Fuchs corneal dystrophy affects the cornea, the clear window over the front of your eye. It causes swelling that leads to cloudiness, glare and increasing visual impairment. Women are slightly more likely than men to develop Fuchs. Onset usually happens after the age of 50; though early signs might start to become noticeable between the…
One of the leading causes of vision loss in people who are age 50 or older is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This common eye condition leads to damage of a small spot near the center of the retina called the macula. The macula provides us with the ability to clearly see objects that are straight…
Diabetes is a condition that involves high blood sugar (glucose) levels. This can affect many parts of the body, including the eyes. One of the most common diabetic eye diseases is diabetic retinopathy, which is also a leading cause of blindness in American adults. Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy includes several conditions that affect the light-sensitive…
Somewhere around the age of 40, most people’s eyes lose the ability to focus on close-up objects. This condition is called presbyopia. You may start holding reading material farther away, because it is blurry up close. Reading suddenly gives you eyestrain. You might wonder when manufacturers started putting such small print on everything. Symptoms of…
The only way to correct the clouded vision caused by advanced cataracts is surgical intervention. If you find yourself pursuing cataract surgery to remove one or both cataract-disease lenses, you may be wondering what surgical approaches are available for treatment. Although eye surgeons have successfully removed cataracts using manual surgical techniques for decades, new laser…
With cataract surgery, your ophthalmologist removes the cataract-diseased lens of your eye. The ophthalmologist then replaces your natural lens with an artificial one. The Procedure This outpatient procedure is generally safe and takes less than an hour. Your ophthalmologist will dilate your pupil with eye drops and administer local anesthetic eye drops. You may also…
Vitreoretinal surgery refers to a group of surgeries which take place inside the eye’s interior where the vitreous (gel-like material) and retina (photosensitive membrane) are located. Vitreoretinal procedures are either performed with traditional surgical tools or lasers, and address a range of ophthalmic issues including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, detached retina, macular hole, CMV retinitis,…
Myopia, or nearsightedness, means that your eyes can see close objects clearly but struggle to see things in the distance. Nearly 30 percent of Americans are nearsighted. This condition usually develops in children and teenagers, up to about the age of 20. A teacher or parent might notice a child squinting at the chalkboard or…
There are several types of refractive surgery available to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors, including: LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) Custom or bladeless LASIK Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) Laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) Epi-LASIK Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) Phakic Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) Refractive Lens Exchange (Clear Lens Extraction) Most of these procedures involve reshaping the curvature…
A normal cornea — the clear front covering of your eye — has a round curve, like a basketball. However, many people have an irregularly shaped cornea while others have an irregularly curved lens. Both cases can cause light that enters the eye to bend the wrong way, causing blurry vision. This disorder is called…