GLAUCOMA
Come see us before you can’t see us.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Blurriness? The beginning of nothing? There are a lot of technical terms to glaucoma, but only words you need to know are testing and treatment. Glaucoma can easily go unrecognized in its early stages. Most types of Glaucoma are painless. This disease generally advances slowly, so a person can adapt to the symptoms associated with Glaucoma.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that leads to progressive damage to the optic nerve, resulting in loss of vision. If left untreated it may even lead to blindness. The most commonly known form of glaucoma is associated with an increase in the fluid pressure inside the eye.
Am I at risk?
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It most often occurs in people over the age of 40 and to those who have a family history of glaucoma. Other risk factors may include chronic eye inflammation, thinner corneas and using medications that increase the pressure in the eyes.
What can I do?
Glaucoma cannot currently be prevented, but if diagnosed and treated early it can usually be controlled. Medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss. Three million people in America have glaucoma, but you don’t have to be one of them. We can help prevent progression and blindness. Let this be the year you find clarity.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Glaucoma
Macular Degeneration
Why cope when you can conquer?
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in those over the age of 60 in the United States. There are two types: dry and wet. With “dry” macular degeneration, the tissue of the macula gradually becomes thin and stops functioning properly. There is no cure for dry AMD, however doctors now believe there is a link between nutrition and the progression of dry AMD. Less common, “wet” macular degeneration results when fluids leak from newly formed blood vessels under the macula and blur central vision. If detected early, “wet” AMD can be treated with laser treatments and/or medications.
What are the symptoms?
• Inability to see objects clearly
• Objects appearing distorted; straight lines appearing crooked
• A dark or empty area appears in central vision point
What can I do about it?
When you know the risks, you can help prevent the progression. There are several tests that can determine the health of your eye and diagnose whether or not you have macular degeneration. Positive tests are negative in the medical field. We are here to help you through it.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Macular Degeneration
DRY EYE
If you blink twice while reading this, chances are your eyes feel dry.
Do you feel like you’re in the desert during a Caribbean cruise? Just because your eye is wet doesn’t mean you don’t have dry eyes. Not all over-the-counter tears are the same, and some have unneeded ingredients. With all the different dry eye drops, ask us what the best option is for your particular dry eyes.
What is dry eye?
Dry eye is a condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. People with dry eyes either have a poor quality of tears or do not produce enough tears. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, predominantly in older adults. With each blink of the eyelids, tears spread across the surface of the eye. Tears provide lubrication, reduce the risk of eye infection, wash away dust and debris in the eye and keep the surface of the eyes clear.
What are the symptoms?
The most common form of dry eyes is due to an insufficient amount of the water layer of tears. This condition, called keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), is also called dry eye syndrome. People with dry eyes may experience symptoms of irritated, gritty, scratchy or burning eyes, a consistent feeling of something in their eyes, excess watering and blurred vision.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Dry Eyes
Diabetic Retinopathy
Complications from diabetes can be scary, but with proper care and prevention it doesn’t have to be.
Often there are no visual symptoms in the early stages of diabetic eye diseases. Adults with diabetes are more likely to develop cataracts at an earlier age than those without diabetes. The best prevention for vision damage is good diabetic control with a yearly comprehensive dilated eye exam.
What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition developing in persons with diabetes, which causes progressive damage to the retina, the light sensitive lining at the back of the eye. It is a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes. It can be the result of damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina and the condition usually affects both eyes. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy.
What are the symptoms?
• Seeing spots or floaters in your field of vision
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty seeing well at night
Often there are no visual symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. Early detection and treatment can decrease the potential for substantial vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Diabetic Retinopathy
If nearer is clearer, you might have myopia.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically referred to, is a vision condition where close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away seem blurred. Nearsightedness is a very common vision condition affecting nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population. Commonly, nearsightedness first occurs in school-age children. Because the eye continues to grow during childhood, it normally progresses until about age 20. However, nearsightedness may also develop in adults.
A common sign of nearsightedness is difficulty with the clarity of distant objects like a TV screen or the chalkboard in school. Eyeglasses or contact lenses can be prescribed that correct nearsightedness.
If you can see for miles and miles (but not up close), hyperopia may be the answer.
Farsightedness, or hyperopia, as it is medically referred to, is a vision condition in which distant objects are usually seen clearly, but close ones do not come into proper focus. Typical signs of farsightedness include difficulty in concentrating and maintaining a clear focus on near objects, eye strain, fatigue and/or headaches after close work, aching or burning eyes, irritability or nervousness after prolonged concentration.
In mild cases of farsightedness, your eyes may be able to compensate without corrective lenses. In other cases, we can prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to optically correct farsightedness.
This can be a tricky eye condition.
Astigmatism is a vision condition that produces blurred vision due either to the irregular shape of the cornea, the clear front cover of the eye, or sometimes the curvature of the lens inside the eye. As a result, vision becomes blurred at any distance. Astigmatism is a very common vision condition. Slight amounts of astigmatism usually don't affect vision therefore don't require treatment. However, larger amounts cause distorted or blurred vision, eye discomfort and headaches. Astigmatism commonly occurs with other vision conditions like nearsightedness and farsightedness.
Sadly, not everything gets better with age.
Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the crystalline lens of your eye loses its flexibility, which makes it difficult for you to focus on close objects. Presbyopia may seem to occur suddenly, but the actual loss of flexibility takes place over a number of years. Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in the early to mid-40s. Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye.
Signs of presbyopia include the tendency to hold reading materials at arm's length, blurred vision or eye fatigue accompanied by headaches when doing close work. To help you compensate for presbyopia, we can prescribe reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals or contact lenses.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Refractive Eye Care
Don’t turn a blind eye to the number one contributing cause to blindness.
Glasses may be an accessory, but cataracts never are. Cataracts get worse, but with the right treatment things can get better. Much better. An eye exam can be the difference between blindness and healthy eyes that lacausesst a lifetime.
What causes cataracts?
Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the lens. However, other factors can contribute to their development including:
- Diabetes mellitus - Persons with diabetes are at higher risk for cataracts.
- Drugs - Certain medications have been found to be associated with the development of a cataract. These include: Corticosteroids; Chlorpromazine and other phenothiazine related medications
- Ultraviolet radiation—Studies have shown that there is an increased chance of cataract formation with unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- Smoking - An association between smoking and increased nuclear opacities has been reported.
- Alcohol - Several studies have shown increased cataract formation in patients with higher alcohol consumption compared with people who have lower or no alcohol consumption.
- Nutritional deficiency—Although the results are inconclusive, studies have suggested an association between cataract formation and low levels of antioxidants (e.g. vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids). Further studies may show that antioxidants have a significant effect on decreasing cataract development.
What can I do about it?
There are exciting advancements in the cataract surgical removal techniques as well as the intraocular lens that is placed in the eye. Both Dr. Kornilow and Dr. Ridenour can help guide in choosing the right option for you.
Call 717.387.5657 for your appointment.
Read More About Cataracts