Early Detection and Treatment Leads to Healthy Eyesight

Some people do not produce enough tears to keep the eye comfortable. This is known as dry eye .  Tears are produced by two different methods. One method produces tears at a slow, steady rate and is responsible for normal eye lubrication. The other method produces large quantities of tears in response to eye irritation or emotions. Tears that lubricate are constantly produced by a healthy eye. Excessive tears occur when the eye is irritated by a foreign body or when a person cries. What are the symptoms of dry eye? Stinging or burning eyes; Scratchiness; Stringy mucus in or around the eyes; Eye irritation from smoke or wind; Excess tearing; Difficulty wearing contact lenses. A film of tears, spread over the eye by a blink, makes the surface of the eye smooth and clear. Without our tear film, good vision would not be possible. The tear film consists of three layers: An oily layer - produced by the meibomian glands, forms the outermost surface of the tear film. Its main purp

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) is the swelling or inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin and filmy membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids and the white part of your eye. Signs and symptoms may occur in one or both eyes. The most common causes of conjunctivitis are infections (viral or bacterial), allergies or irritation from something in the environment. Signs and Symptoms include: Mild eyelid swelling Redness in the white of the eye or inner lid Increased tearing, mucous or discharge Eye irritation Foreign body sensation Itchiness of the eye Mild blurred vision Crusting of eyelashes in the morning There are three types of conjunctivitis: Bacterial Conjunctivitis - caused by bacterial infections and is a highly contagious form of pink eye. Viral Conjunctivitis - caused by the same virus that causes the common cold and is also highly contagious. Allergic Conjunctivitis - caused by the body's reaction to an allergen or irritant and is not contagious. Prac

Each year millions of Americans lose vision due to disease, accidents and injuries.  Are you at risk for losing your eyesight?   We have some advice to help protect you from becoming a statistic. You should have your eyes checked regularly by either an ophthalmologist or optometrist.  Early detection is the key to reducing or preventing vision loss from diseases such as glaucoma , age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and diabetic retinopathy .  Some eye diseases require regular visits to an ophthalmologist for monitoring. Glaucoma  is a group of diseases typically associated with elevated pressure inside the eye that can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss.  Usually there are no warning signs.  The earlier glaucoma is diagnosed and treated, the more likely you can retain your vision.  It can affect anyone, but patients who are  African-Americans, Latin-Americans and smokers are mostly at risk.  If you fall under one of these categories, you should see an