Lehigh Valley Center For Sight

There is no lack of issues that could worsen or end your vision. We treat them every day and know how they impact our patients’ quality of life. Knowing we make a difference for them gets us to the office every day. Below are the more common vision problems facing Americans. If you have symptoms, contact our office so we can help. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that macular degeneration , or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), causes less sharp and reduced central vision. AMD involves the macula, the central part of the retina, which allows the eye to see fine details. There are two types of AMD: Wet AMD happens if abnormal blood vessels behind the retina grow under the macula, leading to blood and fluid leakage. Bleeding, leaking, and scarring causes harm and rapid central vision loss. Dry AMD occurs when the macula thins, blurring central vision. The dry form accounts for 70–90% of cases of AMD. The estimated number of Americans with A...

Floaters-What Should You Do When They Appear? They swim and bounce around your field of sight, some times more visible than others. These “floaters” that look like dark cobwebs, specks and lines move as your eyes do and often scatter when you try to focus on them. For most of us, they’re an annoyance. In rare cases, when they’re so numerous they impact vision, surgery may be an option. Floaters happen when the vitreous, the gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it keep its round shape, slowly shrinks. As it does, it becomes stringy, and the strands cast shadows on the retina. They are usually part of the aging process and an annoyance if you focus on them. They are more common in those who are very nearsighted, diabetic, or who have had a cataract operation. Floaters will settle at the bottom of the eye and are less noticeable but never go away completely. If you suffer migraines, you may see floaters with a different cause. You may experience flashes o...

Many conditions may cause double vision, from astigmatism to suffering from a stroke. Double vision can not only impact what you see. It can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and pain around the eyes. It can interfere with your balance to the point you can’t walk straight or you may feel fine when sitting down, but lose your balance when you stand. If you’re dealing with double vision, you need to find out why and explore possible treatments to get your life back in focus. Image From Medical News Today Some of the problems that can cause double vision include: Cornea: The cornea is the cover of the front of the eye. It focuses incoming light into the eye. If the surface is distorted you could see double images. Astigmatism, dry eyes, infections or scars caused by a disease, injury or infection can cause this distortion. Lens: The lens in your eye works with the cornea to focus incoming light onto the retina in the rear of your eye. The lens, which is behind the pupil, change...

Makeup is used so the person wearing it appears more attractive. When it’s applied around the eyes, makeup can cause eye infections, allergic reactions or injuries, which won’t do anything for your looks. Image courtesy of CooperVision By taking some precautions you can reduce the risk of eye infections, according to Cooper Vision : Before applying makeup, your face and eyelids should be very clean If cosmetics are used longer than the manufacturer recommendations, bacteria and fungi can grow in them. They should be discarded and replaced according to the manufacturer’s suggestions, commonly every three months for mascara Clean your brushes and other applicators regularly. If you’ve suffered an eye infection, discard and replace all eye makeup to prevent reinfection Sharing cosmetics, including using products in stores, can spread infections. Conjunctivitis, the swelling of the membrane covering the inner surface of the eyelid and the outer surface of the eye, can be tra...

The sun's ultraviolet, or UV, rays not only burn your skin, but your eyes as well. Most of us wear sunglasses for comfort, because bright sunshine makes seeing difficult. If you’re doing something like driving a car, a motorcycle or riding a bike, clear, comfortable vision can be the difference between getting home and getting into an accident. But sunglasses that protect against UV rays also have long term benefits and should be worn by children and adults. The effect of UV radiation is the eye ages faster. The light intensity of a sunny day makes the use of sunglasses necessary to see comfortably. Damaging effects can be intensified as a result of glare off water, snow and windshields. All sunglasses worn outside should provide 100 percent UVA and UVB light protection. If you've been exposed to too much UV radiation include red eyes, swelling, light sensitivity, tearing and feeling like something is in your eyes. A more serious, short term problem is sunburn of the eye, or ...

You many think of people suffering from parasites is just in the realm of science fiction or only those living in poor, third world nations need to be concerned about it. Although parasitic health issues can be severe in poor countries, one that Americans should take precautions against could rob you of your eyesight. Acanthamoeba is a microscopic amoeba (a single-celled living organism) that may cause rare, but severe, infections of the eye as well as the skin and central nervous system. This amoeba is found in the water and soil. It can spread to the eyes through contact lens use in water where the acanthamoeba live. Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare infection of the eye that generally happens in those who are otherwise healthy, but it could cause permanent visual impairment or blindness. Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the front of your eye that covers the pupil and iris. Keratitis may or may not be caused by the Acanthamoeba. Noninfec...

As America’s population ages overall, the number of people with eye conditions and disease will increase. Currently the number of us dealing with vision problems is already staggering. If you’re coping with vision problems, you’re not alone. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology , Nearly 1.3 million Americans forty and older are legally blind. About 8% of men and 0.5% of women with Northern European ancestry have the most common form of color blindness. The incidence is lower in almost all other populations. Cataracts impact more than 24.4 million Americans age forty and older, almost twice the number of people living in Pennsylvania. About half of all Americans will have cataracts by the time they reach 75. Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million Americans age forty and older. Each year about 2.4 million eye injuries happen in the US. Use of protective eyewear can prevent 90% of eye injuries. More than a third of all such injuries happen to those 18 to 45 ...

Should You Use Vitamins and Supplements for Your Vision? You may hear many claims about vitamin usage and how it may improve your eye health. Just because you saw an article on the internet or a friend shared one on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s accurate. There’s a good chance it was written by someone selling vitamins or dietary supplements, which are unregulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Talk to us before taking any dietary supplement for your eyes if you're pregnant, nursing, using any other medications or have other health issues. If we think it might help, or at least not harm you, take the dose we recommend. Supplements are meant to supplement your overall nutrition, they aren’t a replacement for food. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. If you have or at risk for certain eye conditions, vitamins and supplements may help slow or prevent some conditions. The National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) shows that high doses of antioxidants vit...

Diabetes can cause a wide range of harmful side effects, including eye problems. All forms of diabetic eye disease have the potential to cause severe vision loss and blindness but they can be treated. If you have diabetes there are steps you can take to prevent or delay these conditions and if you are diagnosed, treatments may be effective. If you have diabetes, we can help you maintain your vision for as long as possible. Diabetic retinopathy impacts the blood vessels in the light-sensitive retina that’s in the back of the eye. This is the most common cause of vision loss for diabetics and the top cause of vision impairment and blindness for working-age adults. Chronically high blood sugar because of diabetes is associated with injuring tiny blood vessels in the retina, which leads to diabetic retinopathy. It can also result in blood vessels in the retina to leak or bleed, distorting your vision. At an advanced stage of the disorder, new, abnormal blood vessels develop on the ret...