Common Eye Diseases

What are common eye diseases?

Hundreds of eye diseases exist, and many are treatable, particularly when detected early. These diseases affect part of your eye or structures surrounding the eyes — including your eyelids, eye sockets, or muscles. 

Eye diseases often affect your vision over time when left untreated. Dr. Shaikh at Fairfax Cataract and Retina uses cutting-edge technologies and procedures to reduce the risk of diseases, detect them early, and restore eye health and vision.

What are examples of common eye diseases?

Some of the common eye diseases treated at Fairfax Cataract and Retina include:

Cataracts

Cataracts are cloudy lenses in your eye that appear when part of the lens breaks down, often due to aging.

Dry Eye 

Dry eye is a common eye disease that affects millions of americans every year. The causes can be multofactorial and can be quite debilitating. Dr. Shaikh uses a step-wise approach to treat dry eyes. 

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a common eye disease characterized by optic nerve damage due to fluid buildup and pressure that affects vision when left untreated. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease affecting blood vessels in the retina, which is tissue in the back part of your eye. Retinopathy can develop in people with mismanaged diabetes. 

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is an eye disease that causes a loss of central vision. Wet or dry forms of macular degeneration damage part of the retina called the macula.

Refractive errors

Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, reduce the ability to see objects clearly. 

Eye cancers and tumors

Eye cancers can also affect your vision when left untreated. Dr. Shaikh removes cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the eyelid and can refer you to a specialist when needed. 

Eye injuries

Eye injuries affect the health of your eye and often your vision if not treated in a timely fashion. Foreign bodies need to be removed right away to prevent eye inflammation and damage.

What are the symptoms of common eye diseases?

Eye diseases can cause the following symptoms:

• Vision changes
• Eye pain or irritation
• Eye fatigue
• Clouded or blurred vision
• Watery eyes
• Double vision
• Tunnel vision
• Red eyes

See Dr. Shaikh anytime you notice new or unusual symptoms, especially vision changes, to detect or rule out common eye diseases. 

What are the risk factors for eye diseases?

Your risk of developing an eye disease increases because of:

• Family history of eye diseases
• Damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation
• Eye injuries
• Past eye surgery
• Infectious diseases
• Toxins
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid diseases
• Aging

However, the exact cause of eye diseases isn’t always clear. 

How are eye diseases diagnosed?

Diagnosing eye diseases at Fairfax Cataract and Retina involves a discussion about your medical and eye health histories, a dilated eye exam, vision screening, and diagnostic tests — such as eye imaging procedures. You might also need blood testing or neurological tests.

How are common eye diseases treated?

Treating common eye disease might involve taking medications or dietary supplements, protecting your eyes from injury, using eye drops, or undergoing eye surgery. 

It’s also helpful to avoid smoking, maintain an ideal weight, properly manage chronic diseases, exercise regularly, and eat nutritious foods. 

Dr. Shaikh tailors treatment plans that offer exceptional outcomes. 

Schedule an eye exam at Fairfax Cataract and Retina to screen for common eye diseases by calling the office or using the online booking feature today.