Blogs for Vision Conditions
List of articles for Vision Conditions
Diabetic Retinopathy
It is microvascular changes that occur in one's retina over a period of time during which his/her sugar control is not upto the mark. How do you know if you have diabetic retinopathy(DR), well answer to that question is simple, just have to see a ophthalmologist, a retina specialist to be more specific. What should I expect during my retina consult? In case you are found to have no evidence of DR you will be asked to review at least once a year for routine retina check up. The disease has its staging and the retina specialist is the one who is experienced enough to stage the disease accurately and call for follow-up at intervals according to the stage of your DR as per global guidelines. What if I have blurring of vision in DR? If your vision is blurred due to DR diagnosed by a retina specialist then there could be 3 reasons 1. Due to Diabetic macular edema, which can be treated with a wide range of treatment option like laser, intravitreal injections or simply by instilling drops. Now the duration and frequency of treatment has to be tailored for each individual for which again the retina specialist with his experience plans. However recurrence of this edema do occur vastly because of poor control of diabetes. 2. Due to vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachments or combined detachments, in this cases retina surgery is what is recommended by retina surgeons. Again the outcome depends on control of diabetes and pre-existing state of your retina. 3. Retina itself has become ischemic with permanent degenerative changes which are irreversible can also lead to vision loss. So as you can understand that the disease is Progressive one either slow or fast depends greatly on your Diabetic control and treatment becomes more and more complicated and expensive with minimal scope of improvement. Hence regular timely follow-ups with your retina specialist is what is recommended.
What is keratoconus ?
Exact causes of keartoconus are unknown but according to research most of the keratoconus cases are hereditary Age: Usually starts after puberty. In some cases keratoconus can start before puberty also. Less common in people older than 40 years of age Systemic disorders : Keratoconus can be associated with certain disorders such as Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, and retinitis pigmentosa. Inflammation: Inflammation from things like allergies, asthma, or atopic eye disease can break down the tissue of the cornea. Eye rubbing: Rubbing your eyes hard over time can break down the cornea. It can also make keratoconus progress faster if you already have it.
Can I do some eye exercises to reduce my number
Well, there are no scientifically proven evidences to reduce the power of your eye by doing some eye exercises.
The power of eye ,medically termed as refractive error depends upon the anatomical structure of your eye
I.e the length of your eye ,curvature of cornea and lens
So by doing any eye exercises you cannot change the anatomical structure of your eye.
Signs of high eye pressure
High eye pressure medically termed as intraocular pressure (IOP)is related to ocular conditions called GLAUCOMA and OCULAR HYPERTENSION.
GLAUCOMA is an eye disease related to the eye pressure causing damage to the optic nerve whereas in OCULAR HYPERTENSION there is rise in eye pressure
Glaucoma also known as silent killer of vision usually shows no signs in the initial stages
As the disease progresses , one might experience some signs and symptoms
In Later or advanced stages of glaucoma one may develop some signs and symptoms
Is retina laser painful?
Yes Retina laser can be painful at times but not always. Since there are different types of lasers required to treat different retinal conditions.
Usually the level of pain depends on the grade of burn and the location of the lesion lasered. The grade of burn is decided by the treating doctor to acheive complete treatment. Barrage lasers tend to be more painful compared to laser for diabetic retinopathy as the area treated in barrage laser is usually the peripheral retina which is thinner than the rest of retina. Some lasers like focal/grid are absolutely pain free.
Usually the pain if there is any lasts during or few minutes after the procedure and is easily treatable with simple eye drops and if required pain killer tablets will be prescribed by the treating physician. Sometimes you might be advised to take pain killers before the procedure if pain is anticipated during the procedure by the treating doctor.
Now the cost of any retina laser depends on the number of sitting required and is again decided by the treating physician. Usually it ranges from 1 to 3 sittings.
The per sitting cost of retina laser ranges from 4000 rs to 6000 rs depending on the type of laser. For barrage laser the cost is around 5800rs and for diabetic laser cost is 5500 per sitting per eye. For a focal laser the cost is 4000rs.
Will I be normal after retina injection
It is only normal to be anxious about your first eye injection, why am I saying so because as the condition for which the injection is given usually is recurring one, if not all at least most of them do. So what happens after receiving injection in your eye for any retina disorder? Usually the procedure is pain free but slight pain should be expected. A patch will be put on your injected eye which can be removed as soon as you reach a safe environment like your home. You will be given antibiotic eye drop to be instilled in your eye for a week or so. You will be asked to avoid head bath for a day or two so that direct entry of unsterile water is prevented after which you can resume normal routine. Now about the vision part you have to understand the disease from your treating doctor so that the visual improvement from injection can be known before.
