HCM

Retinoblastoma is a rare type of eye cancer that usually develops in early childhood, typically before age 5. This form of cancer develops in the Retina, and typically affects only one eye, although one out of three children with Retinoblastoma eventually develop the cancer in both eyes. The most common first sign of Retinoblastoma is a visible white spot in the pupil, also called a “cat’s eye reflex,” that is noticeable in dim light or in photographs taken with a flash. Other symptoms of Retinoblastoma include crossed eyes, or eyes that don’t point in the same direction. Retinoblastoma is often curable when diagnosed early, but if not treated promptly it can spread beyond the eye to other parts of the body. Learn how one mother’s intuition saved her son’s eye, and his life at http://bit.ly/39V3Wun.

Has your Ophthalmologist or Optometrist talked with you about Drusen? Drusen, German for “rock” or “pebble,” can be a sign of Macular Degeneration. These small fatty deposits under the Retina often have no symptoms, but represent a risk for some degree of vision loss in the future. People with more or lager Drusen are at higher risk for developing Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) than those with fewer or smaller Drusen. It’s not known whether Drusen causes AMD, or if they are just a sign that the Retina is not functioning properly. If you have been diagnosed with Drusen, be sure to see your High Country Macula Retinologist for regularly scheduled exams.

In the spirit of the expanding Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, High Country Macula is adjusting our “flu-like illness” patient protocols to be more in-line with CDC COVID-19 recommendations. The purpose of these changes is to protect our patients and staff and to streamline the evaluation and management for those people with a flu-like illness. We have posted these new protocols to our website at:
http://hcm.mobiussites.com/…/our-practice/flu-like-illn…/

Please read these new protocols prior to your scheduled appointment at High Country Macula. We appreciate your understanding.

In the spirit of the expanding Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, High Country Macula is adjusting our “flu-like illness” patient protocols to be more in-line with CDC COVID-19 recommendations. The purpose of these changes is to protect our patients and staff and to streamline evaluation and management for those people with a flu-like illness.

Over the next days, we’ll be posting these new procedures to our website at
http://hcm.mobiussites.com.

More than 2 million Americans suffer from Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among white Americans over 40, and the leading cause of irreversible vision loss throughout the world. Although there is no treatment for the more common form of the disease, Dry AMD, there are promising new treatments for Wet AMD, which is currently treated with injections of anti-VEGF drugs into the eye on a regular basis. New treatments that are creating hope with Wet AMD sufferers include gene therapy that provides a “one-and-done” treatment to help the eye produce its own anti-VEGF medicine, and a tiny refillable device smaller than a grain of rice that stores anti-VEGF medicine, and can be implanted into the wall of the eye. Learn more about new developments for treating both Wet and Dry AMD at http://bit.ly/2VfwBWQ, and be sure to share with friends or loved ones who suffer from AMD.

Prevent Blindness recognizes March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month to help educate employers and employees of the dangers of blue light, digital eyestrain, and eye injury protection while at work. While the largest source of blue light is from the sun, there is concern about long-term effects of prolonged exposure to blue light from computer monitors and mobile devices due to our close viewing proximity, and length of time we spend looking at them during the workday. Early research shows that blue light exposure not only causes eyestrain and dry eye, but that it can also lead to damage to retinal cells over time. Learn more about blue light exposure at http://bit.ly/2HQkMi0, and be sure to share with anyone who spends long hours in front of a computer monitor or other digital screens.