Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Maple Ridge

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to irrecoverable vision loss. Many, but not all, forms of glaucoma increase your intraocular pressure (IOP).

Common forms of glaucoma include:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma: This condition occurs when inner eye pressure rises due to fluid not draining from the eye properly, placing pressure on the optic nerve
• Angle-closure glaucoma: This condition occurs when the drainage canals in your eye suddenly close, blocking aqueous fluid & rapidly building up pressure—this form of glaucoma is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention

Normal-tension glaucoma: This condition damages the optic nerve without raising eye pressure—doctors are unsure of the cause of this condition

A cataract is the clouding of your lens, typically caused by age. The clear and flexible lens hardens and becomes cloudy. Cataracts can make it difficult to see, read, drive, or recognize faces as it progresses.

You may not notice cataracts at first, but this condition can make it feel as if you’re looking through a frosted window in later stages. When cataracts affect your vision, you typically require cataract surgery to enjoy clear vision once more.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that causes the progressive decay of the macula. As the macula thins, your central (straightforward) vision is affected while your peripheral (outer) vision remains unchanged. There are 2 forms of this disease: wet and dry AMD.

Wet AMD: This condition occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow into the macula, eventually leaking blood & fluid—wet AMD has the potential to progress rapidly & requires immediate attention.

Dry AMD: This condition is more common, occurring when the tissue in the macula thins & loses the cells needed for vision.