Blood Thinners and AMD Hemorrhages

Many seniors take blood thinners for various types of cardiovascular and other vascular disease as a preventative measure for avoiding a heart attack or stroke. This same senior population is also at greatest risk for age related macular degeneration-including wet or hemorrhagic macular degeneration (AMD). Thus, the question of whether taking anticoagulants might be increasing the risk of and progression of AMD is important and reported on in a study published in Ophthalmology. The results showed that taking anti-platelet or anticoagulant medication was not significantly associated with macular hemorrhage and increased AMD risk unless the patient also had hypertension.

If you or someone you know is taking blood thinners and at risk for age related macular degeneration (AMD), please call Baltimore Washington Eye Center at 800-495-3937, or visit Baltimore Washington Eye Center, Google+ or facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter.Baltimore Washington Eye Center is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061, 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 200, Gambrills, Maryland 21061 and Turf Valley Town Center, 11089 Resort Road, Suite 206, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042, serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. 

Cataract Surgery with Dr. Spagnolo

“My two cataract surgeries we stress free and a pleasant experience. Yes there was some apprehension at first on what to expect prior to the surgery. Once I went thought the done in to the surgery suite, every step and procedure was explained in a calm caring and sincere manner prior to surgery. If I still had any anxiety it disappeared and I became very relaxed. It was a very organizer process and executed very well. From the first officer visit to the completion of surgery, the staff, technicians, surgical staff and Dr. Spagnolo were very professional/ they all were very good listeners and address all of my questions and concerns. I am very please with the outcome of my cataract surgery at BWEye. Thank you!” - Anonymous

If you or some you know is experiencing cataract symptoms such as cloudy foggy vision, glare or difficult night driving and would like to learn more about cataract surgery & lens implants please call Baltimore Washington Eye Center at 800-495-3937, or visit Baltimore Washington Eye Center, Google+ or facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter.

Baltimore Washington Eye Center is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061, 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 200, Gambrills, Maryland 21061 and Turf Valley Town Center, 11089 Resort Road, Suite 206, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042, serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area.

IVF & Keratoconus Progression

What could in vitro fertilization and Keratoconus have to do with each other? As it turns out, quite a bit! Keratoconus is a progressive degenerative disorder of the cornea whereby structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than the more normal gradual spherical shape. We carefully monitor our patients with Keratoconus because Keratoconus can cause substantial distortion of vision, with multiple images, streaking and sensitivity to light-all of which can worsen if the disease progresses quickly. Researchers reporting in the Journal of Refractive Surgery  alerted us to the fact that drugs used in IVF treatment increase estrogen levels, which may affect corneal biomechanics and induce progression of Keratoconus and thus we need to be even more carefully following those patients with Keratoconus who might also be starting IVF treatments. If they are determined to be of particularly high risk for progression, then we might recommend corneal cross-linking treatment to minimize the risk of keratoconus progression before starting IVF treatment.

If you or someone you know suffers from Keratoconus and is considering IVF, please call Baltimore Washington Eye Center at 800-495-3937, or visit Baltimore Washington Eye Center, Google+ or facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter. Baltimore Washington Eye Center is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061, 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 200, Gambrills, Maryland 21061 and Turf Valley Town Center, 11089 Resort Road, Suite 206, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042, serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. 

Backup Eyeglasses for Contact Lens Wearers

Contact lens wearers usually prefer contacts over glasses. This can be for a variety of reasons, including that glasses May get in the way of activities or sports. Also, some people just prefer the look of contact lenses. Regardless of the reason for wearing contacts, it is always important to “give your eyes a break”. Many eye care Professionals recommend that contact lens wearers have a backup pair of eyeglasses in order to help protect eyes. There are a couple reasons that backup eyeglasses are important for contact lens wearers. For instance, if you have an eye infection, you should not wear your contact lenses. In fact, eye infections occur less with people who have backup glasses because those people are more likely to wear the backup glasses instead of continuing to wear contact lenses when they have an irritation in their eye. Also, your eyes need oxygen. Allowing your eyes to take a break from contacts is helpful in this regard.

If you or some you know would like to see or be fit with the latest in high quality designer eyeglass frames or learn about digital high definition eyeglass lesnes please call Baltimore Washington Eye Center at 800-495-3937, or visit Baltimore Washington Eye Center, Google+ or facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter.

Baltimore Washington Eye Center is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061, 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 200, Gambrills, Maryland 21061 and Turf Valley Town Center, 11089 Resort Road, Suite 206, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042, serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area.