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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

An Overview of the Different Types of Glaucoma

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The term Glaucoma actually refers to a group of eye conditions that lead to intraocular pressure (IOP) and damage the optic nerve, the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. This pressure comes from a buildup of normal fluid called the aqueous humor, which is naturally and continuously produced in the front of your eye.

The different types of glaucoma include:

  • Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: Affecting around one percent of all Americans (mainly those individuals age 50 or older), it is the most common form of glaucoma. And because this form of glaucoma develops slowly, it rarely ever presents any symptoms and often goes undetected without regular screenings.
  • Normal Tension Glaucoma: Also known as Low-Tension Glaucoma, this form is characterized by progressive optic nerve damage and visual field loss with a statistically normal IOP. The lack of blood flow and the decrease in oxygen to the optic nerve is directly related to this form of glaucoma.
  • Angle-Closure Glaucoma: This form of glaucoma is related to narrow angles. And with several subcategories – including Intermittent and chronic Acute Angle-Closure or Narrow Angle-Closure – this form affects nearly 500,000 Americans, but is most common in people of Asian descent or those individuals with farsightedness (hyperopia). Unlike POAG where the IOP increases gradually, Angle-Closure Glaucoma is characterized by a sudden increase in IOP, often in only a matter of hours. This dramatic increase in IOP can cause severe eye pain, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision and headache. An acute attack is an emergency condition. Long-term effects of Angle-Closure Glaucoma include: scarring of the trabecular meshwork, resulting in chronic glaucoma; cataracts; damage to the optic nerve; permanent vision loss.
  • Pigmentary Glaucoma: This form is a type of inherited open-angle glaucoma, which develops more frequently in men than in women and is most prevalent in individuals in their twenties and thirties. Pigmentary Glaucoma is associated with near-sightedness (myopia).
  • Trauma-Related Glaucoma: A blow to the eye, chemical burn, or penetrating injury may lead to the development of either acute or chronic glaucoma.
  • Childhood Glaucoma: Also referred to as Pediatric Glaucoma, the approach to treatment is slightly different than with glaucoma in adults and almost always requires immediate surgery to relieve IOP. Approximately 80-90 percent of babies who receive prompt surgical treatment, long-term care, and monitoring of their visual development will do well, and may have normal or nearly normal vision for their lifetime. However, if the disease is not caught early more permanent vision loss will result.

The most common symptoms of glaucoma include:

  • Vision loss (most commonly tunnel vision – the gradual loss of peripheral or side vision)
  • Severe eye pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sudden onset of visual disturbance
  • Blurred or blurry vision
  • Halos around lights
  • Reddening of the eye

If you feel you may be experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor immediately. These symptoms are serious and require prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

However, many people do not experience any symptoms until they begin to lose their vision. At this point, the damage is irreversible. This is why regular eye exams are so important. While there is no cure for glaucoma, early detection and treatment are your best options to slow or even prevent further vision loss brought on by the disease. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss.

Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of vision loss in the United States behind only cataracts.

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 or click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today!

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

Sources:
Types of Glaucoma GlaucomaFoundation.org

Back to School Eye Exams

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Back to School Eye Exams

According to ThinkAboutYourEyes.com, five to 10 percent of preschoolers and 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems. However, many of these go undetected because children are often unable to articulate when and if they have an issue. This is because many children are actually unaware of the problem themselves, having lived with these issues their entire lives. Quite simply, these children do not know what normal vision looks like. This is why the American Optometric Association has compiled a list of warning signs to help detect potential eye problems in children. These warning signs include:

  • Sitting close to the TV

  • Squinting

  • Excessive blinking

  • Holding reading materials close to the face

  • Tilting their head

  • Rubbing the eyes frequently

  • Failure to maintain eye contact

  • Turning of an eye in or out

  • Inability to maintain a gaze (fixation) while looking at objects

  • Sensitivity to light

  • Difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination

  • Avoiding coloring activities, puzzles, and other detailed activities

  • Poor eye tracking skills

  • Delayed motor development

If you notice any of these warning signs, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – as soon as possible. Early identification of a child’s vision problem is crucial. Yet, nearly 50 percent of parents with children under the age of six have never taken their child to the eye doctor, according to ThinkAboutYourEyes.com. Perhaps even more surprising, 60 percent of parents don’t feel eye exams are an essential part of a child’s healthy checkup schedule, and 50 percent believe on children who need glasses/contacts should regularly see an eye doctor. However, if left undetected many childhood vision problems can be mistakenly diagnosed as a learning disorder, or worse, can eventually cause permanent vision loss. This is why the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommend the following:

  • Newborn: It is recommended that all newborns undergo a red reflex test, which is a basic indicator that a baby’s eyes are normal.

  • Infant: A second vision screening is recommended between six months and one year old.

  • Preschooler: It is recommended to have a child’s eye alignment and visual acuity tested between the ages of 3 and 4.

  • School age: It is important to have a child’s vision tested upon entering school or whenever a vision problem is suspected.

Eye exams for children are important for normal vision development and academic achievement, as vision is closely linked to the learning process.

The Anne Arundel Eye Center

The Anne Arundel Eye Center, led by board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. Staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals, AAEC’s state-of-the-art treatment center is dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

Schedule an Appointment Today!

As part of our comprehensive medical evaluation, we will be happy to provide you with a referral to an optometrist or ophthalmologist who can fit you for glasses or contacts or provide Lasik services.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Samuel Boles, Dr. Nicole Kershner, Dr. Kathryn Turner, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010. AAEC is staffed by caring and knowledgeable professionals who will help guide you on your healing journey.

The Link between Vision Loss and Depression

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According to a new study published in the March 7 edition of the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, individuals with depression are more likely to have self-reported vision loss. After analyzing 10,000 adults over the age of 20 who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2008, taking a number of factors like age, sex and general health into consideration, researchers determined there was a significant association between self-reported vision loss and depression. The rate of depression was calculated to be about 11% among people with self-reported vision loss and about 5% among those who did not report vision loss.

“This study provides further evidence from a national sample to generalize the relationship between depression and vision loss to adults across the age spectrum,” said Dr. Xinzhi Zhang, of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and his colleagues in a JAMA Ophthalmology journal news release. “Better recognition of depression among people reporting reduced ability to perform routine activities of daily living due to vision loss is warranted.”

The study did not show if vision loss or depression causes the other.

Vision Loss

Comprehensive Ophthalmic Eye Exams from the Anne Arundel Eye Center

Preventing vision loss and preserving your sight begins with regular eye exams by your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles and the eye care specialists at the Anne Arundel Eye Center have helped preserve thousands of patients’ vision. Let us help you too! We offer comprehensive ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care. The Anne Arundel Eye Center and its caring staff are dedicated to making the best eye care accessible to everyone.

If you have any questions about our blog, “The Link between Vision Loss and Depression,” or wish to schedule an appointment, please contact Dr. Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists at the Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!

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

Source:

Vision Loss and Depression may be linked WebMD

 

Vision Problems in Children: August is Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month

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According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), 1 in 4 school children have vision problems. And with the new school year right around the corner, now is the perfect time to have your child’s eyes examined. This is why the Prevent Blindness America Association has named August Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.

Children’s Eye Health Checklist

Because children do not know what normal vision looks like, they are often unable to articulate the problem to their teachers or parents. This is why the American Optometric Association has compiled a list of warning signs to help detect potential eye problems in children. These warning signs include:

  • Sitting close to the TV
  • Squinting
  • Holding reading materials close to the face
  • Tilting their head
  • Rubbing the eyes frequently
  • Turning of an eye in or out
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination
  • Avoiding coloring activities, puzzles and other detailed activities

If you notice your child displaying any of the above warning signs of vision problems, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor – optometrist or ophthalmologist – at your earliest convenience. The early detection and treatment of vision problems is the best way to help preserve your child’s sight. This is why regular checkups with eye doctor are so important.

In fact, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommend the following exams:

  • Newborn: It is recommended that all newborns undergo a red reflex test, which is a basic indicator that a baby’s eyes are normal.
  • Infant: A second vision screening is recommended between six months and one year old.
  • Preschooler: It is recommended to have a child’s eye alignment and visual acuity tested between the ages of 3 and 4.
  • School age: It is important to have a child’s vision tested upon entering school or whenever a vision problem is suspected.

Eye exams for children are important for normal vision development and academic achievement, as vision is closely linked to the learning process.

To learn more about Children’s 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 click here to visit AnneArundelEyeCenter.com.

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, Google+, and YouTube as well!

Sources:

August Awareness: Children’s Eye Health & Safety Awareness

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