Atlanta LASIK Surgeon Interviewed About New Glaucoma Study
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 29, 2013 -- On July 16th, Atlanta LASIK surgeon Dr. Ashraf was interviewed about a study in the February 2013 edition of the Journal of Ophthalmology, which concluded that glaucoma has been frequently misrepresented on many websites; images on these sites erroneously show glaucoma’s effects on one’s vision as that of a black tunnel.
“As many people use the Internet to do research before visiting their doctor, those interested in what glaucoma looks like may find false images of the disease’s effects,” Dr. Ashraf quotes. “This can delay seeking treatment, as patients do not realize they have glaucoma when they do not recognize the black tunnel effect they see online.”
Glaucoma affects 1 in 200 of those over 50 and 1 in 10 of those over 80. If detected early enough, however, the progression of glaucoma may be stopped or slowed, through the introduction of medications or surgery. Early detection is absolutely critical because damaged vision cannot be reversed.
In the study published in the Journal of Ophthalmology, 50 patients with ranges of glaucoma were shown the same six images of the same outdoor scene and asked to choose the image that most closely represented their vision loss. One image was unchanged. Others showed a tunnel with darkened edges, a tunnel with blurry edges, with black patches, with blurred patches and with patches of the scene missing. No participant chose the image that most closely resembled the black tunnel. Over a quarter of the participants were not aware that their vision was affected and chose the unchanged image.
According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, over 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma, but half do not yet know they have the disease. Regular eye screens with an ophthalmologist are suggested.
Dr. Ashraf is the founder of the Atlanta Vision Institute and a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in corneal and refractive surgery, as well as other treatments for astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts and other eye conditions. He obtained his advanced training in ocular surgery from Johns Hopkins University and has performed over 40,000 LASIK procedures. He has practices in both Atlanta and Dubai. For more information, visit http://www.atlanta2020.com.
Shaina Moua, Atlanta Vision Institute, http://www.atlanta2020.com, 770-622-2488, [email protected]
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