Eye Conditions

Retinal disease is an umbrella term for any condition that involves damage to the retina. The retina is a layer of cells on the back of the eyeball that trigger nerve impulses through the optic nerve and on to the brain. Damage to the retina can cause various forms of vision impairment depending on the damage. Types of retinal disease include retinal detachment, retinal bleeding, diabetic retinopathy or problems related to macular degeneration.

An eye exam for a diabetic patient is much the same as for any other vision patient. With diabetics, though, it’s always necessary to dilate the pupils to examine the structures in the back of the eye, particularly the retina. Because of the propensity of problems that can be caused by diabetes regarding the retina, it must be examined thoroughly, often with a device called an ophthalmoscope that shines and magnifies a beam of light toward the back of the eye.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a progressive eye disease caused by conditions related to diabetes. In its various stages, blood vessels within the eye can develop tiny weaknesses called micro-aneurisms. These can cause bruising or bleeding in the retina, progressing to bleeding in the back of the eye. When this happens the fluid in the eye can contract (known as progressive diabetic retinopathy), which we must then treat with laser or surgery.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of a number of eye problems that can arise with diabetic patients. Anyone diagnosed with diabetes or who has a family history of the disease should have their vision checked at least once a year.

Fuchs corneal dystrophy is an inherited condition that can damage the cornea. The cornea, the “window” at the front of the eye that allows light rays to enter, consists of five layers. With Fuchs, the cells of the innermost lining become damaged and enlarge, causing the cornea to become cloudy.

The traditional procedure for correcting Fuchs is to remove about two-thirds of the cornea and transplant a donor cornea in its place. Now, however, there’s a new transplant procedure called DSAEK that removes only the inside corneal lining and replaces it with a graft. This has shown great success since its inception, but like the older procedure does require a specialist in corneal surgery.

The retina is a layer of cells on the back of the eyeball that trigger nerve impulses through the optic nerve to create visual images in the brain. Ordinarily, it attaches to the back of the eye and lies somewhat flat against it. But if a weakness or tear develops in the retina it can detach from the back of the eye and greatly impair vision. A retinal detachment requires a surgical or laser-assisted repair by a retinal specialist.

Blepharitis is a very common inflammatory condition of the eyelid parts. Those with the condition can experience redness and irritation. It’s most often treated with medicated eye drops, along with warm compresses applied by the patient and additional hygiene measures to clean the eyelids.

If you’ve noticed shadowy objects moving around in your field of vision you may have what are commonly called floaters. There’s nothing harmful about them, but you should still have them checked if you suddenly notice them to rule out more serious problems.

Floaters inhabit a space in the back of the eye filled with a fluid called vitreous. Within this space tiny tissue particles can exist that have been there all our lives but aren’t usually noticeable if the fluid doesn’t move. As we get older, though, these particles can grow larger while simultaneously moving within the vitreous that may be more active now than when we were younger. This creates the conditions for seeing the particle movement that we call floaters.

If you suddenly see floaters for the first time or flashes of light, you should have an eye exam. While floaters are more aggravating than harmful, these same symptoms could also indicate a detached or bleeding retina, both serious problems that could permanently affect your vision.

Dry eyes are typically caused by a lack of adequate tear fluid in the eyes. It can be a genetic disposition or caused by diabetes or thyroid disease, the aging process, or by certain medications.

If you have dry eyes, you can supplement the eye’s natural fluid with artificial tears solutions sold over the counter at stores or pharmacies. For certain dry eye conditions we may prescribe a drug like Restasis® to help relieve symptoms.