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• Cataracts
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Dry Eye
• Floater and Flashes
• Glaucoma
• Macular Degeneration

What is diabetic retinopathy?

If you have diabetes mellitus, your body does not use and store sugar properly.  High blood-sugar levels can damage blood vessels in the retina.  The damage to retinal vessels is referred to as diabetic retinopathy.

What are the types of diabetic retinopathy?

There are two types, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

How is diabetic retinopathy diagnosed?

A medical eye examination is the only way to find any changes in your eyes.  An ophthalmologist can often diagnose and treat serious retinopathy before you are aware of any vision changes.  The ophthalmologist will dilate your pupil and examine the inside of your eye with an ophthalmoscope.

If your ophthalmologist finds retinopathy, color photographs of the retina or a special test called fluorescein angiography will be ordered to further evaluate your eye condition.

What is Dry eye?

Some people do not produce enough tears to keep the eye comfortable and healthy, this is known as dry eye.

Tears are produced by two methods.  One method produces tears at a slow, steady rate and is responsible for normal eye lubrication.  The other method produces large quantities of tears in response to irritation or emotions.

Lubricating tears are constantly produced by healthy eyes.  The eye produces excessive tears when irritated by a foreign body, dryness, or when crying.

What causes dry eye?

Production of tears normally slows down as we age.  Although dry eye occurs in both men and women, women are most often affected, especially after menopause.

Dry eye can also be associated with other problems such as Sjogren's syndrome.

Many common medications, prescription and over-the-counter, can cause dry eye by reducing tear secretion.  Be sure to tell your doctor the names of all medications you are taking, especially if you are using diuretics, beta-blockers, antihistamines, sleeping pills, medications for "nerves", or pain relievers.  When those medications are necessary, the dry eye condition may have to be tolerated or treated with artificial tears, but be careful, the preservatives in certain eyedrops and artificial tears can irritate the eye.  Special preservative-free artificial tears may be better for you to use if that is a problem.

What are the symptoms?

Usual symptoms of dry eye include:

• stinging or burning;
• scratchiness;
• excessive mucus in or around the eyes;
• reduced tolerance to smoke or wind;
• excess tearing;
• difficulty wearing contact lenses.

How is dry eye treated?

There are various methods of treating dry eye aside from the use of artificial tears.  You should discuss your condition with your doctor, who will make a recommendation for you.

What are floaters?

Floaters are tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid filling the inside of your eye. Floaters can have different shapes: little dots, circles, lines, or cobwebs.

While floaters appear to be in front of your eye, they are actually floating inside. What you see are the shadows they cast on the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and allows you to see.

What can be done about floaters?

Floaters can get in the way of clear vision, which can be quite annoying, especially if you are trying to read or do some type of close work. You can try moving your eyes, looking up and down to move the floaters out of your field of vision. The good news is that many floaters will fade over time and become less bothersome.

What causes flashing lights?

When vitreous gel rubs or pulls on the retina, you may experience what looks like flashing lights or lightning streaks. The flashes can appear off and on for weeks or months. It is more common to experience flashes as we grow older, but if you notice the sudden appearance of light flashes, you should see your doctor immediately to see if the retina has been torn.

Some people experience flashes of light that appear as jagged lines or "heat waves" in both eyes, often lasting 10 to 20 minutes. These types of flashes are usually caused by migraine, a spasm of blood vessels in the brain. If a headache follows the flashes, it is called a migraine headache. Sometimes jagged lines or "heat waves" occur without a headache and in this case it is called ophthalmic migraine.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, the part of the eye that carries images to the brain. The optic nerve is made up of many nerve fibers. When pressure inside the eye increases, damage to the optic nerve fibers may occur, causing blind spots to develop. These blind spots usually go undetected until the optic nerve is significantly damaged. If the entire nerve is destroyed, blindness results.

What causes glaucoma?

Clear liquid, the aqueous humor, normally circulates inside the front portion of the eye. A small amount of the aqueous humor is produced constantly, replacing an equal amount that flows out of the eye through a microscopic drainage system, thereby maintaining a constant level of pressure in the eye.

The eye is a closed structure and if the drainage area for the aqueous humor, the drainage angle, is blocked, then the excess fluid cannot flow out. Fluid pressure will then increase in the eye, pushing against the optic nerve and potentially causing damage.

What are the different types of glaucoma?

Chronic open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma in the U.S. The risk of developing chronic open-angle glaucoma increases with age. The drainage angle of the eye becomes less efficient over time and pressure within the eye gradually increases, which can damage the optic nerve. Chronic open-angle glaucoma damages vision so gradually and painlessly that you are normally not aware of trouble until the optic nerve is already damaged.

Angle-closure glaucoma. Sometimes the eye's drainage angle becomes completely blocked. In the eye, the iris may drop over and completely close off the drainage angle.

When eye pressure builds up suddenly, an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack occurs. Symptoms may include:

• blurred vision;
• severe eye pain;
• headache;
• rainbow-colored halos around lights;
• nausea and vomiting.

• Medications
• Laser surgery
• Surgery in the operating room

What is Macular Degeneration?

It is an eye condition in which the macula, the area in the retina responsible for central and detail vision, is damaged. 

What types of Macular Degeneration are there?

• "Dry" Macular Degeneration is the most common type, usually progressing slowly, causing central vision loss.
• "Wet" Macular Degeneration is the more severe form of MD and may progress rapidly, causing significant central vision loss.

• Blurred or fuzzy vision
• Straight lines or lines of print may appear wavy
• A blind spot in the center of vision

• Have regular eye examinations by your ophthalmologist, who is specially trained to detect many vision-threatening conditions before you are even aware of them. The earlier the condition is detected, the better the chances of preventing vision loss.
• Protect your eyes from frequent or prolonged UV light exposure, using sunglasses that block at least 99 percent of UV light rays when outdoors.
• Recent studies have demonstrated that high levels of zinc and antioxidants can play a role in slowing down the progression of MD. Ask your doctor about supplements.