My father's eyes

Last week I was reminded of the eye disease my dad suffers from. My cousin asked the name of it, and it took me awhile to find it. It's something I've always intended to write down here on the blog - just so I will always know where it is - so I will do that now.

I suppose my dad was about my age, or maybe a little older, when he started to lose his vision. First it was one eye, and then the other. At the time it was quite the mystery and he trapsed the country to one specialist after another trying to determine the cause. Apparently they finally settle on:

Ischemic Bilateral Optic Neuropathy.

I've yet to find a simple definition, but I'm told it can be hereditary, and it helps if you can catch it early rather than late. Here's a definition from this site:

"Ischemic optic neuropathy is infarction of the optic disk. It can be arteritic or nonarteritic. The only constant symptom is painless vision loss. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment for the nonarteritic variety is ineffective. Treatment for the arteritic variety does not restore vision but can help protect the unaffected eye."

My dad still has some vision - one eye being better than the other - so it was never debilitating for him. He was somehow able to keep his drivers license up until his 85th birthday. Not that he should have had it, but he did. So it's not something I really worry about at all. Still, I suppose it doesn't hurt to be aware... just in case.