| Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a developmental problem
that causes poor vision and is commonly called lazy
eye. The risk factors for amblyopia can only be evaluated
during a comprehensive eye exam by a doctor.
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Causes
All babies are born with poor eyesight, and to
develop the vision pathways correctly, a baby
needs an identical, clear, focused image in both
eyes. If any of these do not occur, the vision
pathways may not develop correctly. Anything that
causes a blurring of the vision or the eyes to
be crossed may cause amblyopia. One of these is
Strabismus, commonly called crossed eyes, which
causes a difference in focusing between the eyes.
Other possibe causes include cataracts, a droopy
eyelid, or wandering eyes.
Treatment
Due to the differences in causes, the treatment
must match the problem. Surgery may be needed
for cataracts, droopy eyelids or crossed eyes,
but most of the time treatment should not require
surgery.
Treatment usually involves special glasses, covering
the strong eye, or eye-drops to encourage the
use and development of the weaker eye. Early treatment
is a must because if the visual pathways are not
fully developed by the age of 10-13, the child
will have poor vision for life. Therefore all
children should have an eye exam before beginning
school.
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Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the front
surface of the eye, the cornea, has an irregular curvature.
In normal eyes, the cornea is smooth and equally curved
in all directions and light entering the cornea is focused
equally in all directions.
Astigmatism may result in vision that is distorted or
blurry,as a result of the inability of the eye to focus
light rays to a point.
Treatment
Astigmatism can be treated with corrective lenses
(glasses or contact lenses).
The types of contact lenses needed to treat astigmatism
are called Toric lenses, and there are now many
affordable toric lenses now available. |
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the natural
lens in the eye, which is normally associated with aging.
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Causes
Diabetes, smoking, UV light exposure, and alcohol
use are also known to increase the progression
of cataracts.
Treatment
Surgery to remove the diseased lens is the only
effective treatment for cataracts. The lens is
replaced with an intraocular implant to restore
vision, and can now be done with such accuracy
that many times glasses will not be needed for
distance after such surgery.
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Diabetic
Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a very serious
potentially blinding complication of diabetes. In many
cases there are no early warning signs for diabetic
retinopathy and the only sure way of detecting the changes
in the retina is through an dilated eye exam.
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Causes
Diabetic retinopathy is when diabetes causes damage
of the blood vessels supplying nutrients to the
retina. As the disease progresses, new blood vessels
grow, and without treatment can bleed, cloud vision,
and destroy the retina.
Treatment
Laser surgery is one option for treating diabetic
retinopathy, while a second option is a vitrectomy.
Vitrectomy is performed when a lot of blood is
found in the vitreous, the fluid within the eye.
It involves removing the cloudy vitreous and replacing
with a salt solution.
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Dry Eye
Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is eye irritation,
scratchiness or blurred vision due to the poor quantity
or quality of the tear film.
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Causes
Dry eye syndrome is considered age related as
it occurs more frequently in adults over 40 as
well as a result of the hormonal changes occurring
during menopause. Dryness can be worse during
contact lens wear.
Treatment
Treatments for dry eye syndrome include the use
of artificial tears and occlusion of the lacrimal
duct. Occlusion of the lacrimal duct is a simple
procedure where the tear drainage ducts out of
the eyes are blocked forming a reservoir of tears
on the surface of the eyes. Special contact lenses
have been found to work better for dry eyes than
others.
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Floaters
Floaters are small, semi-transparent
or cloudy specks within the vitreous, the fluid that
fills the inside of eyes. Floaters are percieved as
specks of various shapes and sizes that move as your
eyes move and seem to dart away when you try looking
directly at them. Most often floaters are not harmful
and rarely limit vision, but may be indications of more
serious problems. You should see an optometrist as soon
as possible if you notice sudden changes or increases
in floaters especially if associated with flashes of
light.
Causes
Floaters are a result of the deterioration of the
vitreous fluid due to aging or from certain eye
diseases or injuries. |
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a multi-facited disease
where an increased pressure within the eye cause damage
to the optic nerve. Glaucoma is the leading cause of
blindness under the age of 65 in the United States,
and because of this you should have comprehensive eye
exam every year.
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Causes
While there are many causes of glaucoma, the most
common form is when the fluid in the eye is unable
to drain as quickly as it is produced.
Treatment
Because with early treatment a person suffering
from glaucoma may be able to protect their eyes
from serious vision loss and blindness, early
detections is a must.
The methods of detection include the following:
Visual Field: This test measures a patient's peripheral
vision.
Pupil dilation: By dilating the pupil an optometrist
can get a better view of the optic nerve to determine
if any damage is present.
Tonometry: This is the air puff test that determines
the fluid pressure inside the eye.
Treatment options include medication in the form
of eye drops or pills and in some cases laser
or conventional surgery may be necessary.
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Hyperopia
Hyperopia is often called farsightedness
because individuals usually have trouble seeing objects
at close distances, though they may also have difficulty
seeing things far away as well.
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Causes
The primary causes for hyperopia are an eye that
is shorter from front to back than the normal
eye or a cornea that is flatter than normal. Both
of these cause light to be focused behind the
retina instead of focusing directly on it.
Treatment
Hyperopia may be treated with corrective lenses
(glasses or contact lenses).
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Macular
Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the physical
disturbance of the macula, which is the portion of the
retina capable of the most acute and detailed vision,
including driving, recognition of faces, reading, and
watching television.
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Causes
The root cause of macular degeneration is still
unknown. Macular degeneration comes in two forms,
"dry" and "wet." The "dry"
form accounts for 70% of macular degeneration
cases and involves distortions of the macular
tissues. The "wet" form involves bleeding
within and beneath the retina, opaque deposits
and eventually scar tissue formation.
Treatment
While no definite cure has been found for macular
degeneration, there is increasing evidence that
nutritional supplements rich in antioxidants may
be helpful in preventing or slowing the progression
of macular degeneration. If vision loss does occur,
special optical aids including magnifiers, telescopes
and high powered reading lenses are prescribed
to improve the remaining vision.
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Myopia
Myopia is commonly known as nearsightedness
due to the blurring and difficulty in seeing objects
at large distances.
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Causes
The myopic eye is slightly longer than then usual
eye from front to back. The result of this elongation
is that light rays are focused at a point in front
of the retina instead of on its surface.
Treatment
Myopia can be treated with corrective lenses (glasses
or contact lenses) as well as refractive surgery.
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Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the condition were the
lens of the eye becomes less flexible and hinders the
eye from changing focus for different distances.
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Causes
Presbyopia is a part of the natural aging process.
Treatment
Presbyopia is treatable with corrective lenses
(glasses or contact lenses).
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Prolonged
Focusing Problems
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Causes
Prolonged focusing problems may be caused by visually
intensive jobs that involve work at a close range,
including reading and computer work. Often there
is a temporary difficulty in switching eye focus
from near to far or vice versa.
Treatment
Prolonged focusing problems are most often treated
using reading glasses.
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Red Eyes
Prolonged redness of the eyes can
indicate an infection, inflammation, dryness, or a contact
lens related problem. An examination as soon as possible
will determine what is causing the redness.
Strabismus
Strabismus is a deviation of the eyes,
commonly called "crossed eyes."
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Causes
Strabismus is the result of the failure of the
eye muscles to work together. One eye or both
may turn in (crossed eyes), turn out (wall eyes),
or turn up or turn down. These symptoms may vary
from day-to-day or through the course of a day.
Treatment
It is critcal that Strabismus be detected and
corrected early to prevent the liklihood of amblyopia
developing.
The following treatments may be needed:
- Glasses to improve focusing
and redirection of the line of sight, enabling
the eyes to straigten.
- Eye exercise may also be
recommended before or after surgery to teach
proper eye coordination.
- Surgery may be performed
on eye muscles to strighten the eyes if nonsurgical
means are unsuccessful.
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