Common Eye Conditions

Below are listed a few of the many eye conditions and diseases seen in our office.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is present when one meridian of the eye is stronger than another meridian of the eye.  Most often the tissue at fault is the front surface of the eye, the cornea.  The cornea acts like a lens, bending light as it enters the eye.  With astigmatism this corneal lens is not the correct shape and this causes light not to focus properly inside the eye.  This improper focus causes blurred vision.  The cornea should have a spherical shape like a baseball.  With astigmatism the cornea has an oblong shape like a football.  Astigmatism can be treated with contact lenses or glasses.

 

Amblyopia

This condition is commonly known as lazy eye.  It is acquired at an early age and must be treated at an early age (usually prior to age six).  In most cases it occurs in only one eye and is caused by one eye seeing much better than the other in early childhood.  The visual pathways from the eye to the brain do not develop properly in the affected eye.  The condition must be treated early in life as it does not usually respond to treatment as well after the age of six.  Therefore, parents should have children tested by an eye doctor before they start to school, preferably by age five at the latest.  Treatment typically consists of patching or eyedrops to make the child use the “bad” eye to see.  Glasses to correct vision are also critical.

 

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids.  This inflammation can lead to redness, irritation, burning, stinging, etc.  It often involves dysfunction of small glands within the eyelids that contribute to the tear film.  Disruption of the tear film that covers the surface of the eye can cause intermittent blurred vision and/or dry eyes.  Treatment depends on the specific cause and can include lid cleaning procedures, warm compresses applied to the eyelids, oral or topical antibiotics, and topical anti-inflammatory drops or ointment.

 

Cataract

Cataracts are simply a clouding of the lens inside the eye.  The human lens sits behind the colored part of the eye (iris) and under normal circumstances is not visible to the naked eye.  Light from an object must pass through the human lens and reach the retina in order for us to see the object.  Clouding of the lens acts much like a smudge on a spectacle lens; you don’t see through the lens as well.  Fortunately, most patients can have cataract surgery to remove the human lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens.  The resultant vision improvement can be dramatic.

 

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is a fancy word for “red eye”.  It literally means “inflammation of the conjunctiva”.  The conjunctiva is the normally clear tissue that covers the white part of the eye (sclera).  This clear tissue is not visible under normal conditions but when inflammed it becomes red.  The redness can have a number of causes such as allergy, toxicity, injury, and infection.  Treatment often includes removal of any offending agent from the eye as well as application of appropriate eyedrops or ointment.

 

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness.  As the name implies, it affects the retina (inside lining) of the eye and occurs in some people who have diabetes.  It tends to be worse in insulin dependent diabetics but can occur in non insulin dependent diabetics as well.  If caught in the early stages of the disease it can usually be treated more effectively.  This is why it is critical for diabetics to have their eyes examined at least yearly.  Patients with signs of the disease will need to be examined even more often.  Treatments include injections into the eye and laser surgeries.

 

Dry Eye

Dry eye is caused by a disruption of the tear film that normally covers the front surface of the eye.  When we blink we replenish the tear film.  Disruption of the tear film has many causes such as improper blinking, damage to the eyelids, excessive evaporation of the tears, and deficient tear production.  Treatment may include lid cleaning procedures, warm compresses applied to the eyelids, and topical drops or ointments.

 

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.  It is caused by an increase of fluid pressure (intraocular pressure) within the eye and/or inadequate blood flow to the optic nerve with resultant damage to the optic nerve.  Most cases occur so gradually that by the time the patient notices a problem most vision has already been lost.  It is a sneaky painless loss of vision with no early warning signs.  It affects the peripheral (side) vision first but eventually goes on to destroy the central (reading, faces, details) vision also.  It is a good reason to have your eyes checked regularly even if you don’t need glasses.  You can have 20/20 vision and still have glaucoma!  Vision lost to glaucoma does not return; it is essential to stop the disease in the early stages before significant vision loss has occured.  Treatment usually consists of eyedrops and/or surgery.

 

Hyperopia

The technical term for farsightedness is hyperopia. It is not a disease but a common eye condition in which light entering the eye focuses behind the seeing part of the eye, the retina. This results in blurred vision and/or eyestrain for the patient. Patients with hyperopia may notice that their far vision (like road signs) is better than their near vision (like reading). Other patients may notice that their eyes get tired or they have headaches. It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, and in some cases surgery.

 

Macular Degeneration

This disease is also called age related maculopathy.  As the name implies, it is more common in older patients and results in the deterioration of the macula.  The macula is the part of the retina within the eye that we use to make out detail.  Thus, patients with macular degeneration may lose the ability to read, watch TV, drive, make out faces, etc.  Treatment may include the use of certain vitamins, eye injections, and laser surgery.

 

Myopia

The technical term for nearsightedness is myopia.  It is not a disease but a common eye condition in which light entering the eye focuses before it gets to the seeing part of the eye, the retina.  This results in blurred vision for the patient.  Patients with myopia will notice that their near vision (like reading) is better than their far vision (like road signs).  It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, and in some cases surgery.

 

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the natural loss of reading vision that occurs with time.  The human lens inside the eye must change shape for us to view near objects, such as print in a book.  Our eyes have their maximum near focusing ability when we are about ten years old and gradually lose more focusing ability with time.  We normally notice the change at about age 40-45.  The condition can be treated with spectacle lenses with a line in them (bifocals or trifocals) and without a line in them (progressive addition lenses).  It can also be treated with a separate pair of reading glasses or with contact lenses.

 

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment can lead to blindness.  It is caused by the “seeing” part of the eye (retina) becoming separated from tissue behind it (choroid).  When this happens the retina ceases to function properly, resulting in a loss of vision.  The detachment must be surgically re-attached before a permanent loss of vision occurs.  Often a periodic examination of the eyes can detect eye defects that predispose the retina to detachment before it occurs.  Preventive surgery may be advised in this case.

 

Strabismus

Strabismus is the technical term for an eye turn.  In other words, the two eyes don’t appear to be looking in the same direction.  The turn can be very slight and not noticeable by the untrained eye.  Treatment may involve eye patching, vision therapy exercises, or surgical alignment of the eyes.