Bush Gaffe Puts Spotlight on Serious Eye Disorder
Make the best of a awkward situation, right?
Something about lemons and lemonade?
Wednesday, President Bush, a well-known tease, was poking fun at a reporter wearing sunglasses at a press conference despite the gloomy, overcast skies. It turns out the reporter suffers from a progressive, hereditary eye disorder that requires the dark shades to limit painful light rays. Ooops!
The President personally apologized for the ribbing and the reporter graciously brushed the matter aside. At the same time, however, the world quickly learned about Stargardt's Disease.
Stargardt's is also called "Fundus Flavimaculatus". This is an inherited condition that affects the cells underneath the retina -- the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Visual symptoms can precede clinical changes to the inside of the eye. People experience decreased visual acuity, especially in environments where the lighting changes (light-to-dark or dark-to-light). Most folks with Stargardt's do not experience complete vision loss.
The diagnosis is established by performing a test called fluorescein angiogram. Affected patients exhibit a highly characteristic pattern with this study. Supplemental electro-physiological tests (ERG, EOG) are confirmatory.
The core problem is the abnormal accumulation of a cell product (lipofuscin) in the RPE. There is no current treatment, however optimistic researchers are working on ways to correct for the abnormal responsible gene that has been localized to chromosome 1.
Once confined to the secretive domain of medical arcania, Stargardt's Disease is being catapulted to global recognition because of an inappropriate statement made at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Foundation Fighting Blindness could only pray for such wonderful free publicity!
Related Topics: The Amazing Human Eye, Eyesight Need a Fix? You're not alone.
Technorati Tags: stargardt's, vision, President Bush
Something about lemons and lemonade?
Wednesday, President Bush, a well-known tease, was poking fun at a reporter wearing sunglasses at a press conference despite the gloomy, overcast skies. It turns out the reporter suffers from a progressive, hereditary eye disorder that requires the dark shades to limit painful light rays. Ooops!
The President personally apologized for the ribbing and the reporter graciously brushed the matter aside. At the same time, however, the world quickly learned about Stargardt's Disease.
Stargardt's is also called "Fundus Flavimaculatus". This is an inherited condition that affects the cells underneath the retina -- the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Visual symptoms can precede clinical changes to the inside of the eye. People experience decreased visual acuity, especially in environments where the lighting changes (light-to-dark or dark-to-light). Most folks with Stargardt's do not experience complete vision loss.
The diagnosis is established by performing a test called fluorescein angiogram. Affected patients exhibit a highly characteristic pattern with this study. Supplemental electro-physiological tests (ERG, EOG) are confirmatory.
The core problem is the abnormal accumulation of a cell product (lipofuscin) in the RPE. There is no current treatment, however optimistic researchers are working on ways to correct for the abnormal responsible gene that has been localized to chromosome 1.
Once confined to the secretive domain of medical arcania, Stargardt's Disease is being catapulted to global recognition because of an inappropriate statement made at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Foundation Fighting Blindness could only pray for such wonderful free publicity!
Related Topics: The Amazing Human Eye, Eyesight Need a Fix? You're not alone.
Technorati Tags: stargardt's, vision, President Bush
6 Comments:
Is this a disease that always results in blindness?
I can sympathize with this blunder. My husband has RP (retinitis pigmentosa) a degenerative eye disease of the retina and he has gotten teased for wearing sunglasses on gloomy days before, but he just tells them he has an eye disease and everything is OK. Any glare can really cause problems for him and we are glad that these eye diseases are being brought to the forefront. Thank you President Bush! You did us all a favor!!
i do not think that there is enough being done for rp. my daughter and grandson both has it.MY husband had it and telling people about was not enough.The President should not be making fun of anybody for anything.
I currently have mild glaucoma and dry eye where my vision is blurred.
The specialist has prescribed Xalatan with makes this condiiton so bad it is impossible to read. He says there is nothing else that can be done and classes my visual acuity as 6/5 & 6/9 with glasses which is what it was pre Xalatan.
Is there really nothing else that can be done and do people really just sit at home with these conditions.
xzifoai am taking xalatan, after 4 weeks my left eye became very dry. dr recommended optive eye drops three times a day my vision has improved.
i was told i would have to take med the rest of my life??????
Ok.... you can't go blind from RPE changes, but RP is a hereditary trait that is unavaidable like CF or Downs, no hereditary trait has ever been cured, ever. And xalatan is used to reduce pressure in the eye. There is (and any opthomologist will tell you) NOT ONE eye drop that will improve vision. Not unless it reverses time as well. Your eyes are old, I see it everyday (I am an opthomolgist assistant) and OTC tears work well for dry eye
(like optive, genteal, visine, clear eyes, refresh, systane, any one of them). Never stop using your glaucoma meds without speaking with your Dr, nothing cures glaucoma.
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