Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It occurs when the pressure inside the eye rises, damaging the optic nerve and causing vision loss. The condition often develops over many years without causing pain or other noticeable symptoms - so you may not experience vision loss until the disease has progressed.

Symptoms that you could be developing glaucoma include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, halo effects around lights, and painful or reddened eyes. People at high risk include those who are over the age of 40, diabetic, near-sighted, African-American, or who have a family history of glaucoma.

To detect glaucoma, Dr. Nancy Chen, MD will test your visual acuity and visual field as well as the pressure in your eye. Regular eye exams help to monitor the changes in your eyesight and to determine whether you may develop glaucoma.

Once diagnosed, glaucoma can be controlled. Treatments to lower pressure in the eye include non-surgical methods such as prescription eye drops and medications, laser therapy, and surgery.

Diabetic Laser Surgery

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that weakens the blood vessels that supply nourishment to the retina (the light-sensitive lining in the back of the eye where vision is focused). When these weak vessels leak, swell or develop thin branches, vision loss occurs. Laser surgery is the treatment of choice.

Focal laser coagulation may be recommended for patients with clinically significant macular edema (CSME) - swelling of the central retina, called the macula. The laser coagulates, or dries up, the fluid that is causing the swelling. A similar procedure called scatter laser photocoagulation (also known as pan-retinal photocoagulation or PRP) destroys abnormal blood vessel growth in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). If there is blood in the eye obscuring the laser, a vitrectomy may be performed to drain the blood in preparation for photocoagulation.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when the eyes are insufficiently moisturized, leading to itching, redness and pain from dry spots on the surface of the eye. The eyes may become dry and irritated because the tear ducts don't produce enough tears, or because of a chemical imbalance in the tears.  Patients with dry eyes often experience irritating symptoms that may result in more serious damage to the vision if the condition is left untreated.

Treatment for dry eye depends on the cause and severity of the condition, as well as the patient's overall health and personal preference. Non-surgical treatments are often effective, and may include increasing humidity levels at home or work, use of artificial tears or a moisturizing ointment and avoiding air conditioning or windy conditions outdoors.

One of the newest, most technologically advanced methods of treating severe dry eyes is the use of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy.  These incredibly precise devices can be used to deliver powerful pulses of light energy to treat the abnormal blood vessels that are resulting in a malfunction of the meibomian glands in the eyelids, which are a primary cause of dry eyes.

Our practice is on the cutting edge in dry eye treatment by employing IPL therapy, and we are seeing successful results.  We opt to use broad band light (BBL) through the Skintyte II by Sciton to safely and effectively heat the affected blood vessels of the eyelids.  As they shrink, the glands resume normal function once again and the dry eyes are resolved. 

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