Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Killarney

The eye’s normally clear lens can become cloudy and opaque when proteins break down, causing clumps called cataracts. These cloudy areas can begin small or grow large, affecting vision more over time. 

Many people develop cataracts over 60, as lens proteins naturally change with aging. Underlying health conditions and some lifestyle factors can contribute to cataract development, including excessive UV exposure and smoking.

Early cataracts may not affect your vision or can be improved with glasses or contact lenses. But larger, opaque cataracts can severely impair vision at all distances. When cataracts affect your daily life, they can be surgically removed. 

Cataract surgery removes the impaired lens and replaces it with an artificial lens. Eye Q Optometry offers cataract surgery co-management to guide you through the process from start to finish.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear covering of the eye’s surface and inner eyelids. The conjunctiva protects the eyes from infection, debris, or a lost contact lens. When the conjunctiva is irritated, blood vessels in the tissue expand, making the eye appear pink or red.

There are 3 types: allergic, chemical, and infectious. The infectious form can be either viral or bacterial and is highly contagious. Symptoms can vary depending on the type, but can include:

• Blurred vision
• Eyelid inflammation
• Pink or red eyes
• Pus-like or stringy discharge
• Scratchy or irritated eyes
• Watery eyes

We can diagnose and treat pink eye to help relieve symptoms, improve recovery time, and prevent compilations.

Diabetes is a systemic disease that affects how your body makes or uses insulin. When your body doesn’t respond to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream, causing changes to your overall health. Your eyes are especially susceptible to high blood sugar levels, and can develop diabetic eye disease. 

High blood sugar levels weaken the eye’s blood vessels, which can break, leak, and block blood flow into the eye, leading to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and other eye health complications.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of diabetic eye disease. It can also cause diabetic macular edema and glaucoma and lead to early cataract development. Early detection of diabetic eye problems is crucial, as treatment is more likely to be successful at an earlier stage.

Dry eye syndrome (DES or dry eye) is a chronic eye problem related to tear quality and quantity. Tears are more than water and more than an emotional response when you laugh or cry. Your eyes are nourished by a consistent layer of tears (the tear film), spread across the eye’s surface when you blink.

The tear film as 3 layers:

• The oily outer layer prevents tears from drying too quickly & keep the surface smooth
• The watery middle layer wets & cleans the eye’s surface, & delivers nutrients to keep the eye healthy
• The mucousy inner layer helps tears stay on the eye & spread evenly across the eye’s surface to prevent dry spots

All 3 of these components are crucial for healthy eyes and vision. When your tears are poor quality or low in quantity, you may experience dryness, burning, and irritation. Untreated dry eye can also increase your risk of eye infections or corneal scarring, leading to impaired vision.

Visit us for personalized dry eye solutions.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. Because the optic nerve delivers visual information from the retina to the brain, glaucoma can lead to irreversible vision loss. In fact, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada. 

In the most common form of glaucoma—open-angle glaucoma—excess fluid builds up inside the eye, applying pressure to the optic nerve and causing slow, progressive damage. Elevated eye pressure is an early warning sign of glaucoma, so a standard part of diabetic and routine eye exams involves measuring your intraocular pressure (IOP).

Early detection is crucial for preventing glaucoma or managing it before you experience vision loss. Management usually involves reducing eye pressure with eye drops or medications. However, more severe symptoms may need to be treated with laser surgery or a combination of treatments.

Macular degeneration is a condition affecting the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for detailed, straight-ahead vision. When the macula is damaged, it can impair vision and affect your ability to read, recognize faces, or see colour. However, peripheral (side) vision is unaffected.

Aging is a significant risk factor, and the condition is commonly referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In North America, AMD is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 55.

There are 2 forms:

• Dry AMD is the common form, causing minor symptoms. Progression may be controlled with eye nutrition, such as antioxidants. 
• Wet AMD is rarer and comes with more severe symptoms. It occurs when weakened blood vessels under the macula leak or bleed, leading to rapidly-developing symptoms. Treatment can include laser surgery, infections, or medications to seal or remove weakened blood vessels.

Early detection can help control AMD progression and prevent vision impairment.

The retina is a thin layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye and detects light to create images. Eye injuries, conditions, or diseases like diabetes or high myopia (nearsightedness) can weaken or stretch the retina, increasing your risk of retinal tears or detachment.

Retinal damage can cause the appearance of flashing lights or floating spots. Some patients describe retinal detachment as a curtain, veil, or shadow falling over their field of vision. 

Tears or holes in the retina can be repaired, and the retina reattached. The earlier the damage is detected, the more likely treatment can help save your sight. Retinal re-attachment is successful for 90% of patients.