They don't even know when they should have a check-up. This can often prove to be very dangerous especially as time goes on because if you have an issue with your eyes and you don't get it treated, you could permanently damage your vision. So if you have queries about the condition of your eyes then take the time to read the article below courtesy of eyesite.org: Macular degeneration is a painless condition which leads to a gradual loss of vision in the macula (the centre of the visual field) due to damage to the retina. When it develops it can cause impaired visions, specifically when reading or when trying to recognise faces. It takes two forms, dry (nonexudative) and wet (exudative). The former is caused when the cells in the macula degenerate and accumulate behind the retina. Alternatively, wet macular degeneration is classed as the more serious of the two and is caused by an usual growth of the blood vessels in the choriocapillaris. As the side-effects of the disease can normally be slowed by taking vitamins or mineral supplements eye surgery is not always the most appropriate treatment method. Younger people and children can be affected by cataracts - it is not just a condition that affects the elderly. They are better known as congenital cataracts and they develop just before or just after birth. The essential feature of the condition is the clouding of the eye, varying in severity from mild clouding to complete opacity. Symptoms include myopia, also known as near-sightedness, a yellowing of the lens and problems in recognising the colour blue. Two of the treatment options available are a cataract operation or surgery. If untreated it slowly causes vision loss and then eventually blindness. In seniors the condition causes swelling and shrinkage of the lens. Lasik eye surgery, a form of refractive surgery, is used for correcting myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. That means this surgery is an useful alternative to wearing glasses or corrective lenses, which the majority of people don't enjoy wearing. The procedure is similar in certain aspects to other surgical corrective options like refractive surgery and photo-refractive keratectomy and is therefore a popular solution to eye sight problems. It involves surgically remodelling the cornea, in particular reshaping its curvature. There is a chance that the eye will reject the surgery and gently return to its former state, however other side effects are low. A cornea transplant is required when a cornea becomes irreversibly damaged, possibly through disease. If for instance a person develops Fuchs dystrophy (a slow progressing corneal disease that affects both eyes) or Keratoconus (a disorder which changes the shape of the cornea and causes substantial distortion of vision) then a cornea transplant is usually required. During this simple operation healthy corneal tissue is grafted on to the diseased part of the cornea in order to restore the damage - the graft coming from a deceased donor. cornea transplant or keratoconus surgery are the last resort for cornea diseases - in 9 out of 10 cases, conditions can easily be treated simply by wearing corrective lenses. Many locations play host to a diverse range of surgeries. Most surgeries are based in major cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh or London. Hence, if you are interested in laser eye surgery, London could be the ideal place to find a surgery. These well-heeled established clinics will place you on a waiting list. An advantage of this means that the clinic staff are vastly experienced. In a lot of cases, they may have affiliation with state registered opticians so a sensible idea could be to ask your own optician for their recommendations prior to speaking to an eye surgeon. The type of technology being used by an ophthalmologist will change depending on the specific condition being treated. For invasive cornea surgery a Ziemer LDV Femtosecond precision laser will be used. This equipment allows a surgeon to operate precisely without using a surgical blade. Additionally, there is an OCT (Ocular Coherence Tomographer), this is a new form of non-invasive imaging technology for mapping the shape, size and contours of an eye. for those that suffer from more complicated conditions there is Anti-VEGF drugs and Fluorescein angiography treatments. These are just a few examples of the equipment and procedures that are currently being utilised by qualified ophthalmologists. In the British Isles, postgraduate ophthalmology degrees can be handed out by universities. Educational institutions offering these include the Royal College of Glasgow, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Royal College of Edinburgh. To become a professional ophthalmologist in the British Isles one of these qualifications is essential. Once their post graduate degree has been awarded, nearly all of the students often gain placements at the NHS in order to further their practical skills and gain essential knowledge. As a matter of fact, a large number of laser eye specialists provide training programs to help people become fully qualified ophthalmologists. However, these are commonly vocational courses that are taken following a postgraduate qualification. Now that you've read through some of the points above you should have better grasp of the UK's most common eye conditions and diseases. However, if you have serious concerns about your eye it's a good idea to visit an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
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