Pediatric/Teen Eye Health
Children
Eye care for children is much different from that of an adult and even drastically different than that of a senior adult. A child’s ability to see develops rapidly in the first months and years of life. You can notice very early that babies will use their eyes to locate people and objects. If you detect any bizarre visual circumstances we encourage an immediate eye examination. If no distinct abnormality is detected it is suggested that all children have their vision checked within the first three to four years of their life.
As a parent you may see signs of developmental delay or your family might have some history of crossed eyes, or pediatric cataracts. In these cases do not hesitate to get you child’s vision checked out by an eye care professional. Dr. Garrett can give regular eye exams to children. If surgery is required Dr. Garrett is well qualified and experience in pediatric surgery.
Teens
If you are a teenager you will be experiencing your own unique visual issues. 
The teen years often bring about the first signs of inability to see at distances causing problems in the classroom. If you are an active teenager glasses might not be appealing. In many cases teens might feel that they even look better without glasses. Whatever the case may be there are some choices for you.
Dry Eye Syndrome
The doctors at Garrett Eye are trained in the area of Dry Eye Syndrome as it affects over 60% of our population on a continued basis or as an episode based condition associated with environment or working conditions. Teenagers are also at risk for this eye condition as it is a growing epidemic and linked to several over the counter medicines. Garrett Eye Center is an Accredited Tear Lab Center.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia, or decreased vision, is a problem that is ideally corrected while children are young. It is sometimes called “lazy eye.” When one eye develops good vision while the other does not, the eye with poorer vision is called amblyopic. Usually only one eye is affected, but it is possible for both eyes to be “lazy eyes.” Recently, many reports in the medical literature have increased our understanding of how best to successfully treat these children.
Children
- 1 in 10 children is at risk from undiagnosed vision problems
- 1 in 30 children will be affected by amblyopia, often referred to as a lazy eye, a leading cause of vision loss in people under the age of 45 years
- 1 in 25 will develop strabismus, more commonly known as crossed-eyes and a risk factor for amblyopia
- 1 in 33 will show significant refractive error such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism
- 1 in 100 will have evidence of eye diseases like glaucoma
- 1 in 20,000 children have retinoblastoma (intraocular cancer) the seventh most common pediatric cancer.
Adult Eye Health
In your adult years you’ve most likely have learned to deal with your glasses or contact lenses in order to see. Eye care in adults is important in that as our eyes age or vision often worsens. It is important to have regularly scheduled eye exams to make sure that your eyes are in good health. By having regular eye exams you can help to eliminate vision loss risks in the future. Often most eye diseases are treatable if they are diagnosed at an early stage. In adults, most experience vision problems that they have had since childhood or their teen years. There are numerous treatments that have been made available through modern technology that can help improve your vision without the needs of glasses or contacts.
Adult Vision Options:
- PRK
- Refractive lens exchange
- Presbyopia correction IOLs
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a condition that often affects people once they reach their early 40’s. They require glasses to read items such as a newspaper or a menu at a close distance. Your lens loses the ability to focus adequately at the appropriate distances. There is currently no treatment to prevent presbyopia, but regular eye exams can help to ensure that you have the proper reading glasses or contacts to help you. Without the proper glasses or contacts, you may experience eye strain or headaches that become more harmful to your health.
Senior Eye Health
The unfortunate nature of getting older often implies eye care problems. By age 65, 1-in-3 Americans have some form of vision-impairing eye disease. It is absolutely vital that seniors get regular eye exams to check for vision conditions that can lead to partial or permanent vision loss. Many people over the age of 65 have no idea that several vision conditions could be looming around the corner. Many eye conditions like glaucoma cannot even be felt or perceived by your body. Through early detection many of these horrible vision threatening diseases can be treated and vision can be restored. Please read a brief synopsis on some of the vision conditions plaguing seniors today.
Cataracts
A cataract is a progressive clouding of the eyes natural lens. The lens becomes blurry and eventually fully clouded over. Most cataracts develop as a result of old age, but early development can be linked to unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking. Cataract Surgery is one of the most common types of eye surgery and has seen amazing technology in the form of Phacoemulsification and Presbyopia treating IOLs (intraocular lenses).
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and causes vision loss – often without warning and symptoms. Like a cable wire, the optic nerve is responsible for carrying the images we see to the brain. Damage to the optic nerve can occur when the pressure within the eye increases, usually due to a build-up of aqueous fluid inside the eye. This leads to the development of blind spots in our field of vision. However, damage may occur without elevation of the intra-ocular pressure; however, pressure may at times be elevated without damaging the optic nerve. This is a condition known as Ocular Hypertension. Blind spots in the field of vision usually go undetected by the individual until the optic nerve is significantly damaged and a great loss of peripheral or central vision has occurred. A Visual Field evaluation can detect glaucomatous damage in its very early stages. If the disease is untreated, the optic nerve may be damaged to a point where irreversible blindness will result.
AMD – Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) also simply called macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. AMD is a disease that blurs the sharp, central vision you need for straight-ahead activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. If you feel you are suffering from early stages of macular degeneration, acmeod Vision might be able to help. Call us directly for an eye appointment for proper diagnosis. Some eye vitamins have legitimate data indicating that regular usage can prevent the development of the more severe stages of this disease.
Diabetic Eye Disease
Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Detachment, Macular Degeneration
If you have diabetes, you need to take special care and attention with your eyesight. Approximately sixteen million people in the USA have diabetes and 1/3 of them do not know it. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to become blind than people without it. Diabetic eye disease refers to a collection of eyesight impairing problems that people with diabetes may develop such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and retinal detachment. Early detection of problems related to diabetes can mean the difference between seeing and not seeing. Please get regular eye exams. Call us for more information.