A cataract is when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy due to the proteins in the lens breaking down. This causes your vision to appear blurry or hazy. 

Your eye doctor may be able to treat a developing cataract with a pair of updated prescription eyeglasses with an anti-glare coating. Your eye doctor may also recommend wearing sunglasses when outdoors. 

Cataract surgery is also an option for those with increasingly impaired vision due to cataracts. This impaired vision even occurs when wearing prescription eyewear, affecting the patient’s quality of life.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of diabetic eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy usually only affects those who have had diabetes for a long period of time. It occurs when high blood sugar levels cause changes that damage blood vessels in the retina.

These changes can cause the vessels to leak in the back of the eye, this may cause swelling/edema to the macula.

Untreated diabetic retinopathy can gradually become more serious as it progresses. It can lead to vision loss or blindness, making it very important for early detection.

Dry eye is an eye condition that occurs when you don’t have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults. 

There are many ways to manage and treat dry eyes. Your EyeCare Associates eye doctor will work to determine the best solution for you and your eyes, which may include:

• Using over-the-counter artificial tear solutions 

• Conserving tears

• Increasing tear production

• Treating the inflammation of the eyelids or eye surface that contributes to the dry eyes

The Alabama eye doctors at each EyeCare Associates eye clinic are equipped to diagnose and treat you during ocular emergency situations, such as: like 

• Detached and torn retina 

• Eye allergies and infections

• Black eye

• Miscellaneous objects lodged in the eye

Floaters and flashes, or spots, are the small shadowy images that appear in the field of vision caused by particles floating in the fluid that fills the inside of the eye.

Our doctors can determine if what you are seeing is harmless or if the floaters and flashes are the symptoms of a more serious problem that requires treatment.

Glaucoma is a group of disorders leading to progressive damage to the optic nerve. It is characterized by loss of nerve tissue and can result in vision loss if left untreated. 

Thanks to recent advances and medical studies, our team of Alabama optometrists can diagnose glaucoma earlier and more accurately. 

Glaucoma is a lifelong disease that will require continuous care. We can control or slow the progression but cannot cure glaucoma.

Macular degeneration is an eye disease affecting the macula, which is the center of the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. This condition can cause loss of central vision. 

This disease does not affect the part of the eye responsible for side vision, meaning some patients are never completely blind. Most people with macular degeneration will see normally throughout their lifetime. 

However, some may develop blurriness or distortion. In extreme cases, central vision may even be lost.

Currently, there is no cure for macular degeneration. It has been proven that early detection and treatment have been shown to slow or halt the disease. 

The Alabama eye doctors at EyeCare Associates are committed to keeping up with the latest technology and treatment options to provide you the best possible care. Our team of eye care professionals will treat the eye condition and can help prevent vision loss.