Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management

Protecting Healthy Eyes

Supporting healthy eyes and vision is crucial in protecting against eye diseases. In the United States, more than 4.2 million Americans ages 40 years and older are considered legally blind. Oftentimes, these patients don’t know they’re suffering from an eye disease until damage has already been done.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from eye diseases is with regular eye exams. Routine eye exams are often one of the only ways to identify eye diseases early, as some develop with little to no warming signs..

At Perry & Morgan EyeCare, we want to keep the eyes in our community safe. Schedule your next visit for an eye exam!

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What Do Eye Diseases Do?

The health of your eyes and vision is extremely important. Many eye diseases can be a risk to your health if not managed and controlled early. These diseases can damage different parts of the eye, causing different effects.

The following are common areas for eye diseases to target:

During a visit for a routine eye exam, we’ll check the health of your eyes and identify if any eye diseases are developing without your knowledge. If you have certain health conditions, such as diabetes, specialty eye exams are recommended as you’re at a higher risk of some eye diseases.

Common Eye Diseases

Eye diseases can develop from a variety of factors, such as age, smoking, health conditions, and even your environment. The following eye conditions are some of the most common and are important to be aware of.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in those over 60 years of age. It’s made up of a group of diseases that target the optic nerve. If the optic nerve is damaged, it’s difficult for the brain to receive information from the eyes.

It’s common for glaucoma to show little to no warning signs when it’s developing. Because of this, patients won’t know serious damage is done until it’s too late. The best way to identify glaucoma early is with regular eye exams. If identified early, glaucoma management can be used to limit the risk of blindness.

Cataracts

As the natural lens of the eye ages, the lens can become clouded. These clouded lenses are cataracts. Although this process is related to aging, cataracts can occur sooner because of factors like diabetes and smoking.

Once cataracts start to affect a patient’s vision, stronger lens prescriptions can be used for clearer vision. Once vision is significantly impacted, cataract surgery is recommended. This surgery involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial, clear lens.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects the eye’s macula. The macula is responsible for central vision, helping the eye to focus on tasks like reading and driving. AMD can develop in 2 different ways: wet and dry. AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60 years of age.

Dry AMD is more common and typically occurs first. This type of AMD can be caused by drusen deposits building up in the eye’s macula. These deposits can cause blind spots, leading to loss of central vision.

Wet AMD is typically caused by dry AMD and is more serious. Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels leak in the macula and retina, causing blurred vision and eventually blindness.

Prevent Eye Disease Damage

If not identified and managed early, eye diseases can lead to vision loss and blindness. The best way to identify eye diseases early is with regular eye exams.

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