Steroids Effective In Eye Disease

Some good news for people suffering from retinal vein occlusion of the eye. New research has indicated that steroid injections have been shown effective in treatment. This is a disease that affects many diabetics, and is often difficult to treat.

In retinal vein occlusion, the “blood vessels in the retina become blocked” and cause a the patient to gradually lose vision. Currently there is no treatment for the main cause of this disease, which is the “central vein that provides blood to the eye.” The disease is usually treated by using lasers to unblock the tiny blood vessels of the eye.

However, a new study done with steroids was shown effective. Patients of the study received a steroid injection every four months into the eye. After a year, “27 percent of those given a 1-milligram dose and 26 percent of those given a 4-milligram dose showed significant vision improvement.” More research is required but this initial study leaves many hopeful that this may succeed as a treatment option.

Image: sxc.hu.