Of the four most common eye disorders, intervention for most involves:
A) Surgery
B) Occupational therapy
C) Eye drops
D) Pharmaceuticals

Question

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Etiology, prevalence, and medical treatment for the common eye diseases vary. Cataract, or clouding of the eye lens, is the most frequently reported condition in persons with low vision; the prevalence of this diagnosis ranges from 11.8% to 18.8% for African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic individuals (National Eye Institute [NEI], n.d.). Cataracts cause low vision, but there is a surgical procedure that can correct this problem. Cataract removal surgery has an estimated 90% chance of improving vision, with a rare incidence of issues occurring post-surgery (NEI, 2015b). Glaucoma, damage to the optic nerve, occurs when the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes rises, resulting in vision loss and blindness. Treatment to save remaining vision may include eye drops, laser trabeculoplasty, and/or conventional surgery (NEI, 2015d). Diabetic retinopathy develops secondary to diabetes and results from a change in the blood vessels of the retina. From 40% to 45% of persons diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy, and many are unaware of this fact (NEI, 2015c). Diabetic retinopathy can occur as non-proliferative or proliferative retinopathy. Proliferative retinopathy is treated with laser surgery or with a vitrectomy (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). Lastly, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), damage to the central part of the retina, occurs in one of two forms, dry or wet. It is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States for persons age 50 and older (NEI, 2015a). There is no medical treatment for dry macular degeneration; however, some patients are advised to take formula eye vitamins (Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group, 2001; Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 [AREDS2] Research Group, 2013). Treatment for wet macular degeneration includes laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, and eye injections (NEI, 2015a). Eye injections are used to stop the growth of excessive blood vessels, and there are three types of medicines used: Avastin, Eylea, and Lucentis (Mogk, n.d.).

Of the Four Most Common Eye Disorders, Intervention for Most