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Your Eye Health
Learning about your eye health can be complicated – and might even seem overwhelming at first. To simplify things for our patients, we present our Eye Health Library, a comprehensive library of vision-related information. We invite you to browse through our library to find information that will help you better understand how your vision works, common eye conditions, surgeries and how your vision changes as you age.
Glossary of Eye Care Terms
While certainly not a complete eye care dictionary, the EyeGlass Guide Glossary covers many of the common eye care conditions, terms and technology you’ll commonly discuss with your eye care professional.
Healthy Sight
Healthy Sight isn’t a slogan; it’s a way of life that enhances your everyday vision while preserving the well being of your eyes.
How the Eye Works
The human eye is a marvel of built-in engineering, combining reflected light, lens imaging capability, multiple lighting adjustments and information processing—all in the space of your eyeball. When working properly, the human eye converts light into impulses that are conveyed to the brain and interpreted as images.
Protecting Your Eyes
If you work in a hazardous environment like a construction zone or workshop, or participate in ball sports or extreme sports—sturdy, shatter-and-impact-resistant eyewear is a must. This is particularly important when considering eye protection for both children and adults.
Computer Eyestrain
Digital eye strain, eye fatigue and computer vision syndrome (CVS) are conditions that result from extended exposure to digital screens.
Vision Over 40
If you are among the 85 million Baby Boomers in the United States and Canada (born between 1946 and 1964), you've probably noticed your eyes have changed. Most notably, presbyopia - the normal, age-related loss of near focusing ability - usually becomes a problem in our 40's, requiring new vision correction solutions. Learn about measures you can take to keep seeing clearly for years to come.
Vision Over 60
Just as our physical strength decreases with age, our eyes also exhibit an age-related decline in performance - particularly as we reach our 60's and beyond. Some age-related eye changes are perfectly normal, but others may signal a disease process. It's important to recognize signs and symptoms, and perhaps even more important to mitigate the effects of aging with some simple and common-sense strategies.
Eye Exams
Seeing clearly is just one part of your overall eye health. It’s important to have regular eye exams whether or not you wear glasses or contacts, and even if your vision is sharp.
The articles below explain what problems can be spotted with an eye exam, what’s involved in a comprehensive exam, and special considerations for kids and contacts.
Catching problems in their early stages can prevent vision loss. An eye exam can do this by catching things you haven’t yet noticed.
Make the most of your exams by knowing how often to get them, and what information to bring with you.
Visiting Your Eye Care Professional
Eye exams often begin by sharing information at the front desk, so be prepared.
You may want to ask some of these questions before or during your next eye exam.
Learn what common tests and procedures to expect during a routine eye exam.
When should your child have their first eye exam? Plus, learn about special considerations for developing eyes.
You may be given these common tests during a routine eye exam. Find out what you can expect.
It's important to understand the relationship between your eyes and any medications you may currently be using.
Eye Diseases
Read more about some of the most common eye diseases including cataracts, diabetes, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Cataracts are a common cause of vision loss after age 55. Learn more about recognizing cataracts symptoms, protecting your eyes and understanding cataract surgery.
How does diabetes affect vision? What does diabetes mean for eyesight? Learn more about eye problems resulting from diabetes including diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading contributor to blindness for adults in America.
Early detection is key, so knowing the early symptoms of glaucoma could go a long way toward preventing and treating this common eye disease.
Macular Degeneration is an eye disease that affects the portion of the eye responsible for processing fine detail and providing sharp central vision (called the macula).
Children's Vision
Vision is arguably the most important of the five senses; it plays a crucial role throughout childhood and beyond. Yet many parents don’t understand how vision helps their children develop appropriately. The articles below can help.
- Vision Therapy for Children An individualized program of eye exercises and other methods can treat non-refractive vision problems such as eye alignment and lazy eye.
- Children's Vision - FAQ's How often should your child's eyes be examined? What's the difference between a school vision screening and a comprehensive eye exam? and more.
- Your Infant's Visual Development Knowing the expected milestones of your baby's vision development during their first year of life can ensure your child is seeing properly and enjoying their world to the fullest.
- Are Contact Lenses a Good Choice for Kids? Contact lenses offer advantages in the areas of sports and self-esteem. But when is your child old enough for contacts?
- Controlling Nearsightedness in Children Certain types of contact lenses and eyeglasses may play a role in slowing the progression of myopia, or nearsightedness.
Vision Surgery
Learn more about common eye surgeries:
- Corrective Eye Surgery Basics Start here for an overview of the different types of surgery to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism; and the merits and drawbacks of each.
- LASIK It’s the most popular vision correction surgery, by far. Learn what to expect before, during and after the procedure.
- LASIK Risks and Complications Complications from LASIK are few, but they do happen. It’s important to understand the risks, and how to minimize them.
- LASIK - How to Measure Success or Applicability Successful LASIK surgeons get that way from experience and the ability to screen out poor candidates for the procedure. Here’s the list of what makes you a good candidate.
- PRK An alternative to LASIK, PPK is a no-flap eye surgery. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages, as well as what to expect.
- Surgery for Presbyopia A number of relatively new procedures are addressing the age-related decrease in ability to focus on near objects, that was once correctable only with bifocals.
- Corneal Inlays and Onlays These small lenses or optical devices are inserted into the cornea to alter its shape and correct vision problems.
- Corneal Transplants Sometimes because of disease or injury, the cornea becomes so damaged that problems cannot be corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or refractive surgery such as LASIK.
Eye Conditions
The following is a list of common eye conditions
- Glaucoma Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable vision loss and blindness in adults in the United States and Canada and the second leading cause of blindness in the World.
- Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) Commonly called "lazy eye", amblyopia can be treated successfully if detected early enough in childhood.
- Astigmatism Often mistakenly called “stigmatism,” this common vision problem can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.
- Blepharitis Red, swollen eyelids and crusty debris at the base of your eyelashes are signs you may have blepharitis.
- CMV Retinitis AIDS or other diseases that affect your immune system can increase your risk of serious eye problems from cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
- Corneal Transplant People with serious vision problems from an eye injury or disease affecting the front surface of the eye can often regain vision with a cornea transplant.
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Dry Eye Syndrome Dry eye syndrome is a common condition, especially in women over age 40. Many treatment options are available.
- Eye Allergies Are you bothered by red, itchy eyes? You may have allergies.
- Eye Floaters and Spots “Floaters” are usually normal and harmless. But if you notice a sudden increase in floaters or floaters accompanied by flashes of light, see your eye doctor immediately.
- Farsighted (Hyperopia) Also called farsightedness, hyperopia is a common vision problem that can cause headaches, eyestrain and trouble reading.
- Keratoconus This eye disease causes the cornea to grow thinner and bulge forward in an irregular cone-shape. Treatment options range from gas permeable contact lenses to a cornea transplant.
- Nearsighted (Myopia) Also called nearsightedness, myopia is a very common vision problem, affecting up to one-third of the U.S. population.
- Ocular Hypertension You’ve heard of high blood pressure, but what about high eye pressure?
- Pingueculae & Pterygia
- Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) This acute and contagious form of conjunctivitis is particularly common among preschoolers and school-age children.
- Presbyopia
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Ptosis
- Retinal Detachment
- Retinitis Pigmentosa These inherited disorders, commonly abbreviated as RP, cause progressive peripheral vision loss, night blindness and central vision loss.
- Styes This common problem is simply an infected lid gland. Learn how to prevent and treat styes.
- Uveitis