AIDS PATIENTS BATTLE BLINDNESS

brought to you by the Better Vision Institute :

Common Vision Disorder Affects Nearly One in Four
According to the National Eye Institute (USA), cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is the most common cause of blindness in AIDS patients. Says Wendell P. Wong, M.D., an Advisory Council member of the Better Vision Institute (BVI), a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about eye health and vision care, CMV retinitis currently affects approximately 25 percent of AIDS patients. Fortunately, treatments that are now available for the infection help prolong vision and reduce the trauma of blindness.

Spotting the signs of the disease

The symptoms
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (USA) says that CMV retinitis may not cause symptoms if the affected regions are limited to the outer area of the retina. Since some patients do not experience symptoms, Dr. Wong strongly recommends a visit to an eye doctor. Once patients are diagnosed with AIDS they should see an eye doctor immediately. An ophthalmologist or optometrist can readily diagnose CMV retinitis by seeing the characteristic pattern of infection on the - more retina during an eye exam, and can also determine the stage, or level, at which a patient suffers from the eye infection.

Signs that may indicate the presence of CMV retinitis include light flashes, cloudy vision, multiple small floaters (dark spots that obstruct vision) and eventual loss of central or peripheral vision. Patients who notice these symptoms should see an eye doctor immediately.

When examining an AIDS patient, doctors may also notice an inflammation of or hemorrhaging within the retina (the light-sensing region that lines the back of the eye). Any damage to the retinal tissue will limit vision, and extensive impairment can cause total blindness.