Ophthalmic Technology
Ophthalmic Technology — Vision Vexers
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- is one of the leading causes of blindness. Also known as AMD, it is a common eye disease associated with aging. Age-related macular degeneration, also known as AMD, is one of the leading causes of blindness. The macula, the light-sensitive part of the retina, deteriorates, taking with it sharp, central vision. People at greater risk include smokers and those who have high blood pressure, farsightedness or obesity.
- Astigmatism
- blurred vision resulting from a misshaped cornea. Unlike myopia or hyperopia, this disorder affects vision at any distance. Astigmatism is usually inherited but often gets worse over time. Symptoms include slightly blurred vision to extremely blurry vision and headaches.
- Cataracts
- instead of a healthy, clear eye lens, proteins clump together and form opaque areas. These spots on the lens reduce the amount of light reaching the retina, producing dim and blurry vision. Left untreated, cataracts will cause blindness and are the leading cause of blindness in the world.
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- is very common, affecting perhaps 30 million people in the United States. With this condition, the body cannot make enough tears to protect the front surface of the eye. This so-called “tear film” is vital for good vision as well as eye comfort. Contributing factors to this condition include allergies, eye infections, hormone changes, drugs such as antihistamines and anti-depressants, chemicals in the air and contact lenses.
- Farsightedness
- also known as long-sightedness or hyperopia. The ability to see things clearly from a distance but not up close is a hereditary condition. Although it exists throughout childhood, most people with hyperopia don’t notice the problem until they are young adults.
- Glaucoma
- pressure builds up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve. Without diagnosis and treatment, this eye will gradually reduce vision and lead to blindness. Glaucoma is second leading cause of blindness worldwide. And having diabetes doubles your chance of getting glaucoma.
- Nearsightedness
- also known as shortsightedness or myopia. The ability to see things clearly up close, but not at a distance, is the most common vision disorder in the world. Most people start to notice poor distance vision by age 10 to 15.
- Refractive disorder
- a mismatch between the length of the eyeball and its refractive power. Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are all refractive disorders.
- Presbyopia
- affects virtually everyone who lives past the age of 45 or 50. It is the progressive loss of vision as we age. Reading close-up, tasks such as sewing and similar detail work become harder, at times causing headaches or eye fatigue. We move books, the newspapers or even our laptops a bit farther away to see them better. Although it feels like farsightedness, presbyopia is not caused by the shape of the cornea. A likely culprit is the loss of flexibility in the eye’s crystalline lens, and reading glasses or bifocals are an easy fix.