Eye Diseases Treated at Northview Eye Associates in Hayward, Spooner, and Rice Lake

There are many different diseases that can affect our eyes and cause permanent damage to vision if they are undiagnosed and untreated. The doctors at Northview Eye Associates in Spooner, Rice Lake, and Hayward are trained in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of eye diseases and recommend yearly eye exams to monitor your eye health.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes is a condition that affects the blood vessels of the body. The eye is the only tissue in the body that blood vessels can be evaluated without obstruction. This makes eye exams critical in the management of diabetes and is why your primary care provider recommends dilated eye exams every year.

During a dilated eye exam, the retina is evaluated for leaking blood vessels, or areas of the retina that are not receiving enough blood flow. If this is found by your eye doctor, it is a sign of chronically high blood glucose that needs closer monitoring and management. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision damage and blindness.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is damage that occurs at the optic nerve. Most commonly, this damage occurs from chronically high eye pressure, or a lack of blood flow and nutrients to the tissue. There are other causes of glaucoma that can only be discovered with annual eye exams. Glaucoma is typically a very slow process. The vision changes are so slow that patients do not know they are losing the sensitivity of their vision.

In this way, glaucoma is an insidious disease and the earlier a diagnosis can be made and treatment started, the better the visual outcome. Treatment revolves around reducing the intraocular pressure. Typically the first line treatment involves medication in the form of eye drops that are used daily. There are also various surgical procedures that can be performed to reduce the intraocular pressure. Some of these can be done in conjunction with cataract extraction. If glaucoma is diagnosed early and treated correctly, the visual prognosis is good.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a form of nerve damage which affects the area of the retina that is responsible for our central vision. This disease is typically associated with aging and is sometimes called age-related macular degeneration. There are two forms of macular degeneration: exudative (wet macular degeneration) and non-exudative (dry macular degeneration). These are treated differently.

Exudative macular degeneration is typically treated with injections that help to reduce the fluid that is leaking in the retina. Non-exudative macular degeneration treatment utilizes supplements formulated based on the AREDS2 studies. Macular degeneration is another disease where early diagnosis and treatment is essential to preserving as much vision as possible.

Eye Infection

Commonly referred to as “pink eye” or more formally conjunctivitis, infections of the front surface of the eye can affect all ages. Similar to other infections of the body, eye infections can be bacterial, viral, or caused by other external agents. Relying on your eye doctor to determine the cause of an eye infection leads to more appropriate treatment and faster recovery.

Eye infections can be contagious early on in the stages of the condition. Being mindful of frequent hand washing and staying away from others can ensure that the spread of eye infections is less likely.