Four years ago, Tom was on his umpteenth visit to his doctor with complaints about his eyesight.
It has been bothering him for quite some time already.
Aside from blurry vision, he has been seeing floaters and some flashing lights for several months already.
The doctors he had gone to have already checked his eyes and have found nothing amiss.
The doctors merely inferred that the eye discomfort he was experiencing may be due to his recurrent migraine attacks only.
He then decided to consult some ophthalmologists but still got the same response-there was nothing out of the ordinary and what he was experiencing was maybe just another case of migraine.
On the other hand, Tom was just not so sure of what his doctors were telling him.
He simply felt that what he was going through was more than just another migraine case.
Because he was very insistent about having the doctors check his eyes again, they asked him to undergo a computerized eye test.
The result of the computerized eye test proved Tom's suspicions correct.
He was not suffering from migraine.
He was suffering from a malignant tumor that was growing at the back of his right eye.
Further eye tests shed light on his medical condition.
The tumor, which begun as something benign at the back of his right eye, was already growing and separating an area of the retina from his eye.
Because Tom was able to be aware of his medical situation before it was too late, his doctors were able to address his condition immediately.
Had he known too late, he would have been completely blind.
Tom is one among the few who have the rare case of choroidal melanoma - a form of cancer that is most common among the middle-aged and older.
While melanoma commonly occurs on the skin, choroidal melanoma develops in the choroid-the porous membrane between the retina and the sclera of the eye.
This type of eye cancer is one that doctors are not often able to detect until it is too late to make any positive changes in the medical condition of the patient.
At present, Tom is among the few cancer survivors who are still alive to tell the story of their struggles with cancer and their subsequent triumph.
If you suffer or know someone who suffers from a similar medical condition, it would be best to be as informed about choroidal melanoma as possible.
The paragraphs below will consider some of the most important facts about choroidal melanomas that you should know.
Who are Prone to Eye Cancers? Choroidal melanomas, as the preceding paragraphs have mentioned, are extremely rare.
However, this is the most common eye cancer among adults.
People in their 40s or older are more prone to this disease than those who are younger.
What are the Symptoms? The symptoms that Tom mentions at the outset of this article are among the most common symptoms of choroidal melanoma.
Aside from that, the patient experiences severe eye pain.
It should be noted, however, that not all who experience blurry vision and see floaters or flashing lights have choroidal melanoma.
The symptoms of this type of cancer are very similar to other eye disorders, so it is important for a patient to undergo several examinations to confirm the diagnosis.
How is Choroidal Melanoma Diagnosed? If doctors suspect that the patient suffers from choroidal melanoma, they will then ask the patient to undergo several eye examinations which include the following: 1.
Dilated eye exam The dilated eye exam is something that ophthalmologists do as part of their routine eye checkup.
During this exam, the doctor dilates the patient's pupils to check the back of the eye for any manifestation of abnormalities.
This is often the only test that an ophthalmologist performs on a patient during a routine eye checkup.
Doctors only recommend that a patient undergoes subsequent eye examinations when they find some abnormalities present during their dilated eye examination.
2.
Ultrasound During an ultrasound test, a laboratory professional places a probe on the patient's eye to focus sound waves toward the tumor.
These sound waves then bounce back and produces patterns which a machine then records.
The image result of an ultrasound will then reveal the size of the tumor and other pertinent details necessary for medication.
3.
Fluorescein Angiography During fluorescein angiography, a medical professional injects a certain dye into a vein in the patient's arm.
A series of photographs through the pupil then documents the dye's flow through the veins at the back of the patient's eye.
4.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Doctors may opt to have the patient undergo magnetic resonance imaging upon diagnosis of choroidal melanoma to help them evaluate the characteristics of the tumor.
Preventive Measures Preventive measures especially when it comes to one's vision is very important primarily for those who are already in their middle ages or older.
A regular eye checkup is essential to ensure early treatment of any eye disorder that an examination may reveal.
Good nutrition is also important to ensure excellent eye health.
Foods rich in Vitamins C and E, lutein, beta-carotene, and other vitamins and minerals essential for the eyes should be a part of one's daily diet plan.
Since most individuals are unable to consume the necessary amount of nutrients in one day, they may find it beneficial to take natural supplementation to fill in the nutrition gap.
A great dietary supplement for the eyes is Spirulina.
Spirulina is high in nutrients vital for excellent eye health.