Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil.
Working much like a camera lens, the eye's lens focuses light onto the retina at the back of the eye. As we age, some of the protein that makes up the lens changes and starts to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.
In the normal eye, light enters through the lens and focuses on the retina.
In eyes with cataracts, the cataract clouds the lens, preventing light from being focused properly on the retina.
What Causes Cataracts? We don't know for sure why the protein in your eye changes, forming cataracts. Studies suggest that exposure to ultraviolet light is associated with cataract development, so we recommend wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to lessen your exposure to the sun's harmfull ultraviolet rays. Schedule a visit today to see how American Vision can help you.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma can develop when too much fluid pressure builds up inside the eye.
This increased pressure can damage the optic nerve, which transmits images to the brain. If damage to the optic nerve from high eye pressure continues, glaucoma will cause loss of vision. Without treatment, glaucoma can cause permanent blindness within a few years.
Sometimes glaucoma does not present symptoms or pain from this increased pressure early on. Therefore, it is important to see an optometrist regularly so that glaucoma can be diagnosed and treated before long-term visual loss occurs, especially if there is a family history of this disease.
If you are over the age of 45 and if you have a family history of glaucoma, you should have a complete eye exam every year.
Schedule an appointment today to rule out this and other eye diseases.
Macular Degenration
Age-related macular degeneration is the damage or breakdown of the macula of the eye. The macula is the central point of vision needed for reading, driving, identifying faces, watching TV, and most other routine activities. Symptoms include blurriness, darkness, or other visual distortions in the center of vision. Eventually vision blurs and dims until only a ring of peripheral sight remains.
The majority of people with early age-related macular degeneration experience minimal visual loss. For many of these people, macular degeneration will not progress to a more serious condition.
If macular degeneration does progress to visual loss, 90% of the affected people will develop the dry, or atrophic form of the disease. The other 10% of people will develop a more serious condition known as the wet, or exudative, form of macular degeneration.
You'll be happy to know that early detection can lead to more effective treatment options. Therefore, regular eye exams can lead to the detection of problems before the problem becomes serious. This is especially critical if you are over 50 or if you have a family history of macular degeneration.
Dry Eye
As with other eye disorders, dry eye is normally the result of aging and tends to heavily affect people over the age of 50. Dry eye results in the eye's inability to produce tears with the proper chemical composition. However, in addition to age, dry eye can be caused by one or more of the following conditions:
Problems with the normal blinking reflex, which serves to lubricate the eye.
Use of certain types of medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, oral contraceptives or tranquilizers.
Environmental factors, such as a dry climate or excessive exposure to the wind.
Chemical or thermal burns to the eyes.
Some health problems, such as arthritis or an autoimmune condition known as Sjogren's Syndrome, which affects mostly middle-aged women.
How Is Dry Eye Treated? As with all other eye disorders, early detection of dry eye will lead to more effective treatment and prevention of serious damage to your eyes. Treatment can be as easy as applying eye drops formulated to simulate the chemical composition of natural tears. There are also soothing ointments that may be applied at bedtime. If you are experiencing any of the usual symptoms of dry eye, you should call for an appointment at your earliest convenience. We will discuss with you any lifestyle habits, environmental factors or medication you may be taking along with other health conditions that could be causing dry eye symptoms. Dry eye is an easily managed eye disorder.
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a vision disorder that occurs when the normally round cornea (the front part of the eye) becomes thin and irregular (cone) shaped. This abnormal shape prevents the light entering the eye from being focused correctly on the retina and causes distortion of vision. This condition usually occurs in your twenty or thirties, resulting in a moderate to marked decrease in visual acuity.
Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you already know that your body doesn't use or store sugar properly. You work hard to keep your sugar balanced. But if your blood sugar gets too high, damage to the blood vessels in your eye may result. When this happens, it may lead to diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to blindness if left untreated. Retinopathy is usually due to damage of the tiny blood vessels next to the retina.
The simple fact is the longer you have diabetes, the more susceptible you are to having damage done to your eyes. Diabetics should visit their eye doctor at least annually for a dilated eye exam.
How Does Diabetic Retinopathy Occur? Over time, high blood glucose (sugar) level can weaken and damage the tiny blood vessels next to the retina. This can result in various problems:
Small 'blow-out' swellings of blood vessels.
Small leaks of fluid from damaged blood vessels.
Small bleeds from damaged blood vessels.
Blood vessels may just become blocked. This can cut off the blood and oxygen supply to small sections of the retina.
New abnormal blood vessels may grow from damaged blood vessels. This is called proliferative retinopathy. These new vessels are delicate and can bleed easily.
The leaks of fluid, bleeds and blocked blood vessels can damage the cells of the retina . In some severe cases, damaged blood vessels bleed into the vitreous humour (the jelly-like centre of the eye). This can also affect vision by blocking light rays going to the retina.
