Are you new to the term ocular diseases? If so, you can learn more about them here. Here are some details provided by a Calgary optometrist about these diseases that commonly affect seniors.
Ocular Disease – Basic Details
Ocular disease is a blanket term. The reason is that it is used to denote a group of diseases that affect not only the health but also the function of your eyes. Not only older people, these diseases are affecting youngsters as well rarely these days.
Some ocular diseases are minor. They can be treated with some simple treatments. However, some of them need specialized care. Irrespective of the eye problem, it would be good to have it detected early. This is why regular eye examinations are crucial for all, particularly for seniors.
The best optometrists will ensure that they stay updated on the latest optometric technology. In turn, they can achieve a clear diagnosis. Also, they will follow an aggressive approach to treat ocular diseases. As a result, they wish to ensure that patients get back their optimal vision.
Types of Ocular Diseases
You are here to learn about ocular diseases. As mentioned earlier, it is a blanket term. Here are the common types of ocular diseases you should know about:
Cataracts
Cataracts develop when proteins build up in the lenses of your eyes. This build-up can make your eyes cloudy and can keep light from passing through your eyes. In worst instances, cataracts can lead to a loss of vision completely. So, regular eye examinations to detect and remove cataracts are important.
- When talking about cataracts, they are of different types. For instance, the nuclear form of a cataract disturbs the center of the lens. They cause brown or yellow cataracts that affect your ability to differentiate colors.
- Cortical Cataracts form in the peripheral region of the lens in your eyes.
- Subscapular cataracts are common in people with diabetes. Also, they are common in people taking steroid medications.
Glaucoma
You might have heard about glaucoma. This is yet another ocular disease. It commonly affects people with diabetes. Particularly, adults over 40 years are affected by this disease. Even, infants and kids can get this disease. Here are the common kinds of glaucoma:
- Angle-closure or acute glaucoma happens due to the buildup of pressure in the eyes. This is the least common kind of glaucoma.
- Wide-angle and open-angle glaucoma occur due to clogged eye drainage canals. This type of glaucoma affects the optic nerve.
Macular Degeneration
Yet another common ocular disease is macular degeneration. It is the leading cause of vision degeneration as compared to the above-mentioned two types of ocular diseases. Here are the common types of macular degeneration:
- Wet macular degeneration happens due to abnormalities in the blood vessels. This might lead to leakage of blood, thereby causing the macula to inflate from its regular flat position. This results in distortion of central vision. With this disease, patients see dark spots in the middle part of their vision due to fluid buildup.
- With dry macular degeneration, patients get the least visual impairment. Most patients have a 20/40 vision with functional restrictions like fluctuation in vision.
With regular eye examinations, you can prevent these ocular diseases from worsening recommends a Calgary optometrist.
