Common Eye Conditions

Common eye conditions may result from several causes, including refractive error, eye movement disorders, infection or disease.

Common eye conditions include refractive eye conditions, eye movement disorders, eye disorders that result from an infection and eye diseases.

Refractive eye conditions

Millions of Americans have reduced visual acuity due to inaccurate focusing of the light entering their eyes (i.e., refractive error). Most commonly this is the result of one of the following:

• Nearsightedness (myopia): In this eye disorder, you only see close objects clearly.
• Farsightedness (hyperopia): In this eye disorder, you only see distant objects clearly.
• Astigmatism: This eye disorder occurs when the front surface of the eye (cornea) is slightly irregular in shape, resulting in blurred vision at all distances.
• Presbyopia: This age-related eye disorder occurs when the eye’s lens gradually loses its ability to bring close objects into clear focus. It usually becomes noticeable when you reach your early to mid-forties.

Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, and in some cases, vision therapy. LASIK, PRK and specialized intraocular lens implants also may correct these eye conditions.

• Cataracts: If the clear lens in the eye becomes cloudy, distorting or blurring your vision, it is called a cataract. When a patient’s vision decreases to a level that impairs his/her activities, the cataract may be removed through laser cataract surgery or traditional cataract surgery, where the cloudy natural lens is replaced with a clear lens implant.

Eye movement disorders

Henry Ford treats eye movement disorders in patients of all ages, including:

• Amblyopia (lazy eye): This eye condition occurs when vision does not develop normally in an otherwise healthy eye. Amblyopia often is associated with strabismus or with a large difference in the refractive error between the two eyes. To treat amblyopia, the young brain must learn how to use the weak eye, usually through eye patching therapy.
• Strabismus: Strabismus is an eye condition that occurs when the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. The eyes can be misaligned in any direction, and the direction determines the specific type of strabismus. In esotropia, the eyes turn in or cross. In exotropia, the eyes drift apart or out. In hypertropia, one eye drifts up. In hypotropia, one eye drifts down. Treatment may involve the use of eyeglasses, prisms, eye patching or surgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease of progressive thinning of the optic nerve. The damage to the optic nerve can cause severe vision loss and even blindness if left untreated, but it can be controlled by lowering eye pressure. Glaucoma usually is treated with prescription eye drops. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery may be required. The goal of the treatment is to prevent loss of vision by lowering the pressure in the eye.

Dr. Tina Turner discusses how eye exams can help with early glaucoma detection

At Henry Ford, patients come first.

The Henry Ford Department of Ophthalmology is committed to providing our patients with compassionate, personalized care. We feature the most advanced treatments in eye care and are dedicated to vision research – always staying at the forefront of innovation. A leader in Michigan, as well as one of the largest ophthalmology practices in the United States, we treat more than 55,000 patients per year at 12 locations throughout southeast Michigan. In addition, our team works closely with Henry Ford Medical Group physicians in other departments, providing multidisciplinary, coordinated care for those patients who need it.