Monthly Archives: March 2024

When the ophthalmologist looks into your eye, there’s quite a lot they can tell about your overall health. The retina, or back of the eye, is the only place in your body that can give your eye doctor a close-up view of blood vessels and nerves without having to open you up. A routine eye exam can be the key to finding early stages of medical issues.

The following conditions may be detected by an ophthalmologist just by looking at the back of the eye:

High blood pressure

Doctors are able to see damage to blood vessels, including weakened and narrowed arteries. Narrowing of blood vessels could signal heart disease.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

RA is an inflammatory disease that affects joints in the hands and feet. Inflammation can happen in the eyes, too. If a patient has painful inflammation in the iris, the colored part of the eyeball, over a year’s time, it could be the sign of RA. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can also have very dry eyes.

Diabetes

If the doctor sees a small amount of bleeding in the retina, it could be a sign of diabetic retinopathy. This is one of the first signs of type 2 diabetes. Catching this condition early is key to being able to make lifestyle changes that will help prevent further damage. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness.

Multiple Sclerosis

Inflammation of the optic nerve, called optic neuritis, could signify this autoimmune condition of the central nervous system. Optic neuritis occurs in 75 percent of patients with MS and is the first symptom of the disease in up to 25 percent of cases. Patients usually complain of blurriness. Optic neuritis could also be the result of an infection, too.

Cancer

Bleeding in the retina can signal leukemia. A change in the field of vision can signal brain tumors, and malignant melanoma can happen in the back of the eye.

A trip to the ophthalmologist’s office can save someone’s life. Are you scheduled for your annual eye exam? Give our experts a call today!

Today, we’re shedding some light on a problem that we sometimes see at our practice: the eyelid stye.

What does a stye look and feel like, and how do you know if you have one? The stye is a swollen, uncomfortable lump on either the upper or lower lid. It might even look like a small boil, or pimple. A stye can be large or small, and may sometimes ooze or crust over. Styes are often caused by a bacterial infection of an eyelash follicle, or the glands of the eyelids. They are incredibly common, and may go away without treatment in about a week. But, you’ll still want to know how to treat them, and when to see an eye doctor!

If you think you may have a stye, we recommend keeping your hands clean and trying to touch it as little as possible. Definitely don’t try to pop the style, or put pressure on it. Instead, gently try using warm compresses – a clean, wet washcloth works well, as does standing in the shower – to ease discomfort, clear the area, and improve circulation to encourage healing.

Call us if the stye doesn’t seem to be healing, or is very painful, or if your vision is impacted in any way. We can make sure there aren’t any other complicating problems, and may provide you with an antibiotic cream or drops to help clear the infection that causes styes (if that looks to be the issue).

We also recommend that you prevent styes by getting enough sleep, avoiding use of old cosmetics, making sure to clean your contacts well, and practicing good hand washing to keep from rubbing germs into your eyes when you touch your face.

Have questions about your vision, how to prevent eye damage, or need to talk through an issue? Please reach out to us at Utah Eye Centers! We can help you to examine your options. We look forward to meeting with you!