Latest news with #visionloss
National Post
2 days ago
- Health
- National Post
American judo coach suffers vision loss in JetBlue coffee air incident
An American judo coach might have suffered permanent vision loss after a freak in-air accident, according to reports. Article content Arturas Lanchinskas, 30, a third-degree black belt, was flying to Peru to coach the American team at the Pan American Judo Championships in July 2023 when the incident happened. Article content Article content Lanchinskas owns Darfight Martial Arts in Brooklyn and was on JetBule Flight 1825 when a flight attendant allegedly dropped a pot of scalding coffee, according to the Daily Mail. Article content The coffee burned his face and right eye, according to a lawsuit obtained by Article content 'As a result of the hot coffee splashing onto Plaintiff's face and into his eye, he was caused to sustain severe burns to the right side of his face and severe injuries to his right eye,' the lawsuit reads. Article content 'It felt like a surge of fire hit the surface of my eyeball,' Lanchinskas told The New York Post. 'The pain was sharp and immediate, like a burning needle.' Article content Coincidentally, the passenger seated next to Lanchinskas was a doctor and told him to flush his eye repeatedly with water. Article content But the lawsuit alleges flight attendants were mad at Lanchinskas for using the washroom too often to flush his eye with water. Article content Attorney, Erin R. Applebaum said in the lawsuit that the flight attendants were complaining that other passengers needed to use the bathroom. Article content 'He was even told, 'Sir, you're not the only one on the airplane, we have other guests who need to use the facilities,'' Applebaum said. Article content Once the plane landed, Lanchinskas was rushed to a local hospital in Lima, where doctors treated the burns to his face and eye. But he was later diagnosed with a thermal injury and chemical burn to his right eye. Article content
Arab News
2 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Eye hospital in Gaza reports 1,200 new cases of vision loss in July
LONDON: An eye hospital in Gaza reported on Monday nearly 1,200 new cases of complete or partial vision loss in July in the Palestinian coastal enclave as Israel continues its attacks and medical resources deplete. Dr. Abdel Salam Sabah, the director of the Eye Hospital in Gaza, reported that medical staff addressed nearly 1,200 new cases of complete or partial vision loss in Gaza City and the Al-Nasr neighborhood over the past two weeks. The hospital had previously recorded approximately 1,500 cases of total or partial blindness due to eye injuries, he said, while many others face progressive vision loss from untreated chronic illnesses. Dr. Sabah warned that 4,000 to 5,000 patients who regularly visited the hospital before the war in October 2023 are now without follow-up or treatment, putting them at serious risk of losing their sight. He added that severe malnutrition causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which increase the risk of vision impairment, particularly in patients with diabetes. Since March 2, 2025, Israeli forces have closed all border crossings with Gaza, greatly limiting the quantities of food and medical aid entering the enclave, which has led to a widespread famine. Since Israel's attack on Gaza in late 2023, there have been 58,895 Palestinian deaths, mainly among women and children, and 140,980 injuries.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Covid shot linked to vision loss in rare cases
A study has linked a Covid shot with vision loss. It found that Pfizer 's vaccine can adversely affect the cornea, which allows light to enter the eye. At its worst this could lead to corneal swelling or blurry vision, especially in those who already suffer from eye problems or have had a cornea transplant. In 64 people, scientists in Turkey measured changes in the cornea's inner layer, called the endothelium, before taking the first Pfizer dose and two months after receiving the second. Results revealed that taking both doses of the vaccine led to thicker corneas, fewer endothelial cells in the eye and more variation in size of these specialized cells that form the endothelium. In the short term, these changes suggest the Pfizer vaccine may temporarily weaken the endothelium, even though patients didn't suffer clear vision problems during the study. For people with healthy eyes, these small changes likely won't affect vision right away. However, if scientists find that these changes last for years, they could lead to corneal swelling or blurry vision, especially in those with pre-existing eye problems or people who have had a cornea transplant. A thicker cornea and reduced cell density could contribute to eye conditions like corneal edema, bullous keratopathy, or corneal decompensation, which can all cause permanent vision loss in severe cases, especially if left untreated. The researchers warned in the study, published Wednesday in the journal Ophthalmic Epidemiology: 'The endothelium should be closely monitored in those with a low endothelial count or who have had a corneal graft.' An eye doctor can use a special microscope called specular microscopy to find out if someone has a low endothelial cell count. If you have blurry vision or eye discomfort, this test can also check if your cornea's cells are healthy. A low count can be the result of aging, eye diseases like Fuchs' dystrophy, eye surgeries, injuries, or infections. These factors damage the cells that keep your cornea clear, and they don't grow back. Specifically, the team found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine caused a patient's cornea to go from 528 to 542 micrometers in thickness, or roughly 0.0208 inches to 0.0213 inches. This is a roughly two-percent increase in micrometers. A slightly thicker cornea isn't automatically harmful. The cornea can thicken temporarily due to inflammation, fluid buildup, or stress on the endothelium from minor illnesses or injuries to the eyes. If it stays too thick for months or years, however, it could make the cornea less clear, potentially affecting vision. The team did not recommend against vaccination and will still need to conduct long-term testing on patients to see if these changes continue to appear months and years after taking the shots. The average number of endothelial cells, which keep the cornea clear by pumping out excess fluid, dropped from 2,597 to 2,378 cells per square millimeter in the study, a loss of about eight percent. Normal endothelial cell counts range from 2,000 to 3,000 cells per square millimeter in healthy adults, so 2,378 is still within a safe range for most people. However, for someone with a low cell count to start with, due to a previous eye surgery, infection, or disease, this loss could be riskier for their vision. Researchers also discovered that these cells became less uniform after the vaccination, with their coefficient of variation - each cell's difference in size - increasing from 39 to 42. When cells die, nearby cells stretch to fill the gaps, leading to bigger differences in size. This could mean the endothelium is less healthy. If this trend continued for years, it could affect the cornea's clarity. After vaccination, the study found fewer cells kept their healthy six-sided shape, with the total dropping from 50 to 48 per cent of the cells in the eye. Healthy endothelial cells are usually shaped like hexagons, which allows them to fit together tightly, like a honeycomb. Although the two per cent drop was not a direct sign of damage, it suggested to the team that the cells might be reacting to some sort of stress over those two months to three months. Researchers said their results also showed evidence that the changes had a high likelihood of being directly linked to taking the vaccine, meaning it wasn't just a random anomaly in the testing. If the signs of stress and inflammation drop off shortly after receiving the Pfizer shot, the impact of these minor changes would not be overly harmful. To find these results, the team studied 128 eyes, 64 pairs in total, before each person received their Covid vaccinations. They followed up with the group approximately 75 days after they got their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The team used a machine called Sirius corneal topography to measure the corneas' thickness and shape, and another device, the Tomey EM-4000 specular microscope, to take detailed pictures of the endothelial cells to check their number, size and shape. Each participant also took a full eye exam, including tests for vision sharpness, eye pressure and scans of the eye's front and back parts to ensure overall eye health. By comparing the measurements taken before vaccination to those after, the researchers could see if the Pfizer vaccine was influencing the health of the eyes. The new data on potentially harmful side-effects linked to Pfizer's Covid vaccine added to a growing list of concerns the Trump Administration has highlighted. In May, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forced Pfizer and Moderna to use expanded warning labels about the risks of heart damage tied to Covid-19 vaccines. The shots previously included warning labels about the rare chance of patients suffering myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, inflammation of the sac-like lining surrounding the heart. The new labels expanded that warning to certain age groups, particularly men between the ages of 16 and 25. Researchers found that this seemingly healthy group appeared to be at the highest risk of the rare complications.
Medscape
15-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Tocilizumab Delays: A Barrier in Giant Cell Arteritis Care?
TOPLINE: Patients with giant cell arteritis started tocilizumab therapy an average of 43 days after diagnosis, partly because of delays in insurance approval. METHODOLOGY: Overall, 82 patients (average age, 73 years; 60% women; 87% White individuals) newly diagnosed with giant cell arteritis at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, between November 2017 and August 2024 were prescribed 162 mg of subcutaneous tocilizumab. Data on demographics, insurance type, and detailed timelines for medication request, approval, and initiation were collected. When available, cost data for tocilizumab were obtained from insurance quotes, along with information on prior authorization requirements, copay assistance, and medication coverage. The time from the initial tocilizumab request to insurance approval and medication start was analyzed, and costs by insurance payer were compared. TAKEAWAY: Delays in approval for and administration of tocilizumab therapy for newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis increase the risk for vision loss, glucocorticoid exposure, and side effects. The average time from tocilizumab request to the start of treatment was 43 days; from request to insurance approval, 17 days; and from approval to medication start, 30 days. Out-of-pocket costs for tocilizumab averaged $1399 for Medicare patients, $823 for those with Medicare Advantage, $211 for those with commercial insurance, and $0 for Medicaid (P < .01). Commercially insured patients used copay cards more often than other payers (P < .01); Medicare or Medicare Advantage patients had a higher utilization of medication coverage from drug manufacturers (P = .04). IN PRACTICE: 'During the study period, there was only one FDA-approved medication for GCA [giant cell arteritis], yet the high cost and delays to medication start remained high. Understanding the delays, costs, and factors that prevent timely therapy is critical to rheumatologic and geriatric care,' the authors of the study wrote. '[T]he results offer important insights into the administrative and financial frustrations related to securing biologic approval and coverage, which has been documented in other conditions,' experts wrote in an editorial. SOURCE: This study was led by Dominique Feterman Jimenez, MD, University of Washington, Seattle. It was published online on March 15, 2025, in The Journal of Rheumatology. LIMITATIONS: The single-center design may limit the generalizability of the findings beyond Washington State because insurance plans vary by state. The predominance of patients with Medicare may also limit applicability of the findings. The small sample size restricted the ability to analyze differences among various Medicare supplemental plans. DISCLOSURES: One author disclosed receiving support from a Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigator Award. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after users get hit in the face
Walmart is taking 850,000 water bottles off the market after customers reported being hit in the face with the lid. Two people suffered permanent vision loss after trying to open Ozark Trail stainless steel water bottles, according to a report Thursday from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The lid of the Ozark Trail 64-ounce water bottle can 'forcefully eject, posing serious impact and laceration hazards' as someone tries to open the containers when food, carbonated drinks or perishable drinks are kept in them for a period of time, the CPSC said.
