Ophthalmology
What
is ophthalmology?
Ophthalmology
is the branch of medicine dealing
with eye care. Ophthalmologists have
the broadest base of medical knowledge
amongst eye specialists. They are
qualified to provide regular eye care,
diagnose more serious problems, and
perform surgical operations. Ophthalmologists
are the only eye specialists that
can perform procedures such as LASIK,
LASEK,
and PRK.
What
kinds of procedures are performed
to correct eye problems?
Nearsightedness
(myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia)
can be corrected through out-of-pocket
procedures such as LASIK, LASEK, PRK,
and CK Refractive Surgery.
Eye
diseases can also be treated surgically.
Glaucoma
may be corrected with procedures on
the iris or the trabecular meshwork.
When the eyes’ natural lenses
develop cataracts,
they can be removed and replaced with
synthetic lenses.
What
types of diseases can affect the eye?
Common
eye diseases include glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy, and age-related
macular degeneration.
Glaucoma
is a disease that damages the optic
nerve, causing vision loss and sometimes
blindness. There are many types of
glaucoma, but in the most common forms,
abnormally high pressure in the eye
causes the damage to the nerve.
Diabetic
retinopathy causes the blood vessels
on the retina to leak fluid. This
may cause hazy vision, though it can
lead to complete blindness in serious
cases.
Macular
degeneration comes in one of two forms.
Dry macular degeneration causes the
tissue of the macula (part of the
retina) to thin over time. This may
result in some blurriness in the center
of the patient’s visual field,
but it is usually very mild. Wet macular
degeneration – the more common
form of the disease – causes
new blood vessels to form in the retina.
When these blood vessels leak fluid
into the area, it can cause dramatic
central vision loss and, eventually,
blindness.
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