Did you know that sleeping in your contact lenses, over-wearing your contact lens, and not cleaning/disinfecting your contact lenses properly can cause a corneal infiltrate? Bacterial exotoxins are responsible for whitish/gray anterior stromal infiltrates in the cornea. They are usually round, well defined, and small, ranging in size from 0.1mm to 2.0mm. There are oftenContinue reading “When Contact Lenses Cause Problems”
Category Archives: Patient Cases
How to Prevent Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among Americans who are age 65 and older. Here are some steps you can take to prevent vision loss from macular degeneration. Here are steps you can take to prevent or slow the progression of AMD: Eat plenty of dark, leafy green vegetables, such as raw spinach.Continue reading “How to Prevent Macular Degeneration”
When Contact Lenses Cause Scarring
Did you know that a corneal ulcer can cause permanent scarring? At the front of the eye is a clear layer of tissue called the cornea. The cornea allows light to enter the eye. The cornea is bathed in tears, which provide the natural defense against bacteria and viruses. A corneal ulcer is an openContinue reading “When Contact Lenses Cause Scarring”
When Contact Lenses Cause Bumps
Do you have itchy eyes and feel like there’s something in your eye? Do your contact lenses move around on your eye? Are your contact lenses uncomfortable? You might have bumps on the inside of your eyelid. These bumps represent inflammation, which can be caused by protein build-up on the contact lenses. If you haveContinue reading “When Contact Lenses Cause Bumps”
A Bloody Eye
A bloody eye can be caused by a blood vessel that leaks underneath the white part of your eye (conjunctiva). It causes alarm, but most cases do not require treatment and do not threaten vision. Although it is not always possible to identify the source of the problem, some potential causes of subconjunctival hemorrhage include:Continue reading “A Bloody Eye”
Myelinated Nerve Fiber Layer
Myelinated retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is found in a dilated eye examination. It can vary in size and location and presents as well-demarcated, white patch of myelinated retinal ganglion cell axons. While a benign finding, it can be associated with eye conditions that affect vision, such as lazy eye or crossed eyes. The causeContinue reading “Myelinated Nerve Fiber Layer”
A Scar in the Eye
Did you know that you can have a scar in the back of your eye? The macula is an oval-shaped pigmented area near the center of the retina inside your eye. It has the largest concentration of cone cells & enables you to see clearly straight ahead. If anything goes wrong with your macula, itContinue reading “A Scar in the Eye”
A Film Over Your Vision
An epiretinal membrane is a thin sheet of fibrous tissue that can form on the macula. It acts like a film through which it is harder to see. The film may also contract like scar tissue, which can pull on the delicate retina at the back of your eye. This ‘puckering’ of the macula canContinue reading “A Film Over Your Vision”
When Allergies Cause Pink Eye
Viruses, bacteria, irritating substances (shampoo, dirt, smoke, pool chlorine), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or allergens (substances that cause allergies) can all cause PINK EYE. If it’s caused by allergies, then it’s not contagious. It is important to find out whether your pink eye is caused by allergies or infection, because each condition has different treatments.Continue reading “When Allergies Cause Pink Eye”
When You Have Pink Eye
Viral conjunctivitis, or PINK EYE, is a common, self-limiting condition that is typically caused by adenovirus. This can be diagnosed with the above test, the RPS detector. When you have viral conjunctivits, you are highly contagious for about 10-12 days from onset as long as the eyes are red. You should avoid touching your eyes,Continue reading “When You Have Pink Eye”
When You See Wavy Lines…
If you suddenly notice wavy lines in your vision, it could be fluid leaking in your retina. In central serous retinopathy, blood vessels underneath the retina leak and build up, causing distorted vision. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is responsible for preventing fluid from leaking from the choroid under the retina. When the RPE becomesContinue reading “When You See Wavy Lines…”
A Pimple on the Eyelid
A sty (or hordeolum) is a red, painful lump near the edge of your eyelid that looks like a pimple. Sties are often filled with pus. A hordeomlum is treated with warm compresses to the eyelid and oral antibiotics.
Severe Nearsightedness
If you have severe nearsightedness, over -10D, you might have myopic degeneration. The biomechanical theory assumes that the retina, in a myopic eye, is stretched over a larger than normal area because the eye is longer in shape than is normal. Loss of central vision can occur if abnormal vessels grow directly under the macular. Continue reading “Severe Nearsightedness”
Diabetic Eye Examinations
If you have diabetes, a dilated eye exam is recommended! Diabetic retinopathy is an eye complication of uncontrolled diabetes. It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). Diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. But if the retinopathy is notContinue reading “Diabetic Eye Examinations”
Toxoplasmosis in the Eye
Retinochoroiditis is often found in congenital toxoplasmosis. In non-congenital toxoplasmosis, the ocular form of the disease occurs much less frequently. Referral to internal medicine or infectious disease specialists are always recommended in the treatment of ocular toxoplasmosis.
When a Parasite Impairs Vision
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma Gondii can cause significant inflammation and subsequent scarring which can impair vision. Ocular toxoplasmosis can be congenital or acquired, and worldwide, toxoplasmosis is the most common cause of inflammation in the back of the eye. Congenital toxoplasmosis is transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy. This usually results inContinue reading “When a Parasite Impairs Vision”
Caution While Driving
This patient has optic disc drusen in both eyes. Optic nerve drusen are abnormal accumulations of protein and calcium salts. Sometimes this can cause an enlarged blind spot and visual field defects. This means extra caution while driving! There is no cure for optic disc drusen, but this must be carefully monitored for more seriousContinue reading “Caution While Driving”
Preserving Vision with Age
As the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the eye gets older, a number of changes happen in your eye: 1. Loss of melanin 2. More lipofuscin in the RPE layer. Lipofuscin are chemical by-products. 3. More drusen, which are yellow, lipid deposits, between the RPE and the choroid (the layer of blood vessels that supplyContinue reading “Preserving Vision with Age”
Devastating VIsion Loss
Did you know that wet macular degeneration can cause devastating vision loss? It usually starts off as dry macular degeneration and develops when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid. This patient was treated with Avastin shots to prevent the growth of these blood vessels. This patient also had a retinal detachment, which required surgery.
Wash Your Veggies & Fruits!
Unfortunately, my patient has 20/200 vision from an Toxoplasmosis infection. Toxoplasmosis is the most common cause of infectious retinochoroiditis. In addition to contaminated food, water source contamination is increasingly recognized as a source of infection. The disease can also be acquired by blood transfusions, organ transplant, or accidentally in laboratory workers. Here’s how you canContinue reading “Wash Your Veggies & Fruits!”
Night Blindness
This patient let me know that she could not drive at night. My dilated eye examination showed evidence of Retinitis pigmentosa (RP). In RP, there is progressive degeneration in the photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) of the retina. Other forms of RP and related diseases include Usher syndrome, Leber’s congenital amaurosis, rod-cone disease, Bardet-Biedl syndrome,Continue reading “Night Blindness”
A Corneal Transplant
From: All About Vision A cornea transplant replaces diseased or scarred corneal tissue with healthy tissue from an organ donor. A graft replaces central corneal tissue, damaged due to disease or eye injury, with healthy corneal tissue donated from a local eye bank. An unhealthy cornea affects your vision by scattering or distorting light andContinue reading “A Corneal Transplant”
When the Vision is Distorted
A Severe Retinal Detachment
This was one of my first cases in my career! It was caused by a traumatic injury and resulted in devastating vision loss.
Online Eye Exams?
Do you save time and money getting an online eye exam? What is the cost of a “do-it-yourself” eye exam? Wouldn’t it be nice to just check your vision and get your prescription on your computer at home? It sure beats the commute, waiting in a doctor’s office, and taking time off from work. YetContinue reading “Online Eye Exams?”
When a Basketball Hits Your Eye
A basketball caused severe damage to the iris and permanent vision loss in this patient! We must continually monitor for glaucoma. Trauma like this can result in enucleation, which is surgical removal of the eye, often replaced with a prosthetic. This stresses the importance of protective eye wear for all sports, especially those involving aContinue reading “When a Basketball Hits Your Eye”
When Diabetes Shows Up In Your Eyes
by Dr. Yvonne Alomia Did you know that diabetes can first show up in the eye? I recently saw a young patient who was unaware of his diabetes until he had his first eye examination. Diabetic retinopathy affects those with diabetes andcauses progressive damage to the back of the eye. It can cause permanent visionContinue reading “When Diabetes Shows Up In Your Eyes”
A Stroke Can Affect Your Vision
Did you know that a stroke can cause difficulty speaking and walking, but can also cause peripheral vision loss and double vision? The peripheral vision test above shows a loss on the right side, which points to a stroke on the left side. A stroke can cause problems with processing of visual input, including neglect,Continue reading “A Stroke Can Affect Your Vision”
What a Macular Hole Looks Like
What Contact Lenses Can Do to Your Eye
If you over-wear your contact lenses or don’t properly clean and disinfect them, this is what can happen! An episode of pain and light sensitivity due to inflammation, with the risk of serious bacterial infection. This must be promptly treated and can result in a permanent scar. Changing to DAILY DISPOSABLE contact lenses (thrown awayContinue reading “What Contact Lenses Can Do to Your Eye”
When You Have a Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that begins in the retina — the sensitive lining on the inside of your eye. Retinoblastoma most commonly affects young children, but can rarely occur in adults.
Six Ways to Protect Your Eyes
Six Unexpected Ways to Protect Your Eyes – Spry Living. We’re all familiar with these common-sense health teachings: Exercise and diet to lose weight. Wear sunscreen to reduce your risk of skin cancer. Stop smoking to prevent heart disease. But what about eye health? Leading a healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward protecting yourContinue reading “Six Ways to Protect Your Eyes”
“Can Glasses Help Me?”
Unfortunately, my answer to this patient was “no.” This is wet macular degeneration that I had to send for Avastin treatment by a retinal specialist. There are two basic types of macular degeneration: “wet” and “dry.” Approximately 10-15% of the cases of macular degeneration are the “wet” (exudative) type. In the “wet” type of macularContinue reading ““Can Glasses Help Me?””
A Fluffy, White Patch in Your Eye
A fluffy, white patch in your eye is called a “cotton-wool spot” and can represent a compromise to the circulation and vascular system. They can also indicate damage to the retinal nerve fibers, with build-up of material that doesn’t belong there. Sometimes you can have a sudden “blind spot,” blurry vision, or peripheral vision loss. Continue reading “A Fluffy, White Patch in Your Eye”
A Freckle in Your Eye
You know about freckles on your skin, but did you know you can have a freckle in your eye? It can only be found on a dilated eye exam. And it must be carefully monitored for any changes.