Glaucoma is a term used to describe a group of diseases that can lead to damage to the eye’s optic nerve and result in blindness. In many people, increased pressure inside the eye causes glaucoma. There is a space in the front of the eye called the anterior chamber. A clear fluid is continuously being produced and draining through this area. If this fluid is being produced too quickly or draining too slowly, the pressure in the eye will rise. If this is left uncontrolled, optic nerve damage and visual loss can result.

Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at a higher risk than others. They include African-Americans over age 40, everyone over age 60 and people with a family history of glaucoma. Diabetics are also at greater risk for developing this disease. Glaucoma is not curable, but is controllable with treatment, especially if caught early. Doctor Price at Port Royal Eye Care will perform a comprehensive eye examination including tonometry (the measure of the pressure inside the eye), a visual field analysis (the measure of your field of vision) and pupil dilation (which allows a better examination of the optic nerve) to determine your risk for developing glaucoma. Should you be suspected of having glaucoma, further testing is completed and treatment is initiated as necessary.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels within the retina. The blood vessels may begin to swell and leak or new blood vessels may begin to grow on the surface of the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or blindness. The longer someone has diabetes, the greater his or her risk for developing diabetic eye disease. Almost 50% of all people with diabetes develop some diabetic retinopathy during their life.

There are often no symptoms during the early stages of the disease. There is no eye pain and vision isn’t blurred until the condition worsens. That is why it is so important to have an annual dilated examination if you have diabetes. Some diabetic retinopathy is treatable with the use of a laser. It is used to shrink the abnormal vessels growing in the retina. Studies have shown that this treatment reduces the risk of severe vision loss by 60%. It often cannot restore vision that has already been lost. That is why early detection is so important. Another complication related to diabetes is cataracts. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cataracts and often develop them earlier than people without diabetes.

People with diabetes are also twice as likely to develop glaucoma as other adults. The longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk for developing glaucoma. Glaucoma related to diabetes is treated with medications, laser or surgery. If you are diabetic, we urge you to have annual dilated eye examinations with Doctor Price at Port Royal Eye Care.

Your eyes are lubricated by tears produced by tear glands in your upper eyelid. Blinking spreads a film of tears across the surface of your eyes that then move to the inside area of your eye and drain through the tear drainage ducts in the nose and throat. Your tears are comprised of three separate layers. They include a watery layer, a mucus layer and an oily layer. An abnormality in any of these three layers can lead to dry eye symptoms.

These symptoms include:

Dryness of the eye Mucous discharge
Redness Sandy or gritty feeling
Itching Burning
Constant or occasional tearing
Watery eyes
Light sensitivity Eye pain or soreness
Lid infections Sties
Tired eyes Contact lens discomfort
Contact lens solution sensitivity Frequent use of lubricating eye drops

Environment plays a large role in your tear layer. Sunny, dry or windy weather can lead to dry eye symptoms. Heaters, air conditioners and high altitudes increase the evaporation of tears from the eye’s surface. If your tear drainage is too great or too slight, you may experience dry eye symptoms. Wearing contact lenses increases tear evaporation and may lead to dry eye symptoms. Tear production gradually decreases with age. At age 65 the tear glands produce about 40% of the lubricating tears they produced at age 18. Certain medications, including decongestants, antihistamines and diuretics may reduce tear production. Other related conditions include sinus/nasal congestion, chronic cough, bronchitis, allergies or hay fever, middle ear congestion, dry throat or mouth, headaches and asthma.

Management of dry eyes can be a challenging process. Lubricating drops and ointments may provide relief for dry eyes. Lacrimal occlusion is often used when lubricating drops alone are not adequate. Lacrimal occlusion is the partial blockage of your tear drainage ducts to preserve natural tears on the surface of the eyes. This procedure often provides long-term relief from dry eye symptoms. Temporary (dissolving) plugs are inserted into your tear drainage ducts. They last four to seven days, during which time your symptoms are monitored. Once the efficacy of the plugs are determined, permanent plugs are inserted. Often lubricating drops are no longer needed following punctal occlusion.

When left untreated, severely dry eyes may lead to chronic infection of your eye and eyelids, corneal ulceration, scarring and permanent vision loss. Doctor Price at Port Royal Eye Care will work with you to determine the best option for treating your dry eye symptoms.

Low vision is a condition that exists when ordinary glasses, contact lenses, medical treatment and/or surgery are unable to correct a person’s sight to the normal range. Reduced visual function has a profound influence on an individual’s well being. The goal of low vision services is to maximize the usable sight of a person, enabling them to perform routine tasks.

Doctor Price will complete a thorough eye examination and can recommend strategies to improve the quality of life of those with reduced visual function. Optical devices often used to obtain this goal include hand-held or stand magnifiers, high-power reading lenses, telescopes and tinted lenses. Non-optical devices such as talking books, clocks and calculators, large-numeral telephones and large print reading materials are also introduced and considered.

A person with a vision impairment can often benefit from an orientation and mobility specialist. These services can teach the visually impaired person to travel independently. Doctor Price will be happy to discuss this option and help arrange for these services.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects your central vision. Your macula is located in the center of the retina. It is the area of your retina that you use to “look” at objects. People with AMD rarely go blind from the disease, but it can make it difficult to read, drive and do other activities that require clear straight-ahead vision. There are two types of age-related macular degeneration. The most common type is Dry AMD. The cause is unknown. The macular cells gradually begin to break down. As this occurs, you may start to lose central vision. This often initially occurs in just one eye. However, the disease may occur in the other eye later. Wet AMD is the second type of this disease. It is much more rare, but accounts for the majority of the blindness from the disease. Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels in the retina start to grow toward the macula. They are very fragile and often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes macular damage and a rapid loss of central vision.

The risk for developing AMD increases as you get older. Women may be at higher risk than men. Smoking may increase the risk of AMD. People with a family history of AMD may be at higher risk as are people with elevated levels of blood cholesterol. Dry AMD cannot be treated at this time. Fortunately, this form of the disease progresses very slowly. Eventually, some central vision may be lost, but most people with dry AMD lead normal, active lives. Some forms of wet AMD can be treated with laser surgery. The laser is used to stop the leaking blood vessels before further damage occurs.

Doctor Price will perform thorough eye examinations to evaluate the health of your eyes and discuss your risk factors for developing this disease.

Allergies affect a number of people, and a majority of allergy symptoms affect the eyes. Eye allergies can be very uncomfortable and make everyday activities difficult.
When you have an allergic reaction, the eyes may be responding to something that is not actually harmful. For example, dust is harmless to most people, but for those who commonly have allergic reactions, the eyes can produce tears or mucus as a protective measure.
Allergies that persist can also trigger other conditions like conjunctivitis (pink eye) and asthma. If you have a family history of eye allergies, you are also more likely to suffer from them.

Symptoms of Eye Allergies
These signs indicate you may be suffering from eye allergies:
• Swollen, red or itchy eyes
• Sneezing or coughing
• Runny nose
• Itchy nose, mouth or throat
• Headache from sinus congestion
• Fatigue or lack of sleep

Airborne allergens such as pollen, dust, pet dander and mold can come into contact with your eyes and nose on a daily basis. Additionally, medications, cosmetics or topical creams can cause adverse reactions and eye allergies. However, food allergies or reactions caused by insect stings do not usually affect the eyes like airborne allergens do. If you are worried about allergies and your eyes, schedule an examination at Port Royal Eyecare today.

How well your child sees can determine whether or not they clean their rooms and pick up after themselves. Ok, not really but did we get your attention?

Your child’s vision is of utmost importance to their future. The sooner a child has an eye exam, the sooner we can ensure their visual acuities, eye health and, most importantly, the developmental aspects of their vision. We can help remove potential obstacles and increase their ability to learn, to thrive in school and in life.

Physically, children change constantly and so quickly. This is also true of their eyes and vision.

And did you know that 80% of the harmful UV (ultraviolet) radiation your child will be exposed to in their lifetime, here in Tennessee, will happen prior to their 18th birthday?

So, please be sure to have your child’s eyes examined every year before school starts to ensure their health and make sure they don’t fall behind.