Why an Eye Doctor is Important

Eye Doctor Ellicott City MD can detect a number of diseases that may impact your health. This is one of the many reasons why a yearly eye exam is essential.

A refraction assessment tests how sharp your vision is and a visual field assessment measures blind spots. An ophthalmologist will also test your eye pressure to prevent glaucoma.

Millions of people develop diseases and conditions that affect their eyes each year. Many of these go undiagnosed until they cause serious damage or lead to loss of vision, so it’s important to get regular eye exams. Eye doctors can identify most eye problems and provide treatment.

Eye conditions that need to be treated include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Other eye diseases can be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Some of these are related to genetics, while others are the result of environmental factors.

Your doctor will perform a comprehensive eye exam to look for common symptoms of eye disease, such as blurred vision, dry eyes and changes in the way you see color or depth. They will also ask you about your family history to determine if certain eye diseases are inherited.

Some eye diseases may be prevented by following preventative measures, such as getting regular vision exams and wearing protective eyewear. Those that aren’t can be treated with medication or surgery. For example, if you have floaters or spots in your vision, there are several treatments, including removing the vitreous humor and replacing it with a safer fluid, supporting lifestyle changes and managing contributing medical conditions, such as blood pressure or diabetes.

If you experience any of the symptoms of an eye disease, it’s important to contact your optometrist as soon as possible. They will provide a thorough examination of your eye health and can recommend the right treatment for you.

Many of the diseases and conditions that affect your eyes are the result of a combination of factors, both environmental and genetic. Some of them are the result of direct contact with harmful substances like smoke or dust, while others are the result of a change in your body’s natural processes as you grow older. Some are the result of a direct injury to your eye, such as an eye infection or an object caught under or inside your eyelid. Still others occur due to other chronic illnesses or conditions, such as Hemophilia, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Treatment

Depending on the type of eye condition, treatment may include eyeglasses or contact lenses, medicine, therapy and/or surgery. Some eye conditions are preventable, while others happen unpredictably and are not always easy to spot. That’s why regular eye exams are so important – your doctor can help you avoid permanent damage and loss of vision by catching symptoms early on.

Eyestrain: Your eyes can get tired just like any other part of your body, especially after long reading sessions, late nights and periods of insufficient sleep. Symptoms include redness, blurred vision and itching or burning sensations. You may also experience a feeling that something is stuck in your eye. If this is a chronic problem, your eye doctor can prescribe medication that helps relieve the discomfort and inflammation.

Dry eyes: This is an uncomfortable, irritating eye condition that affects both men and women of all ages. Your doctor can diagnose this by using a device that measures your tear production, which will help identify the amount of tears you produce each minute. This is usually followed by a test that examines the oil glands lining your eyelids, which can indicate whether the glands are working properly.

Eye drops and medicated eye patches can help relieve symptoms of dry eyes. Your doctor can also prescribe a more intense treatment called punctal plugs, which are small devices that cover your eye openings to block off the tear ducts. This can help reduce dry eyes symptoms in people with chronic dry eye disease or those who have suffered an injury or surgery to their eyes.

Other treatments for ocular conditions can include eye muscle surgery, in which your doctor surgically alters the length or position of the muscles that control your eyes’ movements, to straighten them. Other methods of straightening your eyes include prism lenses, which redirect the line of sight for each eye to make them more symmetrical, and eye exercises, in which your doctor guides you through a series of visual activities that train your brain and eyes to work together better.

Several types of surgical procedures are available for treating eye diseases or injuries, including removing and replacing the gel-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye (the vitreous). Other surgical options include laser surgery to repair retinal tears, which involves using laser light to “weld” the tears back into the layer nourishing the retina.

Preventative Care

An annual medical eye exam is one of the most important things you can do to protect your vision and overall health. In addition to correcting vision, regular exams can help detect and treat disease or other conditions in their earliest stages when they are less invasive and more easily treated. It is also much more cost effective to prevent and treat eye disease or other issues in their earliest stages than to wait until they cause significant symptoms or worsen.

There are two main types of eye doctors in the United States: ophthalmologists and optometrists. Both have significant training in eye care and can perform a variety of procedures. The difference is that ophthalmologists have completed medical school and are able to complete more complex surgeries and treatments.

Ophthalmologists can perform surgery to treat common problems like cataracts, glaucoma and cross eyes (strabismus). They are also able to address more serious medical conditions that impact the eye, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. They can also treat other systemic diseases that may manifest in the eyes, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Optometrists have completed at least four years of undergraduate education leading to a bachelor’s degree and then four more years of graduate optometry school, resulting in a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. Optometrists are able to diagnose and treat minor eye problems, such as dry eyes or conjunctivitis (pink eye), and can prescribe corrective lenses like glasses and contact lenses. They can also perform limited in-office surgical procedures, such as removing foreign objects from the eye.

Another common type of eye care professional is an optician, who is not a doctor but has been trained to grind and fabricate frames and lenses, dispense and adjust prescriptions written by ophthalmologists or optometrists, and fit and supply contact lens solutions. They are unable to write prescriptions or diagnose any type of eye disease, but they can assist patients in choosing and fitting frames, and some states require that they be licensed. Opticians can work in tandem with ophthalmologists and optometrists to provide comprehensive eye care to their patients.

Surgery

An ophthalmologist is the only type of eye doctor who can perform surgery to improve or repair eye problems. This type of medical specialist has the most advanced training and can also prescribe medications for your eye conditions.

Before the operation, your doctor will explain what to expect. He or she will likely ask about your family medical history and your lifestyle, such as your diet, activity level and use of any medications. The ophthalmologist will then conduct various tests to check your eyes. These might include visual acuity testing, a color blindness test using a chart of colored dots that form numbers, and a stereopsis (depth perception) test. The ophthalmologist may also use drops to dilate your pupils so that they can see the back of your eye, including the retina and blood vessels. He or she will also look at the front of your eye, using a slit lamp to examine your cornea, conjunctiva and sclera.

During your visit, you’ll likely be asked to remove your eyeglasses or contacts. A technician will then clean your lenses and may insert new ones. The ophthalmologist will then put on a mask and goggles to protect the rest of your face, then he or she will perform your eye surgery. When the procedure is complete, you’ll be taken to a recovery room to wait until your eyes heal.

While the three types of eye care professionals have similar goals, their levels of training and specialties differ. Optometrists have the least amount of formal education, requiring only a few years of post-high school studies to become an optometrist. Licensed ophthalmologists, on the other hand, have completed four years of college, four years of medical school, a one-year internship and a three-year residency before they can perform surgery and prescribe medications to treat eye diseases and conditions. Ophthalmologists at Gailey Eye Clinic have specific areas of expertise, such as cataract, glaucoma and iLASIK surgery. The team also provides general eye and vision care. Learn more about how these doctors can help you here.