Your Eye Health Changes Over Time

It’s no secret that your eyes can change over time. One of the most common issues you may face is blurry vision as you grow older, but aging can also increase the risk of several other issues, including some that may affect your eyesight forever.

We understand how important it is to manage your eye health, and we’re ready to help preserve your vision. With the power of Total Vision behind us, we have access to leading tools and technology that give us a detailed look at your eyes, helping to protect your eye health for many years to come.

Book your appointment with us today.

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Diagnosing Eye Diseases & Conditions

The key to understanding your eye health is having regular eye exams.

We’ll take a detailed look at the structures in your eye that may be affected by eye diseases or conditions using our technologies during your eye exam. These structures include the retina, macula, optic nerve, crystalline lens, and more.

Treatments depend on what type of issue you may have and your lifestyle. In some cases, prescription medications may manage your eye health problems, or you might need surgery. We’ll be beside you through every step of your eye care journey to ensure you get the care you need.

Common Eye Issues We Look For

Using a range of technologies that examine your eye health and vision, we can diagnose a range of eye diseases and conditions. In some cases, we may be able to detect these problems before they start to exhibit any noticeable symptoms.

Your risk of developing eye diseases can increase with age. Other factors, like smoking cigarettes or having diabetes, can also affect your eye health and increase the risk of permanent eye problems in the future.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that affects the optic nerve. The optic nerve is responsible for carrying information from your retina to the brain.

In many cases, glaucoma raises the intraocular pressure (IOP) of your eye over time, in turn damaging the optic nerve, which can lead to permanent vision loss. However, other types of glaucoma may occur even when your IOP levels are within normal limits.

There are several types of glaucoma, but the 3 most common include:

Open-angle glaucoma, which develops when blockages form in your eye’s drainage system, causing your IOP levels to rise slowly.
Angle-closure glaucoma, which develops when the drainage system closes completely, rapidly raising your IOP and causing sudden emergency symptoms like eye pain, nausea, and vision loss.
Normal-tension glaucoma. Doctors aren’t sure how this disease develops, but our team can detect it by observing your optic nerve during an eye exam.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss in adults 50 and over. This disease affects a part of your eye known as the macula, which is responsible for providing the central vision you need to read and recognize faces. As it deteriorates, you’ll find your central vision becoming blurrier. Eventually, it can lead to permanent vision loss.

The 2 types of AMD include:

Dry AMD. This disease slowly thins the macula over time, likely due to the development of drusen under your macula.
Wet AMD. This disease develops when abnormal blood vessels break and leak fluid under the macula, causing it to swell. You may experience emergency symptoms like visual distortions, poor night vision, reduced color vibrancy, and blurriness.

Diabetic Eye Diseases

Diabetes can increase the risk of several different eye diseases, including:

Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic macular edema
Open-angle glaucoma
Cataracts

Please visit our Diabetic Eye Exams page for more information on how diabetes can affect your eye health.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a common eye condition that affects your crystalline lens, the part of your eye responsible for focusing light on your retina.

As you grow older, proteins in your eye’s lens can break down and clump together. As a result, your lens can develop a hazy, milky, yellowish color that obstructs your vision over time. Without treatment, you may lose your sight.

Early stages of cataracts may be corrected with increased prescription lenses. If your cataracts progress, cataract surgery can remove the cataract lens from your eye and replace it with an intraocular lens, restoring clarity to your vision.

Get Help Managing Your Eye Health

Eye exams are at the forefront of managing your eye health and preserving your vision. Whether this is your first eye exam or your 100th, we’re committed to helping you see and feel your best. Book an appointment with Riverside Optometry today.

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