What Are the Treatments for Eye Diseases?

There are numerous eye problems that range from the merely annoying to disorders that are quite serious. Common eye disorders include redness of the eye--often caused by ordinary eye irritations including rubbing one's eyes repeatedly-- or caused by environmental agents, like pollen. Many eye diseases however, are serious and if left untreated may lead to permanent blindness.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is one of the leading factors for blindness. Glaucoma results when intraocular pressure builds up in the eye and prevents the aqueous fluid from flowing into and out of the eye. This pressure could damage the optic nerves of the eye, causing small blind spots to begin to develop inside the eye. People facing this problem may not immediately notice the problem until significant damage has been done to the optic nerves. As the damage continues, a patient may begin to notice blurred vision, severe eye pain, accompanied by headaches. When enough damage is done to the optic nerves, the individual loses all her vision and becomes blind. Glaucoma can be treated at first with eye drop medications. The type of eye drop recommended by doctors depends on the kind of glaucoma being treated. There are a few kinds of glaucoma. One is the acute angle-closure glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma. Other types of glaucoma include pigmentary glaucoma and secondary glaucoma.

Cataracts

• Cataracts, often called "cloudy eye," are common. If you live long enough, chances are you may develop cataracts. Initially, people work around the cataract problem with reading or eye glasses. Eventually the cataract may develop too far and begins to impair one's vision. This is when cataract surgery may be needed. Cataract surgery is the most common type of eye surgery. During the surgery, performed under general anaesthesia, the doctor will remove cataracts surgically from the eyes. Nine out of 10 Americans who have cataract surgery fully regain their vision.

Eye Strokes

• Eye strokes are also known as eye occlusion. It is caused by blockages in the arteries supplying blood to the eye. There are several kinds of eye occlusions. Treatment depends of the diagnosis of the type of eye stroke in question. Most occlusion problems are treated with glaucoma medications; the goal here is to decrease eye pressure. Doctors may also ask the occlusion patient to inhale 5 percent carbon dioxide gas as part of the treatment options. Doctors would then employ ocular massage to further treat the patient. The third treatment option available for treating occlusions is through a minor surgical operation known as "anterior chamber paracentesis." Numbing eye drops are used, followed by a withdrawal of small fluid from the front section of the eye.

Cornea Ulcer

• Cornea ulcer is often caused by an eye infection in the cornea. It appears as an abscess on the cornea. It looks reddish in color, and it is very painful. It must be treated immediately to avoid severe vision loss from the infected eye. This disease also could result in complete loss of the affected eye. Cornea ulcer is treated with tropical antibiotics with or without initial cultures.

Detached Retina

• Detached retina is a serious eye problem. This condition results when the retina is separated from the supporting tissue. Under this circumstance the retina will not function and could seriously impair the the patient's vision. An eye surgeon treats this condition by reattaching the detached retina through a laser operation known as "photocoagulation." This is the process used to seal leaking blood vessels. Photocoagulation technique is also used to destroy unwanted new blood vessel growth in the eye.