratitis, iritis, scleritis, or conjunctivitis, associated with equilibrium problems, vertigo and ear ringing (tinnitusThese vestibuloauditory symptoms can advance to speedy multilateral deafness payable to inflammation affecting the 8th cranial heart. Other symptoms include vasculitis, nausea, vertigo, impoverished equilibrium, fever, tiredness, weight departure, vomiting, soft sensibility, and a multilateral blurring of imagination. More seldom, Cogan’s syndrome can induce expanded lymph nodes, bold, chest pain, weapon pain and shortness of breather. Systemic cardiac manifestations of Cogan’s syndrome include aortitis, aortic valve deficiency, pleuritis, pericardial effusion, coronary arteritis, and perhaps myocardial infarction. Hearing loss is often progressive and can lead to permanent deafness within two years without early diagnosis and treatment intervention. Mild eye disease may be treated with anti-inflammatory medications. Anti-inflammatory eye drops are used in cases of mild eye symptoms. If signs of infection occur, antibiotic eye drops can be used. In severe eye disease, oral corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications such as cyclosporine or cyclophosphamide may be used. In cases where the eye’s blood vessels are damaged, surgical intervention and corneal transplant may be required. Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine are also used for problems with imbalance. Cochlear implants are used in cases of hearing loss. If excess fluid in the inner ear is causing balance problems, your doctor may prescribe diuretic medications, which increase urination and removal of fluid from the body. When hearing is impaired and does not improve with medical treatment, cochlear implants may be helpful. Cochlear implants are electronic devices that translate sounds into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain, bypassing the malfunctioning part of the ear. Part of the device is implanted in the ear, and part is worn outside the ear.
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October 25th, 2008 by admin
New Lens Implants Can Correct Astigmatism after Cataract Surgery
Cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens in the eye. The lens becomes yellow or opaque preventing light and images from reaching the retina. They most frequently affect older patients, but may appear in younger individuals as well. While the most common type of cataract is age related trauma, oxidative stress caused by drugs, poor diet, environment, and disease or congenital issues may precipitate lens opacities in younger folks. Over the years, surgery to correct this common vision problem has evolved in several dramatic ways.Early surgical cataract procedures involved the affected lens being removed, and the patient had to wear very thick eye glasses in order to see. This posed several optical problems which were then best corrected with contact lenses. As time passed, the first intraocular lens implant was developed. This early lens was placed in front of the iris, (colored part of the eye), and replaced the natural lens in power to refract light on to the retina. It soon became apparent that vibrations in this implant damaged the inner most layer of the cornea called the endothelium. On occasion this in turn resulted in an opaque cornea and the need for a corneal transplant.This problem was solved by the next generation of lens implants that were placed behind the iris, and were called posterior chamber implants. They were secured far enough away from the cornea, so that they had no impact on it. These early lens implants were fairly large, and required a large incision to remove the natural lens and implant the new one. As time progressed, Phacoimulsification became the procedure of choice for cataract surgeons. This revolutionized the procedure. A small incision was required, and as a result fewer sutures were needed. Along that time, foldable implants came along that could be inserted into the eye through that small opening. The next big advancement was removing the cataract, and inserting the implant directly through the cornea. This approach did not require any sutures, and thus healing time was even further reduced as was patient discomfort. The nagging issue that plagued cataract surgeons was to be able to eliminate the need for eye glasses after the surgery. To that end, stronger implants have been developed, multi focal, UV absorbing IOLs and many other options have been employed. Some have worked well, while others have failed. A most troublesome residual problem has been how to correct astigmatism after this surgery. At first, eye glasses had to be worn to correct the uncorrected astigmatism. Then some surgeons advocated making incisions in the cornea to reduce or eliminate the astigmatism post surgically. While this therapeutic approach was fairly successful, most patients did not want an additional procedure if note needed.Recently, the astigmatic problem has now been solved. The STAAR Toric IOL is now available, and can correct up to 3.50 diopters of corneal astigmatism. That means that most people that have astigmatism before surgery can choose to have this new IOL implanted at the time of surgery, and have their astigmatism corrected resulting in no need for distance eye glasses after the procedure. The implant works similarly to a toric contact lens. When seen in the eye, there are peripheral markings to evaluate the positioning of the lens. The results thus far have been very good with only a few patients complaining about glare. These implants are not covered by most insurance companies and there fore must be paid for by the patient.Always ask your surgeon about the options for implants before surgery to see if there is something that will best suite any visual needs.
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October 20th, 2008 by admin
Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin or (C3-R) is a relatively new treatment. In past decades surgeons would have to perform a corneal transplant to improve the vision of keratoconus patients. Now they have developed a new treatment that helps strengthen the cornea and stop the damage that keratoconus patients could suffer from this progressive disease.
Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin or (C3-R) is a relatively new treatment. In past decades surgeons would have to perform a corneal transplant to improve the vision of keratoconus patients. Now they have developed a new treatment that helps strengthen the cornea and stop the damage that keratoconus patients could suffer from this progressive disease. The Treatment Application- C3-R is directed under the epithelial cell layer. Located on the surface of the cornea. The surgeon will apply anesthesia drops on the surface of the eye. Then disrupt the epithelial cell layer. So the Riboflavin eye drops will penetrate the stromal portion of the cornea, which is the layer under the epithelium. The Riboflavin drops are then placed on the surface of the cornea. A small UVA light is shone over the eye for about 30 minutes to activate the solution. The procedure is relatively comfortable if the epithelium layer is only disrupted rather than removed. Some surgeons removed the layer, which makes the first week of the procedure uncomfortable. Be sure to check with your doctor to see if they perform the epi-on or epi-off technique. There are several benefits of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking below are a few:
Strengthens the cornea with less evasive procedures- The solution will improve the strength of the cornea over 3-6 months after treatment. It only requires a one time application. And there are less risks associated with C3-R as appose to corneal transplant. Can be combined with INTACS to reverse damage to the cornea- C3-R treatment can be mixed with INTACS reduce the cone shape of the cornea. After the 3 year follow up doctors found that it stopped the increase of cornea curvature values and flattened the mean cone. C3-R Stabilizes Progressive Ectasia- C3-R can give some relief from Progressive Ectasia. It has been proven to stabilize progressive Ectasia. While it is not a complete cure there are high hopes for further treatments of Ectasia. The benefits of C3-R many. Surgeons are further studying and researching C3-R and INTACS. Without question medical sciences are growing rapidly. And each day we are improving the treatments for Keratoconus and other troubling diseases. There is no need to suffer with Keratoconus. Patients now have a wide array of treatments to help them with the progression of this condition.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
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October 18th, 2008 by admin
Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin or (C3-R) is a relatively new treatment. In past decades surgeons would have to perform a corneal transplant to improve the vision of keratoconus patients. Now they have developed a new treatment that helps strengthen the cornea and stop the damage that keratoconus patients could suffer from this progressive disease.
Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin or (C3-R) is a relatively new treatment. In past decades surgeons would have to perform a corneal transplant to improve the vision of keratoconus patients. Now they have developed a new treatment that helps strengthen the cornea and stop the damage that keratoconus patients could suffer from this progressive disease. The Treatment Application- C3-R is directed under the epithelial cell layer. Located on the surface of the cornea. The surgeon will apply anesthesia drops on the surface of the eye. Then disrupt the epithelial cell layer. So the Riboflavin eye drops will penetrate the stromal portion of the cornea, which is the layer under the epithelium. The Riboflavin drops are then placed on the surface of the cornea. A small UVA light is shone over the eye for about 30 minutes to activate the solution. The procedure is relatively comfortable if the epithelium layer is only disrupted rather than removed. Some surgeons removed the layer, which makes the first week of the procedure uncomfortable. Be sure to check with your doctor to see if they perform the epi-on or epi-off technique. There are several benefits of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking below are a few:
Strengthens the cornea with less evasive procedures- The solution will improve the strength of the cornea over 3-6 months after treatment. It only requires a one time application. And there are less risks associated with C3-R as appose to corneal transplant. Can be combined with INTACS to reverse damage to the cornea- C3-R treatment can be mixed with INTACS reduce the cone shape of the cornea. After the 3 year follow up doctors found that it stopped the increase of cornea curvature values and flattened the mean cone. C3-R Stabilizes Progressive Ectasia- C3-R can give some relief from Progressive Ectasia. It has been proven to stabilize progressive Ectasia. While it is not a complete cure there are high hopes for further treatments of Ectasia. The benefits of C3-R many. Surgeons are further studying and researching C3-R and INTACS. Without question medical sciences are growing rapidly. And each day we are improving the treatments for Keratoconus and other troubling diseases. There is no need to suffer with Keratoconus. Patients now have a wide array of treatments to help them with the progression of this condition.
Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/
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