Keeping an eye on gut bacteria
In recent years there has been a healthy obsession with what we eat and its influence on our health and wellbeing. According to various studies, gut health has now been linked to the onset of
14 min read
LW
Louise Wood
12 articles
Retinitis pigmentosa in Māori
“Living with retinitis pigmentosa has not affected my identity or cultural wellbeing,” said Gaylene Te Rauna (of Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou iwi), a feat she’s immensely proud of. Growing up in the Urewera National Park, in a small place called Ngāputahi, she said she’s endeavoured to keep abreast of evol
7 min read
Glaucoma: Confronting every angle
Glaucoma prevalence in New Zealand is increasing as our population ages, and the country’s public health system is bursting at the seams with the burden. Over the past two decades, various initiatives have evolved to try and tackle this problem head on, but are they making a difference?
8 min read
Celebrating an ophthalmic nursing champion
The force behind many pivotal moments in ophthalmic nursing in New Zealand over the past 30 years, Sue Raynel spent her nursing career campaigning for change for better patient care. With retirement looming, Louise Wood took a look at just some of these achievements.
7 min read
Dr Dianne Sharp: regarding the retina
Well-known champion of retina disease patients Dr Dianne Sharp is retiring. So we asked our optometrist writer Louise Wood to find out how it all came to be.
7 min read
The trouble with treating VIP patients
‘VIP syndrome’ is a term used to describe the special treatment afforded VIPs. Throughout our careers, as ophthalmologists and optometrists, we will encounter a variety of patients who are considered a ‘very important person’. This could be a television or radio personality, an athlete, musician, po
6 min read
Getting to grips with RPD and AMD
Late last year a world-leading study was launched concentrating specifically on reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) and why they appear to be a high-risk phenotype for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression.
6 min read
Examining the LEAD trial
The LEAD study or Laser Intervention in early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) trial was a world-first study into the safety and efficacy of the 2RT laser as a possible treatment for people with earlier stages of AMD to slow or prevent progression to late-stage AMD.
4 min read
Farewelling a research gentleman
It was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation to interview Professor Colin Green about his contribution to the Department of Ophthalmology at Auckland University. Although recently retired and committed to taking a step back, Prof Green says he’ll remain involved in some capacity.
7 min read
Vaping’s effect on the eyes
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vaping devices heat nicotine, flavours and other chemicals to create a vapour the user inhales. Vaping has been marketed as a substitute for tobacco cigarettes to help smokers kick their addiction, but vaping’s harmful effects are still largely unknown.
7 min read
Covid-19 in NZ: What about our patients?
In a very short space of time we have plunged into the unknown. Overnight our daily vocabulary has transformed to include Covid-19, PPE, ‘flattening the curve’, infection spikes, contamination,
5 min read
Chalkeyes presents: Gene warfare for AMD?
Patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can feel encouraged by the latest therapeutic discoveries.
11 min read