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What is a Corneal Transplant?

A cornea transplant, which replaces damaged tissue on the eye’s clear surface, also is referred to as a corneal transplant, keratoplasty, penetrating keratoplasty (PK) or corneal graft.

A cornea transplant replaces central corneal tissue, damaged due to disease or injury, with healthy corneal tissue donated from an eye bank. An unhealthy cornea affects your vision by scattering light and causing blurred or distorted vision. In some cases, a cornea can be so damaged or scarred that a transplant is necessary to restore your functional vision.

Cornea transplants are performed routinely. In fact, of all tissue transplants, the most […]

What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

If you have diabetes, you probably know that your body can’t use or store sugar properly. When your blood sugar gets too high, it can damage the blood vessels in your eyes. This damage may lead to diabetic retinopathy. In fact, the longer someone has diabetes, the more likely they are to have retinopathy (damage to the retina) from the disease.

In its advanced stages, diabetes may lead to new blood vessel growth over the retina. The new blood vessels can break and cause scar tissue to develop, which can pull the retina away from the back of the […]

What is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye syndrome (DES or “dry eye”) is the chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. Its consequences range from minor irritations, to the inability to wear contact lenses and an increased risk of corneal inflammation and eye infections.

Signs and symptoms of dry eye

Persistent dryness, scratchiness and a burning sensation on your eyes are common symptoms of dry eye syndrome. These symptoms alone may be enough for your eye doctor to diagnose dry eye syndrome. Sometimes, he or she may […]

What are Eye Allergies?

Similar to processes that occur with other types of allergic responses, the eye may overreact to a substance perceived as harmful even though it may not be. For example, dust that is harmless to most people can cause excessive tear production and mucus in eyes of overly sensitive, allergic individuals. Eye allergies are often hereditary.

Allergies can trigger other problems, such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) and asthma. Most of the more than 22 million Americans who suffer from allergies also have allergic conjunctivitis, according to the American Academy of […]

What are Floaters and Spots?

Have you ever seen small specks or debris that looks like pieces of lint floating in your field of view? These are called “floaters,” and they are usually normal and harmless. They usually can be seen most easily when you look at a plain background, like a blank wall or blue sky.

Floaters are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous – the clear, jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye.

Floaters may look like specks, strands, webs or other shapes. Actually, what you are seeing are the shadows of floaters cast on […]

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma refers to a category of eye disorders often associated with a dangerous buildup of internal eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP), which can damage the eye’s optic nerve – the structure that transmits visual information from the eye to the brain.

Glaucoma typically affects your peripheral vision first. This is why it is such a sneaky disease: You can lose a great deal of your vision from glaucoma before you are aware anything is happening. If uncontrolled or left untreated, glaucoma can eventually lead to blindness.

Glaucoma is currently the second leading cause of blindness in the […]

Farsighted

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a common vision problem affecting about 25% of the U.S. population. People with hyperopia can usually see distant objects well, but have difficulty seeing objects that are up close.

Signs and symptoms of hyperopia

Farsighted people sometimes have headaches or eyestrain, and may squint or feel fatigued when performing work at close range. If you get these symptoms while wearing your glasses or contact lenses, you may need an eye exam and a new prescription.

What causes hyperopia?

Farsightedness occurs when light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina, rather than […]

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape. This cone shape deflects light as it enters the eye on its way to the light-sensitive retina, causing distorted vision. Keratoconus can occur in one or both eyes.

Keratoconus is relatively rare. Most studies indicate it occurs in 0.15% to 0.6% of the general U.S. population. Onset of the disease usually occurs in people in their teens or early twenties.

Signs and symptoms of keratoconus

Keratoconus can be difficult to detect, because it usually develops slowly. However, in some cases, […]

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration (also called AMD, ARMD, or age-related macular degeneration) is an age-related condition in which the most sensitive part of the retina, called the macula, starts to break down and lose its ability to create clear visual images. The macula is responsible for central vision – the part of our sight we use to read, drive and recognize faces. So although a person’s peripheral vision is left unaffected by AMD, the most important aspect of vision is lost.

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Americans of ages 65 and older. And because […]

Nearsighted

Myopia, or nearsightedness is a very common vision problem. It’s estimated that up to one-third of Americans are nearsighted.

Nearsighted people have difficulty reading road signs and seeing distant objects clearly, but can see well for up-close tasks such as reading or sewing.

Signs and symptoms of myopia

Nearsighted people often have headaches or eyestrain, and might squint or feel fatigued when driving or playing sports. If you experience these symptoms while wearing your glasses or contact lenses, you may need a stronger prescription.

What causes myopia?

Myopia occurs when the eyeball is slightly longer than usual […]