Nearsightedness - (Myopia)- Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition of the eye in which images are formed in front of the retina, resulting in a blurred image. This occurs when the eye is relatively too long or the refractive powers of the cornea and lens of the eye are relatively too strong. Myopia usually begins in childhood, and progressively worsens until adulthood is achieved, usually about 18 to 21 years of age. Glasses, or contact lenses with a “distance” prescription help to create clear images for people with Myopia.

Farsightedness - (Hyperopia)- Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when images are formed behind the retina, resulting in blurred vision up close. This is due to an eye that is relatively too short, or the refractive powers of the cornea and lens of the eye are relatively too weak. Depending on the degree of farsightedness and the age of the individual, some farsighted people may see clearly at both distance and near through the process of accommodation, or focusing of the lens in the eye. This may cause significant eyestrain, however, and accommodative abilities are gradually lost with aging. Glasses or contact lenses with a “near” or “reading” prescription will help to create clear images for people with Hyperopia.

Presbyopia - In infancy and childhood the natural lens of the eye is soft and pliable and is easily altered in shape by the muscles of the eye through a process called accommodation. Throughout life the lens of the eye gradually hardens, becomes less pliable, and progressively increases its resistance to change in shape. This leads to greater difficulty in focusing at near and, by the age of about 45 years of age, most people require reading correction, assuming their vision is corrected for distance. This condition is known as presbyopia.

Many patients complain that their "arms are too short", a statement that indicates accommodative powers are declining.

Most patients in the presbyopic age range will opt for a pair of bifocal glasses, though many other options are available. Bifocal glasses have the distance correction in the top of the lens and a near reading "add" power in the lower segment. This lower segment is the equivalent of a near magnifier, the power of which is related to both age and visual acuity. Those individuals who require little or no correction for distance may require only a pair of "reading glasses".

Astigmatism - The term astigmatism is used to describe a cornea that isn't round. Instead, it is shaped irregularly, like an egg, rather than being round, or spherical like a basketball. Like an egg, the astigmatic cornea has two curves: a steeper curve, and a flatter one 90 degrees away. These two curves bend light entering the eye, causing multiple images to form on the retina.

Patients with astigmatism may notice blurred or distorted images at distance or up close. Astigmatism may be present in various degrees and is corrected by glasses or contact lenses.

Glaucoma - A condition once known as "high pressure in the eye,” glaucoma now recognized as a group of diseases that is characterized by damage to the optic nerve, with consequent visual loss, initially peripheral, but potentially blinding if left untreated. Unfortunately, glaucoma is usually a disease in which the patient is entirely asymptomatic (without symptoms) until late in the disease.
Glaucoma affects 2 million Americans, and half of those people are unaware they have the disease. Approximately 5 to 10 million Americans have elevated eye pressure, which places them at risk for the development of glaucoma. Eighty thousand Americans are already blind from the disease.

Macular Degeneration - Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness in the elderly Caucasian population. This degenerative condition of the central retina (macula) affects primarily the central vision, leaving peripheral vision intact. AMD affects approximately 30% or more of the Caucasian population age 75 and greater. While no one knows the exact cause of this disorder, a genetic link has been made. There are two main types of Macular Degeneration. Dry Macular Degeneration is more common and less visually devastating, while Wet Macular Degeneration is less common, but is associated with more significant vision loss.

Ocular Migraine - The term "migraine" usually brings to mind a severe type of headache. However, visual disturbances with or without headache pain also can accompany migraine processes thought to be related to changes in blood flow in the brain. These visual problems, associated with migraines, are more commonly called ocular migraines. They may include an array of visual complaints including weird color patterns, scotomas (or areas of grayed or blacked-out vision), and visual distortions (waviness, dull gray afterimages, and "like looking through a glass of water").

Ocular migraines generally are considered harmless. They are typically painless, cause no permanent visual or brain damage, and usually do not require treatment. Nevertheless, always consult your eye doctor when you have unusual vision symptoms because it is possible that you have another condition requiring treatment.

Cataract - A cataract is an opacity or cloudiness in the natural lens of the eye. It is still the leading cause of blindness worldwide and represents an important cause of visual impairment in the United States. The development of cataracts in the adult is related to aging, sunlight exposure, smoking, poor nutrition, eye trauma, systemic diseases, and certain medications such as steroids.
Just as a smudged or dirty camera lens may spoil a photograph, opacity in the natural lens of the eye can result in a blurred image. Patients with cataracts usually complain of blurred vision either at distance, near, or both. This may interfere with tasks such as driving or reading. Other common complaints include glare, halos, and dimness of color vision.

The progression of cataracts is highly variable, however, they will invariably worsen in severity. Changing glasses may sometimes be useful in improving vision as the cataract progresses, since cataracts may induce relative nearsightedness. This is the answer as to why some patients with hyperopia (farsightedness) will actually have better vision without glasses in the early stages of cataract development. For most patients, however, changing glasses has minimal impact on overall visual quality. Besides changing glasses, the only other option for treatment of cataracts is cataract surgery.

Diabetic Retinopathy - Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of acquired blindness among Americans under the age of 65. The great majority of this blindness can be prevented with proper examination and treatment. The fluctuation of blood sugar, weakened blood vessel walls, and other factors can cause leakage of blood and fluid on to the back of the eye (retina). Diabetic retinopathy typically begins as small hemorrhages and if left undiagnosed/ untreated can lead to large areas of leakage, abnormal blood vessel growth, and even retinal detachment, which can seriously impact vision significantly, and lead to blindness.

Lazy Eye - Amblyopia is the clinical term for lazy eye. An amblyopic eye is anatomically normal, but visual acuity is poor - even with glasses. The extent of vision loss may range from very slight to severe.

Amblyopia occurs when an infant's or child's brain learns to suppress a blurred or double image, often caused by strabismus (an eye that turns in or out) or anisometropia (having one eye with a much larger refractive error than the other). Amblyopia develops sometime between birth and 8 or 9 years of age, the critical period when the visual system develops and matures. This problem must be identified and treated prior to 8 or 9 years of age, or the vision loss becomes irreversible. Generally, early treatment means a more rapid and complete recovery of visual acuity and development.

Pink Eye - Commonly thought to be any eye that has a reddish or pink color to the white part of the eye (sclera). Pink eye is a form of conjunctivitis or inflammation to the clear tissue that covers the white part of the eye. Proper diagnosis of the underlying cause will allow for the best treatment. The most common underlying causes of pink eye are: viral, allergic, and bacterial.

Viral Conjunctivitis - Viral conjunctivitis is usually secondary to the adenovirus. In many cases, onset follows an upper respiratory infection such as the common cold. A history of close contact with a family member or any other individual with a "red eye" is also commonly elicited. The affected patient usually presents with redness of one or both eyes, watery or scant mucus discharge, and generally good vision.
Treatment is usually limited to symptomatic therapy, much as one would treat the common cold.

Bacterial Conjunctivitis - Bacterial conjunctivitis typically presents with a red eye(s), purulent (pus) discharge, a gritty sensation, and occasionally sticking shut of the eyelids in the morning. Vision is not affected. Most conditions in the adult are secondary to staphylococcus (staph) or streptococcus (strep) infections. In children, the bacteria known as Hemophilus influenza may be causative. This bacterial infection is not related to the common flu, which is viral in nature.
In most cases of adult or childhood conjunctivitis, treatment with topical antibiotics is effective.

Allergic Conjunctivitis - Allergic Conjunctivitis nearly always presents with a primary complaint of itching. A stringy but scant mucus discharge, red eyes, and other allergic symptoms such as rhinitis (stuffy, runny nose), "scratchy" throat, and dry, hacking cough are commonly present. Vision is rarely affected. The diagnosis is confirmed by the lack of infectious signs on slit-lamp (microscopic) examination in the office.

Treatment is aimed at symptomatic control, which in many cases may be chronic. Depending on the degree of symptoms, many patients can be controlled with over-the-counter vasoconstrictor and antihistamine eye-drop combinations. If this is ineffective, or the symptoms are more severe, a mild steroid eye-drop medication may be utilized temporarily, with eventual substitution of a mast-cell stabilizer eye-drop medication. Mast cells are the cells responsible for release of histamine and other mediators of inflammation and, ultimately, are responsible for itching. Patients, whose symptoms can only be controlled with steroids, and require the medication chronically, must be monitored for potential increases in eye pressure and cataract development.

Dry Eye - Dry eye syndrome is an extremely common condition, thought to affect approximately 60 million Americans. The cause is usually unclear, but there appears to be an imbalance between tear production and tear volume drainage via the nasolacrimal ducts (NLD). The tear film is made up of a mucous layer against the eye, a middle aqueous (water) layer, and an outer lipid (oily) layer. All three components are critical to a normal tear film. If any of the three layers of the tear film are deficient, the eye may suffer symptoms of dry eye.

People with dry eye syndrome usually present with complaints of burning, stinging, redness of the eyes, and tearing. The tearing seems paradoxical at first, but is explained by the fact that an underlying dry eye may become irritated, perhaps sending a "signal" for increased tear production to "flush-out" the eye. This response is physiologically equivalent to the presence of a foreign body, such as a hair, in the eye. Tearing that becomes symptomatic usually occurs in conditions that more rapidly evaporate tears from the eye, such as being outdoors in the wind. Heat, low humidity, and the presence of smoke may compound the problem.