Ocular Disease and Special Testing

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. Pink eye treatment is usually focused on symptom relief, cleaning your eyelids with a wet cloth and applying cold or warm compresses. In some cases, medication is prescribed.

Chalazia And Styes are two common eyelid conditions. A chalazion results from a blockage of one or more of the small oil producing glands that are found in the upper and lower  eyelids. A stye is a red, painful lump caused by an infection of oil glands in the eyelid. Both chalazia and styes can be treated using warm compresses and ointments. Severe cases may require in-office treatment.

Dry Eye is most often a result of the eyes’ natural aging process, but can also be a result of health, environmental or other factors. This condition is chronic, and typically progressive. Unfortunately dry eye cannot be cured, but your eyes’ sensitivity can be lessened with over-the-counter or prescription eye drops and other therapeutic treatments to manage the underlying cause.

Curtains, Flashes And Floaters usually appear when the eye’s vitreous break loose. It is normally not cause for worry, but any sudden onset of many new floaters, flashes of light or a curtain should be promptly evaluated by your eye doctor to determine if a torn retina or retinal detachment has occurred. Treatment options may include laser treatment and surgery through co-managment with our ophthalmologist.

Diabetic Eye Disease can seriously affect vision and if left untreated can cause blindness, making early diagnosis and treatment essential. Moderate to severe diabetic retinal disease treatments range from lasers to intravitreal injections.

In collaboration with your primary care provider, our clinicians may assist with medication reconciliation, as well as helping you make healthy diet and nutrition choices.

Glaucoma is actually a group of related disorders that cause damage to the optic nerve. In its early stages you may not notice any symptoms. The exact cause of glaucoma is not known, it cannot currently be prevented and it is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. But, if detected at an early stage and treated promptly with eye drops or minor surgical procedures, glaucoma can usually be controlled with little or no further vision loss.

Macular Degeneration is the deterioration of the part of the eye that controls visual acuity or central vision — affecting your ability to read, recognize faces, drive and any other visual task requiring you to see fine detail. There is no cure for macular degeneration, but some treatments can help delay progression. The best treatment is preventative, including vitamin supplements, eating healthfully and not smoking.

Cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. At first, the cloudiness in your vision may affect only a small part of the eye’s lens, but as the cataract grows larger, it clouds more of your lens and distorts the light passing through the lens. This may lead to more noticeable symptoms. When prescription glasses or contact lenses can’t clear your vision, the next step in treatment for cataracts is surgery.