- Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration is a disease that affects an individual's central vision, making it difficult of read, drive, or perform other daily activities.
- Aging Eyes and Glasses
As your eyes age, their lenses become less flexible, and they slowly lose their ability to focus. It's an ongoing, lifelong process called presbyopia, which you begin to notice between ages 40 and 45.
- All About Aging Eyes
Do you know the difference between normal changes in vision that occur with age and abnormal changes caused by age-related eye disease? Here are some answers.
- Anatomy of the Eye
The structures of the eye include the cornea, iris, pupil, macula, retina, and the optic nerve.
- Cataracts and Cataract Surgery
A cataract is a clouding or opaque area over the lens of the eye—an area that's normally transparent. As less light reaches the retina, it becomes increasingly harder to see and vision may become dull and blurry.
- Common Eye Disorders
One common eye disorder is conjunctivitis, sometimes called pink eye. It's an inflammation of the blood vessels in the eye membrane. Another common disorder is a chalazion—a small bump that develops on the upper or lower eyelid.
- Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease in people with diabetes and a leading cause of blindness in the United States. If you have diabetes, you can reduce your risk for this disorder by keeping your blood sugar levels under tight control.
- Eye Care Specialists
An ophthalmologist is either a medical doctor (M.D.) or an osteopathic physician (D.O.). An optometrist is a doctor of optometry (O.D.) but is not a medical doctor. An optician is a technician who fits eyeglasses.
- Eye Examinations
During an eye exam, an eye doctor reviews your medical history and completes a series of tests to determine the health of your eyes.
- Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
Eyeglasses are the most common form of eyewear used to correct or improve many types of vision problems. Contact lenses are worn directly on the cornea of the eye.
Glaucoma is a condition in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises because the fluid aqueous humor is not able to drain properly. This pressure damages the optic nerve.
- Low-Vision Devices
Low-vision devices are categorized as either optical or nonoptical. Optical devices are magnifying lenses or closed circuit TV. Nonoptical devices are large-print books and talking computers.
- Planning Your Eye Surgery
Millions of people undergo surgery each year to treat a range of vision conditions. What should you consider before your procedure?
- Refractive Errors
Astigmatism is one type of refractive error. It's a condition in which an abnormal curvature of the cornea can cause two focal points to fall in two different locations—making objects up close and at a distance appear blurry.
- Why Doctors Remove Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens, a clear, soft structure behind the pupil that works much like a camera lens. The top cause of cataracts is aging. In fact, more people over 70 have cataracts than not.