Whitehouse Optometrists

Eye Diseases

Eye diseases are quite rare although they become more common as we age. Many serious eye diseases have mild symptoms and the potential to cause serious damage if not identified and treated appropriately. Some people with serious eye diseases don’t realise they have a problem before significant and irreversible damage has occurred.

Everyone should have a checkup from an optometrist or ophthalmologist every two years. Your optometrist may recommend more frequent checks if you’re at higher risk.

If you suspect you have a eye disease contact us as soon as possible as early treatment can have a significant impact on the course of the disease.

We provide preventive eye care to reduce the risks of eye diseases.

Types of Eye Diseases

Age-related Macular Degeneration

AMD damages the part of the retina responsible for central vision. People with AMD experience a loss of central vision and have difficulty seeing detail. If both eyes are affected reading, using a computer and other tasks requiring close vision can become very difficult. Side vision is not affected by AMD which means that even in severe cases where central vision is lost some vision remains.

AMD is the result of ageing processes in the eye. Layers of the retina thicken and waste material, normally removed by the eye’s natural processes, is deposited. This distorts the retina causing damage to other layers of the retina. In about ten per cent of cases new blood vessels grow into the macula. These vessels are weak and often leak blood into the retina where scar tissue forms. In these cases central vision is severely blocked.

Other forms of macular degeneration are inherited and not associated with ageing.

Diabetic Retinopathy

About seven per cent of the Australian population over 25 years of age have diabetes, increasing to about 24 per cent of people over 75 years of age. Diabetic retinopathy affects up to 80 percent of all patients who have had diabetes for 10 years or more. Despite these intimidating statistics, research indicates that at least 90 per cent of these new cases could be reduced if there was proper and vigilant treatment and monitoring of the eyes. Optometrists play a fundamental role in diagnosing these conditions in their early stages when they respond best to treatment.

Diabetes causes a weakening of the focusing ability of the eye. The effects can vary from day to day but vision improves when blood-glucose levels are well controlled.

Far more dangerous however, are the changes to the retina that may occur after several years of diabetes. Initial changes, known as non-proliferative retinopathy, have no impact on vision and can only be detected with an ophthalmoscope. If left unchecked, this can develop to proliferative retinopathy which has severe impacts on vision and leads to blindness.

It is important to get your eyes tested regularly. Even if vision loss has commenced, there are often treatment options available, provided that the condition is detected as early as possible.

Cataract

Cataracts are cloudy areas that form in the lens of the eye. People with cataracts experience hazy vision as the opacities in the lens scatter the light the same way a dirty camera lens blurs a photo. Cataracts may also have impacts on appreciating colors and changes in contrast, driving, reading, recognizing faces, and coping with glare from bright lights Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness.

Some cataracts are caused by injury, exposure to toxic materials but mostly they occur as a result of long-term exposure to ultraviolet light and as part of the process of ageing. Cataracts may also occur in children as a result of genetics or as a result of rubella infection during pregnancy.

Usually cataracts affect both eyes simultaneously but development often varies between eyes. Cataracts can be treated effectively, if you have any questions about cataracts talk to your optometrist.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition in which the nerve cells which transmit information from the eye to the brain become damaged. This damage prevents information travelling to the brain if left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. The symptoms of glaucoma include a progressive loss of vision as the nerve cells become increasingly damaged.

The exact causes of glaucoma are not known but glaucoma is often associated with a build-up of pressure in the eye. A healthy eye is filled with fluid which is constantly replaced. If this fluid is produced in excessive quantities or if the drainage of this fluid is obstructed eye pressure can increase. In some forms of glaucoma eye pressure can become extremely high, in others it remains normal.

Damage caused by glaucoma is often irreversible and some types of glaucoma progress very slowly with symptoms only becoming noticeable at an advanced stage. It is important to have regular eye tests as glaucoma can be effectively treated if caught early. Glaucoma is detected in a standard eye test at an optometrist.

Pterygium

A pterygium (pronounced ter-idge-ee-um) is a triangular-shaped lump of tissue with blood vessels that grows from the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the white of the eye) on to the cornea (the clear central part of the eye). A pterygium normally grows very slowly but if left untreated can cause serious vision problems. Symptoms include; intial distortion of vision, eyelid inflammation and as it continues to grow, a dramatic reduction of vision. Pterygia often occur in both eyes simultaneously.

The risk for the development of pterygia is particularly high in hot, dry environments in which the eye is exposed to a lot of ultraviolet radiation. In Australia, pterygia are more common among surfers, farmers and those who spend a lot of time outdoors. People who live in rural environments are 5 times more likely to develop pterygia than those who live in urban environments but anyone can develop pterygia. Pterygia can be identified in an eye examination and can be effectively treated.

Suffering any of these issues or you think you should get checked out? Make an appointment with Whitehouse Optometrists today!

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Eye Diseases

Types of Eye Diseases

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