Common Symptoms and Conditions
Click on each symptom/condition to learn more about it.
- Astigmatism [-]
- A common visual condition in which light entering the eye is unable to be brought to a single focus, resulting in blurry vision at all distances. This is usually caused by the eye being shaped more like a football (oval) than a baseball (round).
Symptoms can include blurred/distorted vision, headaches, and/or eye strain/fatigue. This is usually treated with glasses and/or contact lenses.
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- A common visual condition in which light entering the eye is unable to be brought to a single focus, resulting in blurry vision at all distances. This is usually caused by the eye being shaped more like a football (oval) than a baseball (round).
- Cataracts [-]
- The clouding of the lens can be due to many factors, but most common risk factors include excessive sun exposure that accumulates since childhood, cigarette smoking, certain medications, certain medical conditions, injury, and/or hereditary factors.
The effects include glare (especially at night), feeling of film over eyes, blurred/hazy vision, and decreased color perception. When daily activities are affected, we will co-manage with an ophthalmologist to have the cataracts removed, resulting in clearer vision with decreased need of glasses or contacts.
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- The clouding of the lens can be due to many factors, but most common risk factors include excessive sun exposure that accumulates since childhood, cigarette smoking, certain medications, certain medical conditions, injury, and/or hereditary factors.
- Diabetes [-]
- Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot make or use insulin to break down the sugar in the bloodstream thus resulting in high levels of sugar in the blood. Visual symptoms can include fluctuating/blurring of vision, double vision, night vision problems, and flashes and floaters.
Diabetic changes to the eye can result in cataracts, glaucoma, decreased corneal sensitivity and diabetic retinopathy (a weakening or swelling of retinal blood vessels that can lead to blood leakage or growth of new blood vessels that could lead to blindness if not detected and treated).
We recommend that all diabetics be dilated every year.
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- Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot make or use insulin to break down the sugar in the bloodstream thus resulting in high levels of sugar in the blood. Visual symptoms can include fluctuating/blurring of vision, double vision, night vision problems, and flashes and floaters.
- Dry Eye Syndrome [-]
- The eyes normally produce tears to ensure overall eye health and clear vision. Symptoms of dry eyes can occur as a result of normal aging process, certain environmental conditions, certain medications, and certain medical conditions.
Symptoms can include itching, burning, scratchy, feeling of "something in eyes", pain, and/or watery eyes.
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- The eyes normally produce tears to ensure overall eye health and clear vision. Symptoms of dry eyes can occur as a result of normal aging process, certain environmental conditions, certain medications, and certain medical conditions.
- Eye Allergies
- Eye Infections [-]
- Red? Discharge? Itchy? Pain?
We can treat most types of eye infections with eye drops, ointments, and/or pills depending on the cause of infection.
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- Red? Discharge? Itchy? Pain?
- Glaucoma [-]
- A silent blinding disease that affects the optic nerve (the main carrier of visual information to the brain). When the optic nerve gets damaged, the amount and quality of information sent to the brain decreases and a loss of vision occurs (usually affecting the peripheral vision and can progress to the central vision if not detected and treated, thus leading to permanent blindness).
There are several types of glaucoma, but the most common type is primary open angle glaucoma. High risk factors include: a family history of glaucoma, diabetics, and African-Americans.
Detection includes tonometry (also known as the air puff test) to measure the eye pressure, visual field to measure the degree and sensitivity of retinal function, and evaluation of the optic nerve usually through a dilation.
If detected early and treated properly, glaucoma can be controlled with little or no visual loss. Request a visual field screening and a dilation!
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- A silent blinding disease that affects the optic nerve (the main carrier of visual information to the brain). When the optic nerve gets damaged, the amount and quality of information sent to the brain decreases and a loss of vision occurs (usually affecting the peripheral vision and can progress to the central vision if not detected and treated, thus leading to permanent blindness).
- Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) [-]
- This is the loss or lack of development of vision that is unrelated to any eye health problem. Normally, the images sent to the brain from each eye are identical but if the images differ too much (whether it is from strabismus (crossed eyes), unequal refractive error (farsightedness or nearsightedness), or physical obstruction of vision (cataract), then the brain learns to ignore the poor image sent by one eye and only "sees" with the "good eye".
The vision of the eye that gets ignored becomes weaker from disuse. Since the good eye takes over, the child usually is unaware of the condition, so it is crucial that all children get a comprehensive eye exam prior to starting school as the critical developmental period for the eyes usually stops by the age of eight.
Thus, the earlier the diagnosis, the greater the chance of restoring the vision to the weaker eye. Treatment can include corrective lenses, prisms, contact lenses, patching the better eye to stimulate the weaker eye and/or vision therapy.
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- This is the loss or lack of development of vision that is unrelated to any eye health problem. Normally, the images sent to the brain from each eye are identical but if the images differ too much (whether it is from strabismus (crossed eyes), unequal refractive error (farsightedness or nearsightedness), or physical obstruction of vision (cataract), then the brain learns to ignore the poor image sent by one eye and only "sees" with the "good eye".
- Macular Degeneration [-]
- This is an eye disease in which the macula is affected and is the leading cause of vision loss among people over the age of 50. Since the macula is responsible for your best central vision, macular degeneration affects the central vision.
There are two types: dry (tissue of macula becomes thin and stops functioning properly) and wet (results when fluids leak from newly formed blood vessels under the macula leading to reduced central vision; this form is usually rapid and severe).
Patients that are in higher risk: a family history of macular degeneration, over the age of 50, Caucasian, current smokers, and excessive sun exposure. Thus, we recommend good sun protection, stopping use of tobacco, supplements and a low-fat diet rich in green leafy vegetables to aid in slowing down of progression of dry macular degeneration.
Request a visual field screening and a dilation!
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- This is an eye disease in which the macula is affected and is the leading cause of vision loss among people over the age of 50. Since the macula is responsible for your best central vision, macular degeneration affects the central vision.
- Spots and Floaters [-]
- Spots, threadlike strands, or cobwebs that appear in our vision are usually due to proteins and matter that become trapped during formation of eye before birth and remain in the vitreous (jelly-like fluid in the back of eye), or to age-related deterioration of eye fluid, or certain injuries/diseases.
It is important to have a dilated eye exam as soon as possible if you see floaters especially if you notice flashes of light, a shower of floaters, and/or a curtain or veil falling over your vision as this could mean a retinal detachment.
A retinal detachment could lead to permanent reduced or even blindness in a matter of days.
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- Spots, threadlike strands, or cobwebs that appear in our vision are usually due to proteins and matter that become trapped during formation of eye before birth and remain in the vitreous (jelly-like fluid in the back of eye), or to age-related deterioration of eye fluid, or certain injuries/diseases.