Macular Degeneration
Robert, a 65 year-old male, has trouble reading fine detail, especially out of his central vision. He complains that his vision is blurred and that it is harder to see while operating a motor vehicle. In addition, sometimes objects appear wavy or crooked, which impairs his vision. His worst symptoms were that he occasionally lost the ability to distinguish between the features of familiar faces and he had a localized blind spot. Robert is not alone; many people suffer from symptoms related to loss and distortion of the visual field. He suffers from macular degeneration, the leading cause of decreased vision loss in the United States, especially for people over the age of 50 (Philippi, 2000).
Macular degeneration also known as late, aged-related maculopathy is an eye disorder which causes a decrease in the visual field known as the retinal macula (Medical Encyclopedia, 2000). The majority of people who are affected are people over the age of 65, but occasionally it develops earlier in people 40-50 years old (Philippi, 2000). The majority of the visual loss is located in the central part of the visual field, while the peripheral vision is unharmed. There are also two types of macular degeneration, the "wet" and "dry" forms. The "dry" form of this disease is the most popular, affecting 90% of the cases (American Academy of Ophthalmology, 1997).
Macular degeneration in general can affect many people in minor or drastic ways. People who experience this form often complain of vision loss when they are in dim light, especially when they are reading. The "dry" type is often characterized by a more gradual loss of vision compared to the "wet" type. Signs of this disease include an increase in drusen, which is an accumulation of a yellow-white substance, in the underside of the macular retina. A loss of cells can be seen in the macula. The macula is our sensitive sight region, where intricate detail can be seen. Thus, vision in this area is helpful and necessary to drive, read, focus on small details, and recognize familiar faces. The macula is located in the back of the eye known as the retina. The macula is only about 5 mm in diameter, and includes the fovea, which gives us our detailed central vision. If a person suffers from the "dry" form in one eye they will be more likely to develop it in the other eye as well.
Optometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. Every ten years after the age of 50 the prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Many different factors contribute to the development of AMD including genetic, environment, and metabolic functions. Aside from smoking, abnormal blood pressure, and an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables, many more studies are concluding that similar inflammatory and oxidative processes seen in other age related diseases are also playing a key role in the development of AMD. This disease affects the central areas of the retina and choroid. In return central vision is impaired while peripheral vision is usually not lost. AMD is seen in two different forms, the earlier nonneovascular (dry) type and the more advanced neovascular (wet) type. Each form has its own specific pathology and unique characteristics that set them apart. Fatty, protein deposits called drusens may be the key risk factor in understanding dry AMD pathology, progression, and treatment. Once the more advanced wet AMD is diagnosed, pathology and treatment are targeted around the formation and destruction of abnormal blood vessels, characteristic of the wet AMD eye. The increasing prevalence of AMD has influenced more investigation into what factors can be modulated to prevent the onset or to stop the progression of AMD. Early diagnosis is very important because this is when an eye doctor can spot the early signs of the disease through ultrasound or angiography. This text will discuss the pathology of drusens and the role of inflammation and oxidation in the aged eye. By better understanding these processes more effective treatment approaches and preventive...
Paid maternity leave can increase female labor force participation by making it easier for women
Within the past few decades, there has been a rise in the number of dual-income families. In todays world, women are expected not only to raise their children, but also earn money for their family in the workforce. Most countries ensure that pregnant women are given paid maternity leave. Only two countries do not carry this policy, Papua New Guinea and the United States (Wares). While the United States at present has the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, merely 60 percent of workers can receive the benefits that this law grants. The Family and Medical Leave Act offers three months of unpaid leave to workers that have amassed 12 months of tenure at a firm of 50 or more employees (Wage and Hour Division). Presently, approximately 40 percent
It is said that they had many different uses for it. Uses ranged from relaxing to calming a young child (History of Drug Abuse). It is also believed that Opium was not only used for medical purposes, but also for rituals. When used in rituals, it was used by magicians, priests, warriors and shamans (About Opiate Addiction). It was not until much later that people began using opiates recreationally. This occurred around the fourteenth century in the Middle East, fifteenth century in China and late in the 1800’s for the United States. Once the Chinese began immigrating to the United States, they brought Opium with them and introduced the Americans to abusing and depending on it (About Opiate Addiction). Another take on where opium came from originally is from London. It is also believed that opium was big in London, and introduced to America when it would be shipped overseas to settlers here in the United States (The history of drug). It seems safe to say that no one truly knows exactly where the use of opiates originated or when it did. History in this matter is just not clearly stated
In her novel “Beauty Myth”, Naomi Wolf argues that the beauty and fashion industry are to blame for using false images to portray what beautiful woman is. She believes the magazines are to blame for women hating their bodies. Wolf states, “When they discuss [their bodies], women lean forward, their voices lower. They tell their terrible secret. It’s my breast, they say. My hips. It’s my thighs. I hate my stomach.” (Wolf, 451) She is focusing on how w...
Recently women’s rights and women’s equality in the workplace has come back to the fore as a topic for discussion in government agencies and the United Nations. Whilst this is a very important topic, when it comes to time off from work when a new child is born, women in the US have some provision, whereas men have none.
Reasons could include explaining the time they’re on maternity leave for having children as taking away from their business and productivity of employees, or that a man’s work is superior to a woman’s in some way. Both of these points are invalid, as there are laws in place to protect a woman’s rights while pregnant and after having a child, such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Family and Medical Leave Act and there have been studies conducted in reference to a man and woman’s productivity in the
And the retina. These are all on the wall of the eyeball, the fibrous tunic consist of
As we all know, majority of females are mothers and many are single mothers to beat that. Therefore, the thought of them not having paid maternity leave is quite disturbing to me. Why is the United States the only country in the world that doesn’t make paid maternity leave mandatory in the workplace? How are these females supposed to support their child, along with them if there not getting paid for the time they must take off? In many cases, that female may not have anyone to care for that child, so that she can go back to work. Things such as these may not be put into consideration by employers, but giving birth is a remarkable experience for females. Most importantly, maternity leaves gives a mother time to bond with her newly born child and it gives her time to recover or heal from the overwhelming birthing process. Therefore, the least companies can do is give paid maternity leave to females, while they’re missing work
...continue as long as the female body is responsible for the gestation of our population. Pregnancy poses health issues that may affect work attendance and maternity leave is typically one year in length. A progressive society should make allowances for a woman's choice to have a child without penalty to their career. Many companies and government offices have recently taken steps to help women successfully manage both aspects of their lives by offering flex hours, work from home opportunities, extended leave without demotion and reentry support. More companies in Canada need to adopt these protocols to protect their valuable workforces. Women have proven their worth in the workforce as they are trending towards equality in all fronts. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, the inequity of women in the workforce will only be historical and not an everyday occurrence.
The media has promoted a dominant view of how people should perceive beauty, and what consists of perfection in beauty. According to Dr. Karin Jasper, the media have women encouraging them to be concerned with their outward appearance and how others perceive them by surrounding everyone with the ideal female beauty. (Jasper, 2000) Body image has become a particular concern for young girls and women, often females work diligently to attain the perfect body image advertised in mass media. (Gibbs, 2010) When women are not able to obtain their ideal body goal, many develop negative feelings and become self-conscious about their bodies. Conversely, it is not possible for someone to look like a model in ads, someone without blemishes, scars, or pours. Another study conducted in 2012 showed contemporary media and culture has defined a women’s social desirability in terms of their bodies. For females, this has often resulted in comparing themselves to bodies shown in advertisements, commercials, magazines, etc. however not all body
It is time we stop treating child care as a side issue or a women’s issue, and treat it like the priority that it is. Paternity leave is good for women's careers. “When childcare responsibilities fall exclusively on the mother, the effect is to reduce women’s wages. Time out of the labor force deprives women of experience and promotions. When men shoulder more of the childcare burden, the effect is lessened (“The Benefits of Paternity Leave”).” Paid family leave has become an important way to signal to employees that the company is invested in them. People feel their company is committed to them in the long term. Overall, paid family leave helps keep people in the workforce after they have children. “When more workers are able to take leave, they are more likely to choose to remain in the labor market. Paid parental leave is associated with higher employment in economies around the world (Covert)”.
Pregnancy and maternity leave is another form of discrimination seen in workplaces. Women are less likely to be hired due to maternity leave where they have to leave for a long period of time due to child birth (Larson). Recently, New York Times has been sued for gender discrimination by a former ad executive, Arielle Davis. Davis was recently laid off while she was on maternity leave for four months. She was “entitled to six months” but her managers “pressured her to take less than four moths” (Roy). Her leave did not affect her department of work in anyway yet she was laid off right before she was about to go back to work. There are several laws such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act that are supposed to protect women from being fired because they are taking time off to give birth. Even with these laws, women are still being laid off because of maternity leave just as Davis was. It is absolutely wrong to treat a woman differently or discriminate her because she is pregnant. Every woman deserves the right to have a job and start a family at the same
The images formed on the two retinas are so unlike that they cannot be blended in the brain. Thus, a double image is perceived. The condition is known as diplopia, or double vision. Prismatic lenses are prescribed to correct this defect.Imperfections in the cones of the retina, resulting from heredity or disease, cause defective color vision. This is known as color blindness, or Daltonism. In total color blindness, everything appears in shades of gray.