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Retinal Detachment: Definition, Symptoms, and Treatment

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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.

Sources:

Retinal Detachment

Uveitis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Uveitis is a inflammatory condition of the middle layer of the eye, the uvea, which provides most of the blood supply to the retina. Similar to arthritis of the joints, Uveitis is not an infection, but rather an inflammation.

While, in most cases, the cause is idiopathic, Uveitis can be associated with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, infection, exposure to toxins, bowel and abdominal inflammation, and even trauma. The whole body is connected and sometimes an injury to a completely unrelated area of your body, like your back, can trigger Uveitis.

Signs and Symptoms

Uveitis symptoms may develop rapidly, affecting one or both eyes, and can include:

•          Blurred vision

•          Dark, floating spots in the vision

•          Eye pain

•          Redness of the eye

•          Sensitivity to light

Forms of Uveitis

Uveitis is the third-leading cause of blindness in developed countries, behind Cataracts (#1) Glaucoma (#2).

The most common form of Uveitis is Anterior Uveitis, also called Iritis, which involves inflammation in the front part of the eye. The disorder may affect one eye or both eyes and is most common in young and middle-aged people.

Posterior Uveitis, also referred to as Choroiditis, affects the back part of the uvea and primarily involves the chorid, which is a layer of blood vessels under the retina. If the retina is involved, it is called Chorioretinitis.

The final form of Uveitis is Pars Planitis, which is an inflammation affecting the area just behind the iris. This particular type of Uveitis occurs primarily in young men.

Treatment

Treatment for Uveitis involves the use of steroid eye drops, though additional treatments may be helpful, including: wearing dark glasses, using eye drops that dilate and relax the pupil to relieve pain, using oral steroids, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin.

With proper treatment, most cases of Uveitis are resolved in a few days or, more commonly, a few weeks. However, relapses are common.

Call your eye doctor immediately if you are suffering from blurry vision or any of the other previously mentioned symptoms. Your doctor may refer you to an eye specialist.

Eye pain and reduced vision are serious symptoms that require prompt medical attention from you optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

Sources:

PubMed Health

Uveitis Mayo Clinic

Corneal Disease: Explanation, Symptoms, and Treatment

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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. You can also try using Valtrex. Valtrex (Valacyclovir) is an antiviral medication used to treat infections caused by certain viruses. It helps the body fight infection by slowing the growth and spread of the herpes virus. It is used to treat shingles (caused by herpes zoster), genital herpes, and cold sores around the mouth. Valtrex is also a treatment for cold sores in children over the age of 12 years old and as a chickenpox medication in children who are over the age of 2 years. Read the full article here: anti-viral-meds.com

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

What is a Cortical Cataract and how is it Treated? :: Cataracts Awareness Month

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As part of Cataracts Awareness Month, we at Anne Arundel Eye Center are trying to spread awareness about the different types of cataracts. So far, we have covered the Warning Signs of Subcapsular Cataracts, as well as The Signs and Sypmtoms of Nuclear Cataracts. And this week, we are going to focus on a third type of cataracts, Cortical Cataracts.

What is a Cortical Cataract?

Each type of cataract develops in a specific portion of the lens. A cortical cataracts forms in the shell layer of the lens, known as the cortex, and gradually extends its spokes from the outside of the lens to the center.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Cortical Cataracts?

The different types of cataracts each present themselves with different signs and symptoms. The signs and symptoms associated with cortical cataracts include:

  • Vision loss
  • Blurred vision or blurry vision
  • Glare
  • Difficulty driving at night
  • Double vision involving one eye (monocular diplopia)

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

What are the Common Treatment Options for Cortical Cataracts?

While there are no scientifically approved medications designed to cure cataracts, there are several treatment options available, including:

  • Prescription Glasses: Since cortical cataracts can result in decreased visual acuity, glasses may be prescribed to make up for the vision loss. However, this is only a short term solution as the cortical cataract continues to develop. Eventually, glasses will cease to be an effective method of treatment. When this happens it is probably time to consider cataract surgery.
  • Cataract Surgery: When glasses fail to make up for the vision loss caused by a cortical cataract, cataract surgery may be your best option to restore your sight. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure and involves the eye surgeon removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.

A consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable Ophthalmologist will help determine if you have cataracts and, if necessary, guide you through your cataract treatment options.

To learn more about Cortical Cataracts and Proper Eye Health, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrist Dr. Nathan Frank, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or by contacting us.

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, 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.

Vision problems may be a natural part of aging. Losing your vision doesn’t have to be.

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, and YouTube!

Sources:

What Are the Treatments for Cortical Cataracts?

Cortical Cataract Symptoms

 

The Signs and Symptoms of Nuclear Cataracts :: Cataracts Awareness Month

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There are several types of cataracts, each affecting vision in its own distinct manner. Last week, we outlined the Warning Signs of Subcapsular Cataracts. This week, we are going to address a different type of cataract, the Nuclear Cataract.

What is a Nuclear Cataract?

A nuclear cataract is the most common type of cataract, beginning with a gradual hardening and yellowing of the central zone of the lens, also known as the nucleus. Over time, this hardening and yellowing will expand to the other layers of the lens.

What Causes a Nuclear Cataract?

Nuclear cataracts typically develop as the result of aging. This is why a nuclear cataract is sometimes referred to as an age-related nuclear (ARN) cataract.

Signs and Symptoms of Nuclear Cataracts

  • Nuclear cataracts result in the hardening and yellowing of the nucleus of the lens.
  • Nuclear cataracts cause light to scatter when it passes through the lens, decreasing the amount of light that reaches the retina.
  • When a nuclear cataract first develops, it can bring about a temporary improvement in your near vision, called “second sight.”
  • Nuclear cataracts interfere with a person’s ability to see objects in the distance.
  • Nuclear cataracts may make it more difficult to drive at night.
  • Nuclear cataracts can result in the loss of color discrimination ability.
  • Nuclear cataracts can result in monocular diplopia, which is double vision in only one eye.
  • Nuclear cataracts may induce other eye problems, such as myopia.

If left untreated, these symptoms will increase in severity, eventually leading to severe vision loss that can only be restored through surgery.

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

A consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable Ophthalmologist will help determine if you have cataracts and, if necessary, guide you through your cataract treatment options.

To learn more about Nuclear Cataracts and Proper Eye Health, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrist Dr. Nathan Frank, and the eye care specialists at Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or by contacting us.

Located in Annapolis, Maryland, 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.

Vision problems may be a natural part of aging. Losing your vision doesn’t have to be.

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, and YouTube!

Sources:

Cataract Types

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