Our top priority is the care of your eyes. We want to help you keep your eyes healthy for decades through regular eye health evaluations, communication, and education. This page lists a few of the most common eye diseases. Select from the following list of topics or scroll to learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments for:

Conjunctivitis	Diabetic Retinopathy	Dry Eye Syndrome
Glaucoma	Macular Degeneration	Retinal Detachment

Blepharitis

There are two types of blepharitis. Seborrheic blepharitis is often part of an overall skin condition called seborrhea, which may also affect the scalp, chest, back and the area behind the ears. The second form of blepharitis, staph blepharitis, is a more severe condition, caused by bacteria, that may begin in childhood and may continue through adulthood.

Causes
Hormones, nutrition, general physical condition, and even stress may contribute to seborrheic blepharitis. Build-ups of naturally occurring bacteria contribute to staph blepharitis.

Symptoms
Blepharitis could be described as dandruff of the eyelids. Seborrheic blepharitis results in redness of the eyelids, flaking and scaling of eyelashes, and greasy, waxy scales caused by abnormal tear production. Staph blepharitis can cause small ulcers, loss of eyelashes, eyelid scarring, and even red eye.

Treatment
Careful cleaning of the eyelids can reduce seborrheic blepharitis. Application of warm compresses several times daily can also help. Staph blepharitis may require antibiotic drops and ointments.

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. As we age the natural lens inside the eye begins to yellow, then become cloudy. Light has trouble coming in and you have trouble seeing out. This is a cataract.

Symptoms
A person with cataracts may encounter faded colors, problems with light (such as halos, or headlights that seem too bright), poor night vision, double vision, and/or blur distance and near.

Treatment
Your eye doctor can detect the presence of cataracts through a thorough eye exam, including a visual acuity test and dilation of the pupils. Treatment is surgical removal of the cloudy natural lens and implant of a clear artifical lens. Your doctor will give you details about the procedure when the time comes. The time for cataract surgery is when the cataracts are affecting your activities of daily living, such as driving, reading, working or hobbies.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, is a redness of the eye and may occur for a variety of reasons including bacteria, virus, allergy, or autoimmune disorder. It may be accompanied by a discharge (clear, yellow, or white), itching, discomfort, sensitivity to light, and/or reduced vision in the eye.

Prevention and Treatment
Some types of conjunctivitis, including bacterial and virul, are highly contagious. To avoid spreading conjunctivitis, wash your hands often, do not touch the infected area with your hands, do not share wash cloths or towels (put a roll of paper towels near sinks for hand drying after hand washing), and avoid using makeup which may become contaminated. A child with pink eye should be kept from school for a few days. Your doctor may need to prescribe antibiotic eye drops and ointments to treat conjunctivitis.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition associated with diabetes. Poorly controlled blood sugar causes damage to the fragile small blood vessels of the retina. These blood vessels may become weak, and may leak, causing bleeding and damage to the retina. Also, in more serious cases new, weak, blood vessels may begin to grow, causing a cascade of problems in the retina.

Symptoms
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:

Blurred or darkened vision
Fluctuations in vision, sometimes associated with fluctuations in blood sugar
Dark spot in vision
And more

Risk Factors and Treatment
If you have diabetes, make sure you control your blood sugar level. This will reduce your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, call immediately for an appointment. If diagnosed early, diabetic retinopathy may be treatable.

Dry Eye Syndrome

If your eyes are constantly itchy or dry, you may have dry eye syndrome, which affects millions of Americans. Dry eye syndrome is caused by a lack of tears, or poor tears. Tears lubricate the outer layer of the eye called the cornea. If the tears are not composed of a proper balance of mucous, water, and oil, the eye becomes irritated.

Symptoms
Dry eye syndrome leads to a number of symptoms, including itching, irritation, burning, excessive tearing, redness, blurred vision that improves with blinking, and discomfort after long periods of watching television, using a computer, or reading.

Risk Factors
There are many factors that can contribute to dry eye syndrome. These include dry, hot, or windy climates; high altitudes; air-conditioned rooms; and cigarette smoke or other environmental allergans. Contact lens wearers, people with abnormally dry skin, and the elderly are most likely to develop dry eye syndrome. You may also be more at risk if you take certain medications, have a thyroid condition, a vitamin-A deficiency, Parkinson’s or Sjorgen’s disease, or if you are a woman going through menopause.

Treatment and Other Information Regarding Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is not generally something that can be treated. Most often dry eye syndrome is managed throughout years with a specific regimen of artificial tears and lubricant eye drops, diet and supplements, prescription medication eye drops and punctual occlusion.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disorder affecting millions of Americans. It is most often caused by too much pressure on the inside of the eye. The fluid in your eyes helps to nourish and cleanse the inside of your eyes by constantly being produced and draining out. When too much fluid is produced or not enough drains out, the intraocular pressure builds and damages the optic nerve. This may lead to a gradual loss in peripheral vision.

Symptoms
For the early and mid-advanced glaucoma the patient may have no symptoms at all. It is unusual for a patient to realize that he or she has lost a few degrees of peripheral vision a period of many years. Those suffering from open-angle glaucoma in the later stages may note the experience of a type of tunnel vision, where their field of vision gradually decreases. It can eventually lead to blindness as it snuffs out the central vision also. Narrow-angle glaucoma, which is much more rare, carries symptoms of sharp pain in the eyes, blurred vision, dilated pupils, and even nausea or vomiting. It can cause blindness in a matter of days, and it requires immediate, emergency medical attention.

Risk Factors
Heredity seems to be a risk factor. Also, you may be at greater risk if you are over 45, of African descent, near-sighted, or diabetic. Finally, if you have used steroids or cortisone for a long period of time, or if you have suffered an eye injury in the past, you have a greater chance of developing glaucoma.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a disease which affects a small area of the retina known as the macula. The macula is a specialized spot on the retina that allows us to see the fine detail of whatever is directly in front of us. Macular degeneration occurs when the macula begins to deteriorate.

“Wet” vs. “Dry”
Most often, macular degeneration is accompanied by formation of yellow deposits, called “drusen,” under the macula, which dry out or thin the macula. This is called “dry” macular degeneration. In rare cases, abnormal blood vessels develop under the macula and leak fluid. This is called “wet” macular degeneration.

Causes
A number of uncontrollable factors contribute to macular degeneration, including age, sex, eye color, farsightedness, and race. Risk factors you can control include smoking, high blood pressure, exposure to harmful sunlight, and diet.

Symptoms
It is difficult to detect dry macular degeneration in its early stages. The most common symptoms, when detected, include a spot of blurry vision, dark vision, or distorted vision. Wet macular degeneration progresses much faster than the dry variety. Both forms of macular degeneration can cause blindness.

Treatment
Currently, there is no cure for macular degeneration, but treatment is available to slow the effects.

Retinal Detachment

detached The part of the eye which collects light and transmits the light messages to the optic nerve and brain is the retina. It lines the inner back wall of the eye. When the retina separates from the back wall, it is known as retinal detachment. It is a serious condition which can cause permanent damage and vision loss if not treated quickly.

Symptoms
A retinal detachment often causes sudden defects in your vision. It may just cause a blind spot too small to notice, or it may cause a noticeable shadow which obscures your vision. An increase in “floaters,” which look like small particles or fine threads, may also be noticed. Finally, flashes of light are associated with retinal detachment.

Risk Factors
Eye injuries, tumors, and cataract surgery can cause retinal detachment. Near-sighted individuals and the elderly are at greater risk for spontaneous detachment. Also, diabetic retinopathy, a condition associated with diabetes, can cause bleeding which leads to retinal detachment.