St. Paul, MN, January 14, 2022 — How does a nation, and a world, respond to one of the greatest public health crises of our times? And at what cost?
With the logic of a lawyer and the scientific expertise of an immunologist, Hugh McTavish, J.D., Ph.D., walks readers through the COVID-19 pandemic and the policy decisions that were made to keep the virus in check in his eye-opening book, COVID Lockdown Insanity. Dr. McTavish’s fact-filled exploration reaches beyond the simple metrics of case and death counts and reveals the unsettling consequences of society’s responses to this disease. His careful examination of the scientific evidence related to COVID-19 transmission and his analyses of both the human and economic costs of the lockdown strategy illuminate the dysfunctionality of the government’s policy response. In the end, he lights a path toward making more enlightened decisions that offer hope of real solutions.
In the book, Dr. McTavish dissects the data that shows:
- The COVID lockdowns threw 63 million Americans into major depression.
- All evidence suggests that the lockdown response to COVID failed to decrease COVID deaths at all.
- Even if the lockdowns prevented 200,000 COVID deaths, which they probably did not, the lockdowns caused more loss of life in increased suicides, drug overdose deaths, cancer deaths and heart disease deaths than they saved in prevented COVID deaths.
- For every 1 COVID death prevented, the lockdowns caused these harms: 1/3 of a death of despair (suicide or drug overdose); 316 people thrown into major depression; 127 people out of work; 350 students out of school; 1,640 people denied the right to live their lives as they wish.
- Mask wearing has “little or no effect” on COVID cases or deaths.
- Hand washing and hand sanitizer use is the best intervention and could dramatically reduce COVID deaths, but this was underemphasized.
- Asymptomatic people very rarely spread COVID.
- Children do not spread COVID, and closing schools had no effect on COVID spread at all, and we knew that by the summer of 2020, and CDC staff wrote a paper saying so in January 2021.
In conclusion, Dr. McTavish says, “Lockdowns have no advantage at all. If you think life is better than death, a long life is better than a shorter life, happiness is better than depression, more money is better than less, education is better than ignorance, child abuse and domestic abuse are bad things, and more personal freedom is better than less, then you agree the lockdowns were a mistake.”
Hugh McTavish is a Ph.D. biochemist and immunologist and a patent attorney. He has authored 18 refereed scientific journal articles and is the inventor of 21 U.S. patents. He has also written two prior books on public policy and nature. He has started two pharmaceutical companies off his own inventions. He lives near St. Paul, Minnesota.
COVID Lockdown Insanity: The COVID Deaths It Prevented, the Depression and Suicides it Caused, What We Should Have Done, and What It Shows We Could Do Now to Address Real Crises
TORONTO'S 1st FOOD & HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY "NO APPOINTMENT" COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC
TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2022 /CNW/ - Barberian's Steak House has been proud to serve Toronto since 1959. For just as many years, the Barberian family has been driven to give back to our extraordinary city. By opening our doors and hosting this "low-barrier" vaccine clinic, we show that restaurants are a part of the solution.
The only way for society to end the unprecedented hardship of COVID-19 on restaurant & hospitality workers, suppliers, and restaurant owners is to lower the Hospital ICU load. This clinic is a small but essential step in that direction. The sooner we are all vaccinated, the sooner our doors will open. The truth is we can't wait to feed you! Arron B. Barberian
DETAILS
On Thursday, January 20th Toronto's Barberian's Steak House, in partnership with the University Health Network (UHN), will be holding a low-barrier vaccination clinic, focusing on and in support of our front-line food and hospitality workers. These exceptional individuals have provided food and comfort to millions since the beginning of the pandemic.
This vaccination clinic will offer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd doses for all those in the food, restaurant, and hospitality industry.
This clinic will not require an appointment, proof of address, or identification.
Clinic date: Thursday, January 20th
Clinic time: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Clinic address: Barberian's Steak House, 7 Elm Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1H1 2 blocks north of the Eaton Centre just west of Yonge Street.
Dose Information: Pfizer for those 18-29 years old; Moderna anyone 30 or older.
#TeamVaccine will see you there!
SOURCE Barberian’s Steak House
How to Get the Quality Health Care You Deserve: Insider Tips Straight From a Medical Professional
Concord, NC, January 14, 2022 — Everyone needs health care at some point in their lives. Understanding the risks and benefits of procedures, making sense of medical bills, and interacting with insurance companies are all lessons we have to learn on the fly — and often when we’re already shouldering the stress of battling an illness ourselves or helping a loved one.
After 28 years in the health care field, Dr. David Wilcox has seen enough to realize that proactive patient education can actually have a life or death impact.
“Entering the American healthcare system, one has to have a basic knowledge of it to be safe,” he said during a recent interview. “Medical errors are the third leading cause of death. Not a lot of people know that.”
In his new book, How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival, Dr. Wilcox offers information, facts and tips that can help patients and family members navigate through the morass.
“I have seen some alarming situations that nursing school never prepared me for,” Dr. Wilcox said. “Not being prepared and knowledgeable means you will have little control over the health care you receive.”
His goal in writing this book was to level the playing field, enabling consumers of health care to understand how to avoid getting caught in the systemic net.
In his own words, Dr. Wilcox’s book explores “what to do if you have to go to a hospital, how to handle an insurance company’s claim denial, how to find an alternative to high-priced prescriptions and why the current pay-for-fee system is inadequate. You will also discover the direction the healthcare system needs to move in, to holistically care for you, the patient … information that the health care entities would prefer you didn’t know.”
Dr. David Wilcox is anAmazon international bestselling author and health care professional who believes proactive patient education enables those accessing the healthcare system to be better partners in their health care. He also believes that everyone has the right to access the American Healthcare System safely. A Doctorate-prepared nurse who also holds a Master’s in Health Administration and is Board Certified in Nursing Informatics, Dr. Wilcox has nearly three decades of health care experience as a bedside nurse, hospital administrator and in health care information technology, which has helped him to develop his unique perspective on the American Healthcare System. For more information, please visit https://drdavidwilcox.com/.
How to Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient’s Handbook for Survival
NEXPLANON® (ETONOGESTREL EXTENDED-RELEASE SUBDERMAL IMPLANT) NOW COVERED BY ONTARIO, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND NOVA SCOTIA'S PUBLIC FORMULARIES
KIRKLAND, QC, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Organon Canada — Organon (NYSE: OGN) — is pleased to share that public listings in Ontario (Ontario Drug Benefit program), British Columbia (BC PharmaCare) and Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia PharmaCare) for NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel extended-release subdermal implant) are now currently effective. NEXPLANON® is a progestin-only hormonal implant used to prevent pregnancy for up to three years.1 With these additional listings, there are now eleven jurisdictions providing coverage for NEXPLANON on their public formulary.
"Choosing a method of birth control begins with understanding the options available and how to pick the type of contraceptive that's right for you." says Dr Dustin Costescu, Associate Professor and Family Planning Specialist at McMaster University. "It is important that Canadians can easily have access to the best contraceptive methods in order to meet their needs."
"Awareness and access to different forms of birth control allow patients to make informed choices," said Dr. Renée Hall, Medical Director, KGH Women's Services Clinic and Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia. "We are thrilled to see more provincial governments recognize the importance of increasing access to contraception."
"We are delighted to see that patient need continues to be a focus across Canada, allowing for more options in the contraceptive category," said Amy Cairns, Executive Director of Organon Canada's Women's Health Business. "We are proud to be at the forefront of providing access to diverse methods of contraceptives."
About NEXPLANON® NEXPLANON® is approved for pregnancy prevention for up to three years.1 It will not protect patients against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.1 To prevent STIs, patients should use latex or polyurethane condoms while using the implant.1 Health Canada approved NEXPLANON® in 2020.
The implant is inserted subdermally into the arm. It is radiopaque, meaning physicians can verify presence of the implant after insertion and can locate it prior to removal using two-dimensional X-ray, computed tomography (CT scan) and ultrasound scanning (USS), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).1 After insertion and prior to removal, physicians should be able to verify the presence of the implant in the patient's arm by palpation.1 If the implant cannot be palpated, the physician can use one of the four available methods to verify presence of the implant.1
About Organon Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon's products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women's health, including business development like recently acquired Alydia Health, a medical device company focused on treating postpartum hemorrhage. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.
Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Forward-Looking Statement of Organon & Co., Jersey City, N.J., USA This news release of Organon & Co., Jersey City, N.J., USA (the "company") may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the recent global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).
___________________
1
NEXPLANON® Product Monograph. Organon Canada Inc. Updated April 13, 2021.
SOURCE Organon Canada Inc.
Whether you like salty, sweet, or a little bit of everything, bagels are a great go-to for a cheap, filling meal in many American cities.
But which cities offer the best bagel and schmear?
Ahead of National Bagel Day on Jan. 15, Lawn Love ranked 2022’s Best Cities for Bagel Lovers, highlighting large U.S. cities that have an abundance of high-quality bagel shops and an enthusiastic bagel-loving community.
Check out the 10 tastiest (and 10 stodgiest) cities for bagel fans below, followed by surprising findings from our report.
2022's Best Cities for Bagel LoversRankCity1New York, NY2San Francisco, CA3Boston, MA4Washington, DC5Fort Lauderdale, FL6Las Vegas, NV7Orlando, FL8Yonkers, NY9Chicago, IL10Aurora, IL2022's Worst Cities for Bagel LoversRankCity149Worcester, MA150Fort Wayne, IN151Lubbock, TX152Frisco, TX153Irving, TX154Fremont, CA155El Paso, TX156North Las Vegas, NV157Montgomery, AL158Plano, TX
Surprising findings:New York, our schmear winner: It’s no surprise that New York City came in first place overall and in every category of our ranking — bagels are a prime breakfast choice in The City That Never Sleeps.
Bagels first arrived in the U.S. in the late 1800s as Eastern European immigrants moved into New York’s East Side. With the highest concentration of Jewish-Americans among all major cities today, The Big Apple naturally shows huge demand for high-quality, culturally authentic bagels. It’s the only city in our ranking with six figures’ worth of both Google searches for bagels and consumer reviews.
Fortunately, locals and visitors alike won’t have trouble finding the perfect schmear in this iconic bagel city — it’s also the only one in our ranking with hundreds of establishments serving up this delicious breakfast staple. The city with the next biggest number, Las Vegas, has only 52.Knead a little culture: For an authentic experience, bagel lovers flock to cities with highly rated Jewish delis and bagel shops. It's no wonder, then, that many of our top cities have high concentrations of Jewish-American residents, including San Francisco (No. 2), Boston (No. 3), and Washington, D.C. (No. 4).
Some cities leave bagel fans hungry for more. Despite high search volumes for bagels and bagel shops, cities like Denver (No. 69) and St. Paul (No. 143) lack access to high-quality bagels.
Business-savvy bakers, take note: There’s a bagel-craving population waiting for you to make their lox-and-cream-cheese dreams come true.Don’t mess with Texas’ breakfast: Bless your heart if you’re craving a bagel in the Lone Star State.
Many Texas cities, such as El Paso (No. 155), Irving (No. 153), and Lubbock (No. 151), fell to the bottom of our ranking, due largely to lack of bagel shops. While it might not be easy to find a high-quality bagel in these cities, not many Texans seem to mind — few Google searches suggest low interest.
Texans are proud of their culture, and that’s especially true when it comes to food. Instead of bagels, Texans chow down on their own unique Tex-Mex breakfast traditions, like breakfast tacos and migas, which you won’t find in other regions of the country.Our full ranking and analysis — along with a fact-filled “Bagels By the Numbers” infographic — can be found here: https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-bagel-lovers/
Images help spread awareness of glaucoma by capturing moments through her lens
TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Known as the "silent thief of sight", glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in older North Americans, and more than 400,000 Canadians are living with glaucoma today. Yet, according to a survey by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, nearly half of Canadians (49 per cent) are unfamiliar with this eye disease. As January marks Glaucoma Awareness Month, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society is helping to spread awareness by highlighting the work of Toronto-based photographer and fashion model, Jordan Naomi Tidd, who captures the unique perspective of the world through a person living with this eye disease.
"As a photographer, there are some challenges living with this eye disease, but I've quickly learned to notice the beauty in my photographs and the way I see the world," says Tidd. "During the editing process, I'm not always able to catch all the required fixes so I have to ask others for support. However, I've turned this challenge into an opportunity to spread awareness of glaucoma. Through my lens, I want to educate others on what this eye disease is and how it can affect your eyesight."
Although glaucoma is most common in older adults, young people are at risk as well. At the early age of 17, Tidd was diagnosed with glaucoma after noticing a subtle grainy film in her eyesight during one of her regular eye exams, where she was then referred to an ophthalmologist for extensive treatment. Since then, Tidd has made it her mission to spread awareness about this eye disease through her craft by capturing moments through her lens from her international travels and life in nature.
"Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, most people affected by this eye disease don't even know they have it," says Dr. Colin Mann, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. "This can be especially true for younger people who may think they aren't at risk but, while there currently is no cure, the good news is that it can be controlled with proper management, and vision loss can be prevented through early diagnosis during comprehensive eye exams."
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which transmits the images you see from the eye to the brain and is made up of many nerve fibres. These nerve fibres become damaged by pressure that builds up inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP), which can cause blind spots and vision loss.
Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, ongoing monitoring is needed to detect any changes. During a glaucoma evaluation, you may have the following tests done by your eye care team:
Tonometry to test eye pressure
Gonioscopy to determine eye drainage angles
Ophthalmoscopy to assess optic nerve appearance
Visual field test to assess peripheral vision
Optical coherence tomography to assess the thickness of the retina and optic nerve
"My advice is don't take anything for granted, and make sure to keep up with your eye exams, no matter the age," adds Tidd. "If I hadn't gone to my regular checkup, the optometrist wouldn't have sent me to the ophthalmologist, where I was diagnosed and provided with early treatment. If you've been diagnosed with glaucoma recently, it's natural to be a little frightened but the number one thing to remember is that it can be managed with the support and guidance of your eyecare team, so you can still live a beautiful life."
To learn more about glaucoma and your risk for developing this eye disease, visit seethepossibilities.ca to take a quick test. To view Jordan Tidd's work and make a donation to the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada, visit eyesopenexhibition.com.
About Canadian Ophthalmological Society The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) is the national, recognized authority on eye and vision care in Canada. As eye physicians and surgeons, we are committed to assuring the provision of optimal medical and surgical eye care for all Canadians by promoting excellence in ophthalmology and by providing services to support our members in practice. Our membership includes over 900 ophthalmologists and 200 ophthalmology residents. We work collaboratively with government, other national and international specialty societies, our academic communities (ACUPO), our provincial partners and affiliates and other eye care professionals and patient groups to advocate for health policy in Canada in the area of eye and vision health. The COS is an accredited, award-winning provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and is an affiliate of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). For more information, visit cos-sco.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Ophthalmological Society
Interactive Health International receives funding to support doctors to maintain their skills in Deep Space.
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Interactive Health International (IHI) is pleased to announce that it is receiving advisory services and up to $474,166 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). IHI is also contributing funding for a total investment of up to $948,000. These funds will be applied to further develop IHI's CyberPatient™ technology and the maintenance of competencies for medical crews involved in deep-space flight missions.
The isolation for extreme durations of time for deep-space missions results in medical crews losing their clinical competencies due to the lack of clinical practice. CyberPatient will provide a virtual hospital and other clinical environments with digitally enhanced patients for medical crews to routinely practice and hone their competencies.
"We are incredibly grateful to NRC IRAP and the CSA for their support toward our mission to deliver technology solutions that advance Canada's health and medical, educational system," says Dr. Karim Qayumi, Founder and CEO of IHI, "We are especially privileged to partner with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Dr. Nadine Caron, Co-Director, University of British Columbia (UBC) Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health in implementing the project. IHI, as a UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute spin-off company, values these partnerships that help shift medical education into the future."
About IHI IHI is a digital technology development company focused on the medical and health education sector. IHI produces digitally enhanced, interactive, competency-based learning tools to address the gap between the theory and practice of medicine and support competency-based health education. These tools provide a virtual hospital and clinic environment under our trademark banner of CyberPatient™.
SOURCE Interactive Health International
DistillerSR's Latest Release Integrates Data Reuse and Scheduled Reporting for More Efficient and Transparent Literature Reviews
OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Evidence Partners® Inc., a pioneer in AI-enabled literature review automation software and creator of DistillerSR™, today launched new capabilities that enable research professionals to easily find, view, validate, and reuse previously collected reference data and PDFs across reviews and teams. The enhancements also allow project leaders to schedule reports and automate their distribution via email on a weekly, monthly, or even daily basis to keep all stakeholders up to date on the progress of their literature reviews.
For research professionals already burdened with searching and analyzing growing volumes of scientific literature, DistillerSR's CuratorCR module eliminates the time-consuming effort of repeatedly collecting data from the same references across multiple projects. The module enables research groups to easily create reference repositories, automatically identify previously collected data, and access metadata, such as author, title and response sets collected in DistillerSR, for reuse in other reviews.
"CuratorCR allows DistillerSR users to further improve efficiency and collaboration by facilitating the sharing and reuse of references and extracted metadata collected during the literature review process. By creating a centralized repository for coded references, CuratorCR eliminates the need to repeatedly screen and extract references, accelerating the completion of literature reviews through data reuse," said Peter O'Blenis, CEO, Evidence Partners. "Seamlessly integrated with DistillerSR, CuratorCR allows organizations to create valuable repositories of reusable coded references as a byproduct of review work they are already doing."
DistillerSR's reporting capabilities were also enhanced for this release. Reports can now be configured based on rolling date ranges and distributed via email automatically at specified time intervals. While scheduled reporting is applicable to all literature reviews, it is especially suited to teams conducting living reviews and ongoing literature surveillance.
Literature reviews are a cornerstone of evidence-based research but have traditionally been difficult, time consuming, and error prone. DistillerSR automates the management of literature collection, triage, and assessment using AI and intelligent workflows to reduce the time it takes to complete a systematic review by as much as 60 percent.
More than 300 of the world's leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies, contract research organizations, governments, NGOs, and academic institutions trust DistillerSR to securely produce transparent, audit-ready, and compliant literature reviews faster and more accurately than traditional manual methods. As a result, healthcare researchers can make more informed and time-sensitive health policy decisions, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory submissions.
® Evidence Partners is a registered trademark of Evidence Partners, Inc. ™ DistillerSR is a trademark of Evidence Partners, Inc.
SOURCE Evidence Partners
Blue Cross Life Named Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance Company
Insurer places first among 18 companies in annual public ranking
TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the results of an annual extensive national survey were released, revealing that Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada (Blue Cross Life) has been named Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance company.
"Our organization is beyond thrilled with this milestone, as it's a terrific nod to our efforts in 2021 and inspires a great deal of confidence for our team as we head into the New Year," said Marie-Josée Martin, President and CEO of Blue Cross Life. "The strides we are making as an organization come as no surprise to us internally, but we are delighted to continue to see our work recognized by those outside of Blue Cross Life."
As a federally-licensed company, Blue Cross Life operates in each province across Canada. For more than 70 years, the Blue Cross name in Canada has stood for affordable, quality supplementary benefits for both groups and individuals.
Of the eighteen companies measured, Blue Cross Life placed first, followed by Canada Life, Sun Life and Manulife Insurance.
"After finishing high in last year's rankings, placing second, Blue Cross Life claimed the coveted top spot this year as result of its surging awareness and respect scores across the country," said Jeff Munn, Executive Director, of the Canada's Most Respected Award Program.
Established in 2019, Canada's Most Respected Award Program has measured the public respect scores of entities in eight sectoral categories based on national criteria. This year's annual award ranking of Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance Company is based on the results of a nationally representative sample of 4,082 voting adult Canadians conducted by Maru Public Opinion. The complete findings, along with the methodologies and rankings for this year's award are posted here: www.canadasmostrespected.com/awardee-categories.
"Respect is one of the ultimate markers of success, for any organization, in any industry," said Munn. "This award is chosen by the Canadian public, not a committee or group, so its prominence cannot be overstated. We congratulate Blue Cross Life on this well-deserved distinction."
About Blue Cross Life Blue Cross Life is a federally-licensed company with operations located in each province across Canada. The Company is owned by six shareholders, operating as Pacific Blue Cross, Alberta Blue Cross, Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Manitoba Blue Cross, Blue Cross Canassurance, and Medavie Blue Cross. The Company specializes in life insurance, living benefits and disability income protection products to supplement the portfolio of health and dental products distributed by its shareholder Blue Cross plans. The Company's products are marketed, sold and serviced by the regional Blue Cross Plans.
SOURCE Blue Cross Life
Glaucoma Awareness Month: Top NYC Doc Preventing Blindness in People of Color
New York, NY, January 11, 2022— Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in African Americans and people from the Caribbean, but there is a simple way to prevent the devastating effects of glaucoma: Don’t skip your eyecare visits, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York.
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:
1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping
2. Loss of visual field
3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG)
In most cases of glaucoma, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. Many people do not even realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision.
People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Black people, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes.
Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass have become the best options to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eyedrops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.
All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam that includes gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.
If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, Dr. Laroche recommends that you seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. DON’T GO BLIND FROM GLAUCOMA! People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with checkups.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses,” Dr. LaRoche says. “As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.”
About Dr. Daniel Laroche
Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear.
Dr. Laroche is also the author of the new young adult book, How to Become a Successful Black Man, which educates and empowers young boys and men of African descent about their history, heritage and legacy. Dr. Laroche connects history to the present-day life experiences and challenges of the Black Man to instill self-confidence and personal growth to succeed. The book helps to address health and wealth disparities and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Successful-BlackMan/dp/0578841770/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=daniel+laroche&qid=1623702468&sr=8-2.
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