Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Chatham-Kent

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage to the optic nerve. There are several types of glaucoma, but open-angle is the most common.

It’s not entirely known what causes glaucoma, but many forms (although not all) are associated with high internal eye pressure (IOP). Glaucoma often progresses without symptoms or pain and can result in irreversible blindness, beginning with peripheral vision loss and tunnel vision.

Treatments for glaucoma usually involve methods to control IOP to keep it within a normal range. This can be done using eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery.

Cataracts aren’t technically considered an eye disease, but they are a condition that occurs naturally as your eyes age. When you’re young, your crystalline lens is clear and flexible to change shape and focus light entering your eyes. As you get older, your lens becomes more rigid and opaque, creating a cataract that can make it seem like you’re looking through a frosted or dirty window.

Cataracts generally develop slowly and painlessly over several years and are easily detectable during a routine eye exam. Early cataracts can be managed with eyeglasses or contact lenses, but you may require surgery if they start to impact your day-to-day activities.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that primarily affects adults 50 and older. It develops when there’s damage to the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp, central vision.

There are 2 types of AMD:

• Dry AMD develops slowly as the macula thins over time. It can advance into wet AMD.

• Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina. These blood vessels can break and leak and can quickly lead to vision loss.

Treatment depends on the type of AMD you have. Early AMD may be slowed with vitamin supplements, but more advanced stages of AMD may need laser treatments or anti-VEGF injections to control bleeding and abnormal blood vessel growth.

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of high blood sugar related to diabetes. High blood sugar levels can cause damage to the eye’s delicate blood vessels, causing them to bulge, break, and leak blood and fluid into the retina. As the disease advances, new blood vessels can grow, causing further damage.

Diabetic retinopathy can also increase your risk of developing other eye conditions, like glaucoma or a detached retina. Because of the risks diabetic retinopathy poses, we encourage our patients with diabetes to see us every year so we can closely monitor their eye health.

Early diabetic retinopathy only needs to be monitored, but as the disease advances, treatments can include laser surgery, VEGF inhibitors, and vitrectomy. Treatments are usually quite successful at preventing vision loss when implemented early.