Maintain Your Optimal Vision

When there’s something awry with your eyesight or ocular health, it has an impact on the rest of your life. And, not knowing there’s something wrong could be even worse. At Blink Eye Care Phoenix, we strive to find signs and symptoms of eye issues before they morph into a bigger problem.

Through our detailed eye exams for adults and children, we can find the warning signs and proceed appropriately with a customized treatment. Whatever your path forward, we want to boost your eye health and help you maintain your optimal vision.

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Signals of Eye Disease

Eye diseases emerge in many forms—occasionally, they show symptoms, but they can also develop without any noticeable change to your vision. That’s why comprehensive eye exams are truly your best defense to protect your eye health.

If symptoms do appear, please book an appointment to see us soon. Also, check the emergency eye care page to assess whether you need immediate eye care.

What Are Some Common Eye Diseases & Disorders?

We want to set you up for success and be mentally prepared for your eye appointment. So, you can get familiar with the different types of eye diseases, be aware of how they progress, and know what treatments or management methods are available.

Glaucoma

You’ve heard of glaucoma before, the “silent thief of eyesight.” It gets that nickname from its inconspicuous onset—it can develop without symptoms and lead to vision loss.

But what is glaucoma? The name refers to a group of eye disorders that affect the optic nerve. A few forms of this disease can emerge, including the most common form, open-angle glaucoma. A few theories exist as to why glaucoma develops, but the common factor is that people with glaucoma suffer from tissue loss, which eventually causes blindness.

Certain risk factors heighten the likelihood of developing glaucoma, like aging, family history, and existing medical conditions.

To test for glaucoma at Blink Eye Care Phoenix, we use the iCare tonometer, which uses a lightweight probe on the front of your eye that’s barely noticeable.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is another eye disease that can develop without showing symptoms. It’s a common condition that coincides with aging. As we age, our eye health slowly goes downhill, and AMD manifests as damage to the macula, the part of the eye that controls sharp straight-ahead vision.

There are 2 forms of AMD: dry and wet. Dry AMD is more common, and in its early stages, there are no signs of it. Even in its intermediate stage, symptoms are not likely to appear, although some people may notice mild symptoms, like slight blurriness or difficulty seeing in low lighting.

Your risk for AMD increases with aging, along with other risk factors, including a family history of AMD and smoking. However, there are a few preventive ways to lower your risk, like avoiding smoking, getting regular exercise, eating healthful foods (leafy greens and fish especially), and certain supplements. We carry a few beneficial supplements at Blink Eye Care Phoenix that we can recommend for your situation.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is an eye disorder that affects the cornea, the transparent layer on the front surface of the eye. It’s recognized by a thinning, then bulging cornea that becomes cone-like.

In its early stages, we can correct keratoconus with glasses or soft contact lenses, but as it progresses, you will likely have to be fitted with soft contact lenses or scleral lenses that cover the cornea and fit comfortably.

As the disease advances, your symptoms may appear as blurred or distorted vision, increased light sensitivity, sudden clouding of vision, and a frequent need to have an updated eyeglass prescription.

Cataracts

For most of us mortals, cataracts will likely appear later in life—so it might be helpful to be aware of what this condition is.

Cataracts appear as clouding in your eye’s lens as it becomes more rigid with age. They develop slowly without much change to your vision but will eventually cause blurry or foggy eyesight, light sensitivity, washed-out colors, and the feeling that there’s a film over your eye.

In the early stages, we can correct vision impacted by cataracts with an updated glasses or contact lens prescription. However, if it progresses to the point that it impairs your vision significantly, we may suggest cataract surgery, a safe and effective method for removing cataracts and restoring vision.

We’re Here for You

Come chat with us to learn more about your eye health and how we can diagnose and treat your conditions to keep you moving towards optimal vision for life.

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