Regular eye exams help detect problems at their earliest stages

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize: Good Vision

As you mentally flip through those New Year’s Resolutions you may have pledged (and hopefully kept), consider an important new one: schedule an eye exam.

Glaucoma

It’s estimated that more than 3 million Americans have glaucoma — although only half of those have been officially diagnosed, as there are very few, if any symptoms.

Glaucoma is often associated with a buildup of pressure inside the eye. It causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve.

The disease, characterized by a damaged optic nerve unable to carry images from the eye to the brain, encompasses a series of different diseases that can all eventually lead to blindness. There is no cure for glaucoma — regardless of the disease type — and the damage is irreversible. When diagnosed early, however, treatments exist to halt disease progression.

Glaucoma Trials and Treatments

“Glaucoma is detected with a simple, painless screening, often part of a comprehensive eye exam. If detected, the next step is to diagnose the type of glaucoma, so we can pinpoint the right specialist who can administer the best possible treatment,” explains T. Mark Johnson, MD, FRCSC, an attending surgeon at the Retina Group of Washington (RGW) in DC. “The key for optimal results, however, is early detection.”

Macular Degeneration

Retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), also may cause vision loss. Inova Fair Oaks Hospital performs over 1,000 retinal surgeries each year.

Dr. Johnson and his fellow RGW specialists are also currently participating in multiple national clinical trials that may open the door to potentially groundbreaking treatments for retinal diseases. Two current trials involve AMD.

AMD Trials and Treatments

The majority of patients diagnosed with macular degeneration have the dry form, which can result in central vision loss and may develop into wet AMD. To date, there is no approved treatment for dry AMD, although RGW is currently involved in a trial study to change that. “We’re investigating one of the first drugs specific to dry AMD,” Dr. Johnson explains. “If it works out — and you never know with trials — this is potentially a game-changer.”

Wet AMD is the more rapidly progressive form. While there are effective treatments, these treatments require injecting a drug into the eye every four to eight weeks — sometimes for decades. “We’re investigating longer- acting forms that may last for months or possibly years,” Dr. Johnson says. “So the goal here is to treat the disease and also make the patient’s life a lot easier.”

Seeing Clearly

Find an ophthalmologist at inova.org/physicians.

FREE “Ask the Expert” lecture:

Advances in the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy

Join Michael Rivers, MD, for a FREE lecture on Monday, May 23, 2016 at 6 p.m.

Place: Inova Fair Oaks Medical Campus, Building 3580, Auditorium

Date & Time: Monday, May 23, 6 p.m.

How to Register: 

Click to register here or call 1.855.My.Inova (1.855.694.6682) to register by phone.