All in Favor, Say Eye

Several initiatives allowed residents in Baltimore County and the city of Baltimore to have their eyes screened in 2009.

The Eyes Have It program, created by the Polakoff Foundation, offers monthly free glaucoma screenings at hospitals through the city, and hundreds of residents were screened in 2009. The Krieger Eye Institute, a partner in this effort, screened 45 people in 2009, and roughly 1/4 of those patients received follow-up services. Many patients with financial hardship who needed additional care were helped through the generosity of the institute and Sinai Hospital.

Through the LifeBridge Health Know Your Health program, 65 residents received care at two diabetic eye screenings, which are for those who have diabetes or are recently diagnosed with diabetes. At the cataract eye screening in October, 31 people were screened.

The next diabetic eye screening is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 23 at Clinical Associates, 515 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 407, Towson. The next glaucoma screening is 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16 at Krieger Eye Institute at Quarry Lake, 2700 Quarry Lake Drive, Suite 180. Both of the screenings are free.

For more information on the Know Your Health program, click here. For information on the Eyes Have it, call 410-601-7295 or visit the Web site.

Krieger Eye Institute Hosts Cataract Screening

What does Latin etymology have to do with your eyes?

In Latin, the word cataracta means "waterfall." That's the feeling many people have when there are cataracts in their eyes - the clouding of the lens of the eye is similar to the distortion you'd see if you were looking through a waterfall. Other symptoms are

• Frequent eyeglass prescription changes
• Double vision in one eye
• Need for brighter light to read
• Poor night vision
• Fading or yellowing of colors

According to a report from National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America, cataracts affect nearly 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older. By age 80, more than half of all Americans have cataracts.

While surgery is the only way to remove a cataract, new eyeglasses may also help. If you or a loved one suspect you may have cataracts, a free screening is being offered Tuesday by the Krieger Eye Institute. The screening is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Quarry Lake Office, 2700 Quarry Lake Drive. Call 410-601-WELL (9355) to register.