More than 2 billion people globally have a vision impairment – nearly half of which could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed. That’s why World Sight Day, an international day of awareness held each October, focuses attention on the important global issue of eye health. World Sight Day provides a platform for organizations to encourage governments, corporations, institutions and individuals
How can policymakers keep care accessible for seniors with a debilitating vision condition called thyroid eye disease? By allowing for infused treatment at home, suggests a new survey of Medicare beneficiaries. As reported by the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition, home infusion could allow people to access thyroid eye disease treatment without risking exposure to the coronavirus or other infectious diseases, such as the
What do cataract, dry eye, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration have in common? They’re more prevalent in women. In fact, vision and eye conditions across the board disproportionately affect women. That’s why April serves as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, giving patients and advocates an opportunity to raise awareness, increase public education and urge women to prioritize their vision health. Women face
The verdict is in: personalized, patient-centered care is better care. That’s especially true when it comes to dry eye disease. A recent review published in The Journal of Clinical Medicine explores emerging areas of dry eye research that could benefit patients. New progress sparks hope for more treatment options that would support patient-centered dry eye care. Dry eye disease occurs when the eyes can’t produce
I know a thing or two about rebuilding lost confidence. When I was only 16, a car accident left me unable to walk for six months. I had broken bones, a collapsed lung. I required reconstructive surgery. Day by day, month by month, I had to re-learn how to do the daily things we take for granted. But being ejected from a car
Good solutions tackle the root of the problem. That’s why advocates are calling for increased federal funding for vision and eye health in Fiscal Year 2021. In a letter to members of Congress, advocates highlight two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs that need support: the vision and eye health program, and the glaucoma program. Deteriorating vision health fuels advocates’ call for
Americans know less about vision and eye health than they think. A recent survey commissioned by the American Academy of Ophthalmology reveals new insights into knowledge gaps surrounding vision and eye health. Of the 3,512 U.S. adults surveyed, 81% said they were knowledgeable about vision and eye health. Their responses, however, suggested otherwise: Only 19% of people could identify the three main causes of blindness
For the 90 million Americans with vision conditions, daily struggles can be compounded by barriers to proper care. So explains a new white paper from the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition, an organization dedicated to patient-centered vision care. As “Access to Treatment for Vision Conditions” explains, vision conditions can strike at any age and stem from genetics, injury, aging, infection and autoimmune diseases. They often interact with
As the “World report on vision” explains, 2.2 billion people live with a vision impairment. That’s 29% of the global population. And nearly half of those affected live with a condition that was preventable – or could be cured if properly addressed. Vision impairments can develop at any age, though many progress over time. Vision impairments can make it harder to master skills at every
After years without treatment options, people living with thyroid eye disease got a surprise from the FDA this week. Well before its anticipated March decision, the agency approved a first-of-its-kind medicine to treat the autoimmune disease. The drug, teprotumumab, is administered by infusion. Wiley Chambers, MD, of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research called the approval an “important milestone” for thyroid
