Image via odh.ohio.gov
Pregnant women who take opioid pain killers are more likely to give birth to babies with birth defects, including infantile glaucoma.
The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, describes how women who took drugs like codeine or hydrocodone were twice as likely to have babies with severe heart problems. In addition to heart defects and glaucoma, when mothers-to-be took opioid drugs their children were more likely to have spina bifida, hydrocephaly, and gastroschisis.
It is very important to note that these birth defects were not only related to drugs mothers took while pregnant – researchers have connected maternal opiod intake and these conditions in children born to mothers who took these prescription medications three months before they were pregnant.
Source: Modern Medicine
Learn more about how prescription drugs can be harmful to your eyes and your overall health.
Mar
01
2011
In my practice and at NaturalEyeCare.com we know that the eyes are the windows to the soul and windows that reveal the state of your overall health.
A new story over at Yahoo Health lists 14 different conditions that can be recognized by looking into your eyes.
The list includes Computer Vision Syndrome, also known as Computer Eyestrain. Red, burning eyes as well as blurred vision, dizziness, and trouble concentrating are all signs of eyestrain from excessive computer use. Visit our pages on computer eyestrain for tips on how to prevent and treat it.
Blepharitis, or inflammation of the eyelids, also made this list because they say it can be linked to acne rosacea. Inflammed eyelids can also be a sign of allergies and sensitivities to foods or the environment. It can even be a reaction to certain prescription or over the counter drugs – see more on drugs that harm the eyes.
Dry eyes are the most common complaint brought to eye doctors. They can be indicative of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes (especially when the blood sugar is up), asthma, thyroid disease (lower lid does not move when blinking), lupus, and possibly glaucoma. Dry Eye Syndrome itself can be treated with several natural remedies.
Nov
20
2010
image via salud.nih.gov
A recent study of patients undergoing long term topical steroid treatment (eg. eyedrops) shows that the medication increases the likelihood of developing sub-conjunctival hemorrhage.
The study, published in the medical journal Eye found that those taking steroid eyedrops for uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye) ran a “substantial” risk of developing spontaneous hemorrhaging in the eyes. Source: http://www.nature.com/eye/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/eye2010118a.html
For more on medications that can harm the eyes, please visit our website.
To learn more about how to treat uveitis naturally, click here.
Nov
14
2010
Image via cdc.gov
The long-term use of topical antiglaucoma drugs can have an effect on the sensitivity of the macula (light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye). Authors of this study published in The Annals of Ophthalmology recommend periodic evaluation of the macula for all patients receiving antiglaucomatous agents. Source: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ep44p6q88p227518/
Rather than taking prescription medication to manage glaucoma, consider taking a natural approach to glaucoma treatment and prevention.
Oct
28
2010
via minorityhealth.hhs.gov
Age is a major factor in the development of potentially debilitating eye conditions such as macular degeneration, but there are risk factors for the disease that one can control. The two major contributors to the development of macular degeneration that you can avoid: smoking and fat intake.
The good news related to smoking and the development of macular degeneration is that you can cut your risk significantly if you quit (unlike some diseases where a past history of smoking is as bad a being a current smoker). It’s another good incentive to kick the habit.
Regular intake of both animal and vegetable fats (including trans fats and hydrogenated fats) can make one twice as susceptible to macular degeneration. It is important to focus on the good fats like those found in essential fatty acids.
For further information on how to prevent and treat macular degeneration naturally, visit our website.
Oct
17
2010
Image by Sergio *Savaman* Savarese
Just because you can buy something over the counter doesn’t mean it cannot hurt you.
A review of cases published in the The New England Journal of Medicine shows that “poppers,” legal recreational drugs common in club culture, can cause light sensitivity and vision loss in some individuals.
In an article by HealthDay Reporter, researchers say, “poppers — a catch-all term for alkyl nitrites that are often inhaled by partyers for a brief ‘head rush’ and to increase sexual arousal — may compromise the normal workings of photoreceptor cells found in a key region of the eye’s retina.” They go on to explain that “nitric oxide is known to affect the metabolism of photoreceptors and can also alter the operation of a key enzyme involved in photoreceptor function.”
Researchers did note that those who stopped taking poppers seemed to recover over a period of several months. Experts do not yet agree fully on the correlation between the use of this drug and the damage to the eyes; some believe evidence is simply anecdotal at this stage and that more formal research is necessary.
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=120899
Get further information on drugs that harm the eyes.
Jul
04
2010
Patients with the neurodegenerative disease referred to as Parkinson’s are often proscribed the drug amantadine to alleviate motor problems. Amantadine treatment causes abnormal changes in the cornea in some Parkinson’s patients. Generally, these corneal reactions occur soon after starting the drug and disappear a few weeks after they stop taking. Occasionally, these issues arise after patients have been taking the drug for many years, and, in these cases, patients often do not recover even when amantadine is stopped.
A new study has been aimed at discovering whether the effect of amandatine on corneal endothelial cells is dependent on the cumulative dose received. In a comparison study researchers found that patients with the highest cumulative amandatine intake and/or longest duration of treatment (up to 8 years) had the most significant reductions in endothelial cell density (ECD). Endothelial cells work to keep excess water out of the main body of the cornea. When there are too few endothelial cells, corneal edema (swelling) results and vision is impaired.
Study leader, Dr. Won Ryang Wee says: “Assuming other studies confirm these results, ophthalmologists and neurologists should consider evaluating a patient’s corneal endothelium at the beginning of treatment with amandatine and reassess at regular intervals if the drug is used long term, and additional monitoring would be needed for patients with other conditions that reduce ECD–such as recent cataract surgery or ongoing glaucoma, uveitis or Fuch’s dystrophy–because corneal edema could develop during treatment.”
Source: http://www.elements4health.com/long-term-parkinsons-drug-treatment-could-cause-vision-impairment.html
Jun
01
2010
In the June issue of Opthamology Canadian researchers reveal a link between antidepressants known as elective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs (including the brand names Luvox, Effexor, Paxil) and and cataracts. Antidepressants are taken by an estimated 10% of the U.S. population.
The eye has serotonin receptors in its lens, and animal models have shown that serotonin can increase opacity of the lens and lead to cataracts. This study is the first to demonstrate this phenomenon in humans.
For more on cataracts, click here.
Feb
04
2009
Eye disorders related to statins are rare, occurring in about 0.1 percent of patients (0.5 to 2.5 percent when gemfibrozil, another type of cholesterol-lowering drug, is taken simultaneously) but had not been systematically reported prior tothe study led by F.W. Fraunfelder, MD, of the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University. The research appears in the December issue of Ophthamology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthamology.]
Fraunfelder’s group analyzed statin-associated reports of double vision (diplopia), drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis), and loss of full range of motion of the eyes (ophthalmoplegia) in the databases of the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Drug Administration. Since statins were known to cause
skeletal muscle disorders in some patients, a similar affect was plausible in the eye muscles. The average patient age was 64.5 years, and the case reports included 143 males, 91 females, and 22 persons with gender unspecified. The average statin dose of patients who exhibited one or more eye disorder was within ranges recommended by drug manufacturers, and the average
time from beginning of therapy to developing an adverse drug reaction (ADR) was 8.3 months. There were 23 cases of loss of eye range of motion; 8 cases of ptosis, and 18 cases of ptosis in conjunction with double vision; disorders in all patients apparently resolved completely when statins were discontinued. From the ADR reports, the researchers could not determine
precisely which eye muscles were involved, or time needed to full recovery after statin discontinuation, for individual cases.
For more related research studies, see the “Research” section at <a href=”http://www.naturaleyecare.com”>Natural Eye Care</a>
