Comprehensive Eye Exams in Stony Plain

Glaucoma is a name for a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve. It often progresses slowly and quietly, with symptoms generally developing after significant damage has already occurred.

Early treatment for glaucoma is essential, as any vision loss that occurs due to the disease is not recoverable. Treatment may involve eye drops or laser surgery to manage intraocular pressure. The condition will require treatment for the rest of your life.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a severe eye disease that affects the macula, the part of the retina that’s responsible for sharp, central vision. It can lead to blurred central vision while leaving the peripheral vision untouched, so it doesn’t result in complete blindness.

There are two types of AMD: dry and wet.

• Dry AMD is generally related to the ageing process and results in the thinning and deterioration of the macula. This impacts your ability to see faces, read, write, or perform other detail-oriented tasks. Treatment can involve self-care measures, like taking antioxidant vitamins and mineral supplements, which may slow down vision loss.
• Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow in the eye and start leaking blood and fluids under the macula. These fluids start to distort central vision. Treatment may involve injections into the eye that slow the growth of new blood vessels. If these injections aren’t sufficient, you may require other therapies, such as photodynamic therapy or photocoagulation. Both are designed to seal abnormal blood vessels and stop them from leaking.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that occurs as a complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It’s caused by damage to the delicate blood vessels that feed the retina and is related to sugar build-up in the blood. It can lead to unrecoverable vision loss.

Treatments for diabetic retinopathy are usually aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of the disease.

If you have early diabetic retinopathy, you may not need treatment. Instead, your optometrist will closely monitor your ocular health and begin treatment when necessary. At this stage, maintaining control of your diabetes and managing your blood sugar levels is essential to slowing the progression of diabetic retinopathy.

Suppose you have advanced diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema. In that case, you’ll be referred to a retinal specialist and likely require surgery (vitrectomy) and therapies like photocoagulation and anti-VEGF therapy, which are designed to seal leaking abnormal blood vessels.