eye diseases- diagnosis & management
The Aging Eye
Let’s face it - we aren’t getting younger, so lets age gracefully. With age comes wisdom, so lets learn about what we can control.
How would your life change if you experienced vision loss? That thought can be pretty scary, which is why it’s important to take steps to protect your eyes and safeguard your vision.
Don’t be scared - just go for an annual eye exam. Most eye diseases don’t exhibit noticeable symptoms in their early stages – which is when treatment is most effective. Some eye conditions are part of the eye aging, like cataracts and retinal detachments.
Cataracts
Cataracts are NOT an eye disease, they are an aging process like gray hair. If you live long enough you will need cataract surgery. Technology has improved this to be a 10-minute procedure, one bottle of medicated eye drops to use for a few weeks afterward, and the option to no longer need glasses for distance or near!
All of us will develop cataracts as we age, though certain risk factors such as genetics, smoking, diabetes, high myopia, certain medications, and excessive UV exposure can increase our chances of developing them earlier in life.
Dr. John works with a local trustworthy eye surgeon and has vast experience co-managing surgery and discussing your surgical options.
Retinal Detachment
The retina is like very delicate wall paper that lines the entire inside of the eyeball. It has 9 layers and a jelly-like substance that sticks to it called the vitreous. As we age, the vitreous changes too, which can pull on the retina and cause holes or tears to form. Some of us have areas of our retina that show signs of weakness, which means we are at higher risk for a detached retina.
Dilating the eye and examining the retina can prevent or catch it early so that a repair prevents permanent loss of vision. Floaters will happen to everyone, it is important to have them checked as not everyone will have symptoms when they have a retinal detachment.
The Silent Thieves of Sight
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Your macula, which is the bullseye in the center of your retina, is responsible for your detailed/color vision. Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, is a condition that causes the macula to deteriorate and can cause blindness over time. Family history, smoking, diet, obesity as well as high cholesterol impact your risk for this disease. It is NOT noticeable in its early stages.
As AMD progresses, your central vision becomes blurry and deteriorates, until total vision loss occurs. At West End Vision, we can monitor your risk for developing this disease with dilated eye exams, color photos of the retina and Heidelberg OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) to view the deep layers of the retina for microscopic changes.
Glaucoma
“The Air Puff” - synonymous with the eye doctor and the most dreaded part of an eye exam. The bad news - we need to know your eye pressure to screen properly for the risk of developing Glaucoma. The good news - at West End Vision, we have 2 ways to check your eye pressure neither of which is an air puff!
Glaucoma can cause blindness usually when the pressure in the eye is too high for too long and damages the optic nerve. Typically, you cannot feel your eye pressure and the only way to know if you are developing glaucoma is through an appropriate eye exam.
Even better, there are so many treatments for glaucoma including many types of medicated eye drops and ultimately procedures, if needed. Dr. John has cutting edge OCT technology available for early diagnosis. This can be well-managed when caught at the right time!
Diabetic Retinopathy
Every diabetic patient should have their eyes dilated each year. If you or someone you love is daibetic - keep reading. Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that occurs when the blood vessels in the retina become damaged as a result of high blood sugar levels in the body. Elevated blood sugar can even change your glasses prescription until it is under control.
This preventable condition is the leading cause of vision loss among patients with diabetes. If left untreated, this disease can progress into swelling of macula and permanent loss of vision. Early diagnosis is key as early signs have no symptoms - noticing a theme here??
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PROTECT YOUR PEEPERS
Without proper treatment or management, all of the diseases we’ve discussed can lead to permanent vision loss or even blindness.
The only tool that can detect and diagnose eye disease is a comprehensive eye exam. When was the last time you had your eyes examined? It is not worth the risk.