Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Plainville

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that affect your optic nerve. Your optic nerve is responsible for transporting the information your retina collects to your brain, providing you with sight. Glaucoma can slowly damage the optic nerve, leading to permanent vision loss.

Most types of glaucoma occur when your intraocular pressure (IOP) rises over time. However, other types of glaucoma can develop even when your IOP levels are within normal limits. We can detect glaucoma during an eye exam by observing your optic nerve or measuring your IOP levels.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common version of the disease.

You can develop open-angle glaucoma when blockages form in your eye’s natural drainage system, which can raise your IOP levels over time. As your IOP rises, it can place pressure on your optic nerve, leading to possible vision loss.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when the drainage angle in your eye closes, causing your IOP levels to rise rapidly.

You may experience several sudden symptoms, like eye pain, redness, nausea, blurry vision, and sudden vision loss. Angle-closure glaucoma requires emergency care, so please call our team immediately if you notice these symptoms.

Normal-Tension Glaucoma

Normal-tension glaucoma can develop even when your IOP levels are within normal limits.

The cause of this disease is unknown, but observing your optic nerve during an eye exam can help our team detect it.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease many people develop as they age. In fact, AMD is considered a leading cause of vision loss in adults over 50.

AMD affects a part of your eye called the macula, which provides the central vision you need to drive, read, and see fine details.

There are 2 different types of AMD, which can lead to possible vision loss. Observing your macula during an eye exam can help our team detect this disease.

Dry AMD

Dry AMD occurs when your macula thins as you age.

Doctors aren’t sure how this may develop, but some research has shown that a lipid called drusen can form under your macula as you age. Over time, the drusen can deteriorate your macula and lead to vision problems.

Wet AMD

Wet AMD develops when blood vessels under that macula break and leak fluid. The fluid can swell the macula, leading to sudden symptoms like poor night vision, reduced color vibrancy, and blurry central vision.

Wet AMD is an emergency issue that requires immediate attention.

Diabetes increases the risk of several health problems, including a variety of eye diseases, like diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Diabetes can also increase the risk of open-angle glaucoma and cataracts.

Please visit our Diabetic Eye Exams page to learn more about how diabetes can affect your eyes.

Dry eye is an irritating, uncomfortable eye condition that could lead to further issues like corneal scarring and eye infections.

As Connecticut’s leading Dry Eye Center, we offer several techniques to relieve dry eyes and get you back to enjoying your sight.

Please visit our Dry Eye Center page for more information.

Cataracts are a common eye condition that can develop with age. Most people develop some degree of cataracts throughout their lives, but it could cause blindness if it’s not treated.

As you grow older, proteins in your crystalline lens can break down and clump together, making the lens more rigid. Your lens can also develop a hazy, milky, cloudy appearance that can distort or obstruct your vision over time.

Glasses and contact lenses can help correct early cataract-related vision problems. If your symptoms progress far enough, we may recommend cataract surgery, which replaces your crystalline lens with an artificial intraocular lens.