Author, Doctor, Speaker, Joseph Bentivegna

Doctor Bentivegna is an ophthalmologist living in Connecticut. He has written numerous op-ed pieces for The Hartford Courant and The New York Times regarding health care, tort reform, and the political situation in Haiti.

All Articles

More Coronavirus Testing – Helpful but not a Panacea

        Testing, testing and more testing. That is the mantra health experts are telling the American people is the best way to contain the coronavirus pandemic. And they are right, up to a point. But these tests have limitations and those who expect clear-cut advice or a risk-free future are going to be disappointed.       Before understanding coronavirus testing, let’s take a simplified look at how the immune system works. When our bodies are invaded by a virus, the affected cells secrete messenger proteins that signal our white blood cells to attack the virus to prevent further spread. Often this is enough. But then our body comes up with a secondary response. It manufactures specific proteins called antibodies and killer white blood cells that can recognize the invading virus and destroy it if it reinvades. This is called immunity.       Thus, there are two types of tests to check for coronavirus – one identifies the actual virus in a patient; the other identifies the antibodies. … [Read more...]

The Coronavirus Epidemic Explained

         The world is in a panic over a coronavirus, specifically COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). The stock market has dropped precipitously, airport travel has plummeted, vacations are being cancelled and students are returning early from foreign countries. There is a lot of misinformation about COVID-19, and perhaps reviewing some basic concepts will allay readers’ fears or at least enhance an understanding of the situation.       1. What is a virus? Viruses are microscopic organisms that do not have the ability to reproduce. Thus, they survive by becoming parasites, invading the cells of host organisms, hijacking the cells’ functions, replicating, and then invading other cells.       2. How are viruses classified? Viruses may be classified according to their microscopic appearance, how they reproduce or what diseases they cause. For example, the AIDS virus (also called HIV), rabies virus and polio virus are named after their respective diseases. The coronavirus, on the other hand, is named after its microscopic appearance, … [Read more...]

The Insurance Companies Don’t Care if my Patients Go Blind

         One of the proudest accomplishments of my profession, ophthalmology, is the reduction in blindness from glaucoma. Decades ago, it was common to hear “Uncle John went blind from glaucoma.” Now such tragedies are rare. But now the insurance companies are refusing to pay for the most effective glaucoma medicines while increasing the patients’ deductibles. The result will be that more patients go blind.       Unlike many diseases, glaucoma has few symptoms in its initial stages. In most cases, the pressure in the eye is elevated causing damage to the optic nerve, the nerve that transfers visual images from the eye to the brain. Usually, glaucoma affects the peripheral vision first. But many patients don’t notice this as it occurs gradually. This is why ophthalmologists advise all patients to have their eyes checked, even if they have no visual complaints. A simple eye pressure check along with examination of the optic nerve can identify patients at risk for glaucoma.       Over the past generation, the pharmaceutical companies … [Read more...]