Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Pennsylvania

Glaucoma is one of the most common eye conditions in the country, with over 3 million Americans affected. Glaucoma generally occurs when too much fluid is being produced or not enough fluid is being drained from your eye, raising your intraocular eye pressure (IOP). This pressure can then damage your optic nerve, causing vision loss.

However, glaucoma can occur with normal IOP levels as well.

There are 3 common types of glaucoma:

• Open-angle glaucoma occurs when too much fluid is produced or not enough fluid is drained from the trabecular meshwork in the eye, leading to an increase in IOP. This pressure damages the optic nerve, resulting in permanent vision loss. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease and affects around 2.7 million Americans.
• Closed-angle glaucoma, or angle-closure glaucoma, is far less common but is often considered to be a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle between your iris and cornea becomes blocked, causing a rapid rise in IOP levels and sudden vision loss.
• Normal-tension glaucoma is a type of glaucoma that occurs when your optic nerve is damaged, but IOP levels are normal. Itcan be detected by observing changes in the state of your optic nerve.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over 55. AMD deteriorates your macula, the part of your retina that is responsible for your central vision.

There are 2 forms of the disease:

• Dry AMD occurs when small deposits called drusen begin to form underneath the macula. The macula slowly deteriorates leading to central vision loss.
• Wet AMD happens when tiny, fragile blood vessels form underneath your macula. These vessels can leak fluids causing rapid vision loss and distortion. Wet AMD is far less common than dry AMD, but it’s responsible for the majority of AMD-related blindness. Experts consider wet AMD a medical emergency, requiring immediate attention.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels in your retinas become damaged due to high blood sugar levels from diabetes. In response, your retinas may create tiny and extremely delicate new blood vessels in an effort to supply oxygen to the retinal tissue. These new vessels are very weak and can leak, resulting in diabetic retinopathy, and potentially vision loss.

Cataracts are an incredibly common eye condition that occur because of aging. As you grow older, your crystalline lenses can become cloudy, denser, and less flexible, causing a haziness that can impair your vision.

Initially, glasses or contact lenses may help manage these symptoms, but as they progress, the only way to treat cataracts is by having cataract surgery, which removes your cataract lens and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye or red eye) is a condition that can cause a lot of discomfort.

While the underlying cause of conjunctivitis can change, some common symptoms include redness, irritation, wateriness, itchiness, and discharge.
If you’re experiencing conjunctivitis, please schedule an appointment to see your optometrist to find out which type you have and if there are any medications you need to help relieve your symptoms.

There are 3 common types of conjunctivitis:

• Allergic conjunctivitis occurs because of an allergic reaction. Speak to your optometrist about which allergy medication or eye drops would be best for you.
• Viral conjunctivitis. There is no specific treatment for viral conjunctivitis, and it tends to go away on its own after a few days. Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious, so please remember to stay away from people for a few days to avoid spreading the infection.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis. Prescription antibiotics are strongly recommended to help alleviate the symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis, so please visit your optometrist as soon as you can. Bacterial conjunctivitis is also highly contagious, so do your best to avoid spreading it to others.