User's Syndrome
What is Usher Syndrome
The Usher syndromes (USH) comprise genetically-related disorders that bring about simultaneous hearing loss and vision loss (resulting from an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa). Retinitis pigmentosa is the loss of night and peripheral vision, resulting in tunnel vision (seeing only straight ahead). Most people with Usher also have severe balance problems.
Types of Usher:
There are three types of Usher (USH), all with similar symptoms. Different genes have been identified for each type. When an eye doctor looks at the retina in a patient with Usher, the optic nerve looks very pale, the blood vessels supplying nutrients to the retina are thin, and the doctor can see that there are characteristic spots and splotches of pigment called bone spicules.
Type 1 Usher. At birth, the child is severely deaf with severe balancing problems. Before age 10 years old, the child may begin to develop vision problems. This genetic disorder has been identified frequently in today’s Ashkenazi Jewish population. This type of Usher syndrome includes problems with the inner ear affecting balance that results in children being unable to sit or walk independently until later than usual.
Type 2 Usher. At birth the child has moderate to serious deafness and normal capacity to balance. These children are assisted by hearing aids. Retinitis pigmentosa isn’t noticed until they are in their teens. Type 2 is thought to be the most common form of Usher syndrome, although the frequency is unknown. The vision problems of this type 2 tend to progress more slowly than those of type 1.
Type 3 Usher. These children do not have hearing problems at birth and they have normal or almost normal balance. However hearing and vision deteriorate with time, usually by the teen years. Balance difficulties might develop later on. Hearing aids are usually needed by adulthood, and night blindness may start in early teens. Blind spots can develop and the person is often legally blind by mid-adulthood. The clinical diagnosis refers to a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, with the best possible correction and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Type 3 Usher syndrome accounts for only a small percentage of all Usher syndrome cases in most populations. This 3rd type is prevalent in Finland.
Resources
Healing Your Eyes with Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture, Acupressure, & Chinese Herb
For the past ten years, Andy Rosenfarb has successfully used acupuncture and Chinese medicine to treat a wide range of eye conditions. His treatments include moxibustion techniques, tuina (massage), microcurrent stimulation, Chinese herbs, and qigong exercises, along with essential acupuncture where essential oils are placed on acupuncture points. The culmination of his work which includes a recent pioneering study involving metabolic testing is this handbook for healing the kinds of conditions too often considered almost impossibly challenging or irreversible.The first half of Healing Your Eyes with Chinese Medicine explains Traditional Chinese Medicine and its perspective on the eyes, which is based on the idea that the eyes and the brain work in tandem, not isolation. The second half focuses on proven methods derived from Rosenfarb s practice, including nutritional, supplemental, and lifestyle adjustments. Individual chapters cover eye disorders such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and many more. This book is intended as a practical manual to help readers understand their eyes and vision more comprehensively, and to learn new, affordable ways for retaining the precious gift of sight.
