Visual impairment

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Objectives

Leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in the U.S.

How to assess a patients vision and ability to identify and properly use medications

Identify strategies for assuring appropriate medication use in patients with visual impairment

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Leading Causes of Visual Impairment

Cataracts Glaucoma Age-related macular degeneration Diabetic Retinopathy

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Cataracts

Clouding of the lens due to protein clumping.

Leading cause of blindness in the world and leading cause of low vision in U.S.

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Cataracts

Link to animation showing cataract formation

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataracts.htm

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Example of what vision might be like for a person with cataracts

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Glaucoma

Disease of the optic nerve that is usually associated with (but not always) increased intraocular pressure and can lead to decreased vision, blindness

Two kinds Open-angle Angle-closure

This picture is recreated from "Understanding and Treating Glaucoma" a Human Anatomy Board Book by Tim Peters and Company, inc. Gladstone, NJ

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GlaucomaLink to animation showing flow of aqueous humorhttp://www.theschepens.org/eye_disease_fact_sheet.htm

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Example of what vision might be like for a person with glaucoma

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Age-Related Macular Degeneration(ARMD)

Associated with aging and gradually destroys sharp central vision

Slow breakdown of the light-sensing cells in the macula (central part of retina that helps for central vision)

Two kinds of ARMD Dry – 90% of patients Wet – 10% of patients but 90% of blindness

due to ARMD is from wet ARMD ARED study

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ARMD

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Example of what vision might be like for a person with ARMD

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Example of what vision might be like for a person with ARMD

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Diabetic Retinopathy

Damage occurs to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina.

Leading cause of blindness in the industrialized world in people ages 24 – 74

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Example of what vision might be like for a person with diabetic retinopathy

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Assessing a patients ability to identify and properly use medications

Ask Introduce yourself and identify

yourself What are some counseling

techniques and aids you could use to assist someone with low vision.

Statistics and pictures from National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

References

Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs, 14th Edition.

Applied Therapeutics, The Clinical Use of Drugs, 8th edition.

National Eye Institute: http://www.nei.nih.gov/

MedicineNet.com http://www.medicinenet.com/glaucoma/article.htm

All About Vision http://www.allaboutvision.com