Ocular Disease

Eye diseases are common: Four in 10 US adults have a high risk of vision loss. At Atlantic Retina Consultants in Melbourne, Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Titusville, and Rockledge, Florida, highly trained optometrists Hetal Vaishnav, MD, Gary Ganiban, MD, and their team help prevent and treat ocular diseases in patients of all ages. Call the office or use the online booking feature to schedule an eye evaluation today.

What is an ocular disease?

Ocular diseases, also called eye diseases, are conditions that affect the health of your eyes or vision. They’re some of the most common medical conditions worldwide, and many are highly treatable when detected early. When left untreated, however, ocular diseases increase the risk of complications, including vision loss.

Ocular diseases can affect any part of your eyes, including the eyeball, socket, eye muscles, eyelids, and other structures around your eyes. They might develop quickly or slowly. Worldwide, more than 2.2 billion people are blind or have some vision impairment.

What are examples of ocular diseases?

Common eye diseases include:

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Eye cancer

You might also experience farsightedness, nearsightedness, presbyopia (age-related loss of near vision), or astigmatism.

What are the symptoms of ocular diseases?

The common symptoms of eye diseases include:

• Eye pain or irritation
• Eye strain or fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Loss of central vision
• Eye color changes
• Tunnel vision
• Flashers

Ocular diseases can develop due to aging, genetics, injuries, or exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Untreated diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), thyroid disease, and other chronic conditions can also increase the risk of an ocular disease. Sometimes, the cause isn’t known.

How are ocular diseases diagnosed?

Typically, diagnosing ocular diseases involves a review of your medical history, medications, lifestyle, and symptoms. Your eye doctor also tests your vision and completes a dilated eye exam to obtain an in-depth view of the front and back of your eyes. You might also qualify for eye imaging procedures or other diagnostic tests.

How are ocular diseases treated?

Treating an eye disease depends on which disease you have and how severe your symptoms are. The Atlantic Retina Consultants team could recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Diet and other lifestyle changes
• Vitamin or mineral supplements
• Medication
• Eye injections
• Glasses
• Contact lenses
• Laser treatments
• Other eye surgeries

Not all ocular diseases require immediate or any other treatment. Your provider might suggest watchful waiting to closely monitor your condition.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, maintaining an ideal body weight, not smoking, managing chronic diseases, and protecting your eyes from injury can significantly reduce the risk of ocular diseases.
Scheduling routine eye exams helps detect potential problems early before complications or vision loss sets in.

Book an eye exam at Atlantic Retina Consultants by phone or request one online today to be screened for ocular diseases.