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When the normally clear lens within your eye becomes cloudy or opaque, it is called a cataract. Cataracts vary from extremely small areas of cloudiness to large opaque areas that cause a noticeable loss of vision. They most often develop in people over 55, but can occasionally be found in younger people, including newborns.
Many factors can contribute to the development of cataracts. Chemical changes can occur within the lens in your eye and cause it to become cloudy. This may be due to advancing age or it may be the result of heredity, injury, or disease.
Many patients are unaware that they have or are developing cataracts. Visual function, however, may decline due to cataract formation and this can affect everyday activities. Blurred distance vision, increased glare from oncoming headlights, poor vision while reading (especially in dimly lit situations), and a gradual loss in color saturation all may signify the onset of cataracts.
It is important to have your eyes examined regularly for cataracts and other eye disorders.
Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve which is the nerve that carries visual information to our brain and allows us to see. Damage to the optic nerve at any point along the pathway can result in blind spots that may go undetected until much of the optic nerve has been lost.
Glaucoma is an eye disease in which internal eye pressure increases enough to damage the optic nerve fibers and cause vision loss. The increase in pressure happens when the passages that normally allow internal fluid (aqueous) drainage become clogged or blocked. The reasons that the passages become blocked are still unclear. Interestingly, some people develop glaucoma even with relatively normal eye pressures.
Since most cases of glaucoma cause no pain and only affect your vision after significant damage has already been done, it is important to have your eyes examined regularly. Glaucoma can be treated and managed effectively, but early detection is paramount.
During a complete eye health and vision examination, the doctor puts eye drops into the patient's eyes to dilate the pupils. Then, he or she looks inside the eyes with an instrument called an ophthalmoscope that lights and magnifies the retina and its blood vessels. Without dilation, the view into the eye is limited and will not allow for proper examination of the eye’s interior. With the eyes dilated, however, the view into the eye is much less impeded by the iris, and the retina and other structures can be viewed more easily and much more thoroughly.
Routine dilation is essential for proper examination of the eye. Without it, certain eye diseases may go undetected which can seriously affect the health of your eyes and the quality of your vision. In addition, some systemic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure may also be detected during a dilated retinal exam.
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Traditionally, during the course of an eye exam, the doctor will make notes and draw sketches in the patient record to illustrate or document certain ocular findings. Most of the time these notes and sketches are adequate, but at times even the best sketch artist fails to capture what can be imaged digitally by using a retinal, or fundus, camera.
There are certain diseases of the retina that are more easily diagnosed and followed when successive photos are compared to one another. In addition, some findings during the course of a routine exam and dilation require documentation which can often be done more accurately by imaging the retina digitally and transferring those images directly to the patient’s record. Although fundus photography is not part of the routine eye exam, new patients as well as patients with a history of retinal disease should have this procedure done at their first exam in our office. The eyes do not have to be dilated for this procedure, although most patients will be dilated anyway. It is painless and takes only a minute or two to perform.
The retinal images are a permanent part of your record and as such, can be viewed at any subsequent exam, sent to your primary care physician if requested, and can even be printed out and given to you to take home and keep as part of your own records.
Macular degeneration (a.k.a. AMD) is a common eye disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. In some people, AMD advances so slowly that it will have little effect on their vision as they age. But in others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Aside from possible links to a gene deficiency, the exact causes of age-related macular degeneration are still unknown. Risk factors for AMD include having a family member with AMD, smoking, high blood pressure, lighter eye color, farsightedness, and obesity. Some researchers believe that over-exposure to sunlight also may be a contributing factor in development of AMD, but this theory has not been proven conclusively. High levels of dietary fat also may be a risk factor for developing AMD.
Many researchers and eyecare practitioners believe that certain nutrients — zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamins A, C and E — help lower the risk for AMD or slow down the progression of dry AMD. Benefits of high levels of antioxidants and zinc for halting or slowing development of macular degeneration have been widely reported based on results released in 2001 from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) conducted by the National Eye Institute.
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