Retina Specialists in Warren, Edison & Piscataway, NJ
Our Edison, Warren, and Piscataway eye physicians and staff are specially trained to handle all conditions of the retina and vitreous, including:
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic Retinopathy is the name of the blood vessel changes that usually occur without symptoms. Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in the U.S. in patients under sixty. No matter what type of diabetes you have, you may develop diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, you may have retinopathy now or you may develop it in the future.
Factors that may lead to this eye condition include:
- High glucose (blood sugar) levels
- High blood pressure
- How long you’ve had diabetes
- Family health history
It is important to know that vision loss from Diabetic Retinopathy can almost always be prevented by early diagnosis and laser treatment.
Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is a process of wear and tear in the macula, the part of your eye responsible for sharp, central vision and color. Usually affecting both eyes, vision loss can be either gradual or abrupt but is never caused by overusing your eyes. Because side vision is unaffected, macular degeneration rarely leads to total blindness. A routine eye exam can diagnose this disease before symptoms are present.
Flashes & Floaters
At the first sign of flashes or new floaters, you should contact your ophthalmologist immediately. There may be an underlying condition. Perhaps you have seen flashes of light, stars, or streaks that aren’t really there. A few of these flashes are seen by everyone from time to time. Usually, you see them in one eye at a time. Flashes are most often caused by the vitreous (the gel filling the inside of your eye) pulling on the retina (a membrane that lines the inside of your eye). Flashes that are recurrent, frequent or new need to be evaluated. Floaters look like dark specks, clouds, threads, or spider webs moving through your vision. They are seen once in a while by most people. Floaters may be pieces of gel or other material floating inside your eye and are usually harmless unless they are new and then need to be evaluated.
Uveitis
Uveitis refers specifically to inflammation of the “uvea” or middle layer of the eye. However, it is commonly used as a general term to refer to any inflammation of the eye. To understand uveitis and its treatment, it is easier to think of uveitis as arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints of the body. The body’s immune system becomes confused and starts to attack or reject the cartilage in the joints of the body. The only way to prevent this damage is to suppress the immune system with corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs. Similarly, in uveitis, the body’s immune system attacks the eye. Unless the immune system is kept in check by the use of either steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs, loss of vision, retinal damage, cataracts, and glaucoma can occur.
Retinal Tears and Detachment
If the retina is torn or detached, the eye can’t send clear visual signals to the brain. Damage to the peripheral retina effects side vision. Damage to the macula effects central vision. If not treated, retinal problems can lead to permanent vision loss.
- Retinal Tears are rips or breaks in the sensory retina
- Retinal Holes are the result of tears that pull a small piece of the sensory retina off the RPE layer. A hole can also form in a weak area of the retina.
- Retinal Detachments occur when part of the sensory retina is lifted completely off the underlying RPE layer.
Contact The Eye Center providing retina services to the people of Edison, Warren, Piscataway, and the surrounding areas today to schedule an appointment.
