How much do you know about different eye conditions and what eye disease symptoms to look out for? Here are some eye diseases that can be detected during an eye exam or specialist assessment with our lead optometrist Sachin, and how you can spot their symptoms beforehand.
Eye Diseases – Signs, Causes, and Treatment
Dry Eye
Tears keep the surface of your eyes lubricated, so when you aren’t making enough, or produce tears that quickly evaporate, this results in Dry Eye. Signs include red, sore, gritty, watery eyes, light sensitivity, and blurry vision.
You can develop Dry Eye due to:
· Being over 50
· Wearing contact lenses
· Spending prolonged time staring at screens
· Being in heated, dry, cold, dusty, and windy environments
· Conditions like blepharitis
The best way to investigate your symptoms and determine the cause is by attending a comprehensive eye exam. Sachin can then create a customised treatment plan to help manage them, which often involves using artificial tears like eyedrops, ointments and gels.
Blepharitis
This is when Meibomian glands, which are found on your inner eyelids and produce oil for your tear film, become sore and inflamed, and/or you develop swollen skin at the bottom of your eyelashes.
Common symptoms are crusty eyelashes, sticky eyelids that are difficult to open in the morning, irregular eyelash growth, and swollen eyelid margins.
Causes include:
· Bacterial infections
· Seborrhoeic dermatitis resulting from excessive oil production
· Mites called Demodex that live on eyelashes
Blepharitis can be investigated during your eye exam, so Sachin can advise treatment to manage symptoms, which may include applying warm compresses on the eyelids and an eyelid cleaning regime.
Eye fatigue
This is exacerbated by looking at digital screens for too long without blinking or taking breaks. It can lead to dry eyes, loss of focus, tired eyes, headaches, neck strain, and double vision.
After assessing your eyes, Sachin might recommend wearing glasses with special lenses to alleviate digital eye strain, like Eyezen for under 40s, and Varilux Digitime for over 40s, along with using artificial tears.
He will also use our state of the art digital measuring device – the Visioffice X - which factors in your unique eye anatomy and visual behaviour, to create completely bespoke prescription glasses that offer maximum comfort and the sharpest vision.
Retinal detachments
Image taken from: https://www.instagram.com/optomap/ showing an Optomap image of a horseshoe retinal tear which can lead to retinal detachment. This would not have been detected with conventional retinal imaging.
This is when the retina detaches from the tissue at the back of the eye and leads to permanent vision loss if not treated immediately.
It’s rare but can happen suddenly, with warning signs including floaters, flashes of light, blurred vision, and a black shadow that moves across your vision. If you experience this, contact us straight away for an emergency appointment.
Our Optomap ultra widefield scan can capture a 200-degree view of the back of your eye and check for retinal detachments – something which isn’t possible with the 45 degree view from traditional retinal imaging. Sachin can then get you referred for urgent treatment to prevent further damage or vision loss.
Eye Exams and Advanced Testing
We encourage you to keep up with your routine appointments because eye exams not only check your prescription but also assess your eye health and identify problems before you might even notice them.
For Sachin, part of delivering gold standard eyecare means tailoring eye exams to every patient’s individual needs. All further tests and aftercare are also carried out by him so he can really get to know each patient’s vision like the back of his band, rather than handing you over to different staff members who may not be familiar with you.
Our hospital grade diagnostic equipment like the Optomap and 3D OCT retinal scans also allow Sachin to detect serious eye diseases, which are often asymptomatic for years, like age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts up to 5 years earlier than a traditional eye exam, so he can provide timely and effective treatment for relief, and to slow down disease progression, minimising damage or sight loss.
Book Your Appointment
To ensure your eye health is in the best shape, book a signature eye exam which includes the Optomap and OCT at our opticians in Cobham.