The types of retinal disease in existence today vary widely. There are many that are common and can be easily treated or cured, but others are rare, difficult to diagnose, and can require immediate attention in order to prevent lasting complications. Although it is not always possible to completely cure or reverse the effects or retinal diseases, early diagnoses hold more promise for preserving the most vision possible.

Tests Along with a thorough eye exam, there are some tests, discussed here, that doctors can use to determine what, if any, retinal disease is present.

• Amsler Grid Test utilizes a small section of grid, which is placed before the patient who is asked to point out any areas of distortion or fading. The location pointed to can help a doctor determine if, and how severely, retinal damage exists. This is often used for mascular degeneration treatment.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is like ultrasound and is used to create a non-invasive, cross-sectional image of the retina, macula and optic nerve. Any holes, tearing or swelling will thereby be evident to the doctor.
• Fluorescein Angiography is a process by which a dye injected into the arm displays blood flow in the eye clearly under special blue light so that a series of photographs taken over a few minutes can capture any damage or unusual change to the blood vessels. Similarly, Indocyanine Green Angiography makes blood vessels in the back of the eye stand out clearly under infrared light.
• Ultrasound, known in many other applications, is equally effective at displaying clear pictures of the retina to determine its size and whether it is still connected, when other methods are not as successful.

Diagnoses There are a vast number of retinal diseases that affect people today. Some, like those discussed here, can be treated or monitored to prevent worsening or complete loss of vision.

• Retinal Detachment requires surgery to prevent permanent and complete loss of vision. However, distinct warning signs- flashes and floaters in the line of vision- provide doctors the opportunity to quickly diagnose and correct the issue, so that vision cannot be preserved.
• Diabetic Retinopathy is a side effect of several years of suffering with diabetes. Excess glucose causes capillaries in the back of the eye to swell and leak, and may also lead to the formation of new blood vessels in the retina that are susceptible to breaks and bleeds. Without proper care of diabetes related symptoms and regular eye exams, vision can be drastically damaged.
• Epiretinal membrane can form over the macula- near the center of the eye’s retina. The scar tissue-like substance can get progressively worse and cause blurred or distorted vision. When necessary, there are procedures to remove the membrane and re-smooth the macula.
• Age-related Macular Degeneration, as the name applies, affects an older crowd- age 50 years and over- and is a result of the macula beginning to deteriorate. At times, this can cause a sudden onset of symptoms- that range from blurred or distorted vision to a full blind spot in the mid-vision range- whereas other patients may never suffer any symptoms. When abnormal blood vessels form as a result of these complications, the diagnoses moves from one of dry disease to that of wet disease and vision loss will occur more rapidly. Although there is no procedure to reverse the effects of macular degeneration, doctors can help patients slow the process.

About the Author: Mark Masters has authored may pieces on the eye care & surgery industry and enjoys keeping his readers up to date in this field

Contacts are a popular choice for many, but they’re endlessly accompanied with lots of questions. Here are just a few of the most common.

Recommended age of first use? Parents are often concerned with fitting children with contact lenses too early in life, but eye care professionals assert that there is no “correct age” for introducing contacts. Physically, even infant’s eyes can tolerate contact lenses and in rare cases they have been made to fit the tiny tykes. But, it has also been found that children as young as eight years old have had no trouble inserting and removing contact lenses from their own eyes.

Hard versus soft: What is the difference in materials? Why would someone choose one over the other? There are a few different types of lenses, hard and soft, being the most common. Soft contacts have almost completely replaced hard lenses, though, as a result of many technological advances which have made them superior. Hard lenses- crafted of glass- were intended to be worn for only a few hours per day and made the eyes very susceptible to irritations and clinical issues because they did not let any oxygen into the inner eye. As time progressed, so did the contact lens. They are now “soft” and very oxygen permeable.  

Can a person wear them overnight? There are different types of contact lenses intended to fit the needs of different wearers. “Daily wear” lenses are named appropriately and should be removed prior to sleeping. For those who wish to leave their lenses in for longer periods of time, “extended wear” lenses allow for up to 6 days and nights of wear, whereas “continuous wear” lenses will allow for as many as thirty consecutive days and nights.  The extended and continuous wear lenses allow for such a wear time because they have a very high oxygen permeability, which allows for the eye to remain moist, comfy, and healthy the entire time they are in.

Wear them while playing sports? Despite the misconception, contacts are perfect for wear while playing any sport. They do not stick out like glasses and are very practical for those who need the vision aid.

Are they available in bifocal prescriptions? Not only can one find contact lenses in bifocal- or with two prescriptions within the same lens- but contacts are now available in multifocal prescriptions as well. That means that a whole range of eye prescriptions can be built into a single lens. Multifocal lenses are available in continuous wear, whereas bifocal lenses can also be found in daily wear.

Can they wear down the cornea and cause the need for surgery? No, they cannot cause the need for a corneal transplant.

Reordering options? If a contact lens wearer feels inclined to visit the eye doctor for each prescription refill, then that is his or her choice. However, with the technology of the day, it is far from required. They can be ordered via phone or internet, shipped to the office or to your home. Plus, when ordering from the internet, there are often discounts available.

About the Author: Mark Masters has authored may pieces on the eye care & surgery industry and enjoys keeping his readers up to date in this field