Age Related Macular Degeneration.

One of the leading causes of central vision blindness is caused by age-related macular degeneration. The macula is the sensory part of the eye that everyone aims with. If you are looking straight ahead, you are aiming with your macula.

The loss of vision of vision is gradual, but noticeable and can be detected on a routine eye exam by an eye doctor. The cause is generally the effects of ultraviolet light over our whole life as well as smoking and an insufficient diet of dark leafy green vegetables.

A specialized macular pigment optical density test called Quantifeye measures your likelihood of developing macular degeneration over time. Fortunately, it’s never too late to improve your macular function with very specific nutritional supplements that Dr. Brill will recommend.

Diabetes puts your vision at risk.

If you have been diagnosed with Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes, your vision may be at risk. That’s the bad news. The good news is that our comprehensive eye examination with Optomap panoramic retinal imaging or pupil dilation can be critical to determining if diabetes is affecting your vision. Diabetes is considered to be of epidemic proportion in the U.S.  Even before doing the necessary glucose level laboratory tests, diabetes can be detected by an eye examination.

Diabetes is considered to be of epidemic proportion in the U.S.

Even before doing the necessary glucose level laboratory tests, diabetes can be detected by an eye examination.

Signs of diabetes: The clues we see from examining your eyes.

• The appearance of blood leaking in the eye, called hemorrhages or microaneurysms heralds the suspicion for diabetes. This is called diabetic retinopathy
• An early type of human lens opacity, called a posterior subcapsular cataract, often is indicative of the metabolic changes seen in diabetes.
• Variable changes in glasses prescription on a day-to-day basis may mean that the diabetes is present.
• Glaucoma, a condition in which the eye pressure is too high causing a loss of central and peripheral vision.
• Macular edema—swelling of the central portion of the retina, leading to decreased vision

Common symptoms of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association:

• Polyuria—Frequent urination
• Polydipsia–Feeling very thirsty
• Polyphagia–Feeling very hungry very often
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision that varies
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Losing weight–even though you eating a lot (type 1)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the limbs called parasthesias (type 2)

We send a report to your primary care provider and diabetologist every time that you are in for an examination.  It is important that we work together as a team to preserve your vision.

Preventative eye care and Hypertension.

Brill Eye Center is all about prevention. We take a preventative approach to vision loss and check for all diseases during our comprehensive examination, including hypertension. We are often the first to suggest that you may have a systemic problem by the findings we see in the eye examination, and can be the first to help get your health and your vision back on track.

Blood pressure is very important to the health of your eyes.

Your eyes need to receive the proper blood flow to maintain healthy vision. If you have ever heard someone say they “had a stroke” in their eye, it meant that there was a lack of blood flow to the important optic nerve and retina. The small blood vessels were blocked and allowed the retina or optic nerve to die off. This lack of blood flow to the retina is called retinopathy. Hypertensive retinopathy and diabetic retinopathy are common. Managing blood pressure levels is key to treating hypertensive retinopathy. When the retina swells from lack of oxygen, vision may be distorted or lost. If the nerve is deprived of oxygen for any length of time, blindness can ensue because the nourishment to the optic nerve does not exist. Without nourishment, the optic nerve will die quickly. This event is referred to as an artery or vein occlusion.  This is comparable to a stroke of the brain where a blocked artery does not allow blood to flow to a specific part of the brain. The eye is considered to be an extension of the brain. The key point is: Manage your blood pressure. It can save your life and vision.

early detection of glaucoma.

One of the forms of Glaucoma a condition during which the eye pressure is elevated, eventually causing a loss of central and peripheral vision. More than 3 million people in the United States are affected by glaucoma. While there is no “cure” for this condition, you can protect your eyes from serious vision loss with early-detection examinations and proper treatment.

Testing for glaucoma

Checking intraocular presseure is easy. Brill Eye Center employs the most accurate pressure measuring device made called an Ocular Response Analyzer. It checks the eye pressure adjusted for corneal thickness, and the ability of the eye to withstand pressure changes called corneal hysteresas.

We also have the other major testing devices called the I-Care tonometer and a Swiss instrument called the Goldmann tonometer in case we need to double or triple check your pressures.

What is a glaucoma workup?

A comprehensive glaucoma workup includes measuring the extent of your visual field with the Zeiss Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer 3.  This is the newest device made for this purpose. The 2nd test involves using a 3D scan of your retina and optic nerve with an instrument called an Optical Coherence Tomographer (OCT). Next a test for corneal thickness is done which is called Pachymetry to determine if the pressure is high due to the cornea being to thick or low because it’s too thin. An assessment of the drainage system of the aqeuous humor is an important test called Gonioscopy. The actual diagnosis of Glaucoma is based on these tests as well as a risk-factor analysis of your personal and family medical history, pharmaceutical use, environmental factors like smoking, migraines and sleep apnea.

Glaucoma Treatment

While the diagnosis of Glaucoma an be tricky, the treatment usually involves a special pressure lowering eye drop that is used at bedtime. Interestingly, the major side effect of this drug is making your eyelashes longer, darker and thicker. Not bad!

Surgery can be done to lower eye pressure if a patient fails on 4 categories of Glaucoma drops.

Treating cataracts.

Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye that directly affects vision. This condition is most commonly found among older people, and the risk for cataracts tends to increase with age. A cataract is detected through a comprehensive eye exam, and symptoms can be improved with new glasses, better lighting, or surgery. The moment it affects your everyday activities, is the moment you will want to have the cataract removed.

dry eyes don’t have to win.

Many people who notice symptoms of dry eye experience a scratchy feeling, making it seem like something is in their eye. Other symptoms may involve burning, tearing in excess followed by dryness, pain, redness and blurred vision. If your eyes consistently have the red, itchy feeling of unchecked allergies, but nothing seems to be helping — you may be suffering from dry eye. At Brill Eye Center, we to take a comprehensive 5-step approach that treats your symptoms and gives you relief that lasts.

uncover neurological disorders.

Eye exams serve a greater purpose beyond simply “checking your vision.” Neurological disorders, like Multiple sclerosis (MS), have ocular components and can be uncovered during a comprehensive eye examination.