Diseases & Conditions We Look For
At your comprehensive eye exam, we will thoroughly evaluate your eye health for any signs of disease, including cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.
Cataracts clouds the lens of your eye, which is normally clear. The condition is quite common as you age, but if it goes untreated, it can cause poor vision. People with cataracts may notice blurry vision, similar to looking through a foggy window.
In the early stages, cataracts can often be managed with stronger eyeglass lenses. As the disease progresses, it can interfere with daily activities like driving and reading. When this occurs, cataract surgery is often recommended for treatment.
Glaucoma is a progressive disease that causes damage to the optic nerve. The damage is often caused by high pressure in the eye, but this is not always the case. Normal-tension glaucoma, for example, causes optic nerve damage without high pressure.
The most common form of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, is caused by an increase in intraocular pressure. The pressure increases gradually, meaning the vision loss it causes is also gradual and often goes undetected without regular eye exams.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 60. It’s caused when the central portion of the retina, the macula, wears down over time. It is most commonly associated with aging, although some forms of macular degeneration can occur in children.
The two main types of AMD are dry AMD and wet AMD. The chance of developing dry AMD increases when deposits, called drusen, form on the macula. As they accumulate, they can distort your vision and lead to wet AMD if left untreated. Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels grow from underneath the macula. These abnormal blood vessels leak blood and other fluid onto the retina, distorting your vision, and eventually leading to central vision loss.
