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Ocular Ailments

At Bramalea Optometry Brampton, advanced techniques, procedures and technologies aid in better detection and treatment of ocular diseases.
Provided is a list and description of the most common types of ocular conditions found in adults, seniors and children.

Cataracts

What is it?

• Clouding of the lens inside the eye causing blurry vision
• Can occur in one or both eyes

What causes Cataracts?

• Age, common in people over 60
• Protein in the eye, builds up and clumps together causing small areas of the lens to cloud
• Smoking, Diabetes, & exposure to sunlight are examples of factors that are often suspected for causing cataracts

What are common symptoms?

• Cloudy & blurry vision
• Colours appear faded and dull
• Glare & ghosting of images/halo vision
• Double vision, multiple images
• Frequent changes in prescription

Treatment

• Surgery for the replacement of the lens with an artificial lens

Macular Degeneration

What is it?

• Deterioration of macula, a part of the retina found in the back of the eye responsible for fine detail central vision
• Bursting of blood vessels or collection of debris(drusen) that create “small blind spots” blocking vision. Usually starts in one eye and the healthier eye compensates for the loss of vision in the diseased eye and the macular degeneration goes unnoticed to the person
• Leading cause of vision loss and can lead to blindness

What causes macular degeneration?

• Age factor, it is more prevalent in people over 50
• Smoking
• Family history & Race (common amongst Caucasians)
• Damage from sunlight exposure throughout life

What are common symptoms?

• Blurry vision (can be very difficult to observe in early stage)
• Vision loss/ distorted vision
• Takes longer to adjust when entering a dark room

Treatment

• Nutritional supplements, diet high in antioxidants, lutein and zinc
• Use of UV blocking sunglasses
• Depending on the extent of damage and amount/location of blood leaking from diseased blood vessels, Laser therapy and/or injections of Lucentis or Avastin

Glaucoma

What is it?

• Slow painless loss of peripheral vision which usually takes decades, caused by damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye potentially causing blindness if left untreated

What causes it?

• High intraocular pressure, or poor blood flow to the optic nerve

What are common symptoms?

• There are no symptoms

Treatment

• Detection of glaucoma in optical nerve fibers before permanent eye damage occurs by having certain diagnostic testing performed
• Eye drops to lower the eye pressure to a more safe level thereby slowing or halting the progression of the disease
• Laser treatments
• Surgery