Eye Conditions

Allergic conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of the eye) due to allergy. Although allergens differ between patients, the most common cause is hay fever.

Astigmatism is an optical defect characterized by blurred vision due to the irregular curvature of the cornea or lens. In corneal astigmatism, the cornea is ellipsoidal (like an egg) rather than spherical, which reduces the cornea’s ability to focus light.

Blepharitis is characterized by inflammation of the eyelid margins. Blepharitis usually causes redness of the eyes, itching, and irritation of the eyelids in both eyes.

Bullous keratopathy is a pathological condition in which small vesicles, or bullae, are formed in the cornea due to endothelial dysfunction. In a healthy cornea, endothelial cells prevent excess fluid absorption by pumping it back into the aqueous humor.

Cataracts are opacities that develop in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope. Early in the development of age-related cataract, the power of the crystalline lens may increase, causing near-sightedness (myopia). The gradual yellowing and opacification of the lens may also reduce the perception of blue colors. Cataracts typically progress slowly to cause vision loss and are potentially blinding if untreated.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA virus found in almost everyone. The immune system usually fights it off. For individuals who are immunocompromised due to diseases, transplants, or chemotherapy, the virus is not adequately destroyed and can cause damage to the eye and the rest of the body.

Color blindness, or color vision deficiency, is the inability to perceive differences between some or all colors that other people can distinguish.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is an inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids (the conjunctiva), most commonly due to an allergic reaction or an infection (usually bacterial or viral).

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which could eventually lead to blindness. It is an ocular manifestation of systemic disease that affects up to 80% of all diabetics who have had diabetes for 15 years or more.

Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object. These images may be displaced horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (i.e., both vertically and horizontally) in relation to each other.

Dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) is an eye disease characterized by decreased tear production or increased tear film evaporation, resulting in common symptoms such as dryness, burning, and a sandy-gritty eye irritation that worsens throughout the day.

Floaters are deposits of various sizes, shapes, consistencies, refractive indices, and motility within the eye’s transparent, colorless, gelatinous mass that fills the space between the lens and the retina, which lines the back of the eye. Floaters are experienced as specks or clouds moving in your field of vision. You may see them more clearly when looking at a plain background, such as a blank wall.

Flashes can look like flashing lights or lightning streaks in your field of vision. Some people compare them to seeing “stars” after being hit on the head. You may experience flashes that appear and disappear intermittently for weeks or even months. Flashes happen when the vitreous rubs or pulls on your retina. As people age, it is common to experience occasional flashes.

Fuchs’ Dystrophy, also known as Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy, is a slowly progressing corneal disease that usually affects both eyes and is slightly more common in women than in men. New surgical modalities are gaining popularity in the treatment of FED, such as deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) and Descemet’s stripping with endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK).

Glaucoma is a group of diseases affecting the optic nerve, characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells in a specific pattern of optic neuropathy. Although raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma, there is no set threshold for intraocular pressure that causes glaucoma.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) is a defect of vision caused by an imperfection in the eye, often when the eyeball is too short or when the lens cannot become sufficiently round, resulting in the inability to focus on near objects. In extreme cases, this can also cause the inability to focus on objects at any distance.

Keratoconus is a degenerative non-inflammatory disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its standard, gradual curve.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a medical condition predominantly found in elderly adults, in which the center of the inner lining of the eye, known as the macula area of the retina, suffers from thinning, atrophy, and, in some cases, bleeding. This can result in loss of central vision, which entails the inability to see fine details, to read, or to recognize faces.

Macular holes are small breaks in the macula, located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for activities such as reading, driving, and seeing fine detail.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces an image focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed. Those with myopia see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurred.

Nystagmus is involuntary eye movement that can be part of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) or it can be part of a pathological process. It is characterized by oscillations that may occur in the vertical, horizontal, or torsional planes, or in any combination thereof.

Ocular Hypertension is intraocular pressure (IOP) higher than usual in the absence of optic nerve damage or visual field loss. Elevated IOP is the most crucial risk factor for glaucoma, so those with ocular hypertension are frequently considered to have a greater chance of developing the condition.

Ocular migraine (acephalgic migraine) is a variant of migraine in which the patient may experience aura symptoms such as scintillating scotoma, nausea, photophobia, hemiparesis, and other migraine symptoms, but does not experience headache.

Photophobia (light sensitivity) is typically caused by excessive light entering the eye, leading to overstimulation of the photoreceptors in the retina and subsequent excessive electrical impulses to the optic nerve. This leads to a reflexive aversion to light, accompanied by discomfort or pain.

Pinguecula is a type of conjunctival degeneration in the eye. It is extremely common and is seen as a yellow-white deposit on the conjunctiva adjacent to the limbus (the junction between the cornea and sclera).

Presbyopia describes the condition where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects with age.

Ptosis (drooping eyelid) is an abnormally low position (drooping) of the upper eyelid, a condition that is addressed through plastic surgery of the eyelids.

Pterygium is a wedge-shaped area of fibrosis that appears to grow into the cornea. It is associated with, and thought to be caused by, exposure to ultraviolet light (e.g., sunlight), low humidity, and dust.

Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without prompt treatment, the entire retina may detach, resulting in vision loss and blindness. It is a medical emergency.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photoreceptors (rods and cones) or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the retina lead to progressive visual loss.

Trichiasis is a common eyelid abnormality in which the eyelashes are misdirected and grow inwards toward the eye.  Those inward-turning lashes rub against the cornea, the conjunctiva (the thin, transparent membrane covering the sclera, which is the white part of the eye), and the inner surface of the eyelids, irritating the eye.

Uveitis specifically refers to inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, termed the “uvea,” but in common usage may refer to any inflammatory process involving the interior of the eye. Uveitis requires an immediate, thorough examination by an ophthalmologist, along with urgent treatment to control the inflammation.