PATIENT EDUCATION


EVALUATING THE VISUAL SYSTEM

The eye is the window to the body. The reason is because the eye is the only place we can see blood vessels non invasively, we can see the optic nerve which is a connection to the brain and central nervous system, and we can see various tissue types which often have corollaries in other parts of the body. During your routine eye exam, we will look to see the integrity of nerves and blood vessels non invasively allowing us to see medical conditions, often times, before other signs and symptoms manifest anywhere else in the body. The observation of the nerve and retina is a crucial part of our comprehensive eye examination. By examining your eyes in this way, Dr. Sidra can often detect conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arterial plaque, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, stroke, leukemia and many other conditions. At Texas Elite Eye Care, we proudly carry state of the art technology that allows us to diagnosis and manage diseases that may be limited in your typical optometry office.

PATIENT EDUCATION

MACULAR DEGENERATION

Macular degeneration is a common eye disorder in people over 50 and causes a gradual loss of the center of vision. This occurs due to damage of the macula and is shown to be worsened by smoking, high blood pressure, and poor diet. Treatment for macular degeneration includes supplements and injections depending on the stage of disease.

KERATOCONUS

A condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye (cornea) bulges outward. This results in decreased vision and can end in a corneal transplant. Typical onset is puberty to late teens and treatment involves a procedure to stabilize the cornea and vision correction which often requires scleral lenses.

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60 and often has no symptoms other than slow (often unnoticed in the early stages) vision loss. Glaucoma is treated with drops, laser surgery, and traditional surgery.

CONJUCTIVITIS

Conjunctivitis is a generic term for the inflammation of the transparent membrane that layers our eyes. It may be caused by a variety of factors including bacteria, viruses, and allergies. Treatment and infectiousness depends on the underlying cause.

DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the back of the eye. The likelihood of developing diabetic retinopathy depends largely on blood sugar control. Mild cases may be treated with careful diabetes management where as advanced cases may require laser treatment, injections, and other surgery. Early detection of any retinopathy is extremely important not only for the health of your eyes, but also your body.

DRY EYE

Dry eye may be caused by a number of factors and determining the underlying cause is important in managing and treating the condition. Typical symptoms of dry eye include burning, watering, irritation, and redness of the eyes, a foreign body sensation may be present (sandy or gritty feeling). Treatment may include over the counter drops, eyelid hygiene regimens, prescription drops, laser therapy, and others.

PRESBYOPIA

Commonly known as age related farsightedness is a gradual loss of the eyes' ability to focus on near targets. This usually becomes noticeable in our early to mid 40s and progresses gradually. Symptoms include blurred vision at near, needing to hold material further away, needing more light to see small print, eyestrain after reading, and headaches after reading. This may be treated with glasses, contact lenses, prescription drops, as well as certain procedures.

PTERYGIUM

Pterygium is a growth that starts on the clear tissue of the eye and can spread to the cornea. It is a triangular growth that can occur in one or both eyes and is typically more common in people who spend a lot of time outdoors and in dusty environments. It is painless and often does not require treatment but eyedrops and surgery may help in advanced cases.

MYOPIA / HYPEROPIA/ ASTIGMATISM

This is a group of conditions that result in what is called refractive error. This means that the eye is not calibrated to see the world clearly at all distances without correction. Myopia (or nearsightedness) means we can see up close, but not far away. Hyperopia (or farsightedness) means our eye is built to see far away, but may be exerting extra effort to do so. Astigmatism means our eye does not focus light properly at any distance due to an irregular shaped cornea. All conditions are typically treated with glasses, contacts, or LASIK/Refractive procedures.

CATARACT

Cataract is a condition that causes the lens of the eye to become cloudy. As you could imagine symptoms include visual changes of blurriness, cloudiness, or double vision. Some may also experience light sensitivity and have difficulty seeing at night.

STYE

A Stye is a common eye condition that results in a red, painful lump near the edge of the eyelid. It typically occurs when the small glands that line the eyelid get plugged and allow bacteria to grow and multiply. Treatment often includes a warm compress, and if needed, prescription drops.