Other eye conditions
Alongside cataract, glaucoma and injections, these are the conditions seen most often in the rooms.
Diabetic eye disease
Diabetes damages the small blood vessels in the retina. In the early stages there is nothing to feel and nothing to notice, which is exactly why everybody with diabetes should have their eyes examined regularly, whether or not their sight has changed. Found early, it is treatable. Found late, some of the damage is permanent.
Age-related macular degeneration
The macula is the small central part of the retina that you read and recognise faces with. When it degenerates, straight lines start to look bent and a smudge appears in the middle of your vision while the edges stay clear. The "wet" form can be treated with injections, and treating it early matters a great deal. If straight lines have started to look wavy, do not wait.
Dry eye
Common, uncomfortable, and often dismissed. Dry eye makes reading and screen work tiring, and it makes the eyes gritty, red and sometimes watery — many people are surprised that watering is a sign of dryness. It has several different causes and treatment depends on which one you have.
Eye allergy
Itching is the giveaway. Along with the sneezing and the runny nose, allergy makes the eyes itch, water, redden and swell. Persistent rubbing can do real damage to the surface of the eye, particularly in children, so it is worth treating properly rather than putting up with it.
Children's eyes
Children do not report poor sight, because they have nothing to compare it with. A squint, an eye that drifts, sitting very close to the television, or a family history of childhood eye problems are all reasons to have a child checked. Some conditions can only be treated while the eye is still developing.
Eye injuries
Anything that penetrates or strikes the eye needs to be seen the same day, not the following week. If something has gone into your eye, do not rub it and do not try to remove it yourself. Phone the rooms during working hours.
Do not wait for an appointment if
- you lose vision suddenly, in one eye or both,
- you have a sudden shower of floaters, flashing lights, or a shadow or curtain coming across your vision,
- you have a painful red eye, or
- you have injured the eye or something has gone into it.
Phone 012 252 8018 during working hours. Outside working hours, go to the emergency department at Mediclinic Brits.
Speak to the rooms
Phone 012 252 8018 or 012 252 8123, WhatsApp 068 630 1580, or email info@eye-care.co.za.