Ocular Diseases and Conditions

There are many eye problems a patient may be concerned about. Seeing a qualified Optometrist promptly when symptoms occur is crucial to catching a minor problem or a major one. If you are experiencing eye pain or have any of the symptoms listed below, call our office for a visit. We'll be happy to answer any questions or concerns you many have about your eyes.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in America for people in their mid-sixties and older.  Macular degeneration starts with degeneration of the macula, which is part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision, which is needed for driving and reading.  Macular degeneration occurs as either dry (without neovascular) or wet (neovascular).  The dry form is more common and the wet form leads to more serious vision loss.  Macular degeneration usually produces a slow, or rarely, sudden painless loss of central vision.  Early signs of vision loss include shadowy areas or unusually fuzzy, distorted vision in central visual field. 

Cataracts

A cataract happens when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy.  The natural lens is behind the iris and the pupil.  This lens is responsible for focusing the light onto the retina and letting us see things clearly both up close and far away.  A cataract starts out small, and at first has little effect on your vision.  A person with a cataract may notice their vision is blurred and is like looking through a clouded piece of glass.  A cataract may cause an increased amount of glare while driving at night or in the bright light during the day.  Colors may not appear as bright as they once did.  Many studies suggest that exposure to ultraviolet light (UV light) is associated with cataract development.  Wearing sunglasses and using UV coating can reduce the amount of UV light exposure.  Other factors responsible for cataract development are diabetes, long-term steroid use, diuretics, cigarette smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption. 

When a cataract becomes mature or the vision becomes too cloudy, cataract surgery can restore vision.  During the surgery, the clouded lens is removed and is replaced with a clear intraocular lens (IOL).  Cataract surgery is very successful in restoring vision.  Nine out of ten people who have cataract surgery regain very good vision. 

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a collection of eye diseases associated with a dangerous buildup of internal eye pressure (IOP) which can damage the eyes optic nerve causing peripheral vision loss.  Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” because in the majority of cases there is no pain or vision disturbance until the later stages of the disease. 

During a routine eye exam, your eye care provider uses an instrument (tonometer) to measure your intraocular pressure (IOP).  An abnormally high IOP reading indicates a problem with amount of liquid in the eye.  Another instrument used in a routine eye exam is an ophthalmoscope to view the inside of the eye and evaluate the health of the optic nerve which is important for glaucoma screening.  People with family history of glaucoma, diabetics, steroid use, African Americans, and people with high pressure are at high risk for developing the common form of glaucoma.  The treatment can be medical, surgical, or with use of a laser.        

Diabetic Retinopathy

If a person has diabetes and their blood sugar gets too high, it can damage the blood vessels in the eye.  This damage is the early diabetic retinopathy changes.  In fact, the longer someone has diabetes the more likely they have retinopathy.  In the latter stages of the disease, the new blood vessels grow over the retina causing scar tissue to develop.  This can pull the retina away from the back of the eye causing retinal detachment, leading to blindness.  The abnormal blood vessels can also grow over the iris which can cause glaucoma.  Everyone with diabetes is at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy, but not all will develop it.  Diabetics should see their eye doctor at least once a year for a dilated eye exam.
 
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Conjunctivitis, pink eye, is a common eye disease that can have many different causes.  Pink eye along with irritation, itching, burning, pain, stinging, crusting, or light sensitivity are all symptoms of conjunctivitis.

The infectious type of pink eye is linked to a bacterial or viral origin.  The non-infectious type of pink eye occurs when allergies are present.  The infectious pink eye can occur in adults, but most often it happens in young children because of the epidemics.  The most common symptom of pink eye is when the clear membrane (conjunctiva) covering the white part (sclera) becomes pink or reddish in appearance.  Because pink eye can be a symptom of many different types of eye problems, some that can be serious, consult with your eye doctor immediately.
 
Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina becomes separated from the underlying supportive tissue.  If it is not reattached soon, permanent vision loss may happen.  There is no pain associated with retinal detachment but if you see any spots, floaters, or flashes of light, or any black outs consult your eye doctor right away.  There are many risk factors for retinal detachment but the most common ones are: an eye injury to the eye or face, high degrees of myopia (nearsightedness), diabetic retinopathy, LASIK or cataract surgery, and ocular tumors.
 

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are a chronic condition when the eye does not have sufficient moisture and lubrication.  The most common symptoms of dry eyes are burning, redness, scratchiness, and foreign body sensation (the feeling that something is in the eye).  Sometimes people with chronic dry eyes complain of watery eyes which may seem odd, but watery eyes are the result of dry eye syndrome because the excessive dryness works to overstimulate the production of the watery component of natural tears.  Dry eye condition has several causes.  It can be a part of the aging process, especially during menopause, birth control pills, certain blood pressure medications, antihistamines, antidepressants, or simply because you live in a dry climate, like our home, Colorado.