Usually when a person leaves the clinic of eye specialist after an appointment, he/she suddenly remember a lot of things which were to be asked or shared/ confirmed with the doctor. But the irony is that people usually forget them on their next visit as well. Here is a solution to this common problem.  Provided in this article is a list of all the things, however minor, which one has to keep in mind while paying a visit to their eye specialist. Take a peak:

During the appointment call

Keep the following points in mind while making the call for an appointment at the clinic of the eye specialist:

• Make sure to make a mention of all your visionary problems.
• If special tests are to be conducted, do ask at the desk in the clinic during your appointment call whether you will be able to drive yourself home or not. If not, make arrangements for a driver, a cab or a taxi driver to drive you home.
• Make sure to ask over the call itself, the tentative cost of the consultation and the treatment, if any. It helps you be prepared for the amount of money you will have to shed out.

Before you go in for the treatment

Before preparing yourself for the eye treatment, make a thorough list of all the following, lest you forget any important thing:

• Keep handy a list of all the signs and symptoms of eye problems that you have been facing, for example flashes of light, difficulty seeing at night, temporary double vision, loss of vision etc.
• Any kind of eye injury due to accident or mishap, or the history of any eye operation that you have ever undergone, including all details like approximate dates, hospitals concerned etc.
• Make a mention of the drugs and precautions being undertaken.
• Your general health condition and history of health, including your allergies, chronic health problems, operations etc.

Carry along with you

Make sure to carry the following things with you for the treatment:

• Your contact lenses, or eye glasses, or both, whichever you are using.
• The prescription of your previous course of medicine, the medicine itself and any other self recommendation drugs which you are taking or have ever taken in the past.
• Also carry along with you, your medical health plan or health insurance which you are taking.

During the examination

Keep the following things in mind during the examination:

• Do not go back with any doubts in your mind. Ask anything from the doctor without hesitations.
• Ask when it would be the best time to call back for any queries.
• Find out from the doctor when further treatment is required and when you have to return for your next visit.

We at Killeen Eye Care Center provide expert eye care solutions. We serve Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights in Central Texas.

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Iris is the colored part of the eye. Its main function is to control the amount of the eye entering the eye. Iris is the circular muscles that control the size of the pupil and thus control the amount of light entering the eye.

IRITIS
Iritis is the inflammation of the iris of the eye. Since Iritis is the inflammation inside the eye, this condition can be sight threatening.

Causes of Iritis

• Iritis can be caused due to Viral or bacterial Infection
• Trauma to the eye can lead to Iritis.
• Systemic diseases like Ankylosing spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis can also be a cause of Iritis.

Symptoms of Iritis

• Pain and redness in the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Smaller pupil
• Irregular shape of Pupil
• Headache
• Blurred vision

Diagnosis of Iritis

• Complete eye examination by a qualified Eye Doctor – Slit eye exam
• When Iritis is suspected to be caused by the systemic illness, complete medical evaluation is done. This includes blood tests and X-rays

Treatment for Iritis

• Main aim of the treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation caused by Iritis.
• Cycloplegics drops or Dilating eye drops to enlarge the pupil. These reduce the discomfort in the eye.
• For Infectious causes – Antibiotic eye drops and Ointments are used.
• Topical steroids to reduce inflammation and pain
• In severe cases oral medications may be prescribed

Complication

Untreated or Chronic Iritis may lead to

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Blindness

For complete Eye Care, contact Killeen Eye Care Center serving Killeen, Fort Hood and Harker Heights in Central Texas region

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Myopia or near sightedness is an eye defect in which the image of the object being seen is formed in front of the retina, unlike the normal image formation on the retina. This causes near placed objects to be viewed clearly, but objects that are situated far off appears to be blurred. The two causes of myopia are: either the eye ball is too wide or the cornea is too steep which leads to formation of the image in front of the retina, rather than on it. As the image is formed on the vitreous inside the eye, this leads to the formation if a blurred image.

Symptoms of Myopia

The main symptoms of this eye defect include blurred viewing of far off objects, extreme headaches and giddiness while concentrating on far off objects. While looking at distant objects, myopic people tend to squint their eyes.

Diagnosis of Myopia

A patient's vision for the detection of myopia is tested by making him read letters or numbers on a chart posted a set distance away (nearly 20 ft). The investigating doctor/ optometrist asks the patient to look at and read the board through a variety of lenses to obtain the best correction.  Optometrist concerned also carefully examines the inside of the eye and the retina. An instrument known as a slit lamp is used to examine the cornea and the eye lens. The prescription for the corrective eyeglass is written in terms of dioptres (D), which measure the degree of refractive error. Based on this prescription, the patient can get the corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses made.

Treatment

There are 2 ways of treating the problem of myopia and achieving clear vision again. One can choose the preferred treatment by them on the basis of age, health, intensity of the defect and the cost factor. The two possible alternatives are:

• Corrective lenses: According to the vision testing results, eye glasses or contact lenses with the prescribed power can be purchased and made use of for restoring proper vision. This is the best possible treatment as it is the least invasive, longest-standing, and the most adjustable option. In young age, the power keeps fluctuating time and again. Glasses and lenses can be changed from time to time. They are also more economical than other treatment i.e. Laser surgery.

• Laser surgery:  Laser surgery is another widely accepted treatment for myopia. There is a good percentage of success rates in treating Myopia of eye through Laser Surgery. In most of the cases, a patient does not need to wear eye glasses or lens after surgery. In some cases, there may again occur the need to wear the glasses.

Prevention of Myopia

The following points should be taken care of, from an early age for prevention of myopia:

• Do not watch T.V. or computer, continuously for long stretches of time. Take a break, wash your eyes and look around after every 40 minutes.
• Watch T.V. from a distance. Do not sit too close and watch. It will strain and eventually damage the eye muscles.
• Take a diet rich in vitamin A, with lots of papaya, carrots, milk products, cod liver oil and meat.
• Get routine vision tests done.

Contact Killeen Eye Care Centre for Eye Glasses, Eye Exams and Eye Care consultation from experienced Eye Doctor in Killeen, Texas.

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Your eye is the most sensitive, delicate and the most attention catching part of your body. In this hectic lifestyle, your eye requires a lot of care and extreme attention. Need to spend most of your working hours before computer screens, heavy pollution in the environment lead to numerous eye diseases, blurring of your vision and irritation in the eyes. The need of the hour is to look for ways and methods to keep this vital sense organ healthy, glowing and beautiful. This article offers a list of eye care tips that should be followed:

Protection from Sun: The first and foremost requirement of eye care is the need to protect your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet radiations coming from the Sun. Direct contact with sunlight for long durations of time make your eyes prone to redness and puffiness. It can also lead to permanent damage to your eyes. To avoid this, one must always keep a pair of quality sun glasses handy.
Diet and exercise: You must ensure a healthy and nutrient rich diet to keep your eyes fit and fine. Lack of proper nutrition is generally found to be a major cause of unhealthy eyes. Keep your diet highly rich in vitamin A, such as, foods like carrots, papaya, green leafy vegetables, eggs, meat, cod liver oil, milk and milk products. Eye exercise is another major must-do. For different exercises for eyes, you can refer my post on Exercising Tips For Eyes
Water consumption:  Water is a pre requisite for healthy glowing eyes. Drink a minimum of 10-12 glasses of water a day to keep your eyes in good health.
TV/computer viewing: While watching TV for longer durations or working on the computer for too long, make sure to take regular breaks every 15-20 minutes. Look suddenly towards a far off distant object and wash your eyes frequently.
Other important  tips: There  are a few important things which must be taken care of in order to maintain proper health of your eyes :

• Do not rub your eyes using hands in case of any kind of irritation or redness.
• Wear Eye Glasses according to your number. Visit your Optometrist regularly to monitor your vision.
• Consult a qualified Eye Doctor in case of persistant eye irritation or if there is trouble in vision.

Eyes being the most vital sense organs of one’s body, require intrinsic care and good maintenance. Make sure you follow the above mentioned tips in order to keep your eyes healthy, beautiful and glowing. For querries regarding eye care feel free to contact Killeen Eye Care Centre

Macula is small area located in the centre of the eye. It is an important structure of the retina as it is responsible for the central vision and fine details of the objects in front of the eye. It is also responsible for the color vision.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) – the cells of the macula become damaged slowly as the age progresses.

AMD is of two types

1. Dry AMD - The cells in the macula gradually degenerates and there is gradual loss of the central vision, the early symptoms include blurred vision followed by complete loss of the central vision.
2. Wet AMD - in wet AMD the loss of vision is very fast. In this type of AMD, an abnormal blood vessel of the retina grows under macula. These blood vessels tend to break down very often that damage the macula. Macula damage in the WET AMD is faster than that in dry AMD.

Causes of AMD

Age related AMD as the name suggest, is caused by the aging process. However there are some risk factors that may increase the chances of developing AMD in some individuals. These include:

• Hypertension
• Family history of AMD
• Smoking
• Obesity

Symptoms of AMD

Dry AMD –

• Blurred vision
• Blind spot in the middle of the eye

In wet AMD distorted vision as the blood vessels the leak in the eye raising the pressure in the eye.

• People with AMD may need more light to read and write
• Diminished color vision

In advanced AMD there is complete loss of the central vision

Diagnosis for AMD

• Certain tests that may detect the AMD include
• Visual acuity test
• Dilated Eye examination

Treatment for AMD

• Laser therapy
• Low vision aids like special lenses
• Surgery

Eye Care

• If you have genetic history of macular degeneration or initial stage of macular degeneration below mention points may help you
• Increase in Vitamin intake especially Vitamin C, E, and Zinc
• Weight control
• Smoking cessation
• Controlled blood pressure

Contact Killeen Eye Care Center for diagnosis and consultation for Macular Degeneration. Killeen Eye Care Center serves Killeen, Harker Heights and Fort Hood areas in Texas.

As the name suggest, its inability to distinguish between certain colors. A person suffering with color blindness may not be able to see certain colors or distinguish between certain colors.

Causes Of Color Blindness

• Genetic Susceptibility/ Inherited Color Blindness

There are photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye, called Cone cells. These cells send the signals about the colors of the object to the brain. Brain analyses the signals from the cone cells and depicts the color of the object. The cone cells need bright light to function and that why we are unable to see colors in dark. In color blindness, cone cells are unable to send the correct signal to the brain and thus the person is unable to detect the right color of the object.

• Acquired color blindness – very less often, certain other disease may also cause color blindness, this is called acquired color blindness.
• Aging – gradual aging of the cells of the eye may also lead to color blindness

Symptoms Of Color Blindness

• Inability or difficulty in distinguishing between colors.
• Person with color blindness is usually unable to distinguish between red and green or blue or yellow.
• Inability to distinguish between different shades of the color.
• People with severe color blindness may not be able to see certain colors at all.
• Inherited or genetic color blindness effects both the eyes and is present from the birth.
• Acquired color blindness may affect one eye or may affect one eye more than other

Treatment For Color Blindness

• There no treatment for the inherited color blindness
• Acquired color blindness can be managed by treating the underlying disease

Eye Care For Color Blindness

• Use of specially tinted eyeglasses may help to distinguish between colors
• If a person is unable to see colors at all, use of dark glasses side shields may help in better vision
• Early detection of color blindness in the children is important. Child may be having problems in school because of color blindness and may lead to low self esteem in the child. If detected early, school teacher can be informed and suggestions may be given in order to make the child learn colors in better way.

Contact Killeen Eye Care Center for Eyeglasses recommended by qualified Eye Doctor. Optometrist serving Killeen, Harker Heights and Fort Hood area in Texas, TX.

It has been observed that certain thyroid diseases can affect the eyes. The most common thyroid disease having eye manifestation is ‘Graves disease’. Graves disease is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid hormones are produced in excess. The thyroid gland is over stimulated to produce excess of thyroid hormone. In "Graves disease" the body itself produces antibodies against the thyroid gland that over-stimulate the thyroid gland. Theses antibodies also affect the eyes.

How eyes are affected?

• The antibodies affects the orbit of the eyes. These antibodies cause over-stimulation of the cells of orbit that in turn produces certain chemical that causes damage to the eye. Swelling within the eye may cause optic nerve damage in the later stage.
• Inflammatory reaction is initiated around the eye which may lead to swelling and redness around the eye.
• The cornea of the eye may become dry due to the inflammatory changes in the eye.

Symptoms

• Pain in the eye
• Upper lid retraction
• Swelling and redness in the eye
• Dryness in the eye
• Impaired vision
• Double vision
• Widening of the space between the eyelids
• Forward protrusion of the eyeball

Treatment

• Thyroid disease is treated to ensure the optimum levels of thyroid hormone in the body
• For less severe cases where dryness is the common complain, frequent lubrication of the eyes by artificial tears.
• Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops for inflammation and redness
• Surgery may be requires in severe cases. Most common type of surgeries performed is Orbital decompression surgery, Eye muscles surgery and Eyelid surgery

Eye Care For Graves Disease

• Smoking cessation – It has been observed that smoking can aggravate the eye manifestation of the graves disease.
• Regular treatment of thyroid disease
• Cold compresses can provide relief in pain and also provide moisture to the eye
• Protect the eye from direct sun contact by using sunglasses.

For complete eye care contact Killeen Eye Care Center: Serving Killeen, Harker Heights and Fort Hood areas in Texas TX.

Retinopathy is the damage to the retina of the eye and diabetic retinopathy is the damage to retina caused as a complication of the diabetes. It occurs in patients who have long history of diabetes and can even cause the loss of vision in such patients.

Retina acts as a film in the camera for our eye. The image of the object is created on the retina and the image converts into the electrical signals that are passed to the brain. Patient with long history of uncontrolled diabetes have high glucose content in the blood. Accumulation of the glucose in the blood vessels of the retina damages these blood vessels. This causes decreased blood supply to the retina and thus ischemia, which, in turn, contributes to development of retinopathy.

Causes of Diabetic Retinopathy

• Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and thus diabetes is the cause of the diabetic retinopathy.

Risk factor that may lead to retinopathy in diabetic patients includes;

• Duration of diabetes – Generally patients with long history of diabetes are more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy.
• Increased level of glucose in the diabetic patients
• Hypertension – systemic hypertension in diabetic patients increases the risk of diabetic retinopathy

Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy can be asymptomatic in the initial stages. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy in the later stages include;

• Blurred vision
• Partial or complete loss of vision
• Hemorrhage in the retina that causes dark streaks or a red film that may block  the vision

Diagnosis

Eye examination –

• Eye specialist dilates the pupil by putting some eye drops and examines the retina of the eye. Abnormal blood vessels, fatty deposits on retina or hemorrhages can be seen in this dilated eye examination.
• Fluorescein angiography

Treatment

• Photocoagulation – It is the laser treatment wherein the leaking blood vessels of the eye are sealed or repaired.
• Vatrectomy - It is a surgery done to remove the scar tissues on the retina.

Prevention or care of eye in diabetic patients

• Control over blood glucose levels
• Regular eye examinations of patients who have diabetes .Early diagnosis help to prevent blindness or vision loss in the patients.

For complete eye care, contact Killeen Eye Care Center. Killeen Eye Care Center serves Harker Heights, Killeen and Fort Hood area in Texas.

It is a disease of tears and ocular surface of the eye. Tears are the main source of nourishment to the ocular surface of the eye. Tears are made of compounds that keep the eye moist and clean. If the production of tears in the eye is less or if the chemical composition of the tears are altered so that they evaporate quickly, leads to dry eye syndrome

Causes Of Dry Eye Syndrome

• Natural ageing process causes ageing of the tear glands
• Medicines like certain antihypertensive, Parkinson’s disease medication, antidepressants may cause lesser production of tears
• Living condition e.g. if you live in dry and humid climate or your office or home has dry heating systems
• Insufficient blinking. This can occur when person works for longer hours on computer Wearing contact lenses for longer period
• Systemic diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome

Symptoms Of Dry Eyes

• Irritation in the eye due to dry sensation
• Burning and itching in the eye
• Pain
• Feeling of a foreign body in the eye
• Sometimes watery eyes can also result since dry eyes causes overstimulation of tear glands that leads to overproduction of tears
• Blurred vision
• Symptoms generally gets worse towards the end of the day

Treatment Of Dry Eyes

• The dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition and is generally not completely curable. However the symptoms of the conditions can be treated
• Optometrist may prescribe artificial tears, Cyclosporine or corticosteroid drops depending on the condition of the eye.
• If the symptoms are intense and interfering with the daily activities, optometrist may suggest surgery as the treatment of dry eyes syndrome.

Self Care For Eyes

• Try to maintain less humid environment at house and work place. More humidity in air causes evaporation of tears
• Wear sunglasses to avoid dust and other particles in the air. These may worse the symptoms of dry eyes
• Frequent blinking of the eyes stimulates the tear glands and keeps the eyes moist. If working for longer hours in front of computer, frequently blink your eyes
• Adequate rest and sufficient sleep may also relieve the symptoms

Killeen Eye Care Center Provides Complete Eye Care Solutions in Fort Hood, Killeen and Harker Heights, Texas (TX)

Cataract is the clouding of the eye lens.
Lens of the eye refracts the light on to the retina of the eye. The lens changes its size and shape to properly focus the light on the retina so that the correct image of the distant or near object is formed on the retina.
   
Causes Of Cataract

• Aging – Lens of the eye is made up of proteins. The protein in the lens maintains the clarity of the lens.  With advancing age the chemical composition of the lens proteins changes and proteins generally gets distorted. This causes clouding in the eye lens.
• Congenital Cataract- Due to hereditary causes, cataract can be present at the time of birth. This condition is rare.
• Recent researches have shown that prolonged exposure to ultra-violet radiations can also cause cataract.
• Severe trauma or injury to the eye.
• Other medical conditions like Diabetes, obesity
• Long term uses of steroids like prednisone.
• Hereditary causes – People with family history of cataracts are more prone to develop the cataract.

Symptoms OfCataract

• Blurring and gradually loss of vision
• Diminished color vision
• Difficulty in glare
• Increased nearsightedness
• Double vision in one eye
• Increased difficulty of vision at night

Diagnosis

• Visual Acuity test – This test is done to evaluate the problem with the vision. It is done to test the vision. By reading the letters or numbers from the card held 14 inches from the face.
• Dilated eye test- Pupil us dilated or widened by putting some eye drops in the eye. The eye is then examined by the doctor. This test allows the doctor to see more of the lens and retina.
• Glare sensitivity test

Treatment Of Cataract
The symptoms of the early cataract can be improved by

• New eyeglasses for altered vision
• Brighter lighting and magnifying glasses during reading, watching TV
• Anti glare sunglasses
• Surgery – Surgery is done only when symptoms of the cataract doesn’t improve with above methods and are so severe that they cause difficulty in performing daily life activities. In cataract removal surgery the natural lens of the eye that has developed opacification is removed and artificial lens implant is inserted.

Killeen Eye Care Center provides consultation and treatments for various eye problems.