Baltimore Eye Doctors Work to Address Preventable Blindness & Visual Impairment

    GAMBRILLS, MD, February 24, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Vision loss and eye disorders can present some of the most costly financial and social challenges for our greater Baltimore community. "The effects of visual impairment, blindness and disability can be observed in all age groups. Yet, so many eye problems and disorders simply go undiagnosed," counseled Arturo Betancourt, M.D. Medical Director of Baltimore Washington Eye Center.

According to a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) four major eye disorders-cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration, along with uncorrected refractive error (URE) cause the vast majority of vision loss and visual impairment in the United States. Some 18 million Americans suffer vision loss, including impairment or blindness due to an undiagnosed or untreated condition. Of this, 15.9 million or 88% is due to uncorrected refractive error (URE), and an 8% is due to cataract. "The shame is that uncorrected refractive error can be easily addressed with a routine eye exam and prescription eyeglasses and in almost all instances, vision loss from cataract can be restored with cataract surgery and lens implants," explained Brad Spagnolo, M.D., Director of Refractive Surgery. "This is in contrast to as many as 700,000 patients who may have some vision loss due to undiagnosed or untreated diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration or glaucoma where often their vision cannot be recovered. Our mandate for early detection, diagnosis and treatment of these eye diseases is clear."

"While cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration are certainly more common with increasing age, the negative effects of uncorrected refractive error such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism on school performance and learning can be quite noticeable," explained Dr. Shari Strier, Director of Clinical Services at Baltimore Washington Eye Center. "We know that more than 60 million Americans are at risk for vision loss, yet only about half of those actually visited an eye doctor in the last 12 months. We really need to regularly see those patients who are at risk, especially those who have a family history of diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration as well as children in order to make real headway in decreasing preventable blindness and visual impairment."

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment where necessary are the keys to addressing preventable blindness and decrease the incidence of vision loss and visual impairment. If you have not had a recent eye exam and wish to do so, or to learn more about your risk factors for cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration please call Baltimore Washington Eye Center at 800-495-3937, or visit Baltimore Washington Eye Center at http://www.bweyecenter.com, Google+ at https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BaltimoreWashingtonEyeCenterGlenBurnie or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baltimorewashingtoneyecenter.

Baltimore Washington Eye Center is a leading eye care practice with office locations at 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 200, Gambrills, Maryland 21061 (https://goo.gl/maps/Z27kjfZdfu82), Turf Valley Town Center, 11089 Resort Road, Suite 206, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 (https://goo.gl/maps/ZLCsb7TfB112) and 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061 (https://goo.gl/maps/GWHgEqQf86P2), serving the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area.

Baltimore Washington Eye Center was founded in 1969 by Paul A. Kohlhepp, M.D. to serve the eye care needs of greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and to provide access to the region's premier eye care facility. Our caring, experienced and extensively trained professional staff specializes in a full range of ophthalmology procedures and has demonstrated an outstanding record of patient satisfaction and community service. Through the combination of medical and surgical expertise, a patient-centered approach to customer service, and personalized attention, we make our patients' goals a reality. Under my medical direction, we can state with confidence that Baltimore Washington Eye Center is now the most comprehensive eye care center in the area. Our Center - similar to the nationally renowned Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and University of Maryland Department of Ophthalmology - offers a full range of eye care services for adults and children, including general ophthalmology, cataract evaluation and laser assisted cataract surgery with advanced technology lens implants, laser eye surgery including laser vision correction such as LASIK, eyelid surgery, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration (AMD), dry eye and low vision rehabilitation. We offer a full service optical center for eyeglasses and eyewear as well as convenient close to home eye surgery at our Baltimore Washington Eye Surgery Center-a fully AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care) Medicare and State of Maryland certified, fully equipped, state-of-the-art, on-site ambulatory surgery center. Our surgical center, located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offers the latest amenities and modern technology, allowing us to perform all of our eye surgery procedures safely, efficiently and comfortably.

For additional information, contact:
Jeffrey Trimmer, Baltimore Washington Eye Center, 200 Hospital Drive, Suite 600, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061, [email protected], 800-495-3937.

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.

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