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Retinal Detachment: Definition, Symptoms, and Treatment

December 1, 2018 by Anne Arundel Eye Center 1 Comment

A retinal detachment refers to a separation of the retina – the light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye – from its supporting layers. This serious medical condition is typically caused by trauma, diabetes or an inflammatory disorder.

Symptoms of Retinal Detachment

• Flashes of light (Especially in peripheral vision)

• Blurred/blurry vision

• Floaters in the eye. Also referred to as shadows or spots

• Blindness in a portion of the visual field

The sudden and dramatic appearance of these symptoms is a strong indication that the retina is either tearing or detaching. If you feel you may be experiencing any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately. Any sudden change in your vision is a serious medical condition that requires prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Treatment of Retinal Detachment

Most cases of retinal detachment require one of the following surgeries.

• Freezing (cryopexy): The application of intense cold to the area with an ice probe to form a scar, which holds the retina in place.

• Laser Surgery (photocoagulation): This is used to seal the tears or holes in the retina.

• Pneumatic Retinopexy: The placing of a gas bubble in the eye to help the retina float back into place. Then a laser is used to fix the retina in place.

More extensive cases require more invasive procedures, including:

• Scleral Buckle: This is done to indent the wall of the eye, relieving the tugging of the vitreous on the retina.

• Vitrectomy: This is done to remove gel or scar tissue that may be pulling on the retina.

If you have any questions about what you have just read or if you would like to learn more about your various treatment options, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

Led by Dr. Boles, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers comprehensive specialized ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

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Retinal Detachment

Flashers and Floaters in the Eye: What are They and What do They Mean?

November 22, 2018 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

As we age, the eye’s gel-like vitreous begins to dissolve and liquefy, creating a watery center. Occasionally some un-dissolved vitreous particles will float around the now watery center, appearing as spots or what we refer to as floaters.

Floaters in the eye are a fairly common, harmless apparition that will generally fade away in time. Yet, while these floaters are typically common, they can be the first signs of a more serious medical condition, such as retinal detachment.

If you ever see a shower of floaters (spots) accompanied by flashes of light (photopsia), then you should seek immediate medical attention. The sudden and dramatic appearance of these symptoms could indicate that the retina is either tearing or detaching.

Retinal detachments and retinal tears are both emergency conditions that require immediate medical attention. An eye surgeon must reattach or repair the retina to prevent permanent vision loss from occurring.

So if you see floaters in your eye, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – at your earliest convenience. Any change in your sight is a serious medical condition that requires prompt attention. If these symptoms appear rapidly and include flashes of light, call your eye doctor right away.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

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Eye Floaters, Flashes and Spots

Corneal Disease: Explanation, Symptoms, and Treatment

October 10, 2017 by Anne Arundel Eye Center 1 Comment

Your cornea – the clear, protective outer layer of the eye – not only protects your eye from dirt and germs, but also plays a key role in your vision. As light enters the eye, it is focused or refracted by the shape of the cornea. If your cornea sustains damage through disease, infection or injury, the resulting scar tissue can interfere with your vision by blocking or distorting light as it enters your eye.

There are several different conditions including infections, degenerations and other disorders that affect the cornea. These include:

Astigmatism: Caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, astigmatism is a refractive error in which the eye has trouble focusing light. Astigmatism is the most common form of corneal problem. Treatment typically involves the use of glasses or contacts.

Corneal Abrasion: Caused by trauma to the eye, a corneal abrasion refers to a scratch on the outer layer of the eye. It is the second most common form of corneal distress. Treatment traditionally involves patching of the eye, though newer bandage contact lenses are beginning to see more use. These allow people to stay functional during the healing process.

Keratits: This form of corneal disease is an inflammation of the cornea that occurs with viral, bacteria or fungal infection. Symptoms of keratitis include severe eye pain, reduced visual clarity, and discharge.

Ocular Herpes (Herpes of the Eye): Similar to cold sores on the lip, this reoccurring viral infection produces sores on the surface of the cornea that, in time, can spread deeper into the cornea and eye. There is no cure for ocular herpes, but it can often be controlled with the use of antiviral drugs.

Herpes Zoster (Shingles): This is actually a recurrence of the chickenpox virus, since most of us have already had the disease. Symptoms of Herpes Zoster include blisters or lesions on the cornea, fever, and pain from inflamed nerve fibers.

Corneal Dystrophies

There are over 20 of these diseases that cause structural problems with the cornea. The most common forms include:

Keratoconus: This is a progressive disease in which the cornea thins and even changes shape, creating either mild or severe distortion (astigmatism) and nearsightedness (myopia).

Map-Dot-Fingerprint Dystrophy: As the basement membrane of the epithelium of the cornea grows irregularly, abnormalities resembling maps, dots and fingerprints form in the cornea. While this form of corneal disease is mostly painless and causes no vision loss, epithelial erosion may occur, exposing the nerves lining the cornea and causing severe eye pain.

Fuchs’ Dystrophy: Seemingly happening for no apparent reason – although you may have a genetic predisposition to the disease – Fuch’s Dystrophy involves the gradual deterioration of endothelial cells. As these cells thin, they can no longer remove water from the corneal stroma. This causes the stroma to swell and distort vision.

Lattice Dystrophy: This disease is characterized by the presence of abnormal protein fibers throughout the stroma. This can result in the clouding of the cornea and reduced vision and in rare cases, epithelial erosion.

Symptoms of Corneal Disease

The cornea has the ability to quickly repair itself after most injuries or diseases. However, more serious situations may result in a much more prolonged healing process. If this is the case, the following symptoms should serve as an immediate indicator of a deeper medical issue:

Eye pain
Blurred/blurry vision
Tearing
Redness
Extreme sensitivity to light
Corneal scarring

If you feel you may be experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately. Any sudden change in your vision is a serious medical condition that requires prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Although corneal disease resulting from hereditary factors cannot be prevented, infectious corneal disease caused from bacteria and viruses can be avoided. You should never share eye makeup, contact solution, lens cases, and eye drops with anyone as this may increase the risk of infection.

However, if you do contract some form of corneal disease, vision can be preserved through early detection and treatment. This is just another reason why regular eye exams are so important.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

Led by Dr. Boles, the Anne Arundel Eye Center offers complete ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. Specializing in glaucoma and cataracts, Dr. Boles has helped restore and preserve thousands of patients’ vision.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

Sources:

Your Cornea: Conditions, Symptoms and Treatments

Nonrefractive Vision Problems, like Glaucoma and Cataracts, are on the Rise

December 13, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

According to a recent study published in the December 12^th issue of the Journal of American Medical Association, nonrefractive vision problems are on the rise in the United States, increasing in prevalence by 21% since 1999. Common nonrefractive vision problems include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts. Unfortunately, these vision problems cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses.

$Nonrefractive Vision Problems$

A nonrefractive vision problem is one that is caused by an underlying medical condition, like diabetes.

“The increasing diabetes prevalence in the U.S. is leading to more vision loss,” said researcher David S. Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH. “The number of people who have had diabetes for more than 10 years has more than doubled in the last six or seven years.”

“We have to recognize that this is a large public health problem so we can start developing methods to deal with it,” he added.

If you or a loved one has diabetes or is at risk of developing diabetes, it is important to have your eyes checked frequently. This will help you catch many of these nonrefractive vision problems early enough to prevent any serious vision loss.

“Certainly people need to be aware of the risks of getting nonrefractive vision impairment down the road,” said Alan N. Carlson, MD. “If there is a family history of certain diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetes, you should be seen more regularly by an eye doctor to make sure these diseases are caught earlier when they are much more treatable.”

To learn more about Nonrefractive Vision Problems, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Source: Vision Problems rising rapidly in the US WebMD

Eye Care FAQs: Am I at Risk for Developing Cataracts?

October 19, 2012 by Anne Arundel Eye Center Leave a Comment

Unfortunately, everyone is at risk for developing cataracts. It is a normal part of aging. As we grow older, our eyes undergo natural wear and tear, resulting in the clouding of the eye’s lens, better known as cataracts. In fact, nearly half of all adults will develop cataracts by age 80. There are several factors, however, that can increase one’s risk of developing cataracts. These risk factors include:

Aging: As we have already mentioned, aging is a major factor for cataracts.

Genetics: If you have a family history of cataracts, you are more likely to develop cataracts, yourself.

Diabetes: The high blood sugar (glucose) associated with Diabetes can damage the lens of the eye, making individuals with Diabetes more susceptible to cataracts.

Smoking: Smoking can lead to the formation of chemicals called free radicals, which can damage the eye’s lens.

Infections during Pregnancy: Certain infections during pregnancy, like rubella or chickenpox, can put the infant at risk for developing cataracts before birth.

UVB Exposure: Ultraviolet B (UVB) has been linked to cataract development.

Steroid Medication: High doses of steroids or long-term use can increase one’s risks for cataracts.

Signs and Symptoms of Cataracts

Blurred or blurry vision

Yellowing (clouding) of the eye’s lens

Difficulty with night vision

Sensitivity to light

“Halos” around lights

Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription

Fading or yellowing of colors

Double vision in only one eye

If you feel you may be experiencing any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor – ophthalmologist or optometrist – as soon as possible. But do not worry. Cataracts are very treatable.

Cataract Treatment

If the symptoms of cataracts persist, surgery is an excellent option for most individuals. Cataract surgery is a quick outpatient procedure involving the replacing of the damaged or clouded lens with a new synthetic lens. The surgery typically only takes about 10 minutes and most patients can resume their everyday activities in very little time. Many can even drive a few days following cataract surgery.

Plus, cataract surgery has the highest success rate of any surgery practiced today.

To learn more about Cataracts or Cataract Surgery, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, our state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.

You can also follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Sources:

Cataracts – What increases your risk?

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