I.Take care of your eyes and they will last foreverTake care of your eyes and they will last forever II.When our general health affects our eyesWhen our general health affects our eyes III.Ophthalmology Examinations are ImportantOphthalmology Examinations are Important

Visiting an eye surgeon for the first time can be an eerie experience. After all, we see with our eyes and they have always performed correctly, until now! Suddenly, we seem to be seeing floating spots in the eyes, flashes of light occur sometimes and our vision is blurred on occasions. These are all early warning symptoms of a partially detached retina in the eye. Very often age related, retinal detachment can occur at any time and needs immediate attention or you can lose your sight permanently. Luckily for us there are doctors and specialists called Ophthalmic Surgeons. They can diagnose when a retina, which has pulled away from the soft tissue behind the eye, needs attention and luckily again, this procedure is carried out on a daily basis all over the world. You can succumb to retinal detachment after cataract surgery although this is not always the case. Eye damage can occur and can be caused by accidents, damaging fluids entering the eye or simply age related. If a retina becomes partially detached or torn then a visit to the eye doctor will probably rectify the problem. Today, the eye doctor or ophthalmologist can re-attach the retina with a laser which is a heat process bonding the torn retina back to the lens or cryopexy, freezing surgery and another bonding technique. Yes, it can be that simple however, in more serious cases where the retina may become completely detached you will need comprehensive eye surgery.

The bonding or sealing a tear or partially detached retina can be bonded, often with a band of clear silicone which seals the tear and remains in the eye. Near sighted persons are more prone to a torn or partially detached retina. Also, high blood pressure or diabetes is a common cause. To repair a detached retina, they call the procedure pneumatic retinopexy. This surgery has to be performed with precision as the retina is a part of the eye that sends messages through to the optic nerve and on to the brain. If this is not operating correctly we cannot see. Usually a gas bubble is injected into the eye which pushes the retina back into place. A laser or cryopexy procedure is then used to bond it in place, a similar process to the torn retina. It is so important to have the eyes checked once a year as early problems can be detected and the risk of losing one's sight is therefore, minimized.

New blood vessels appear on the surface of the retina and can cause scarring resulting cell loss of the retina. There are different types of retinopathy, mild, moderate and severe, non-proliferative retinopathy. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy or PDR as it is known is the worst type. Blood vessels migrate along the inside of the retina and into the vitreous gel which as we know is the fluid which fills the eye. These new blood vessels are vey weak and can burst easily causing scarring and even retinal detachment and possible permanent vision loss. People at risk are usually those who have type 1 or 2 diabetes for a prolonged period. At risk particularly are women who are pregnant as they are more prone to the rapid onset of diabetic retinopathy. The early stages of detection are similar to retinal detachment, i.e. floating spots in the eyes. These can clear but you need to consult with a specialist. It is advisable to consult with a specialist or optometrist annually as they can pick up early stages of retinal detachment by photographing the eye. Also, additional blood vessels can be clearly seen on the camera screen.

There is a region of the retina called the macula and a build up of fluid will sometimes occur and which can be clearly seen by this test (photo). Today, a normal optometrist will insert drops into the eye which dilate the pupil in order for them to see the retina and optic nerve and examine them for any problems. They also measure the pressure in the eye (Tonometry) even for a simple spectacle eye test. Any change in the blood vessels or leaking fluid can be clearly seen. The macula might be swollen and any changes to the retina can be observed. How can we prevent this occurrence? Simply by having our eyes tested at least once a year. If diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed in time about 95% of treatments are successful. Anybody with diabetes should really have a dilated eye examination at least once a year if not more frequently, depending on the severity of the diabetes. There are some early treatments such as a course of Anti-VEGF Injections. These injections block a protein called endothelial growth factor. These injections block the growth of the blood vessels which grow as explained and reverse their growth thus blocking their ability to grow inside the retina. Focal Grid laser surgery is also available in which the eye is subjected to tiny bursts of laser therapy destroying these additional blood vessels.

Many things affect the eyes including illness, medicines such as antibiotics etc. it is noticeable that after a severe cold or bronchitis where antibiotics are prescribe, our eyes feel tired and or sore. This is usually a temporary phenomenon but can be seen by an optician. It is, therefore, no use going for an eye check-up while the symptoms persist. At least a gap of three (3) weeks should be all owed before you have a prescription for spectacles made. The Ophthalmologist (eye care doctor) is in practice to specifically examine all aspects of the eye whilst the retina specialist would diagnose any disease, including vitreous disease with a detailed eye examination. Another aspect of the eye care doctor or ophthalmologist is to check for cataracts in the eye, basically a clumping of protein which can become larger over time. The older we get more often than not, a clouding of the lens takes place, these are known as cataracts. They can affect the picture presented to the back of the eye and if advanced, will make the picture received by the retina somewhat less sharp. There is a twofold problem with cataracts. Whilst as explained, the cloudier the lens becomes, the less light is received by the retina and therefore we cannot see so well. Also, images become blurry and bright lights such as car headlights when driving at night seem starry and dazzle the eye. Similarly, the sun may seem too bright and in some cases, you may see double vision.

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