Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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Stargardt’s disease is the most common inherited form of macular degeneration that strikes late in childhood.  This disease strikes 1 in 20,000 children over age six and generally leads to legal blindness.

Stargardt’s disease causes a progressive loss of central vision. The main signs and symptoms are loss of visual acuity or sharpness of vision, decreased color vision and small blind spots. Other symptoms may include blurriness and visual distortion, difficulty adapting to the dark after sunlight exposure, and/or light sensitivity. Sufferers with severe vision loss may also experience visual hallucinations and are the result of the brain trying to make sense of impaired visual input.

Nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin and mesozeaxanthin may help slow the progression of Stargardt’s Disease and/or prevent further vision loss. Patients with Stargardt’s disease are cautioned against taking vitamin A because researchers believe gene mutations lead to abnormal synthesis of the vitamin in the eyes, resulting in increased loss of vision.

For more information on the causes, prevention, and treatment of Stargardt’s disease, please visit our website.

A small study by Japanese researchers demonstrates an increased blood supply to the retina upon stimulation of certain acupuncture points. Needles were inserted near the posterior base of the thumbs of volunteers while investigators used a laser to scan the retinal blood flow. Both volume and velocity increased in these patients. The work was done at the ophthalmology department at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

Reported by Dr. Kazuhiko Mori at the annual meeting of the Association for Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale this past May.

For more related information on natural eye care, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.

The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.

The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet.

Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.

For more information, go to http://artificialretina.energy.gov/index.shtml

For more information and specific research studies by eye condition including nutrition and vision research, go to <a href=”http://www.naturaleyecare.com”>Natural Eye Care </a>

Studies show that people with Stargardt’s Disease genetically do not make an enzyme to get rid of the waste products from metabolized Vitamin A analogs and the build up of these waste products leads to the death of retinal cells, so supplementing with Vitamin A should be avoided. Also, certain foods should be restricted that are high in Vitamin A. Fruits to be restricted include: tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelon, peaches, kiwi, oranges, and blackberries. Vegetables high in Vitamin A include: carrots. kale, spinach and sweet potatoes.

For more information and related studies, go to www.naturaleyecare.com .