Eye Gallery Services - Ocular Pathology Specialists

Pathology

Yearly eye health examinations are the best way to help diagnose and treat ocular conditions and diseases as early as possible. Dr. Harrison, Dr. Brooks and Dr. Borgognoni specialize in diagnosing and treating many conditions. The following are some of the most common ocular conditions that our doctors look for during your yearly examination:

Dry Eye Syndrome or Ocular Surface Disease:

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a common disorder of the tear film, affecting a significant percentage of the population, especially those older than 40 years. The estimated number of people affected ranges from 10-14 million in the United States. DES can affect any race however it tends to be slightly more common in women than in men. Symptoms of DES include tearing, burning, and foreign body sensation.

Red or Swollen Eyes:

A red, irritated, or painful eye can signify a number of different ocular conditions or infections. When you have a red or painful eye, it is imperative that you see your eye care physician immediately to avoid worsening of the condition or (in rare instances) even vision loss.


	A red eye can be caused by allergies, certain bacteria, viruses, contact lens abuse, foreign bodies, or corneal scratches and abrasions. Some bacteria and viruses can be extremely aggressive and need immediate attention. Infections of the eyelids can cause swelling and pain of the lids and without treatment can progress to significant and dangerous inflammation of the whole eye.

Depending on the seriousness and cause of your red eye, your eye care physician will prescribe topical or oral medications to treat the condition as quickly as possible to prevent future complications. Some common red eye conditions include the following:

• Allergic conjunctivitis
• Acute allergic reactions to changes in soaps, make-up, or new animals
• Bacterial conjunctivitis
• Viral conjunctivitis
• Pingueculitis
• Hordeolum or Stye
• Preseptal Cellulitis
• Contact Lens Acute Red Eye or Contact Lens Overwear and Abuse
• Foreign body in eye
• Corneal scratch, laceration, or abrasion
• Broken blood vessel from heavy coughing, sneezing, or lifting

Glaucoma:

Glaucoma is a group of conditions resulting in optic nerve damage, which diminishes sight. It was once thought that high pressure inside the eye was the only cause for glaucoma. We now know that ocular pressures are not the only causative agents of this condition. Therefore, pressure testing alone is not sufficient in the diagnosis of glaucoma. Dr. Harrison, Dr. Brooks and Dr. Borgognoni are all Optometric Glaucoma Specialists and we have the most advanced technology that allows us to diagnose and treat glaucoma even in its earliest stages of development.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Sometimes called the silent thief of sight, glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you don't notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, has no noticeable signs or symptoms except gradual vision loss.

Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss. Examination for glaucoma is the standard of care and should be conducted at each yearly visit.

Diabetic and Hypertensive Retinopathy:

Patients who have a history of Diabetes or high blood pressure should have an extensive and comprehensive eye health examination at least once a year. This examination must include dilation and careful examination of the retina for diabetic or hypertensive related ocular manifestations.

Retinopathy is a disease of the retina that is caused by diabetes or high blood pressure. Diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy can lead to poor vision and blindness.

Diabetes and high blood pressure can cause the blood vessels in the body and eye to become weak and leaky over time. This leads to bleeding and hemorrhaging of the vessels in the eye and extensive fatty deposits within the retina causing decreased and distorted vision or permanent areas of vision loss.

Diabetes can also cause swelling of the macula called macula edema. The macula is the area of the retina that allows you to make out shapes, forms, and colors. When the macula swells, vision can be greatly reduced or distorted. Even with treatment of the swelling, there is always a possibility of permanent vision loss or distortion.

Age Related Macular Degeneration:

Age-related macular degeneration is a disease that causes blurring of your central vision. The blurring happens because of damage to the macula, a small area at the back of the eye. The macula helps you see the fine detail in things that your eyes are focusing on.

Macular degeneration makes it harder to do daily activities things that require sharp central vision, like reading, driving, and recognizing faces. It does not affect side vision, so it does not lead to complete blindness.

There are two types of macular degeneration—wet and dry. The dry form is by far the most common type. The wet form is much less common, but it progresses more quickly and is more severe. Early diagnosis and careful monitoring for progression is absolutely imperative in patients with macular degeneration. Progression to wet macular degeneration can be significantly vision threatening.

Cataracts:

A cataract is a painless, clouding of the lens in the eye that blocks light from reaching the retina. Because cataracts block the light entering the eye, vision can be affected. Symptoms of cataracts can include “cloudy” or “hazy” vision, difficulty reading even with reading glasses on, and significant glare or light scattering while driving at night.

Aging and exposure to sunlight can speed up the progression of cataracts. Injury, certain eye diseases, and the use of certain medications can also lead to cataract formation. Rarely, children can be born with cataracts that can be vision threatening and must be extracted immediately to decrease the chance of life-long vision problems.