Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a relatively common eye disease that typically affects people aged 50 or older. While age is one of the most common factors when developing the disease, the chance of developing it also increases if you smoke or your family has a history of AMD.

AMD affects your macula, a small part of your eye near the centre of the retina responsible for central vision and plays a critical role in reading or recognizing faces. There are two different versions of the disease: dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration.

• Dry macular degeneration occurs when small lipid deposits, known as drusen, form on your retina, underneath your macula. This causes the photosensitive cells of the macula to break down, slowly damaging your central vision. Dry AMD progresses gradually, and some people might not experience vision loss for years, but when they do, the damage is irreversible.
• Wet macular degeneration occurs when fragile, abnormal blood vessels develop behind the macula. These blood vessels often break easily, leaking blood and other fluids into your macula and causing blindness. This form of AMD develops rapidly and constitutes a medical emergency.

At Elora Optometry we use the Optos ultra-widefield retinal imager and Ocular coherence tomography to diagnosis AMD.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that typically develop as a result of high intraocular pressure, otherwise known as IOP. When the pressure rises, it damages your optic nerve, causing blindness.

However, not every form of glaucoma develops as a result of raised IOP. Normal-tension glaucoma can develop without any symptoms of a raised IOP. Scientists are still not quite sure  what its root cause of this form of glaucoma is.

The most common forms of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

• Open-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage canal, known as the trabecular meshwork, begins to become clogged or blocked. When this happens, the fluids in your eye drain too slowly and begin to build up inside your eye. This raises your IOP and damages your optic nerve. Only an optical professional can diagnose this form of glaucoma, and the only way to safeguard your vision from this condition is through early detection by booking regular appointments with your optometrist.
• Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle where eye fluids are cycled out closes completely. This causes your IOP to rise rapidly, damaging the optic nerve and compromising your vision. Angle-closure glaucoma is considered to be a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.

Cataracts, a gradual clouding of your eyes’ lenses, have several root causes. This cloudiness is often caused by the ageing process. However, your chances of developing the disease increases if you smoke, have diabetes, or if you frequently consume large quantities of alcohol.

There are a variety of ways to treat this condition, and your optometrist may suggest medications, contact lenses, or glasses to help mitigate your symptoms. However, cataracts can only be corrected using surgery.

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is a relatively common disease that affects the conjunctiva of your eyelid. When you have conjunctivitis, you may experience symptoms of redness, soreness, excessive mucous or discharge, or even tearing. Different forms of conjuctivitis have different root causes:

• Viral conjunctivitis is, as its name implies, caused by a virus. This form of conjunctivitis is highly contagious, so you should stay away from crowds until your symptoms have fully subsided.
• Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by dust, pollen, or pet dander allergies. If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, you can use eye drops or allergy medication to help relieve your symptoms.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by a bacterial infection. If you are suffering from bacterial conjunctivitis, you will need to speak to your optometrist who can help prescribe antibiotics to treat your condition. This form of conjunctivitis is highly contagious, so you should stay home from school or work until your symptoms have completely subsided.