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ALLERGIES
An allergy is an overreaction by the immune system by normally harmless subjects called allergens. Most people will suffer from at least one allergic reaction at some point in their life.
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The most common allergens are pollen, dust mites, pet dander, insect venom and food. When a person encounters an allergen for the first time the immune system mistakenly believes the allergen is a threat and responds by producing anti-bodies to fight them.
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These allergic reactions occur because the body produces white blood cells, which bind together to create mast cells. When the body is re-exposed to the same allergen, the mast cell releases chemicals to fight the allergen and protect the body. This results in an allergic response, which can range from uncomfortable to dangerous.
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Symptoms may include red, watery and itchy eyes, a runny or stuffed nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, a sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightening, and in severe cases, an asthma attack.
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While there is no cure, there are ways to prevent or relieve allergy symptoms, such as avoiding specific allergens, taking medication, or immunotherapy.
DRY EYE
Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears, or have a poor quality of tears. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults.
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With each blink of the eyelids, tears are spread across the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea. Tears provide lubrication, reduce the risk of eye infection, wash away foreign matter in the eye, and keep the surface of the eyes smooth and clear.
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Excess tears in the eyes flow into small drainage ducts, in the inner corners of the eyelids, which drain in the back of the nose. Dry eyes can result from an improper balance of tear production and drainage.
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People with dry eyes may experience symptoms of irritated, gritty, scratchy, or burning eyes, a feeling of something in their eyes, excess watering, and blurred vision. Advanced dry eyes may damage the front surface of the eye and impair vision.
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The development of dry eyes can have many causes including age, gender, medications, medical conditions, environmental conditions and more.
Dry eyes can be a chronic condition, but your eye doctor can prescribe treatment to keep your eyes healthy, more comfortable, and prevent your vision from being affected. Specific treatments aim to restore or maintain the normal amount of tears in the eye to minimize dryness and related discomfort and to maintain eye health. If you believe you are suffering from dry eye syndrome, make an appointment with Harper Family Eye Care today.
CONJUNCTIVITIS
Conjunctivitis can be either an irritation or an infection of the membrane that covers the white of the eye and the inside lining of the eyelid. It has become commonly known as "pink eye" due to the significant blood vessel inflammation that can occur.
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Allergies and other irritants like air pollution, eye make up, and contact lenses cause irritation conjunctivitis. Infection conjunctivitis has two categories—viral and bacterial. The viral type usually accompanies a cold, fever, sore throat, or flu and is characterized by eye redness and a watery discharge. The bacterial type presents with eye redness, a mucous like discharge, and is usually caused by a staph or strep bacteria.
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Some bacterial and viral pinkeye can easily be passed between people, and it is common for children to experience this type of conjunctivitis. The symptoms are generally mild and do not pose a serious threat to eye health, but conjunctivitis in newborns should be addressed by a doctor right away to help ensure no vision loss occurs.
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Conjunctivitis is treated differently depending on the cause. Most cases can be successfully treated with antibiotics, eye drops, or ointments.
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The doctors at Harper Family Eye Care are trained and equipped to make the correct diagnosis of the type of conjunctivitis. In some cases, symptoms can progress to more serious eye condition and vision damage so professional evaluation is important.
RETINAL TEARS AND DETACHMENTS
Retinal tears and detachments are conditions where the inner lining of the eye called the retina is damaged. The retina is a layer of tissue that’s light-sensitive and sends visual information through the optic nerve to the brain. If damaged, this layer of tissue can eventually detach from the inside of the eye, causing permanent vision loss.
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A retinal tear describes a small break in this lining. Retinal tears can have many causes and can happen at any age. Retinal tears can be treated with laser surgery or an advanced “freezing” process. Both of these treatment options attempt to keep the retina in place and keep it from fully detaching.
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Retinal detachment describes a much larger separation of the retina tissues and although it is not exclusive to older people, it’s more common in those over age 40. If detected with an eye exam early enough, retinal detachment can be treated with the procedures used for some tears, or with a more intricate surgery that uses gas to push the retina together with the wall of the eye to allow
for reattachment.
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Aging, eye trauma, eye surgery, or being drastically nearsighted may cause retinal tears or detachments. Symptoms of these retinal conditions may include seeing flashes or floaters, sudden blurry vision, and seeing an area of dark vision.
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An eye exam is very important when these symptoms occur as permanent eyesight loss may occur if the retina problem is not treated in a timely manner.
CATARACTS
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. The condition can lead to a decrease in vision if clouding develops enough to obstruct your view. Left untreated, it is the most common cause of blindness in the world.
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Cataracts are conventionally treated with surgery. Visual loss occurs because opacification of the lens obstructs light from passing through and being focused on to the retina at the back of the eye.
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The most commonly cause of a cataract is biological aging and over exposure to ultraviolet light. Seeing through a cataract is similar to looking through a foggy window. People with cataracts commonly experience difficulty in appreciating colors and changes in contrast, driving, reading, recognizing faces, and coping with glare from bright lights.
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While there is no way guaranteed way to avoid a cataract, wearing everyday eyewear and sunglasses that block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays can slow the onset, as well as decreasing exposure to direct sunlight.
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Cataracts do not need to interfere with your lifestyle. If you are concerned you may be suffering from a cataract, call our office today to schedule an eye health evaluation.
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If you have questions regarding cataracts, call our office or ask our doctors at your next appointment. Make sure you are scheduling yearly eye exams to look for potential symptoms and risk factors of cataracts and other threats to your vision.
GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma is a complicated disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss and is the second leading cause of blindness.
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The most common form of glaucoma occurs when the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time. The inner eye pressure, also called intraocular pressure, or IOP, rises because the correct amount of fluid can’t drain out of the eye. With this most common form of glaucoma, the entrances to the drainage canals are clear, and should be working correctly. However, the clogging problem occurs further inside the drainage canals (similar to a clogged pipe below the drain of a sink).
Other forms of the disease that are less common include severe infection, trauma or injury, inflammatory conditions, other types of eye surgery, or a blocked blood vessel.
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Most people have no symptoms and no early warning signs. If open angle glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can cause a gradual loss of vision. This type of the disease develops slowly and sometimes without visible sight loss for many years. It usually responds well to medication, especially if caught early and treated.
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People with glaucoma rarely experience symptoms, but each day, their vision becomes less and less clear. For this reason, routine eye examinations are more important than ever to help identify symptoms. Your eye doctor can detect elevated pressure within the eye, which can cause damage to the optic nerve that carries images to the brain. Left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness.
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While anyone can develop glaucoma, a higher risk is associated due to family medical history, individuals over 40 years of age, diabetics, individuals of African or Mediterranean descent, as well as those who have experienced an eye injury or trauma.
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes and is the leading cause of blindness in American adults.
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It is an ocular manifestation of diabetes, a systemic disease, which affects up to 80 percent of all patients who have had diabetes for 10 years or more. The longer a person has diabetes, the higher his or her chances of developing
diabetic retinopathy.
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Despite these intimidating statistics, research indicates that at least 90% of new cases could be reduced by preventative monitoring during regular eye examinations and proper treatment.
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There are multiple forms of diabetic retinopathy, and only your doctor can determine your particular form. With one form, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In another, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina.
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In the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, many do not notice a change to their vision because there are little to no symptoms. If an eye doctor does not catch the disease early, one could sustain mild blurriness at near or in the distance, as well as floaters. In severe cases a sudden loss of vision may occur.
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Unfortunately, Diabetic Retinopathy can result in permanent damage that cannot be reversed. However, if caught in time, prescribed treatments may slow development and prevent vision loss.
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If you have diabetes and are concerned about diabetic retinopathy, schedule an appointment with us for a comprehensive eye exam and be sure to include it on your patient history form.
MACULAR DEGENERATION
Age-related macular degeneration, often referred to as AMD, is a medical condition which usually affects older adults. This vision stealing disease is a result of degeneration to the macula, and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in "dry" and "wet" forms and is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in adults. Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
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The "dry" form of advanced AMD, results from atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelial layer below the retina, which causes vision loss due to the damage of photoreceptors, also known as rods and cones, in the central part of the eye.
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The "wet" form of advanced AMD, causes vision loss due to abnormal blood vessel growth, ultimately leading to blood and protein leakage below the macula. Bleeding, leaking, and scarring from these blood vessels eventually cause irreversible damage to the photoreceptors and rapid vision loss if left untreated. Fortunately, only about 10% of patients suffering from macular degeneration have the “wet” type.
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Macular degeneration is not painful, which may allow it to go unnoticed for some time. For this reason, regular eye examinations are important.
The good news is that regular eye exams, early detection and new treatment options, enable doctors to maintain and in some cases, increase visual acuity patients.
BLEPHARITIS
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. Redness, swelling, styes, cysts, and flaky crusts at the eyelid margin characterize it. Symptoms include scratchy, swollen, tender, and irritated eyes. The disease can be caused by various bacteria and be chronic or acute in presentation. People with skin conditions such as rosacea, acne, and eczema are more prone to having flare ups. Poor facial hygiene can also be a contributing factor.
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There are various types of blepharitis. Anterior blepharitis occurs on the outside of the eye, and you can see redness, swelling, and possibly crust near the line of the eyelashes. Posterior blepharitis happens nearer the inside of the eyelid where it contacts the eye. Posterior blepharitis can be due to problems with the lubricating meibomian glands inside the eyelids.
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Treatment options are abundant and include over the counter remedies and prescription eyedrops and ointments. Occasionally, minor eyelid surgery is necessary to remove cysts when topical treatments are unsuccessful. Blepharitis, in some cases, requires ongoing treatment. Eyelid hygiene can help maintain eye comfort and appearance. Routine care includes frequent face washing, cleaning the scalp, eyelid scrubs, and occasionally doing a soak or warm compress.
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Our doctors will diagnose the specific type of blepharitis during an
eye exam.
