Feb 2, 2023
Today, Libby welcomes Dr. John
Morrison to the podcast. In addition to being an ophthalmologist
and glaucoma researcher at Oregon Health and Sciences University
with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Morrison is also Libby’s
father! He joins her here today to discuss the importance of taking
care of our eyes in general, and more specifically, to share
important information regarding glaucoma.
Episode Highlights:
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the
world, with approximately 80 million people affected
globally.
- 33 million adults over the age of 40 in the
United States have glaucoma and it is four times more prevalent in
the African American population.
- The main cause of glaucoma is increased eye
pressure which damages the optic nerve fibers, causing vision
loss.
- Unlike most other causes of blindness, people
often don't know they have glaucoma as it is painless, slow-moving,
and affects peripheral vision before causing central vision
loss.
- Treatments are available for glaucoma,
including drops, surgery, and laser surgery.
- The story of a patient who had severe vision
loss and did not realize it until it was too late.
- Regular eye exams are important to catch
glaucoma early.
- Peripheral vision is affected before central
vision, which is why people may not realize they have
glaucoma.
- Dr. Morrison also shares how he has seen the
field of glaucoma research and treatment change over the course of
his career.
Toolbox Talk Discussion Questions:
- In this episode, Dr. Morrison shares
information about glaucoma. Have you ever heard of this condition
and how it can impact people before they even know they have the
condition?
- How does this story encourage us to take
steps to protect our health in the future?
- Does anyone have a story about a good
catch in their own health experience?
Quotes:
"Glaucoma is one of the leading
causes of blindness in the world."
"The main cause of glaucoma is
increased eye pressure which damages the optic nerve fibers,
causing vision loss."
"Unlike most other causes of
blindness, people often don't know they have glaucoma as it is
painless, slow-moving, and affects peripheral vision before causing
central vision loss."
"It's estimated that half of all
glaucoma patients don't know they have it."
"We have good treatments that
are available. We have drops, surgery, and laser surgery that can
all be used to lower the pressure."
“When it comes to our eye health
and when it comes to glaucoma, even if you don't know and there's
nothing going on, we still need to go and get that check up, and
it's something that's really important and
preventative.”
Links:
National Stone, Sand & Gravel
Association website