Category: Glaucoma

Improving Eye Care Delivery

Focusing on patient education, patient preferences, and system-based changes to broaden eye care delivery is Dr. Andrew Williams’ passion. The Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh talked about “Patient and Community Engagement to Improve Eyecare Delivery in Glaucoma and Other Chronic Eye Diseases” in The Eye & Ear Foundation’s December 17th webinar. Basic Information About Glaucoma Dr. Williams started with the basics. What is glaucoma? The technical definition is that it is a disease of the optic nerve characterized by cupping with corresponding visual field loss. People can lose a good amount of vision from glaucoma and

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Eye Drops and the Future of Drug Delivery in the Eye

SoliDrop Thumbnail

Have you ever had an eye infection? A case of dry eye? Horrible allergies? If you are like most people, at some point in your life, you have had to use those pesky eye drops. Eye drops can be irritating, difficult to use, and at times it seems as if more of the solution drips down your face than makes it in your eye. They are an imperfect solution to a myriad of vision problems. However, clinicians and scientists at the University of Pittsburgh are working to improve eye drop technology and revolutionize the way we deliver medicine to the

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Immunology and Viral Eye Diseases

Various viruses from the Herpesviridae family seen using an electron micrograph.

When thinking of eye diseases, most people will immediately think of things such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. However, many other viral diseases of the eye affect millions of patients around the world. Clinicians and scientists in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are working together to not only treat these diseases but use basic science research to lay the groundwork for future therapies. Diseases of the ocular surface (cornea and conjunctiva) can severely affect eyesight and quality of life and include: Allergies Chemical Burns Microbial Infections Dry Eye Disease The Herpesviridae

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A New Look at Treating Eye Disease

Morgan V. Fedorchak, PhD

Exciting breakthroughs in ocular drug delivery and release may provide relief for vision patients who rely on eye drops, thanks to the work of Morgan Fedorchak, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Bioengineering and Clinical & Translational Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. New Solutions to Old Problems One of the biggest problems patients face with ocular diseases such as glaucoma and chronic dry eye is the frequent administration of medication via eye drops. For example, post-operative antibiotics following cataract surgery must initially be instilled as often as six times per day to prevent a potentially blinding infection. Likewise, patients battling

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Getting a Bird’s Eye View

Susana da Silva, PhD

Scientists in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine continue to advance their research on a variety of areas that could eventually help solve the puzzle of vision loss. One current area of focus involves studying the fovea. What’s a Fovea? The fovea is a small depression in the retina of the eye where visual acuity is highest. The center of the field of vision is focused in this region, where retinal cones are mainly concentrated. The fovea is responsible for our ability to see colored and sharp vision and perform daily tasks, like reading,

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The Future of Glaucoma Treatment

National Institutes of Health Glaucoma Simulation

Researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine continue to make strides in the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve, the vital nerve that transfers visual information from the retina to the vision centers in the brain. This loss of optic nerve tissue, also known as “cupping,” is most commonly caused by an increased eye pressure when the clear fluid in the eye, called the aqueous humor, does not drain properly. A leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60, glaucoma affects more than 3

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