Common Ocular Diseases and What to Do About Them
Common ocular problems affect many of our patients at UltraVision. Some conditions share the same symptoms, so you may have a hard time trying to figure out why your vision is blurry.
Our team of vision experts is here to inform you about the most common eye conditions, and how we deal with them. Schedule your appointment today so we can safely treat your ocular disease.
While there are a lot of eye conditions, some of the most common ones include:
- Glaucoma
- Dry eye
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Macular degeneration
The causes of these conditions vary. They may happen with age or because of injury. Macular degeneration, a condition that affects your central vision, can occur with aging or damage to your retina.
UltraVision can determine the cause of your ocular disease and help you manage it to prevent further problems.
Certain ocular conditions are easier to manage and treat. Diabetic retinopathy, for example, can be tougher to manage since it occurs as a result of diabetes. The severity of your ocular disease can also play a part in your treatment.
As mentioned, macular degeneration is a condition that breaks down and damages the macula, which are cells located in your retina. Macular degeneration makes everything in your central vision blurry.
Treatment for this condition depends on whether you have dry macular degeneration or wet macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is the most common form and we can treat it with vitamin and mineral supplements. Wet macular degeneration usually requires medication.
Dry eye is one of the more common eye problems we treat. Nearly 7% of adults suffer from it.
Dry eye happens when your eyes can’t produce enough tears or the quality of your tears is low. Your tears have three layers: an oily layer, a watery layer, and a mucus layer. If your tears don’t have a good amount of each, dry eye can occur.
Symptoms of dry eye include:
- Blurred vision
- Itchiness
- Burning or stinging
- Gritty feeling in your eye
- Pain
Before we treat your dry eyes, our team finds out what’s causing the problem and whether it’s chronic. We usually try artificial drops first. If that doesn’t help, we can discuss other treatment options.
Your optic nerve sits behind your eye and is responsible for sending visual information to your brain. Glaucoma is a condition that increases the amount of fluid in front of your eye. More fluid puts more pressure on your optic nerve, which can cause damage.
Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness in older patients. The earlier we catch glaucoma, the less damage it can do.
If your glaucoma is mild, you may only need eye drops. More severe cases may require laser surgery.
We at UltraVision offer a wide variety of treatment plans to match your needs. We welcome all patients in and around San Antonio as well as Eagle Pass, Texas.