Myopia

 Blurry vision in the distance and clear vision up close.  Detected with a routine eye examination and treated with spectacles and or contact lenses. LASIK is most commonly used to treat near sightedness.

Hyperopia

Clear or blurry vision in the distance and up close depending on one's age and amount of far sightedness.  With far sightedness, one's eyes have to focus all of the time, working harder to bring distant and close objects into clarity.  Detected via a routine eye examination and treated with spectacles and or contact lenses.  Lasik can be performed to treat some amounts of farsightedness.

Presbyopia

An age-related change in vision in which the loss of the ability to accommodate (focus) leads to blurry vision up close when reading small print in dimly lit environments.  detected via a routine eye examination and treated with spectacles, contact lenses, or a combination or both.  Certain refractive surgeries are available to treat presbyopia.

Astigmatism

Refractive status in which the cornea (the front surface of the eye) is oval like a football instead of spherical like a basketball.  Most astigmatic corneas have two curves - a steeper and a flatter curve.  This causes light to focus on more than one point in the eye resulting in blurred vision at distance and near.

Amblyopic

Often referred to as "lazy eye", is a result of one eye not developing vision as well as the other eye secondary to one eye having a much higher prescription/refractive status compared to the fellow eye, an eye turn or a combination of both.  Detected via a routine eye exam and treated with spectacles or contact lenses in combination with vision therapy (including patching the better seeing eye, eye drops and eye activities) to stimulate the amblyopic eye.  Best if detected  before the age of 7 years old (the earlier the  better)

Strabismus

Often referred to as an eye turn or crossed eyes.  It occurs when one eye is not well aligned with the other eye.  This can lead to severe amblyopia and is detected via a routine eye examination.  This condition is treated with spectacles and or contact lenses in combination with vision therapy, and, if needed eye muscle surgery.  Best visual results occur the earlier it is detected. 

Glaucoma

Deterioration of the optic nerve causing a painless loss of side vision leading to blindness if left untreated.  Detected via a routine eye examination including dilation and pressure check.  Monitored with follow up eye examinations every one to six months to check eye pressure, corneal thickness, goinoscopy, dilation, and visual fields.  Treated with either eye drops or a laser procedure to lower the eye pressure, and if still progressive, surgery. 

Macular Degeneration

Deterioration of the macula, the portion of the retina used for one's central detailed vision.  Risk factors include smoking, age 56 years or older, a family history of the disease.  Detected via a routine eye examination including dilation.  Treatment includes stop smoking, a healthy diet of leafy green vegetables, and multivitamins containing specific ocular vitamins.  If the disease converts from the dry to the wet form, traditionally a laser was applied to the retina, but a new and successful treatment consisting of ocular injections have shown to not only halt the loss of vision but actually improve vision in many patients. 

Keratoconus

A progressive thinning and stiffening of the cornea leading to blurry, distorted vision, first treated with glasses and or soft contact lenses, then with hard contact lenses and finally with corneal transplantation if progression continues.  Detected with a routine eye examination.

Cataract

A progressive opacification of the crystalline lens inside one's eye causing gradual and progressive blurry vision and light glare.  Detected via a routine eye examination including dilation.  Treated with surgery that entails exchanging the cataract for a clear lens implant (the most common ocular surgery in the United States).

Dry Eye

Disease afflicting the anterior surface of the eye secondary to poor tear production, fast tear evaporation, certain systemic medicines, climate (such as windy, dry western Nebraska), etc. Detected with a routine eye examination with tear film assessment.  Treated with artificial tears, punctual plug insertion, warm compresses and humidifiers.

Ocular Allergies

Histamine release causing itching, redness, watering, puffiness, and mucus discharge.  Detected with a routine eye examination.  Treated with cold compresses, artificial tears, and anti-allergy eye drops.  If an allergic reaction results from exposure to a chemical or eye drop then removal of the offending agent and steroid eye drops are administered. 

Computer Vision Syndrome

Blurry vision at the computer and or in the distance, tired and sore eyes and headaches caused by extended computer use.  Treated by taking occasional breaks from staring a the computer by looking across the room or out a window, setting  your computer below eye level, artificial tears, and spectacle or contact lens prescription. 

Diabetic and Hypertensive Eye Disease

Systemic vascular conditions have the propensity to cause disease of the eyes, being the eyes are extensions of the rest of the body.  Diabetes and hypertension can cause bleeding, swelling, and blood vessel occlusions leading to partial or complete loss of vision.  Detected via a routine eye examination including dilation.Treated via controlling one's systemic health and receiving  regular dilated eye examinations to catch early vascular changes.  Ocular surgery may be necessary in severe cases.