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Exploring Health Concerns and Treatments


About Me

Exploring Health Concerns and Treatments

Hello, my name is Tony Williams. Welcome to my site about health concerns. When I was a young child, I was rather sickly. I was in and out of the hospital on a regular basis, as doctors tried to diagnose the conditions affecting my body and mind. Through the years, I learned an immense amount of information about the medical field. I will use this site to explore health concerns and their treatment options in great detail. I invite you to learn more about this important topic, so you are prepared well before the information is needed. Thank you for visiting my site.

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Two Glaucoma Situations Where An Eye Stent May Be Necessary

If you have glaucoma, then you likely have interocular pressure that is elevated. This means that pressure exceeds 22 mm Hg as measured by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. If high eye pressure is also associated with damage to the blood vessels and the cells across the retina, then you may need to undergo a surgical procedure where a device called a stent is placed within the eye. This stent helps to relieve pressure by allowing the aqueous humor fluid that sits towards the front of the eye to drain much more effectively. While your eye doctor may suggest the placement of a stent if your glaucoma has advanced, there are some other situations where a stent may be suggested as well. Keep reading to learn about these situations and why a stent may be necessary.

You Have Diabetes

If you have glaucoma and diabetes, then your eye doctor may suggest the placement of a stent. Diabetes can cause serious eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Diabetic retinopathy causes damage to the blood vessels that line the retina, and macular edema causes swelling across the macula part of the retina. Since glaucoma can also cause damage to the blood vessels and increase the amount of pressure that sits against the retina, a stent may be advisable before macular degeneration and vision loss become a reality.

Along with the placement of a stent, it is wise for you to try to control your blood sugar as best you can. You may need to invest in a diabetes control regimen. This means keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible and within the 70 mg/dl and 130 mg/dl range. This can successfully reduce complications like the increase in eye pressure. You will likely need to exercise regularly, test your blood sugar more often, and watch your diet more closely under the tight control regimen. Also, you may need to invest in a greater number of insulin injections. Consider speaking with your endocrinologist to come up with the best control plan for your lifestyle and your eye health.

You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is another condition that can cause eye pressure to increase. The disease can cause the white sclera part of the eye to swell. This can force pressure against the other portions of the eye and it can also reduce your ability to effectively drain the aqueous humor fluids. The disease can also cause blockages within the small capillaries that feed the retina, and this can force the tissues to die. While these problems can compound the troubles that occur when you have glaucoma as well rheumatoid arthritis, one of the biggest eye problems will occur due to the medication you must take. Many individuals with rheumatoid arthritis will need to take prednisone to reduce bodily inflammation. However, this drug, as well as other steroids, is linked to increased pressure within the eye. This means that you should think about a stent if you have glaucoma as well as rheumatoid arthritis eye swelling issues or if you have been taking prednisone for some time.

Your eye doctor may also suggest that you reduce your prednisone usage too. When you do this, think about talking to your physician about alternative treatments that can help to reduce inflammation. Physical therapy, NSAID pain relievers, braces, mobility aides, and the addition of a low-impact exercise regimen can offer assistance. Also, think about reducing the amount of dairy foods that you eat, since dairy products are linked to joint and bodily inflammation. If you stop eating dairy foods though, then make sure that you introduce other calcium rich items into your diet so that you can keep your joints as strong as possible. Kale, broccoli, almonds, okra, and tofu are a few foods that have a good amount of the nutrient. 

For more information about eye stents, consider a website like http://www.checdocs.org