See the difference BETTER VISION makes

We never outgrow our need for good vision.

Poor vision can result in unnecessary and unacceptable changes in the lives of otherwise vital, active people. Let’s focus on how the eye sees, eye conditions that can threaten vision, and treatments that can restore more youthful vision.

Maintaining good vision can improve overall health and safety, and make it possible to take advantage of new opportunities and reopen doors that seemed closed.

Dr. Hollingshead can help you protect the lifestyle you love.

The Normal Eye

The eye’s surface is convex, and light rays that hit it bend toward its center. In an eye that has a normally curved cornea and the correct shape, an image focuses exactly on the retina.

Nearsightedness (“Myopia”)

When the eyeball is too long, light rays focus in front of, rather than on, the retina. Under these circumstances, near objects are perceived clearly but distant objects are not.

How Dr. Hollingshead treats nearsightedness.

Farsightedness (“Hyperopia”)

When the eyeball is too short, light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina. Distant objects are seen clearly but near objects are not.

How Dr. Hollingshead treats farsightedness.

Astigmatism

Vision is distorted when the surface of the cornea lens has an uneven curvature; sometimes, it is the eye’s lens that is irregularly shaped. This type of irregularity causes light to focus on more than one spot in the back of the eye, resulting in blurred vision.

Dr. Hollingshead often uses LASIK or the AcrySof Toric lens to treat astigmatism.

Presbyopia

The lens of a youthful eye is flexible and can respond to the eye’s muscles to change shape (“accommodate”), becoming thicker to see near objects clearly.

Over time, the eye’s lens gradually loses its elasticity and its ability to change shape to see close objects. Bifocals or reading glasses are the traditional prescription for remedying this presbyopic loss of accommodation, but recent technology makes it possible to replace the inflexible lens for a lifestyle lens for clear vision at all distances.

How Dr. Hollingshead treats presbyopia.

Glaucoma

More than three million Americans have glaucoma, but only half are actually aware that the “silent thief” is slowly and without warning stealing away their vision, sometimes without symptoms.

The eye has about one million tiny nerve fibers that carry visual information from the back of the eye to the brain. Glaucoma destroys these nerve fibers. It was once thought that the destruction of these fibers was due to high pressure within the eye, but we now know that even patients with normal eye pressure can have glaucoma and experience loss of this important nerve function.

Glaucoma Q & A

What are the symptoms of glaucoma?

Glaucoma often goes unnoticed in its early stages because it usually does not cause pain or immediate changes in vision. If you have glaucoma, you probably won't notice any warning signs or symptoms until your vision has suffered irreversible damage.

Is there more than one type of glaucoma?

Yes. The two most frequently occurring types are primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. With primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form, the eye's drainage canals are open, but they have become less efficient in draining fluid. Fluid build-up causes pressure within the eye to increase and eventually damage the optic nerve. In some patients, the optic nerve is at risk of damage because it has become sensitive to even normal pressure. Primary open angle glaucoma generally does not cause symptoms and leads to gradual vision loss.

In angle-closure glaucoma, the iris (the part of the eye that creates eye color) blocks the entrance to the drainage canal, sometimes causing the pressure within the eye to build up suddenly. Symptoms of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack include severe eye pain, blurred vision, headache, nausea, and vomiting. This is a true emergency that can lead to blindness if not treated promptly. Commonly, however, the iris blocks the entrance to the drainage canal more slowly and causes chronic angle-closure glaucoma. A thorough eye exam can detect narrow angles that are at risk of closure. Laser treatment to the iris can usually prevent angle-closure glaucoma.

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

Because early detection is so important to limiting the vision loss associated with glaucoma, regular eye examinations are recommended. Elevated pressure within the eye and other indicators of glaucoma, such as optic nerve damage, can be detected only by a thorough examination. Hollingshead Eye Center employs advanced state-of-the-art computerized evaluation techniques to detect early signs of optic nerve damage and peripheral vision loss associated with glaucoma.

Am I at risk for glaucoma?

Glaucoma typically affects people over the age of 40, but it can occur at any age. Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, but some groups are at higher risk than others. People age 65 or older, family members of those already diagnosed with glaucoma, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, diabetics, and those who are nearsighted or who have suffered severe injury to the eye are all at elevated risk. High blood pressure is another risk factor. If you fit into any of these categories, a thorough eye examination to evaluate for glaucoma is recommended.

Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration affects the area of the retina called the macula. This small area is responsible for producing sharp, central vision required for "straight ahead" activities such as driving, reading, recognizing faces and performing close-up work. While scientists are uncertain of its cause, AMD can advance so slowly that people hardly notice it ("dry" AMD) or it can rapidly progress to the point of vision loss in oneor both eyes ("wet" AMD).

Macular Degeneration Q & A

What is "dry" AMD?

Dry AMD causes the slow deterioration of the macula's light-sensitive cells, generallyoccurring in one eye at a time. The presence of drusen or tiny yellow deposits in theretina is one of the earliest signs of AMD. Drusen can block necessary nutrition that isneeded in the eye. Over time, the retinal tissue can waste away around these areas and spotty vision occurs. Sometimes several of these areas merge, giving the macula a moth-eaten appearance that leads to a progressive loss of vision. Although the presence of drusen alone is not indicative of the disease, it may indicate the eye is at risk for developing more severe AMD.

What is "wet" AMD?

Just below the surface of the retina are layers of photoreceptors that are highly active and very sensitive. These photoreceptors require a lot of energy and a constant and rich supply of nutrients. Anything that interferes with the flow of these nutrients can cause the macula to malfunction and perhaps become diseased. In "wet" AMD, new blood vessels from behind the retina leak onto the macula and quickly destroy it. In the beginning stages, straight lines appear wavy and fine details fade. It becomes hard to focus on just one word and faces start to blur. People gradually lose the ability to read or drive and often progress to legal blindness within two years. The "wet" form of AMD occurs in only 10% of all cases, but it is responsible for 90% of decreased vision resulting from AMD.

What can I do?

If you have a family history of AMD, are over 59, or have been diagnosed with AMD, you should schedule an examination as soon as possible.

What is an “Amsler grid”?

Below is a simple screening test you can use at home. It is called an Amsler Grid. Patients can use it to detect early signs of macular degeneration or for monitoring any further deterioration. Holding the grid at arms length, stare at the center dot. Are any of the lines crooked, bent, wavy or missing? If they are, please seek the immediate attention of an eye care professional at Hollingshead Eye Center. This test does not replace a professional exam.

amsler-grid abnormal-amsler-grid

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness in adults. Diabetes is a disease that affects the blood vessels throughout the body, particularly vessels in the kidney and eye. When blood vessels in the eye are affected, this is called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among adults in the United States. If you are diabetic, your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy increases over time.

Diabetic Retinopathy Q & A

How common is diabetic retinopathy?

Approximately 80 percent of people who have diabetes for 15 years or longer have some damage to their retinal vessels.

How does diabetic retinopathy affect vision?

When the blood vessels located within the retina are damaged due to diabetes, they may leak fluid or blood or form scar tissue, reducing the ability of the retina to detect and transmit images.

Is there more than one type of diabetic retinopathy?

There are two main types of diabetic ocular problems: background diabetic retinopathy (BDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). BDR involves retinal hemorrhages and swelling for which laser treatment may be indicated. PDR is more severe, with scar tissue formation necessitating the need for laser treatment and/or surgery.

What can I do?

If you are a diabetic, you can reduce your chance of developing diabetic retinopathy by keeping your blood sugar levels under control. Diabetics should have their eyes examined at least once a year.

Carol's Story

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