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What is Nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a vision condition in which
you can usually see close or near objects clearly, but cannot
see distant ones as clearly.
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 What is farsightedness?
Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a vision condition in which
distant objects are usually seen clearly, but close ones
appear blurred.
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 What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a vision condition which light entering the
eye is unable to be brought to a single focus, resulting
in vision being blurred at all distances.
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 What is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a vision condition that occurs when the crystalline
lens of the eye gradually loses its ability to bring close
objects into clear focus. It usually becomes noticeable
when you reach your early to mid forties and is a natural
part of aging.
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What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia (lazy eye) is the loss or lack of the full development
of vision in one eye that is not fully correctable with
lenses and is not the result of any identifiable eye health
problem. It usually occurs before age eight. Infants born
prematurely, or with low birth weight, are at a greater
risk for he development of this condition. It is estimated
that two to four percent of children have amblyopia. Amblyopia
is usually due to conditions such as crossed eyes (strabismus)
or a large difference in the refractive error between the
two eyes. Vision in the amblyopic eye may continue to decrease
if left untreated. The brain simply pays less and less attention
to the images sent by the amblyopic eye. Eventually, the
condition stabilizes and the eye becomes virtually unused.
It is quite difficult to effectively treat amblyopia at
this point. A comprehensive optometric examination can determine
the presence of amblyopia. The earlier it is diagnosed the
greater the chance for a successful treatment. In young
children, patching the good eye may help the amblyopic eye
to improve. In addition, to help improve vision function,
vision therapy techniques may be used. Eyeglasses or contact
lenses may be prescribed to correct any refractive errors.
Early detection and treatment of amblyopia and correcting
refractive errors is the key to ocular health.
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What
are crossed eyes?
Strabismus (crossed eyes) is a vision condition in which
your eyes are not properly aligned with each other. One
or both eyes may alternately turn in (esotropia), then out
(exotropia), or up (hypertropia). Treatment of crossed eyes
often includes use of eyeglasses, prisms and vision therapy.
In some cases, surgery may be needed.
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What
is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease in which the fluid pressure in your
eyeball increases and damages the optic nerve. This damage
can cause severe vision loss and even blindness, if untreated.
Glaucoma can generally be effectively controlled with prescription
eye drops or other medicines which reduce the pressure in
the eye. In some cases, laser surgery may be needed. All
of our doctors have received advanced training in the latest
techniques in diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
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What
are cataracts?
If the normally clear lens in your eye becomes cloudy, it
is called a cataract. As the lens becomes cloudy, vision
becomes blurred and/or distorted. Eyeglasses or contact
lenses can be prescribed to provide clearer vision until
cataracts develop to the point that they impair vision.
Then they need to be removed surgically. An intraocular
lens is usually used to replace the lens removed from your
eye.
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What
are spots and floaters?
Spots (often called floaters) are small, semi-transparent
or cloudy specks or particles within the fluid inside the
eye that become noticeable when they move within the line
of sight. They may also appear with flashes of light. The
inner part of your eye is filled with a clear, jelly-like
fluid known as the vitreous. Occasionally, small flecks
of protein and other matter become trapped during the formation
of the eye before birth and remain in the vitreous body.
Spots and floaters may also be caused by the age related
deterioration of the eye fluid or its surrounding parts
or by certain injuries or diseases. Almost everyone sees
a few spots at one time or another. They can occur more
frequently and become more noticeable as you grow older.
If you notice a sudden change in the number or size of the
spots, you should contact our office right away for an examination
to be sure they are not the result of a more serious problem.
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What
is "Dry eye"?
The tears your eyes normally produce are necessary for overall
eye health and clear vision. Dry eye occurs when your eyes
do not produce enough tears or produce tears which do not
have the proper chemical composition. Dry eye symptoms can
result from the normal aging process, exposure to environmental
conditions, problems with normal blinking, or from medications
such as antihistamines, oral contraceptives or antidepressants.
Dry eye can also be symptomatic of general health problems,
or other diseases. If dry eye is untreated it can harm your
vision.
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What
is the "Dry eye" treatment?
During your examination in our office, we can perform specific
tests to determine if you have dry eye. These tests allow
us to evaluate the quality, amount and distribution of tears
to detect signs of a problem. We offer the newest system
for treating dry eye. We use small plugs that can be inserted
into the corner of the eyelids to slow the drainage and
loss of tears. There have also been many advances in drops
used for relief of this problem.
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What
affect does diabetes have on the eye?
Diabetes and its complications can affect many parts of
the eye. Diabetes can cause changes in nearsighteness, farsightedness,
and premature presbyopia (the inability to focus on close
objects). It can result in cataracts, glaucoma, a lack of
eye muscle coordination, (strabismus and in decreased corneal
sensitivity. Visual symptoms of diabetes include fluctuating
or blurred vision, occasional double vision, loss of visual
field and flashes and floaters within the eyes. Sometimes
these early signs of diabetes are first detected in a thorough
eye examination by our doctors. The most serious eye problem
associated with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. This occurs
when there is a weakening or swelling of the tiny blood
vessels in the retina of your eye, resulting in blood leakage,
the growth of new blood vessels and other changes. Early
detection is critical because if untreated, blindness can
result. During your routine visit to us, we can diagnose
potential vision threatening changes in your eye that can
be treated to prevent blindness. It is important to monitor
and control your diabetes as much as possible to minimize
your risk of developing retinopathy. Several factors that
increase the risk of developing retinopathy include smoking,
high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and pregnancy.
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