Monthly Archives: March 2014

Mar
19
2014

Meniere’s Disease: The First Step Towards the Right Direction.

Posted by

Meniere’s disease is a very aggressive disorder that affects our organs of audition (hearing) and equilibrium, the cochlea (contains the organ of corti, and produces nerve impulses from the vibrations of sounds) and vestibule of the inner ear, respectively. Persons suffering from Meniere’s disease will have symptoms such as attacks of dizziness (vertigo), ringing of the ears (tinnitus), and hearing loss. This happens because the amount of fluid, endolymph, in the labyrinth increases which increases pressure on the delicate organs of the inner ear. Meniere’s disease can happen at any age but is most common in older adults between the ages of 40-60 years old. This disease usually only effects one ear and over a period of several years can cause deafness.

There are cochlear implants to replace lost hearing that results from inner ear damage, however, for people who suffer with balance disorders, there has not been any treatments. Christopher Phillips and his colleagues from the University of Washington developed a vestibular prosthesis that will give an electrical stimulation in the semi-circular canals’ fluid of the ear. When this happens the fluid manipulates the brain into thinking the body is swaying or moving in a particular direction. When the brain is tricked it causes a compensatory postural reflex that will stabilize the body posture which helps to restore balance and stop the dizzy feeling.

This discovery is actually pretty cool and cleaver by manipulating the brain. This is clearly a first step into finding a cure or way to help with a balance disorder resulting from an inner ear disease. It will help people who suffer from this disease recover their balance and be able to function in daily life properly. I am sure that the people who suffer from this disease is very thrilled that there may be a stop to their complications.

  1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130613104137.htm
  2. A&P class lecture text
Mar
18
2014

Chocolate’s Effects on Vison

Posted by

   Of the three layers of the eyeball, the innermost retinal layer is the beginning of how our nervous system forms images. Within the neural layer of the retina, two types of photoreceptors adjust rapidly to dim and bright lights. Rods are extremely sensitive to light, are more abundant in the periphery of the retina, and allow better vision during dim light, whereas cones react more quickly to bright light and allow us to perceive color vision (Tortora, G.J.& Derrickson, B.H. 2011). These key functions of the retina allow the ability to see contrast between images that appear, gray, black, or white. The ability to view images with high and low contrast can be the difference in knowing if an answer on a fill in the blank test has been marked or is still unanswered. Some conditions are able to be detected through the eyes, such as high blood pressure. By viewing the retina through an ophthalmoscope, physicians are able to detect health issues such as high blood pressure due to blood vessels which may be inflamed or damaged within the eye.

     In prior research studies, Vitamin A has been shown to improve vision. More recently Field, Williams & Butler conducted a research study where participants were asked to eat a piece of dark chocolate, perform a visual exam, and a cognitive test. The test was repeated using the same participants changing only the type of chocolate to white chocolate. When given the dark chocolate, results showed a significant improvement in visual contrasts and cognitive function. Flavonols are a subclass of the dietary compound flavonoids. Dark chocolate, specifically, contains more flavonols than white chocolate. The results can be explained by the abundance of flavonoids, which can be found in dark chocolate, grapes, wine, and tea. Researchers attributed the increase in visual acuity and cognitive function as a temporary increase in blood flow to the eyes and brain. .

Participants in the above study were young adults and generally do not have high blood pressure or cholesterol issues that an older adult may have. The importance of eye health is not generally a concern for young adults, however, retinal function is an imperative component in the visual pathway. Even without intentionally being health conscious of our eyes, drinking a glass of wine at dinner helps. Knowing the benefits of the cocoa phenol, flavonoid, it would suggest that students should be given a piece of dark chocolate before an exam.

Works Cited

Field D.T., Williams C.M., & Butler L.T. Consumption of Cocoa Flavanols Results in an Acute Improvement in Visual and Cognitive Functions. Physiology & Behavior. June 2011;103(3):255-60. Retrieved from http://www.nhiondemand.com/hsjarticle.

Tortora, G.J. & Derrickson, B.H. (2011). Principles of Anatomy & Physiology, 13th Edition. p 647-649

Mar
18
2014

Prevention of Cataracts

Posted by

            Being able to see is an important thing. However, there are several causes for blindness. One in particular, which I am going to discuss, is a very common one where there is a loss of transparency of the lens called cataract. Cataracts occur when the lens crystalline protein structure changes and your vision becomes blurry because the lens has become less transparent. Several things can cause cataracts like aging, long exposure to ultraviolet light, or even a disease such as diabetes. Yes, there are ways to fix this like replacing the old lens with a new artificial one. However, I looked up ways to prevent cataracts, and I came across an article about statins that prevent cataracts.

            Statins are cholesterol– lowering drugs, usually for fighting heart disease; however, researchers have found they help decrease the risk of cataracts as well.  In this article, Dr. Gabriel Chodick explains that these drugs can help prevent inflammation in the eye and stop the process of oxidation on the ocular nerve celss. Dr. Chodick did a study of 180,000 patients from 1998-2007 to observe the effect statins had on cataracts. His study showed a strong association with a large population. Also, what he found was that the daily intake of statins in men from the age 45-54 decreased their risk of developing cataracts by 38%, and although statins were not as effective in women, they still had an 18% decrease in the risk of developing cataracts. The article also states that 10% of people who are prescribed statins rarely take them; however, the doctor says now they have reason to continue taking this drug. This article has also helped me understand the importance of finding a prevention for cataracts for our society.

            The article also explains that in the U.S., cataracts affect about 60%- of  men and women over the age of 60. The use of statin drugs could help to lower the number of men and women in society who have blindness due to cataracts. Also, blindness doesn’t only affect the person with the loss of sight but also the people close to the person. Preventing blindness is not just helping someone to see, but also it is helping someone keep contact with the environment around them. As well as contact with the environment around them, people who are affected with blindness tend to have a low self-esteem due to the need for help and emptiness because the sight is a major sense to any human. However, the prevention of cataracts by this drug will benefit someone as well. For instance, the person would have an increased ability to work, a decreased disability cost, longer independence for individuals, and prolonged vision. Blindness affects ones everyday life. Therefore, this drug, known as statin, could help individuals with his or her life in general.

 

 

 

 

 

Tel Aviv University. “Common cholesterol drugs, statins, fight cataracts, too.”       ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2010.

Tortora, Gerard J and Derrickson, Bryan. Princciples of Anatomy and Physiology 13th       Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2011. 30 Jan. 2014.