Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

The macula is the part of your eye which picks up fine detail.  Degeneration of this area will result in loss of sharpness making reading and recognising faces difficult.  However this does not affect your ability to walk around as it doesn't affect peripheral vision.

There are 2 types:

Dry - slow progressing gradual loss of visual function due to poor circulation at the back of the eye.  No treatment has yet been developed.

Wet - results when abnormal blood vessels grow behind the macula and leak fluid causing quite rapid loss of vision. Straight lines may appear distorted and if this change occurs you should be seen as an emergency.  OCT scanning is critical for detecting early changes on macular degeneration.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma, the 2nd most common cause of blindness in the UK, is characterised by damage to the optic nerve, usually due to excessively high intraocular pressure (IOP). Peripheral vision is affected in the early stages,  As the disease advances central vision is also affected.

Often, you cannot feel this pressure – it is known as the “silent disease” – showing no signs of symptoms, which is why it is so important to get your eyes checked regularly.

Risk factors include age, family history, race & myopia.

Cataract

Cataracts are a very common eye condition.
As we get older, the lens inside our eye gradually changes and becomes less clear. A lens that turns cloudy, is said to have a cataract, which, in time, becomes gradually worse and vision poorer. This does not hurt.
Age, unfortunately, is the main cause, however, smoking is also linked with cataracts.
Treatment is surgery, removing the lens and replacing it with a clear, plastic implant.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a disease affecting the clear window at the front of the eye, the cornea. It should keep its shape but in keratoconus it becomes elastic and stretches into a cone like shape. This causes blurred vision. Management of the condition is mostly by specialised contact lenses which allow good vision to be maintained. A medical procedure, Corneal Cross Linking can be used to stabilise and prevent progression of the condition. Severe cases may need corneal surgery in the form of a corneal graft procedure. The practice deals with this condition on a daily basis and has a wealth of experience in the options available.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is a condition caused by a problem with the tears – either when the eyes do not make enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly.
Dry eye can make your eyes feel gritty, scratchy, irritated & inflamed.
Treatments available to help relieve the symptoms include eye drops to lubricate the eyes, medications to reduce any inflammation and (if necessary) surgery to prevent tears from draining away easily.
McPherson Optometry runs a Dry Eye Clinic to asses and relieve your symptoms.