FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Each initially innocuous, narrowly targeted disease process can quickly reach key areas of the eye. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions in our practice.
I have no eye problems and look good. Why should I examine my eyes?
Routine eye exams are important for early detection and prevention of diseases. On the one hand many are beginning to eye diseases such as glaucoma without noticeable symptoms, the other may be other diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) first manifested in the eye. Early detection allows in general more diverse methods of treatment and may reduce the risk of further damage.
My eyes water. What could be the reason? Watery eyes can be either by an excessive production of tears or a flow of tears with disabilities be conditioned. A disabled runoff is either caused by deformities of the eyelids or obstruction of the efferent tear ducts. Come for treatment or surgery of the eyelids and flush and an exploratory surgery if the tear duct in question. The main cause for excessive production of tears is dry eye.
What are dry eyes? Dry eyes caused by either a decreased production of tear fluid or by altering the chemical composition of the tear fluid, which is no longer suitable in the sequel to wet the surface of the eye. A change in chemical composition of tears is due to problems with blinking of the eyelids or various medications (eg antihistamines, contraceptives, antidepressants, beta blockers), climatic conditions (low humidity, wind, dust), injury and various general medical conditions such as arthritis or Sjogren's syndrome arise. Dry eyes are also a typical phenomenon of the natural aging process. Dry eyes can cause the following symptoms of eyes:
Why excessive tearing?
Dry eyes cause irritation of the eye surface, responds to the eye with an increased production of tears. This does not fix the underlying problem, which is usually in an inappropriate chemical composition of tears.
What can you do about dry eyes?
The treatment options are as varied as the causes, ranging from frequent blinking on the improvement of indoor climate (air humidification) and the use of eye drops (artificial tears) and lubricating eye ointment to operational measures such as the closure of the efferent tear ducts.
What is the difference between glaucoma and cataracts? Glaucoma refers to a pathological change in eye pressure (glaucoma), and can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve, resulting in a loss of sight. In the early stages of increased eye pressure usually goes unnoticed.
Cataract refers to a clouding of the eye lens (cataract), resulting in a significant visual loss. Cataract is very treatable with cataract surgery today.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve through the eye pressure and is often referred to as glaucoma. It is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The injury is often caused by increased eye pressure, but there are also low pressure and normal pressure glaucoma. These occur despite a low intraocular pressure in damage to the optic nerve. Glaucoma caused by damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
What symptoms have glaucoma?
The main symptom of glaucoma is visual field loss. These are noticed by the patient until they are very extensive. With a visual field examination can detect early visual field loss and should begin treatment. In rare cases, increased eye pressure can cause blurred vision or red and sore eyes or headaches and a feeling of pressure in the eye and / or the head. But generally causes no symptoms of glaucoma and is therefore more dangerous because it often is diagnosed very late and the damage is not reversible. For this reason, regular screening tests are important.
Is it possible to treat high eye pressure (glaucoma treatment)?
The goal of glaucoma therapy is the reduction of intraocular pressure and improving blood flow to the optic nerve. The therapeutic range from the administration of eye drops or in rarer cases of tablets, up to a laser treatment and surgery.
What can I do to avoid glaucoma?
Since glaucoma usually causes no pain and the damage caused by glaucoma visual field loss can go unnoticed for a long time, is the only way to prevent glaucoma, the examination by an ophthalmologist regularly. Since the occurrence of glaucoma from the 40th year of life increases significantly, it is recommended at this age a checkup. Should be familiar with glaucoma in your family has a predisposition, are reasonable screening at an earlier date, as the assessment of glaucoma can be inherited.
What is a cataract, and who can get it?
Cataract is a clouding of the lens, which occurs as a normal aging phenomenon. Different circumstances and conditions, however, can lead to such a lens opacity occurs even at a younger age.
What symptoms have a Cataract?
The increasing opacity of the lens during cataract usually results in a decrease in visual acuity, a blurred-vision (such as through an opaque pane of glass) and a change in color vision. Since the deterioration of the lens can move forward very slowly, it is also possible that the visual acuity remains unnoticed by the patient. It is therefore important to examine the eyes even when subjectively good or unchanged visual acuity for the presence of lens opacity permit.
How are cataracts treated?
During the cataract was once the most common cause of blindness in old age, he can now be solved by a simple and low-risk surgery. In the cloudy lens is removed from the eye and replaced by a clear plastic lens. In most cases, these low-complication operation can be an outpatient basis.
What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration refers to a change in the retina is damaged at the point of sharpest vision. This usually occurs in older age (age-related macular degeneration, AMD) and can lead to blindness. There are 2 types of AMD. The dry form is caused by deposits on the site of the sharpest vision, through which there is usually a slow visual loss. The second and far more dangerous form, wet AMD, which can result in a very short time to a massive deterioration in vision.
What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?
In macular degeneration leads to a reduction of central visual acuity. Although preserved peripheral vision resulting, for example, resulted in a substantial deterioration of reading skills. At an early stage AMD can lead to longer lines are not just seen but distorted or wavy. A good way to anticipate this is to implement a so-called Amsler test.
Can macular degeneration be treated?
Only a few years, with intravitreal injection is an effective treatment against macular degeneration are available. These are currently the drugs Avastin (off label), Lucentis, Macugen, or used, which are typically injected directly into the vitreous of several of the eye. This direct local treatment can lead to a stabilization of the retina and halt the progression of the degeneration of retinal tissue stop. Damage has already occurred, however, are often irreversible. Therefore, early detection and treatment is essential.
I see black spots. What can that be?
Although it is in vision of black dots in most cases, vitreous floaters are harmless, it can be a sign of damage to the retina (retinal detachment). In particular, caution should be exercised if, in addition to experiencing the black dots and a perception of flashes, the number of points increases, and this (acting independently of eye movements "soot rain"), or to see a shadow (like a veil or a wall ) occurs. In these cases, you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist.
What damages can diabetes cause on the eye?
Diabetes can cause various damage to the eye. The most common and dangerous injury is diabetic retinal disease (retinopathy), which can cause a deterioration in retinal blood flow in irreversible damage to the retina and even blindness. In addition, the lens can become cloudy early (cataract), increased intraocular pressure may occur (glaucoma), and occur in the area of the eye surface to frequent infections. These problems occur in poor glycemic control, although the most common, but can also occur at the optimum setting of diabetes. For this reason, periodic routine examinations of the eye in diabetes is important.
Can diabetic retinopathy be treated?
The basic prerequisite for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy is the optimal blood glucose control. Sorry, but this does not provide foolproof protection against the development of diabetic retinal disease. For the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in some cases, laser treatment of the retina is necessary. It will be with the argon laser target certain areas of the retina, desolate, to ensure a better blood flow to the retina of the remaining shares. This usually results in laser treatment but not to an improvement in visual acuity, but in order to prevent further deterioration, which can lead to complete loss of vision, are used.
Each initially innocuous, narrowly targeted disease process can quickly reach key areas of the eye. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions in our practice.
I have no eye problems and look good. Why should I examine my eyes?
Routine eye exams are important for early detection and prevention of diseases. On the one hand many are beginning to eye diseases such as glaucoma without noticeable symptoms, the other may be other diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) first manifested in the eye. Early detection allows in general more diverse methods of treatment and may reduce the risk of further damage.
My eyes water. What could be the reason? Watery eyes can be either by an excessive production of tears or a flow of tears with disabilities be conditioned. A disabled runoff is either caused by deformities of the eyelids or obstruction of the efferent tear ducts. Come for treatment or surgery of the eyelids and flush and an exploratory surgery if the tear duct in question. The main cause for excessive production of tears is dry eye.
What are dry eyes? Dry eyes caused by either a decreased production of tear fluid or by altering the chemical composition of the tear fluid, which is no longer suitable in the sequel to wet the surface of the eye. A change in chemical composition of tears is due to problems with blinking of the eyelids or various medications (eg antihistamines, contraceptives, antidepressants, beta blockers), climatic conditions (low humidity, wind, dust), injury and various general medical conditions such as arthritis or Sjogren's syndrome arise. Dry eyes are also a typical phenomenon of the natural aging process. Dry eyes can cause the following symptoms of eyes:
- Foreign body sensation
- Itching / burning
- Redness
- Blurred vision
Why excessive tearing?
Dry eyes cause irritation of the eye surface, responds to the eye with an increased production of tears. This does not fix the underlying problem, which is usually in an inappropriate chemical composition of tears.
What can you do about dry eyes?
The treatment options are as varied as the causes, ranging from frequent blinking on the improvement of indoor climate (air humidification) and the use of eye drops (artificial tears) and lubricating eye ointment to operational measures such as the closure of the efferent tear ducts.
What is the difference between glaucoma and cataracts? Glaucoma refers to a pathological change in eye pressure (glaucoma), and can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve, resulting in a loss of sight. In the early stages of increased eye pressure usually goes unnoticed.
Cataract refers to a clouding of the eye lens (cataract), resulting in a significant visual loss. Cataract is very treatable with cataract surgery today.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve through the eye pressure and is often referred to as glaucoma. It is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The injury is often caused by increased eye pressure, but there are also low pressure and normal pressure glaucoma. These occur despite a low intraocular pressure in damage to the optic nerve. Glaucoma caused by damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
What symptoms have glaucoma?
The main symptom of glaucoma is visual field loss. These are noticed by the patient until they are very extensive. With a visual field examination can detect early visual field loss and should begin treatment. In rare cases, increased eye pressure can cause blurred vision or red and sore eyes or headaches and a feeling of pressure in the eye and / or the head. But generally causes no symptoms of glaucoma and is therefore more dangerous because it often is diagnosed very late and the damage is not reversible. For this reason, regular screening tests are important.
Is it possible to treat high eye pressure (glaucoma treatment)?
The goal of glaucoma therapy is the reduction of intraocular pressure and improving blood flow to the optic nerve. The therapeutic range from the administration of eye drops or in rarer cases of tablets, up to a laser treatment and surgery.
What can I do to avoid glaucoma?
Since glaucoma usually causes no pain and the damage caused by glaucoma visual field loss can go unnoticed for a long time, is the only way to prevent glaucoma, the examination by an ophthalmologist regularly. Since the occurrence of glaucoma from the 40th year of life increases significantly, it is recommended at this age a checkup. Should be familiar with glaucoma in your family has a predisposition, are reasonable screening at an earlier date, as the assessment of glaucoma can be inherited.
What is a cataract, and who can get it?
Cataract is a clouding of the lens, which occurs as a normal aging phenomenon. Different circumstances and conditions, however, can lead to such a lens opacity occurs even at a younger age.
What symptoms have a Cataract?
The increasing opacity of the lens during cataract usually results in a decrease in visual acuity, a blurred-vision (such as through an opaque pane of glass) and a change in color vision. Since the deterioration of the lens can move forward very slowly, it is also possible that the visual acuity remains unnoticed by the patient. It is therefore important to examine the eyes even when subjectively good or unchanged visual acuity for the presence of lens opacity permit.
How are cataracts treated?
During the cataract was once the most common cause of blindness in old age, he can now be solved by a simple and low-risk surgery. In the cloudy lens is removed from the eye and replaced by a clear plastic lens. In most cases, these low-complication operation can be an outpatient basis.
What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration refers to a change in the retina is damaged at the point of sharpest vision. This usually occurs in older age (age-related macular degeneration, AMD) and can lead to blindness. There are 2 types of AMD. The dry form is caused by deposits on the site of the sharpest vision, through which there is usually a slow visual loss. The second and far more dangerous form, wet AMD, which can result in a very short time to a massive deterioration in vision.
What are the symptoms of macular degeneration?
In macular degeneration leads to a reduction of central visual acuity. Although preserved peripheral vision resulting, for example, resulted in a substantial deterioration of reading skills. At an early stage AMD can lead to longer lines are not just seen but distorted or wavy. A good way to anticipate this is to implement a so-called Amsler test.
Can macular degeneration be treated?
Only a few years, with intravitreal injection is an effective treatment against macular degeneration are available. These are currently the drugs Avastin (off label), Lucentis, Macugen, or used, which are typically injected directly into the vitreous of several of the eye. This direct local treatment can lead to a stabilization of the retina and halt the progression of the degeneration of retinal tissue stop. Damage has already occurred, however, are often irreversible. Therefore, early detection and treatment is essential.
I see black spots. What can that be?
Although it is in vision of black dots in most cases, vitreous floaters are harmless, it can be a sign of damage to the retina (retinal detachment). In particular, caution should be exercised if, in addition to experiencing the black dots and a perception of flashes, the number of points increases, and this (acting independently of eye movements "soot rain"), or to see a shadow (like a veil or a wall ) occurs. In these cases, you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist.
What damages can diabetes cause on the eye?
Diabetes can cause various damage to the eye. The most common and dangerous injury is diabetic retinal disease (retinopathy), which can cause a deterioration in retinal blood flow in irreversible damage to the retina and even blindness. In addition, the lens can become cloudy early (cataract), increased intraocular pressure may occur (glaucoma), and occur in the area of the eye surface to frequent infections. These problems occur in poor glycemic control, although the most common, but can also occur at the optimum setting of diabetes. For this reason, periodic routine examinations of the eye in diabetes is important.
Can diabetic retinopathy be treated?
The basic prerequisite for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy is the optimal blood glucose control. Sorry, but this does not provide foolproof protection against the development of diabetic retinal disease. For the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in some cases, laser treatment of the retina is necessary. It will be with the argon laser target certain areas of the retina, desolate, to ensure a better blood flow to the retina of the remaining shares. This usually results in laser treatment but not to an improvement in visual acuity, but in order to prevent further deterioration, which can lead to complete loss of vision, are used.