Gainesville Eye Associates

Glaucoma
Glaucoma

is an eye disease where the pressure inside the eye becomes too high resulting in progressive damage to the main nerve of the eye (the optic nerve). This progressive damage initially causes a gradual loss of side vision that is not noticeable until it is very advanced. Untreated glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. Most forms of glaucoma produce no noticeable symptoms until major, irreversible nerve damage has already occurred. This is the real danger of the disease. Read more...

Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes is a condition in which the body's ability to process and store sugar has been impaired. Among the characteristics of the disease are gradual changes in blood vessels. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes caused by the deterioration of blood vessels nourishing the retina at the back of the eye. These blood vessels become damaged due to persistantly elevated blood sugar. The damaged blood vessels can leak blood and fluid resulting in swelling of the retina. This swelling can lead to permanant visual loss. Read more...

Macular Degeneration
The thin inner layer of eye is called the retina. It is like the "camera film" of the eye. The central portion of the retina that gives allows us to see detail vision such as reading and recognizing peoples faces is called the macula. The rest of the retina allows for "side vision" but is not able to distinguish fine detail. A person without good macular function is able to walk around without bumping into things as well as take care of their daily needs such as bathing, cooking, and eating. However, they are unable to read a newspaper, recognized details of a persons face or see highway signs while driving. Read more...