Problems and Diseases - Tucson's #1 Optometrist
Nothing is more important to us than your overall eye health. We offer comprehensive eye examinations that allow us to pinpoint any changes in your vision, then correct them with glasses, contacts, or a combination of both. We are able to detect or treat eye health and refractive conditions such as infections, ocular allergies, dry eye, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and computer vision syndrome.
We have a full service optical and contact lens dispensary. Our staff has years of experience helping patients pick the right designs, materials, and coatings in order to optimize the vision through their glasses. These include a wide selection of lens designs and features including but not limited to; progressives or bifocal lens designs, anti-reflective, scratch resistant and UV coatings, photochromic lenses such as Transitions, polycarbonate, trivex, and high index materials, and many others.
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a vision development disorder in which an eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. Amblyopia begins during infancy and early childhood. In most cases, only one eye is affected. But in some cases, reduced visual acuity can occur in both eyes.
Astigmatism is probably the most misunderstood vision problem. For starters, it’s called “astigmatism,” not “stigmatism.” (You don’t have “a stigmatism” — you have astigmatism.)
Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism is a refractive error, meaning it is not an eye disease or eye health problem; it’s simply a problem with how the eye focuses light...
Blepharitis is a common eyelid inflammation that sometimes is associated with a bacterial eye infection, symptoms of dry eyes, or certain types of skin conditions such as acne rosacea. Blepharitis has two basic forms...
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world. In fact, there are more cases of cataracts worldwide than there are of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy combined, according to Prevent Blindness America (PBA)...
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is a sight-threatening disease frequently associated with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In the past, about a quarter of active AIDS patients developed CMV retinitis. However, this figure is dropping dramatically, thanks to a potent combination of drugs used to treat AIDS that help restore function of the immune system. In recent years, these drugs have helped decrease presence of CMV retinitis in late-stage AIDS by more than 80 percent.*
A cornea transplant replaces diseased or scarred corneal tissue with healthy tissue from an organ donor. There are two main types of cornea transplants: traditional, full thickness cornea transplant (also known as penetrating keratoplasty, or PK) and back layer cornea transplant (also known as endothelial keratoplasty, or EK).
Diabetic retinopathy — vision-threatening damage to the retina of the eye caused by diabetes — is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Yet, many cases could be prevented with regular eye exams and appropriate treatment.
Dry eye syndrome is a chronic and typically progressive condition. Depending on its cause and severity, it may not be completely curable. But in most cases, dry eyes can be managed successfully, usually resulting in noticeably greater eye comfort, fewer dry eye symptoms, and sometimes sharper vision as well.
Eye allergies — red, itchy, watery eyes that are bothered by the same irritants that cause sneezing and a runny nose among seasonal allergy sufferers — are very common. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology estimates that 50 million people in the United States have seasonal allergies, and its prevalence is increasing — affecting up to 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children...
Eye floaters are those tiny spots, specks, flecks, and “cobwebs” that drift aimlessly around in your field of vision. While annoying, ordinary eye floaters and spots are very common and usually aren’t cause for alarm. Floaters and spots typically appear when tiny pieces of the eye’s gel-like vitreous break loose within the inner back portion of the eye.
Glaucoma refers to a group of related eye disorders that all cause damage to the optic nerve that carries information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma usually has few or no initial symptoms. In most cases, glaucoma is associated with higher-than-normal pressure inside the eye — a condition called ocular hypertension. But it also can occur when intraocular pressure (IOP) is normal. If untreated or uncontrolled, glaucoma first causes peripheral vision loss and eventually can lead to blindness.
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape. This cone shape deflects light as it enters the eye on its way to the light-sensitive retina, causing distorted vision. Keratoconus can occur in one or both eyes and often begins during a person’s teens or early 20s.
Age-related macular degeneration, often called AMD or ARMD, is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans who are age 65 and older. Because people in this group are an increasingly larger percentage of the general population, vision loss from macular degeneration is a growing problem. AMD is degeneration of the macula, which is the part of the retina responsible for the sharp, central vision needed to read or drive. Because the macula primarily is affected in AMD, central vision loss may occur.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the most common refractive error of the eye, and it has become more prevalent in recent years. In fact, a recent study by the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows the prevalence of myopia grew from 25 percent of the U.S. population (ages 12 to 54) in 1971-1972 to a whopping 41.6 percent in 1999-2004.
Ocular hypertension means the pressure in your eyes — your intraocular pressure (IOP) — is higher than normal. Left untreated, high eye pressure can cause glaucoma and permanent vision loss in some individuals. However, some people can have ocular hypertension without developing any damage to their eyes or vision, as determined by a comprehensive eye exam and visual field testing.
Pingueculae
A pinguecula (pin-GWEK-yoo-lah) is a yellowish, slightly raised thickening of the conjunctiva on the white part of the eye (sclera), close to the edge of the cornea. Pingueculae are non-cancerous bumps on the eyeball and typically occur on top of the middle part of the sclera — the part that’s between your eyelids and therefore is exposed to the sun. Usually pingueculae affect the surface of the sclera that’s closer to the nose, but they can occur on the outer sclera (closer to the ear) as well.
“Pink eye” — It’s a term that may sound scary, but this common eye problem typically is easily treated and, with a few simple precautions, can often be avoided...
Presbyopia
Presbyopia usually occurs beginning at around age 40, when people experience blurred near vision when reading, sewing, or working at the computer. You can’t escape presbyopia, even if you’ve never had a vision problem before. Even people who are nearsighted will notice that their near vision blurs when they wear their usual eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct distance vision.
A detached retina is a serious and sight-threatening event, occurring when the retina becomes separated from its underlying supportive tissue. The retina cannot function when these layers are detached. Unless the retina is reattached soon, permanent vision loss may result.
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare inherited disease in which the light-sensitive retina of the eye slowly and progressively degenerates. Eventually, blindness results. When retinitis pigmentosa is suspected, visual field testing likely will be conducted during or after your routine eye exams to determine the extent of peripheral vision loss. Other specialized eye tests may be needed to determine whether you have lost night or color vision.
Uveitis
Uveitis (pronounced you-vee-EYE-tis) is inflammation of the uvea — the middle layer of the eye that consists of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. Uveitis can have many causes, including eye injury and inflammatory diseases. Exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides and acids used in manufacturing processes also can cause uveitis.