Floaters are dark specks or dots in your field of vision. They are shadows you see from clumps of vitreous gel in your eye. Flashes are flashes of light that look like lightning streaks in your field of vision. Flashes occur when the vitreous gel rubs or pulls on your retina. Floaters and flashes are

Histoplasmosis is a disease you can get when you breathe infected airborne spores into your lungs. It enters the air when people disturb soil when plowing fields, sweeping chicken coops, or digging holes. Once it travels to the eye it can cause a serious eye disease called ocular histoplasmosis syndrome

Interferon medicines work by boosting your immune system. They fight things like viruses, bacteria and cancer, and can be used to treat other diseases as well. Interferon medicine can cause retinopathy. Retinopathy is a disease of the retina that can lead to vision loss. In most cases, retinopathy due

Juvenile macular dystrophy is a group of inherited eye disorders. It affects children and young adults. It passes from parent to child. The most common form of juvenile macular degeneration is Stargardt disease. Other types include Best’s disease and juvenile retinoschisis. Juvenile macular dystrophy

Lattice degeneration is a thinning of the retina in the back of the eye. About 1 in 10 people have lattice degeneration, and most don’t know they have it because there are no symptoms. Lattice degeneration is most often diagnosed during a dilated eye exam. Most people with lattice degeneration don’t

Lucentis is a drug that is injected into your eye to treat wet AMD and diabetic eye disease. This drug type is called “anti-VEGF.” That is because it blocks a chemical called VEGF. VEGF causes abnormal blood vessels to grow and leak fluid in the eye, affecting vision. Your ophthalmologist will numb

Macular edema is swelling in the back of the eye caused by a build-up of fluid. It can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated. Symptoms include blurry/distorted vision and seeing colors as dull or washed-out. See an ophthalmologist for an exam as soon as you have any of these symptoms. Macular

Macular hole is when a circular opening forms in your macula. As the hole forms, things in your central vision will look blurry, wavy or distorted. As the hole grows, a dark or blind spot appears in your central vision. A macular hole does not affect your peripheral (side) vision.

Macular PuckerMacular pucker happens when wrinkles or bulges form on your macula, affecting your central vision. In some cases, you won’t need treatment. Instead, your ophthalmologist may change your glasses or contact lens prescription to improve your vision. If your symptoms are more serious, you

Macular telangiectasia (MacTel) is a disease affecting the macula, causing loss of central vision. In the early stages, people with MacTel will have no symptoms. As the disease progresses, you may have blurring, distorted vision, and loss of central vision. Because MacTel has no early symptoms, it is

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non- invasive imaging test. OCT uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina. With OCT, your ophthalmologist can see each of the retina’s distinctive layers. This allows your ophthalmologist to map and measure their thickness. These measurements

Plaquenil is a drug used to control symptoms from certain immune system diseases. If you take Plaquenil, it is important to see an ophthalmologist before and while you take this drug. This is because Plaquenil can cause damage to your eye’s retina. Your ophthalmologist will check the health of your

A posterior vitreous detachment is when the jelly-like vitreous in the middle of the eye separates from the back of the eye. A PVD is a normal process of aging. By age 70, most people will have one. Most people having a PVD don’t notice any symptoms. Other people will see floaters and flashes of light.

Retinal angiography is when pictures are taken of the back of your eye. With these pictures, your ophthalmologist can closely see your retina and other parts of the eye. A colored dye is injected into your arm, where it travels to blood vessels in your retina. A special camera takes pictures of these

A retinal artery occlusion (RAO) happens when there is a blockage of blood flow to the retina in the back of the eye. Symptoms include sudden vision loss, distorted vision or blind spots in your vision. Certain health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure increase your risk for having an RAO. If

Retinal vein occlusion is when a vein in your retina is blocked. This causes blurry vision or vision loss. It is treated with medication injections or laser surgery. Taking care of health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure can help prevent this eye condition. If you have any questions about