Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in London

Cataracts develop when the lens in your eye that is normally clear becomes cloudy. Symptoms include foggy vision, decreased night vision, muted colour vision, and sensitivity to light. A routine eye exam is important for detecting cataracts because they can develop without any signs or symptoms.

Developing cataracts is a normal part of aging, and they’re most commonly found in people over 60. They can be corrected with eyeglasses, but we may recommend cataract surgery to replace the clouded lens with a clear artificial one if your vision is severely impacted.

You may have heard conjunctivitis referred to as pink eye. The tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva (the thin film that covers your eye) become inflamed, causing the reddish-pink colour.

There are 3 types of conjunctivitis:

• Allergic conjunctivitis – this form is caused by allergens and is not contagious. It’s usually accompanied by a runny nose or stuffiness and can be controlled with antihistamines.

• Bacterial conjunctivitis – this form is caused by a bacterial infection and is highly contagious. Sticky discharge may cause the eyelids to stick together and blur vision.
• Viral conjunctivitis – this form is the most contagious and can cause itchy eyes and a watery discharge. It’s best to stay home from school or work until your eyes clear up.

Floaters are tiny collagen fibres floating around in your vision. The irregular-shaped clumps float around the vitreous, the gel-like fluid that fills your eyeball, blocking light and casting a shadow on your retina. The shadows are what cause the appearance of floaters.

They can be an annoyance but are often harmless. It becomes a medical emergency if you see a shower of floaters accompanied by flashes of light. This could mean the vitreous is pulling away from the retina and could result in retinal detachment.

Glaucoma is often a result of pressure inside the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is essential to our vision because it sends information from our eyes to our brain.

Early detection of glaucoma is important because it can develop slowly without any warning signs. At Forest City Optometry, we test for glaucoma using non-contact tonometry, a puff of air to measure intraocular pressure, and Goldmann applanation tonometry, a device that uses a small probe to measure intraocular pressure (IOP).