Nearsightedness
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a vision condition in which you only see close objects clearly.
Farsightedness
Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a vision condition in which you only see distant objects clearly.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a vision condition that occurs when the front surface of the eye (cornea) is slightly irregular in shape, resulting in blurred vision at all distances.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a vision condition that occurs when the crystalline lens of the eye gradually loses its ability to bring close objects into clear focus. It usually becomes noticeable when you reach your early to mid-forties. It is a natural part of aging.
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, and in some cases, vision therapy. LASIK, CK, and PRK laser surgery may also correct these conditions.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia occurs when vision does not develop normally in an otherwise healthy eye. Amblyopia is often associated with strabismus (when there is a turned or misaligned eye) or with a large difference in the refractive error between the two eyes.
To treat amblyopia, the young brain must learn how to use the weak eye. Generally we force the brain to use the weak eye by patching the strong eye, but there are other methods that work in certain situations. Young children usually respond to amblyopia treatment quickly and completely, whereas older children may show slow and partial improvement or may not improve at all. Teenagers and adults rarely show any effect from treatment.
Crossed-eyes
Strabismus is the general name of the condition that occurs when the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. One or both eyes may turn IN (esotropia or crossed-eyes), OUT (exotropia or wall eyes), UP (hypertropia) or DOWN (hypotropia). Treatment of crossed-eyes (esotropia) may involve the use of eyeglasses, prisms, patching and/or surgery.
Glaucoma Glaucoma is the disease in which the fluid pressure in the eyeball increases and damages the optic nerve. This damage can cause severe vision loss and even blindness, if untreated. Glaucoma is usually treated with prescription eye drops. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery may be required. The goal of the treatment is to prevent loss of vision by lowering the pressure in the eye.
Cataracts
If the clear lens in the eye becomes cloudy, it is called a cataract. As the lens becomes cloudy, vision becomes blurred and/or distorted. Eyeglasses or contact lenses can be prescribed to provide clear vision until cataracts develop to the point that they impair vision.
When a patient’s vision decreases to a level that impairs his/her activities, the cataract is removed surgically. The cloudy natural lens is replaced with a clear lens implant. The surgery is performed in an outpatient setting without a hospital stay.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the thin, transparent layer covering the surface and a portion of the front of the eyeball.
The three main types of inflammation are infectious (pink eye), allergic and chemical.
Eye drops are prescribed to treat the infectious forms. The ideal treatment for allergic and chemical forms is to remove the cause of the inflammation. If that is not possible, prescription and non-prescription eye drops are available to help relieve the discomfort.
If you have any questions about common vision conditions, please contact our doctors at Henry Ford Eye Care Services, Department of Ophthalmology.
