Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management

Glaucoma is one of the most common eye diseases that could develop throughout your life. Glaucoma usually occurs when blockages inside your eye prevent your intraocular fluids from draining correctly. This causes fluid to build up inside your eye, causing your intraocular eye pressure (IOP) to rise and slowly damage the optic nerve.

The two most common forms of glaucoma are:

• Open-angle glaucoma: occurs when blockages form in the trabecular meshwork of your eye. The trabecular meshwork is the drainage canal responsible for the flow of fluids out of your eye. When this is blocked, your IOP gradually rises and damages your optic nerve, causing vision loss. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease and develops over long periods displaying no signs of symptoms.
• Closed-angle or angle-closure glaucoma: occurs when the drainage angle between the iris and the cornea closes completely, causing a rapid increase in eye pressure. When this happens, you may start to experience symptoms of eye pain, headaches, even vision loss. Angle-closure glaucoma is considered to be a medical emergency and needs to be looked at by an eye care professional immediately.

Glaucoma could still occur even if you have a normal IOP level. This form of the disease is called normal-tension glaucoma, and while doctors might not know the exact cause for this, they can still help you detect the disease during an eye exam.

Age-related macular degeneration is a condition that causes gradual damage to your macula, the centre part of your retina, as you grow older. As your macula deteriorates, it can cause problems with your central vision and even cause blindness in its advanced stages.

There are two types of AMD a patient can experience:

• Dry AMD: Over time, small deposits of drusen, small fatty deposits form on the retina beneath the macula. This can cause the macula to deteriorate, thinning over time. Having drusen deposits on your retina doesn’t mean you will develop AMD, but it may increase your risk of developing the disease.
• Wet AMD: is much less common but far more severe. This type of AMD occurs when your retina grows weak, abnormal blood vessels that are prone to leaking. When these vessels leak, they slowly flood the inside of the eye with extra fluid, putting pressure on the retina and causing a rapid deterioration of your vision. Wet AMD is incredibly serious, and is considered a medical emergency.

Cataracts are a common eye condition that often develops as part of the ageing process. As you age, your eye’s lenses become denser and less transparent, causing them to develop a cloudy film.

Depending on the severity of your cataracts, your optometrist may provide you with workarounds such as contact lenses or glasses. However, the only cure for cataracts is cataract surgery, which replaces your cloudy natural lens with a clear artificial one.

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is a common eye condition that can develop for a variety of reasons. Conjunctivitis can cause redness, irritation, stringy mucus development, teariness, and itchiness. There are many types of conjunctivitis, but the 3 most common ones include:

• Allergic Conjunctivitis: You might have already experienced this form of conjunctivitis if you have any allergies to pets or plants. To manage your symptoms, you can use allergy medication or eye drops.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis: This form of conjunctivitis is caused by a bacterial infection. To treat this effectively, you will need to talk to your optometrist about prescribing antibiotics.
• Viral Conjunctivitis: As the name suggests, this form of conjunctivitis is caused by a virus. You will need to speak to your optometrist about the best treatment solutions for you.