A PARTIAL CATARACT

THE BACK OF THE EYE WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

THE BACK OF THE EYE OF A DIABETIC PATIENT

GLAUCOMATOUS CUPPING OF THE OPTIC DISC

RETINAL TEAR

RETINAL HOLES

WIDE ANGLE VIEW OF BACK OF EYE WITH RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

CLOSE UP VIEW OF BONE SPICULE PIGMENTATION IN RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

 CATARACTS

Cataracts occur when the lens in the eye becomes cloudy. The cloudiness reduces vision and can sometimes cause double vision and glare. Cataracts can be detected during a routine eye examination and in many early cases a change of spectacle prescription is all that is required. However, an operation can be performed if spectacles can no longer improve vision to an adequate standard. It is estimated that there are 2.8 million cataract sufferers in the UK with a total cost of around £11bn in 2003.

AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Age-related macular degeneration often referred to as AMD or ARMD, is a degenerative condition, which results from a disruption of the blood circulating at the back of the eye. This condition may be detected by examining the eye using a special torch called an ophthalmoscope. It may be treatable by laser in about 1% of cases, but often there is very poor vision requiring the use of low vision aids.

DIABETES

Diabetes can affect the eyes in a number of ways but chiefly by the growth of new weak blood vessels which can burst at the back of the eye. The problem may be detected by examining the eye using special microscopes. In some cases laser treatment can be given to prevent the condition deteriorating. Approximately one in 10 diabetics will have some sort of retinal disease requiring assessment and/or treatment.

At present there approximately one and a half million diabetic patients that are known to the medical establishment and a further one million people in this country who are unaware they have the condition. Following current trends it is estimated that by the year 2010 there will be as many as 10 million diabetics.

In April 2003 the government announced a £27 million cash injection for digital retinopathy cameras spread over three years to provide screening for all diabetics by the year 2007.

GLAUCOMA

is usually caused by too much pressure in the eye. But, as the condition is painless and affects only side vision in the early stages, a person may be unaware that the disease is present. If left untreated tunnel vision and eventual blindness can result. Fortunately, the majority of cases are treatable using eye drops. All patients over the age of 40 years should have the pressure of their eyes measured routinely during an eye examination.

It is estimated that glaucoma affects one in 50 people over 40 years of age which is some 2.2 million people in the UK which according to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association costs the state about £38bn — yes, £38 billion annually!

RETINAL DETACHMENT

Retinal detachment, as its name suggest, is a condition where part of the retina (the thin film lining the inside of the eye) is pulled away from the back of the eye. If the retina is not put back in place with a day or two it loses its ability to help us see and causes blindness. The most common type of retinal detachment is known as rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and affects 1 in 10, 000 people. It is usually a horseshoe shaped tear in the retina, often from a posterior vitreous detachment where the jelly in the eye is pulled from the retina, and is more likely in short-sighted people. Your optician may be able to see pigment cells in the vitreous known as Shaeffer's sign. Treatment consists of sealing the retinal break usually nowadays using a laser.

EYE DISEASE IN BABIES

Premature babies are prone to a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity which can cause blindness. In Britain 8,000 of the 700,000 babies born every year are at risk of having this condition. If retinopathy of prematurity is present, laser surgery to cause approximately 2,500 burns on the blood vessels at the back of the eye is required, to prevent blindness from retinal detachment.

SEASONAL ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS

In most cases both eyes are affected by itching, burning, sensitivity to light, redness and watering. Some people inherit a disposition to allergies which may be caused by pollen (hay fever), grass, tree, house dust mites, animal hair and mould. Patients are advised to avoid trigger factors, wash hair and clothes regularly, keep windows closed at night, and choose holidays near mountains or seaside.

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

Retinitis pigmentosa is a dystrophy (deterioration) of the receptors of the back of the eye affecting the rods first and later on the cones as well. It is usually hereditary and may be linked with a number of syndromes (conditions affecting other parts of the body), such as Laurence-Moon and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Usher's syndrome, Bassen-Kornzwieg syndrome and Kearns-Sayer syndrome.