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Eye Care

Eye Anatomy and Conditions

Interactive Eye Disease Application
This is an educational tool for patients to observe what a healthy eye looks like with a detailed cross section of the human eye. Patients can select from eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. When a disease is chosen an animation explaining the disease appears on the screen, informing users about the nature of the disease, causes and other useful information.

Eye Conditions

Eye Anatomy

Conjunctiva
The thin moist tissue that lines the inner surfaces of the eyelids
and the outer surface of the outer eye (sclera).
Cornea
The clear outer covering of the eye known as the window of the
eye, it plays an important role in focusing images.
Lens
A transparent part of the eye that brings together rays of light,
allowing them to focus on the retina.
Pupil
In the eye, a round hole formed by the iris that regulates what light passes into the eye. Light must pass through the pupil to get to the retina.
Retina
The light sensitive part of the eye that detects images and transmits them to the brain through the optic nerve.
Sclera
The tough white outer layer of the eyeball. It helps to protect
the entire eyeball.

Amblyopia
A general term that denotes poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye, which cannot be corrected by eyeglasses or contact lenses; also known as ‘lazy eye’. It is the loss or lack of central vision (20/20) in one eye or the inability of the eye to focus accurately. Back to top.

Astigmatism
A common disorder in which distorted vision is caused by an uneven curvature one or more of the eye’s refractive surfaces (i.e. cornea or lens) is not spherical or symmetrical resulting in two different points of focus being formed in the same eye. Vertical but not horizontal lines are in focus, or vice versa. Diagonal lines may also seem out of focus. Astigmatism sometimes occurs in conjunction with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Depending on the severity of astigmatism, it may not be noticeable or it may cause just a slight blur in vision. If left untreated, astigmatism can cause eyestrain or headaches.  More serious degrees produce blurred and distorted vision (ghost images) for both distant and near objects. Astigmatism can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Refractive surgery may correct astigmatism, depending on severity. Treatment should always be discussed with a professional, call our office and schedule an appointment today. Back to top.

Blindness or Low Vision
Blindness affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over, or one in 28, according to a recent study. This figure is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. Back to top.

Cataracts
The lens of the eye is normally clear. When it becomes cloudy or opaque by thickened tissue, usually in old age, it is called a cataract . It usually develops gradually and without pain as the lens inside the eye loses transparency and the lens material yellows. This is often thought of as a part of the natural aging process. However, cataracts may also result from exposure to ultraviolet light, injury, medications, heredity, disease or birth defects. Cataracts prevent the lens from properly focusing light on the retina, at the back of the eye, resulting in a loss of vision.

As cataracts grow larger and cloud more of your lens, more noticeable symptoms will develop. These symptoms include cloudy or blurred vision, colors that seem faded, sensitivity to light and glare, poor night vision, dark spots or shadows, double vision and distorted images. These symptoms can also be a sign of other eye problems.

Cataracts are the leading cause of visual disability in people over 65. If the cataract blurs your vision severely enough to interfere with your daily routine, it is crucial that you speak with an eyecare professional immediately. At the onset of cataract formation, corrective lenses may help minimize the impact. However, the eye's internal lens may eventually lose so much transparency that surgical removal of the clouded lens is necessary to restore vision.Some medical treatments include surgical replacement of the natural lens with an artificial lens or implant. Cataracts are usually treated on an outpatient basis. Back to top.

Colorblindness
The term colorblindness suggests that "colorblind" individuals cannot see certain colors. However, inherited color blindness is a genetic condition in which an individual cannot distinguish between certain colors. It is normally diagnosed early on in children and occurs more often in males than females.
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Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
CVS is caused by our eyes and brain reacting differently to characters on the computer screen than they do to printed (written) characters. If you spend more than two hours each day in front of a computer screen you likely experience some symptoms of CVS. These may include headaches, loss of focus, dry eyes, fatigue, burning or tired eyes, double vision, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain. As our dependence on computers continues to grow, an increasing number of people are seeking medical attention for eye strain and irritation, along with back, neck, shoulder, and wrist soreness.

These problems are more noticeable with computer tasks than other near work because your computer screen projects images formed by tiny dots, called pixels which constantly change, forcing your eyes to constantly refocus. This constant adjustment caused strain on your eyes, causing your eyesight to become distorted or blurred. CVS can be caused from the glare of overhead lights, or poor lighting, dry eyes caused by infrequent blinking, focusing close for long periods of time, the screen may reflect glare or ultraviolet lights poor screen resolution, etc.

Computer Vision Syndrome can be treated with a pair of computer glasses, which are different from glasses used for other visual needs. CVS glasses allow your eyes to focus easily by reducing the glare on the computer screen. Other ways to deter the symptoms of CVS are to set up your work area in such a way that it is easy to view your computer screen, which should be straight in front of you, about 24 inches away from your eyes, and out of the suns glare. In addition, you may use a desk lamp to create a more focused light where you are working.
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Signs and Symptoms

  • Blurred near vision
  • Difficulty focusing from close to far and back again
  • Sore, irritated eyes dry eyes
  • Red eyes
  • Eye fatigue
  • Headaches that disappear after a period of rest
  • Irritation and discomfort while wearing contact lenses
  • Soreness and pain in the neck, shoulder and back.
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Detection and Diagnosis
It is important to provide our Eye Doctors with detail about your work environment, work habits, and detail about the symptoms and their patterns. Bring your prescription glasses with you so the Eye Doctors can determine if they are appropriate for computer work. Back to top.

Treatment
The three main areas that should be addressed when treating CVS patients are: eye-related problems, work environment and posture. Back to top.

Eye-Related Problems

  • Make sure the glasses are the correct prescription and designed for working at a computer. Patients who wear bifocals may find themselves keeping their head in an uncomfortable position in order to see the screen. Our Eye Doctors will determine the glasses best suited for the task, and if necessary, prescribe glasses with an adjusted bifocal height and width.
  • Blink frequently and instill artificial tears as needed. One of the biggest complaints of patients with CVS is dry, irritated, red eyes. This is common because we tend to blink less when reading.
  • Stop periodically and look away from the computer screen. Looking up relaxes the eye's focusing mechanism and reduces the problem of eye strain.
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Work Environment

  • Sit approximately 24" from the monitor. Sitting at the appropriate working distance from the computer screen maximizes the clarity of the text and images.
  • Adjust the monitor so the center is slightly below eye level. This keeps the neck in the most natural position and reduces soreness and fatigue.
  • Minimize glare on the screen. Arrange the lighting and desk to eliminate glare on the monitor. An anti-reflective coating on your eyeglass lenses or a screen placed over the monitor is helpful. Back to top.

Posture and Work Habits

  • Maintain good posture. Sitting up straight with your feet on the floor can reduce back stress. Use a cushion for the lower back if necessary.
  • Keep your wrists straight when typing. Avoid resting your wrists on the keyboard.
  • Place the mouse and keyboard at the same level, keeping them close to the body. The keyboard level should at a slightly lower level than the desk.
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Conjunctivitis
It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin transparent layer that lines the inner eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.
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Diabetic Retinopathy
Anyone with diabetes is at risk to develop diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy affects more than 3.6 million individuals to date.

High blood sugar associated with diabetes can damage the small blood vessels that nourish your eyes retina, the delicate, light sensitive lining of the back of the eye. These blood vessels may begin to swell and leak. This damage is called diabetic retinopathy. Early stages may cause blurred or dim vision, or they may produce no visual symptoms at all. As the disease progresses, you may notice a cloudiness of vision, blind spots or floaters in the field of vision. In fact, the longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to have retinopathy.

Uncontrolled Diabetes may lead to new blood vessel growth on top of the retina. These blood vessels can develop into scar tissue, pulling the retina away from the back of the eye. This can lead to blindness if untreated. Additionally, irregular blood vessels can grow on the iris, leading to glaucoma.

Everyone who has diabetes is at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. You may not notice any change in your vision in its early stages, which is why regular eye examinations are extremely important. If detected early on, Diabetic Retinopathy can be treated with laser therapy to stop blood vessels from leaking and end new blood vessel growth. If diabetic retinopathy has caused your body to form a cataract, it may be corrected surgically. Back to top.

Diplopia
Double Vision. Back to top.

Dry Eye Syndrome
One of the most common problems reported to eye doctors. Dry eye is a persistent lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye, causing irritation to ocular inflammation of the anterior (front) tissues of the eye. It occurs when your eyes lack the proper quality or quantity of tears.

Relentless burning in your eyes, dryness, and scratching are signs of dry eye syndrome, or you may have the feeling like there's something in your eye. Another symptom can be watery eyes because the excessive dryness can stimulate the reflex of watery component of your eye's tears. The Doctor may prescribe artificial tears to relieve the burning, dryness, and scratching.
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Floaters
Floaters are what appear to be small spots or fibers moving in your field of vision. But they are actually small clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye. They may look like strands, webs, specks, or other shapes, but they are shadows cast on the retina. Floaters are inside your eye, so they move with your eyes when you try to see them. You may see flashes of light, but these occur more in older people as the vitreous degenerates and pulls on the retina.

Most floaters are merely annoying, yet harmless, and many fade over time. However, if you suddenly see floaters, or if they are accompanied by flashes of light or peripheral vision loss, it could be a sign of serious condition such as a retinal detachment. The retina can tear or detach if the shrinking vitreous gel pulls away from the wall of the eye, causing bleeding in the eye that may appear as new floaters. Floating spots or flashing lights lasting more than thirty minutes is considered an emergency and requires immediate attention.
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Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the most common and severe eye disorders of people over 40. Glaucoma is an eye disease that gradually steals sight without symptoms, pain, or warning. Typically characterized by high pressure within the eye, either from abnormally high production of fluid or the passages that allow the normal fluid in the eye to drain become clogged and blocked. This results in the amount of fluid in the eye building up and causing increased pressure inside the eye. This increased pressure damages the retinal nerve fibers and the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve is part of your eye that transmits information between retina and brain. When the optic nerve is damaged, it results in less information sent to the brain and a loss in vision. Most, but not all types of glaucoma are characterized by elevated intraocular pressure, which is not the disease itself but the most important risk factor for the development of glaucoma.

Chronic glaucoma has many times been referred to as the ‘silent thief of sight’ as there are no warning signs. In glaucoma the initial vision loss is gradual and painless, starting with peripheral vision loss and gradually moving into more central vision loss (blindness).  Roughly half of Americans who have chronic glaucoma do not know it. Glaucoma reduces your peripheral vision so slowly, that once you notice it, permanent damage is done.

Acute glaucoma, can produce sudden symptoms such as, headaches, severe pain in and around the eyes, haloes around lights, red eyes, nausea, vomiting, and vision loss. These attacks may last for a few hours, and go away, then return again, each taking a part of your field of vision.
This is considered an emergency and requires immediate attention

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.  If left untreated permanent damage to the optic nerve and blindness will occur. There are 2.29 million American adults with glaucoma. Two million more may not know that they have the disease. At this time there is no cure for glaucoma. The best way to prevent vision loss from glaucoma is early diagnosis and treatment. Glaucoma is usually treated with eye drops and medications. Severe cases may require surgical correction.
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Hyperopia  (Farsightedness)
The opposite of myopia. Hyperopia is a vision condition, in which the eye focuses light rays behind, rather than on, the retina. This results in difficulty in seeing near objects clearly, while distant objects appear in focus or normal. This condition is the result of an eye that is too short, or a cornea has too little curvature, thus lacking the necessary refractive power to focus light correctly on the retina.

Adults and children who are farsighted may experience eyestrain or headaches. They may squint or feel tired when performing tasks at close range, such as reading and writing, the words appear blurred and fuzzy. Many children who are farsighted will pass school vision screening that measure distance.

Farsightedness can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.  You may need to wear your corrective all the time, or when doing tasks close up. Call our office and schedule an appointment today if you or your child is experiencing any of these symptoms. Back to top.

Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration, often called AMD, is a common cause of decreased vision in adults over 60 years of age. It is evident damage to the thinning retinal tissue, which is the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye, and deposits of yellowish matter (waste products) in the layers underlying the macula, the central point of focus in the retina. This causes degeneration of the nerve endings in the macula area, which includes the fovea (20/20 point). This condition currently affects two million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness in America.

The macula allows you to read, drive, and do other activities requiring fine, sharp, and straight-ahead vision. Without a healthy macula, seeing detail or vivid color is not possible.
There are two types of Macular Degeneration. The dry form, which is responsible for 90% of cases, involves the tissue of the macula becoming thin and stops functioning properly. This type is thought to occur as part of the aging process of the eye in some people. In the wet form, which is less common, fluids from newly formed blood vessels leak under the macula and cause significant vision loss.

Macular degeneration produces painless loss of vision which can occur slow or suddenly. Straight lines may look wavy, vision seems fuzzy, or there are shadowy areas in your central vision. These may be early signs of AMD.

An eyecare professional will often detect early signs of macular degeneration before you experience any of these symptoms.
There is no cure for macular degeneration, but prescription eyewear can sometimes improve vision and eye vitamins can slow down progression. Remember, early detection is the most important factor in determining if you can be treated effectively. Call our office and schedule an appointment today. Back to top.

Myopia (Nearsightedness)
The opposite of hyperopia.  Myopia is a vision condition in which the eye focuses light rays in front of, rather than on the retina, resulting in near objects being seen clearly and distant objects being blurred. Occurs if your eyeball is too long or the cornea has too much curvature, so the light entering your eye is not focused correctly. It is a very common vision condition that affects nearly 30% of the U.S. population.

Adults who are nearsighted often experience eyestrain or headaches, and might squint or feel fatigued when using the computer, driving or playing sports for example. Children who are nearsighted may complain of headaches, or you may notice them squinting when playing sports, or watching TV. They may do poorly at school because they cannot see the material on the blackboard clearly. Nearsightedness is a common problem that has a tendency to run in families and can affect girls and boys equally.

Nearsightedness may be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Nearsightedness can progress quickly in children, which is why regular eye examinations are important. Depending on the severity of your vision problem, you may need to corrective lenses all the time, or only when you need distance vision.

Call our office and schedule an appointment today if you or your child is experiencing any of these symptoms.

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Ocular Hypertension
An increase in the pressure in the eye that is above the range considered normal with no detectable changes in vision or damage to the structure of the eye. The term is used to distinguish people with elevated eye pressure from those with glaucoma. It can occur in people of all ages, but it occurs more frequently in African Americans, those over 40 and those with family history of ocular hypertension and/or glaucoma. It is more common in those who are nearsighted or have diabetes.
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Presbyopia (Aging Eyes)
Presbyopia is a condition in which the aging eye is unable to focus on near objects, thus the eye’s decrease in ‘accommodation’. It typically begins around age 40. A condition given when the crystalline lenses in the eyes lose flexibility and do not change shape as easily as they should. Presbyopia causes people to have increased difficulty with near vision and reading small print. When presbyopia develops, people may need to hold newspapers, magazines, books, etc, at arm's length to focus clearly. They may experience eyestrain or headaches work on projects close up.

Bifocal or progressive lenses may correct presbyopia. Reading glasses may also be an option. Unlike bifocals and progressives, which usually are worn all day, reading glasses are worn occasionally when during close work. Contact lens wearers may use bifocal contact lenses or reading glasses that are worn while their contacts are in. Regardless of ones prior vision correction needs, presbyopia is considered a normal and almost inevitable part of the aging process. Back to top.

Retinal Detachment
A separation of sensory retina from underlying pigment epithelium disrupts visual cell structure and disturbs vision.
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Strabismus
A misalignment of the two eyes, in which they point at different positions, also known as ‘crossed eyes’. One or both eyes turn in, out, up or down, independent of the other eye. The condition in which binocular fixation is not present under normal seeing conditions, for example, the line of sight of one eye does or does not intersect the other at the object of fixation. Strabismus is more common in children and eyeglasses, vision training, and/or surgery can correct it. Back to top.

Eye Wear
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