Common Eye Problems:
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It is a disease that typically affects older people, but it can occur at any age. Loss of vision is preventable if the disease is detected early and treatment is started.
The eye has about 1 million tiny nerve fibers which run from the back of the eye to the brain. These nerve fibers allow us to see. Glaucoma is a disease which causes the destruction of these fibers. It was once thought that the loss of these fibers was due to strictly to high pressure in the eye. But now it is known that even patients with normal eye pressure can have glaucoma and loss of these nerve fibers.
In many patients, the disease is not noticed in the early stages, because there is no pain and no noticeable change in vision. Early detection by an eye doctor is the key to the prevention of vision damage from glaucoma. Routine eye examinations are recommended.
Types of Glaucoma:
The reason that eye pressure is high in many glaucoma patients is that the drainage system in the eye is not working properly. The fluid in the eye, called aqueous humor, does not flow out of the eye as quickly as it should. The drainage system lies in a part of the eye called the angle, which is between the outer layer and the iris of the eye. This angle can be open or closed.
There are several kinds of glaucoma. The most common form of glaucoma is called chronic open angle glaucoma. The drainage angle is open in these patients, but the eye fluid does not drain as quickly as it should. Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle closes, and almost no eye fluid can escape. During closed-angle glaucoma, eye pressure can get very high and there is pain. Angle closure glaucoma is an emergency and must be treated immediately. If the high pressure is allowed to continue for too long, blindness can result.
Some persons are more likely to have glaucoma. These include persons who are older, have nearsightedness, have a family history of glaucoma, have had past eye injury, have diabetes or have a past history of vascular shock. Also, African-Americans are 6 times more likely to have the disease.
Glaucoma is treated with eye drops that lower the eye pressure. If the pressure does not fall to a low enough level with drops, then surgery may be necessary. Glaucoma surgery opens up the drainage system in the angle so that the eye fluid can flow more freely.
Macular Degeneration
The macula is the tiny central part of the retina which is responsible for fine detail vision and for color perception. Macular degeneration is a disease of this very important portion of the retina. It usually affects both eyes, but often begins in one eye.
In many cases, patients are not aware of macular degeneration in one eye, because the other eye compensates for the weaker one. The most common symptoms include difficulty reading, seeing up close or distorted lines. It occurs most often in people over fifty years of age. If you notice a dimness of vision in one or both eyes or if straight lines appear distorted, you should see an eye doctor immediately. There is no cure for macular degeneration, but recent research suggests that certain vitamins and nutrients may slow the progress of the disease in certain patients. If the disease is advancing, laser surgery can be also be used to slow the disease.
If you are over fifty, have your eyes examined regularly. If you have symptoms, report them to your eye doctor immediately before the disease progresses too far.
Ocular Migraines
The classic migraine is a severe headache, which in some instances may be accompanied by nausea. Ocular migraines are visual disturbances in which visual images look gray or have a wavy appearance. They almost always occur in only one eye. Other common symptoms are loss of vision, particularly in one eye, and increased sensitivity to bright lights. The visual distortion, when it occurs, normally starts in central vision and then moves off to one side.
The ocular migraine can occur either in conjunction with the common migraine or without the corresponding headache. Generally, when it accompanies the common migraine, the visual disturbances happen before the onset of headache symptoms. In younger people with common migraine, it is typical for the ocular migraines to also occur. As people age, it becomes more common to experience ocular migraines without headache symptoms.
In general there is no serious complications caused by ocular migraine. Treatment, in most instances, is not necessary unless the ocular migraine is linked to the common migraine.
