Below are a number of Common Eye Disorders.

Click on each heading to skip to the relevant piece of information. 

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve is damaged at the point where it leaves the eye. This nerve carries information from the light sensitive layer in your eye, the retina, to the brain where it is perceived as a picture.

Your eye needs a certain amount of pressure to keep the eyeball in shape so that it can work properly. In some people, the damage is caused by raised eye pressure. Others may have an eye pressure within normal limits but damage occurs because there is a weakness in the optic nerve.
In most cases both factors are involved but to a varying extent. Eye pressure is largely independent of blood pressure.

How common is glaucoma?

In the U.K some form of glaucoma affects about 2 in 100 people over the age of 40.

For a free booklet with more information please contact us or visit the International Glaucoma Association website.

A cataract is a clouding of part of your eye called the lens. Your vision becomes blurred because the cataract is like frosted glass interfering with your sight. It is not a layer of skin that grows over your eye, despite what you might have heard. If your doctor or optometrist has told you that you have a cataract, don’t be alarmed. Many people over 60 have some cataract and the vast majority can be treated successfully.

What treatment is available?

The most affective treatment for cataracts is a simple operation to remove the cloudy lens. Diets or drugs have not been shown to slow or stop the development of cataract.

A useful web resource can be found at www.cataract.org.uk. For a free booklet with more information please contact us.

Just behind the pupil is the lens which focuses the light on the retina at the back of the eye. The macula is a small area at the very centre of the retina.
The macula is very important and is responsible for what we see straight in front of us, allowing us to see fine detail for activities such as reading writing, as well as our ability to see colour.

What is macular degeneration?

Sometimes the delicate cells of the macula become damaged and stop working, and there are many different conditions which can cause this. If this occurs later in life, it is called age related macular degeneration.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of macular degeneration, usually referred to as wet and dry. This is not a description of what the eye feels like, but what the ophthalmologist (eye specialist) can see when looking at the macular. Only about ten percent of all people with macula degeneration have the wet type.

Macular degeneration is not painful, and almost never leads to blindness. It is the most common cause of poor sight in people over 60 but rarely leads to complete sight loss because only the central vision is affected. Macular degeneration never affects vision at the outer edges of the eye. This means that almost everyone with macular degeneration will have enough side (peripheral vision) to get around and keep their independence.

For a free booklet with more information please contact us or visit the Macular Disease Society website.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of hereditary eye disorders. These disorders affect the retina, which is the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye, in which the first stages of seeing take place. In RP, sight loss is gradual but progressive. It is unusual for people with RP to become totally blind as most retain some useful vision well into old age.

What is the retina?

The retina in your eye serves a similar purpose to a film inside a camera. Light is focused by a lens at the front of the camera onto a light – sensitive film at the back, to form a picture. In a similar way, light enterting your eye is focused onto a light sensitive film tissue which lines the inside of the eye at the back. This tissue is the retina.

What causes RP?

It is now known that there are many different inherited defects causing RP. In all RP related conditions however, the ability of the retina to respond to light is affected. The problem can be in many parts of the retina such as the rod or cone cells, or in the connections between the cells of the retina.

When does RP develop?

There is no hard and fast rule, but in most cases the early symptoms of RP between the ages of 10 to 30.

For a free booklet with more information please contact the practice.

Retinal detachment often develop in eyes with retinas weakened by a hole or tear. This allows fluid to seep underneath, weakening the attachment so that the retina becomes detached, rather like wallpaper peeling off a damp wall.
When detached, the retina cannot compose a clear picture from the incoming rays and vision becomes blurred and dim.

What is the retina?

The retina in your eye serves a similar purpose to a film inside a camera. Light is focused by a lens at the front of the camera onto a light – sensitive film at the back, to form a picture. In a similar way, light enterting your eye is focused onto a light sensitive film tissue which lines the inside of the eye at the back. This tissue is the retina.

Who is at risk?

Retinal detachment is more frequent in middle aged, short sighted people. However it is quite uncommon and only about one in ten thousand is affected. It is rare in young adults.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are:

1. Bright flashes of light
2. Showers of dark spots called floaters
3. A shadow spreading across the vision of one eye

These symptoms are rarely painful.
Many people experience flashes or floaters and these are not necessarily a cause for alarm.

If you experience these symptoms, please contact us immediately.

Can retinal detachment be prevented?

If your family has a history of retinal detachment , or your doctor finds a weakness in your retina, then preventive laser or freezing treatment may be needed. However, in most cases it is not possible to take preventive action.
Retinal detachment does not happen as a result of straining you eyes, bending or heavy lifting.

For a free booklet please contact us at the practice.

Estimates suggest that nearly one in twenty five in the UK is affected by diabetes mellitus, a condition which means that , due to lack of insulin, the body can not cope normally with sugar and other carbohydrates in the diet.
There are two different types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, which can also be referred to as Juvenile Onset diabetes. This type of diabetes commonly occurs before the age of 30 and is the result of the body producing little or no insulin. Type one is controlled by insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetes, which can also be referred to as Mature Onset diabetes. This type of diabetes commonly occurs after the age of 40. In this type of diabetes the body does produce some insulin, although the amount is either not sufficient or the body is not able to make proper use of it. This type of diabetes is generally controlled by diet or tablets, although some people in this group will use insulin injections.

How can diabetes affect the eye?

Diabetes can affect the eye in a number of ways. The most serious eye condition associated with diabetes involves the retina, and, more specifically , the network of blood vessels lying within it. The name of this condition is diabetic retinopathy and uncontrolled diabetes can be sight threatening.

For a free booklet with more information please contact us or visit the British Diabetic Association website.