Retinal Disorders—Eye Diseases

Some eye problems are minor and don’t last long. But some can lead to a permanent loss of vision.

Common eye problems include

• Refractive errors
• Cataracts – clouded lenses
• Optic nerve disorders, including glaucoma
• Retinal disorders – problems with the nerve layer at the back of the eye
• Macular degeneration – a disease that destroys sharp, central vision
• Diabetic eye problems
• Conjunctivitis – an infection also known as pinkeye

Your best defense is to have regular checkups, because eye diseases do not always have symptoms. Early detection and treatment could prevent vision loss. See an eye care professional right away if you have a sudden change in vision, if everything looks dim, or if you see flashes of light. Other symptoms that need quick attention are pain, double vision, fluid coming from the eye, and inflammation.

NIH: National Eye Institute

• Anisocoria (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Choroidal dystrophies (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Coloboma of the iris (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Episcleritis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Eye and orbit ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Eye burning – itching and discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Eye pain (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Eye redness (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Fluorescein angiography (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Fluorescein eye stain (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Heterochromia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Ophthalmoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Orbit CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Orbital pseudotumor (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Photophobia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pinguecula (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pterygium (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pupil – white spots (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Scleritis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Slit-lamp exam (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Standard ophthalmic exam (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Uveitis (Medical Encyclopedia)

The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of your eye that senses light and sends images to your brain. In the center of this nerve tissue is the macula. It provides the sharp, central vision needed for reading, driving and seeing fine detail.

Retinal disorders affect this vital tissue. They can affect your vision, and some can be serious enough to cause blindness. Examples are

• Macular degeneration – a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision
• Diabetic eye disease
• Retinal detachment – a medical emergency, when the retina is pulled away from the back of the eye
• Retinoblastoma – cancer of the retina. It is most common in young children.
• Macular pucker – scar tissue on the macula
• Macular hole – a small break in the macula that usually happens to people over 60
• Floaters – cobwebs or specks in your field of vision

NIH: National Eye Institute

• Amaurosis fugax (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Central serous choroidopathy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Electroretinography (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Fluorescein angiography (Medical Encyclopedia)
• High blood pressure and eye disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Home vision tests (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Intravitreal injection (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Retinal artery occlusion (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Retinal vein occlusion (Medical Encyclopedia)