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Dry macular degeneration is a common eye disorder among people over 50. It causes blurred or reduced central vision, due to thinning of the macula. The macula is the part of the retina responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight. Dry macular degeneration may first develop in one eye and then affect both. Over time your vision may worsen and affect your ability to do things such as read, drive and recognize faces. Early detection and self-care measures may delay vision loss due to dry macular degeneration.

Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually and without pain. They may include:

• Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent
• Reduced central vision in one or both eyes
• The need for brighter light when reading or doing close work
• Increased difficulty adapting to low light levels, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant
• Increased blurriness of printed words
• Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
• Difficulty recognizing faces

Wet macular degeneration is a chronic eye disorder that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in your visual field. It's generally caused by abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid or blood into the macula. The macula is in the part of the retina responsible for central vision. Early detection and treatment of wet macular degeneration may help reduce vision loss and, in some instances, recover vision.

Wet macular degeneration symptoms usually appear suddenly and worsen rapidly. They may include:

• Visual distortions, such as straight lines seeming bent
• Reduced central vision in one or both eyes
• Decreased intensity or brightness of colors
• A well-defined blurry spot or blind spot in your field of vision
• A general haziness in your overall vision
• Abrupt onset and rapid worsening of symptoms

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. Even with treatment, about 15 percent of people with glaucoma become blind in at least one eye within 20 years. The signs and symptoms of glaucoma vary depending on the type and stage of your condition.

Promptly book an appoinment with us if you experience some of the symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma, such as severe headache, eye pain and blurred vision.

A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car (especially at night) or see the expression on a friend's face. Most cataracts develop slowly and don't disturb your eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with your vision.

At first, the cloudiness in your vision caused by a cataract may affect only a small part of the eye's lens and you may be unaware of any vision loss. As the cataract grows larger, it clouds more of your lens and distorts the light passing through the lens. This may lead to more noticeable symptoms.

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects eyes. It's caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness. The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication.

You might not have symptoms in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. As the condition progresses, diabetic retinopathy symptoms may become evident.

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.
A basic eye exam can confirm nearsightedness. You can compensate for the blur with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.

Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see distant objects clearly, but objects nearby may be blurry. The degree of your farsightedness influences your focusing ability. People with severe farsightedness may be able to clearly see only objects a great distance away, while those with mild farsightedness may be able to clearly see objects that are closer. Farsightedness usually is present at birth and tends to run in families. You can easily correct this condition with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Another treatment option is surgery.

Astigmatism is a common and generally treatable imperfection in the curvature of your eye that causes blurred distance and near vision. Astigmatism occurs when either the front surface of your eye (cornea) or the lens, inside your eye, has mismatched curves. Instead of having one curve like a round ball, the surface is egg shaped. This causes blurred vision at all distances.

Make an appoinment with us if your eye symptoms detract from your enjoyment of activities or interfere with your ability to perform everyday tasks.

Presbyopia is the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus on nearby objects. It's a natural, often annoying part of aging. Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in your early to mid-40s and continues to worsen until around age 65. You may become aware of presbyopia when you start holding books and newspapers at arm's length to be able to read them. A basic eye exam can confirm presbyopia. You can correct the condition with eyeglasses or contact lenses. You might also consider surgery.

Presbyopia develops gradually. You may first notice these signs and symptoms after age 40:

• A tendency to hold reading material farther away to make the letters clearer
• Blurred vision at normal reading distance
• Eyestrain or headaches after reading or doing close-up work