Frequently Asked Questions
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Questions and Answers on the following topics are available: | Amblyopia |
Cataracts | Diabetic
Retinopathy | Dry Eye | Floaters
and Flashes | Glaucoma |
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Q: What is it? A: Amblyopia is commonly known as "lazy eye". It occurs when the eyes, for some reason, have not learned to work together. There are two types. One is caused by toxic substances such as alcohol or tobacco. The second type is caused by lack of use. Amblyopia can effect almost everyone, but it is most prevalent among children and infants. The majority of cases are caused by lack of use and are found in children. Children do not outgrow it and early detection is the best way of avoiding additional complications. Usually aging is not a factor unless it is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the use of toxic substances such as alcohol or tobacco. Individuals with a family history of strabismus or amblyopia are more likely to suffer this condition. Amblyopia is a relatively common condition, affecting approximately 4 out of every 100 people. Q: What causes it? A: Amblyopia occurs most commonly with misaligned eyes such as crossed eyes. The crossed eye "turns off" to avoid double vision, becoming lazy or amblyopic, and the child prefers the better eye. Amblyopia may also occur when one eye is out of focus because it is more nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatic than the other. The unfocused (blurred) eye "turns off" and becomes amblyopic. Sometimes the eye can look normal but one eye has poor vision. An eye disorder such as a cataract (a clouding of the lens which prevents light from being focused properly by the eye), may lead to amblyopia. Q: What are the signs or symptoms? A: Because amblyopia usually causes no symptoms, it often goes undetected. Unless the child has a misaligned eye or other obvious abnormality, there is nothing to suggest the condition to even the most perceptive parents. The child accepts having one good eye and one poor eye as the normal situation. In most cases, amblyopia must be detected through vision testing. A routine examination will determine if both eyes are being used and to what extent, and if each eye sees what it should. Consequently, the cause of the amblyopia can be identified and a treatment devised. Q: How is it treated? A: Before amblyopia can be treated, the underlying cause must first be determined and corrected. If it is due to crossed eyes, it may be necessary to surgically repair the muscles that control eye position and movement. If the amblyopia is due to a vision imbalance between the eyes, a corrective lens may be required for theweaker one. Once the underlying cause has been identified and corrected, amblyopia is customarily treated by covering the good eye with a patch and forcing the weaker eye to work. If the weaker eye requires correction, eyeglasses are prescribed. Correcting amblyopia may require special glasses, surgery, patching of the eye or a combination of these methods. Q: Can it be prevented? A: In many cases, yes. Imbalance in vision between the eyes can be detected even in an infant, and once detected can be treated and corrected. Parents with a family history of strabismus should plan on eye examinations for their children during infancy. Q: Can it always be corrected? A: No! If too much time elapses, it may no longer be possible to teach the brain "to see" the images it receives from an eye it has never really used or used correctly. Generally, treatment must begin within the first five to six years of a child's life for there to be any chance of restoring vision.
Q: What is a cataract? A: A cataract is NOT a film nor a growth on the top of the eye. A cataract, in simplest terms, is a clouding of the clear lens INSIDE the eye. When that lens becomes cloudy or opaque, sharp vision is no longer possible. Cataracts are not contagious. They can not spread beyond the lens nor harm the eye or any other parts of the body. Cataracts cannot be prevented nor can their progress be stopped or reversed. Cataracts usually develop with age just like gray hair. They are caused by a decrease in normal protein structures within the eye as you age, and there is no known way to prevent this from happening. Cataracts can also possibly be caused by glaucoma, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or trauma to the head. Because each person's body and system is different, it is difficult to predict just how quickly your cataract may develop. In some people, the clouding proceeds at a rate rapid enough to cloud the eye's vision in only several months. For others, it may take several years. The second eye may also be affected, but usually this does not occur at the same time as the first eye. There may be a pattern to the cataract's development. Initially you may notice a gradual decrease in your ability to see things clearly at a distance. This is followed by problems with reading and other activities requiring close vision. Eventually, vision at all distances is greatly impaired. You may feel as though there is a "skim of fog" over your eye. You may clean your glasses, but things still look dim. You may also find that you are more sensitive to bright light or glare, especially at night. The good news is that with today's modern surgical techniques and advances in technology, cataract surgery is highly successful. Surgery is the only way to correct vision loss from cataracts. But don't consider it until the cataract keeps you from doing the things you like to do. A farmer, a truck driver and a watchmaker all have different needs. Basically, we advise patients to wait until the vision in the afflicted eye becomes so poor that it interferes with daily routines - such as driving or reading. So, the choice really comes down to what you want and when you're ready to have it done. Your lifestyle, your work habits, your personal well-being are the true deciding factors when choosing the right time for cataract surgery. Q: How is my cataract repaired? A: It isn't repaired, it's removed. The
only way to improve your vision is to remove the clouded lens.
As we mentioned, cataracts can only be removed surgically and
CANNOT be removed with a laser; however, lasers can be used in
their treatment after surgery. While there are several ways of
removing the clouded lens, many patients have their cataracts
removed using the most modern surgical technique called phacoemulsification.
Cataract surgery by phacoemulsification is simply the breaking
up of the cataract with a tiny instrument using sound waves,
and removing the cataract with a gentle suction in the tip. It
is important to understand that the eye itself is never removed
during cataract surgery. The entire procedure is done on the
eye in its normal position.
Q: What is it? A: Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus which causes abnormalities in the blood vessels of the retina. These damaged blood vessels may leak fluid or blood, and fail to provide nutrients necessary for good health in the retina. Left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can result in severe visual loss, including blindness. The risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases the longer a person is a diabetic. About 80% of the people with at least a 15 year history of diabetes have some blood vessel damage to their retina. Diabetic retinopathy is particularly likely to occur at a younger age in juvenile diabetics, who have been diagnosed with the condition during their childhood or teenage years. Q: Are there different types? A: Background Retinopathy is an early stage of diabetic retinopathy. In this stage, fine blood vessels within the retina become narrowed or obstructed while others enlarge. Sight is usually not seriously affected. It can, however, lead to more advanced sight-threatening stages. Macular Edema is caused by leaking fluids collecting in the macula. Reading and close work may become more difficult because of this condition. Proliferation Retinopathy describes the change that occurs when new, abnormal blood vessels begin growing on the surface of the retina or the optic nerve. These new blood vessels have weaker walls and may rupture and bleed into the vitreous. This leaking blood can cloud the vitreous and partially block the light passing through the pupil towards the retina, causing blurred and distorted vision. These abnormal blood vessels may pull the retina away from its normal position at the back of the eye causing a detached retina. Abnormal blood vessels may also grow around the pupil causing glaucoma. Q: Can children get it? A: Yes. Q: Is aging a factor? A: Yes. Q: What causes it? A: The cause of diabetic retinopathy is not completely understood. However, it is known the diabetes damages small blood vessels in various areas of the body. Pregnancy and high blood pressure may aggravate diabetic retinopathy. Q: What are the signs or symptoms? A: Though vision may gradually become blurred, significant loss of sight does not usually occur with background retinopathy. Since the patient does not experience pain or external symptoms such as bloodshot eyes or discharge, changes in the retina can go unnoticed unless detected by an eye examination. When bleeding occurs in proliferative retinopathy, the patient has clouding or complete loss of vision. Connective tissue pulling on the retina causes distortion and blurring. However, if abnormalities occur in the peripheral retina, the patient may not experience any symptoms. A comprehensive eye examination and appropriate treatment by an ophthalmologist is the best protection against eye damage due to diabetic retinopathy. Serious retinopathy can be present without symptoms, which can improve with treatment. To detect diabetic retinopathy, a painless examination of the inner eye is conducted using an ophthalmoscope. If diabetic retinopathy is detected, a fluorescein angiography, the taking of rapid photographs as dye passes through the retinal blood vessels, is often used to determine what or even if further treatment is necessary. Q: Can it be prevented? A: Unfortunately, no. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of a disease which can strike anyone. Even the most careful diabetic has a 50-50 chance of developing retinopathy, particularly if they have had the disease for 15 years or more. Q: How is it treated? A: Treatment of diabetic retinopathy depends on the location of the disease and the degree of damage to the retina. If retinopathy occurs in the peripheral retina, careful monitoring of the disease may be all that is necessary. When the macula and central vision is affected, laser treatment is usually necessary. In cases of background diabetic retinopathy, lasers may be used to seal blood vessels that have leaked. Laser treatment may not halt the disease entirely, but can reduce further vision loss by delaying the onset of proliferative retinopathy.
Q: What is it? A: Dry eye is a condition of the eye where either too few tears are produced, or tears drain too quickly from the eye. Dry eye is a common eye problem. As we age, our eyes produce fewer tears...on average about 60% fewer at age 65 than at age 18. Thus older adults often suffer from dry eye, as do pregnant and menopausal women. It must be remembered, however, that dry eye is a relatively common condition which can and does affect all ages and background, regardless of sex. Dry eyes often occur in patients with arthritis. Medications and Vitamin A deficiency may also cause dry eyes by reducing tear secretion. In addition, environmental factors such as sun, wind and smoke contribute to the onset of dry eyes. Finally, an overly large punctum (drainage channel) or abnormal eyelid location may cause dry eyes. Q: Can children get it? Yes. Q: Is aging a factor? Most definitely! Q: Does it run in families? No. Q: What are the signs and symptoms? A: Patients with dry eye often complain that their eyes feel gritty, itchy and dry. Other common symptoms include burning, stinging, redness, stringy mucous and sensitivity to light. Patients with dry eye may also have difficulty wearing contact lenses. Watering of the eye may also be a symptom, as excess tears are produced in response to the irritation. These excess tears lack the oil necessary to keep them from evaporating and, therefore, do not function to lubricate the eye. Dry eye is often diagnosed by simply examining the eyes. Sometimes tests which measure tear production may be necessary, such as the Schirmer Test, which measures the rate of tear production under various circumstances. Q: How is it treated? A: Artificial tears are the most common form of treatment for dry eye. Slow release medicine inserted just inside the lower lid which gradually releases moisture during the day is also helpful. Difficulty opening the eyes in the morning may be treated with an ointment at bedtime. Using a humidifier to add moisture to the air and avoiding smoke, wind and other irritating conditions may provide relief. Soft contact lenses may also be used to keep moisture on the surface of the eye, thus providing the needed moisture and lubrication. In some cases, the punctum may be permanently sealed to keep the tears from draining out of the eye too quickly. The punctum may be blocked by the insertion of permanent punctum plugs or by surgical techniques or lasers.
Q: What are they? A: Floaters appear to most people as small specks, cobwebs or strands of fiber which move slowly across the field of vision. Flashes appear as sudden brief glints of light. Both floaters and flashes commonly occur as we grow older. Q: What causes them? A: As we mature, the vitreous gel shrinks and pulls away from the retina. Floaters are formed from the reorganization of the vitreous material and from some fragments of the retina which have been pulled into the vitreous cavity. Floaters are especially common in nearsighted people, in people who have suffered severe eye injuries and after eye surgery. Although uncommon, floaters can also result from inflammation within the eye or from crystal-like deposits which form in the vitreous gel. When the vitreous gel which fills the inside of the eye rubs or pulls on the retina, it sometimes produces the illusion of flashing lights or lightening streaks called flashes. The flashes of light may appear off and on for several weeks or months. On rare occasions, light flashes accompany a large number of new floaters and even a partial loss or shadowing of side vision. When this happens, prompt examination is important to determine if a torn retina or retinal detachment has occurred. Q: Are they serious? A: In most cases, floaters and flashes are no more than mild annoyances, which require no special treatment, and are simply a result of the aging process. In some instances, however, the sudden onset of floaters or flashes can be indicative of a more serious eye problem. The only reliable way to tell if floaters and flashes are symptomatic of a retinal tear or detachment is with a thorough eye examination. Q: Can they be prevented? No. Q: How are they detected? A: The ophthalmoscope is frequently used to examine both the central and peripheral retina which will detect the presence of floaters and/or flashes. The slit-lamp, combining a microscope with a strong illumination, is often used with a hand held lens, allowing portions of the retina to be seen in greater detail. Some patients are given an intravenous injection of fluorescein dye in a procedure called "fluorescein angiography". The dye which takes only moments to reach the eye, makes tiny blood vessels visible, enabling photographs to be taken for later study. Q: How are they treated? A: Although annoying, floaters are not usually vision threatening and do not require treatment. Often floaters diminish and become less bothersome over time. If a floater appears directly in the line of vision, moving the eye around will often help. In cases where floaters do indicate a more serious condition, lasers can be used to prevent vision loss. Like floaters, unless they represent the symptoms of a more serious condition, flashes do not require treatment. Flashes which are a result of the vitreous pulling away from the retina will eventually stop. However, flashes may indicate retinal detachment which needs immediate medical attention.
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ECC OVERVIEW
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ABOUT YOUR EYES
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WHO WE ARE
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WHAT WE DO
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1100 North Jackson St. - Tullahoma,
TN 37388
PH: (931) 393-2020; PH: (931) 393-2255 (EYE-BALL);
(800) 870-5473
