Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Medicine Hat, AB

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the deterioration of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision, that occurs naturally as part of the aging process. AMD causes your central vision to appear blurry while your peripheral vision remains largely unchanged.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 55 in North America. Those who smoke, have high blood pressure, UV damage, or a family history of AMD are at a higher risk of developing AMD.

There are two types of AMD:

1. Dry AMD is the most common form of AMD and is caused by the gradual thinning of the macula that slowly leads to impaired vision. Dry AMD can develop into wet AMD over time
2. Wet AMD is the sudden leaking or bleeding of weak blood vessels below the macula into the retina. Wet AMD accounts for about 10% of AMD cases and develops rapidly

Protecting your eyes from UV radiation and living a healthy lifestyle is important when it comes to prevention of AMD. Additionally, regular eye exams can detect early signs of AMD even before symptoms develop. Call us to schedule a comprehensive eye exam and reduce your chances of developing AMD.

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Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that can develop as a complication of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, damaging the blood vessels of the retina and can eventually lead to blindness.

Early diabetic retinopathy may not produce symptoms. As the disease progresses, you may experience symptoms like dark spots in your eyes, empty areas in your vision, blurred or fluctuating vision, or impaired colour vision.

The best way to protect your eyes from diabetic retinopathy is to carefully manage your diabetes. Regular eye exams are also an important step when closely monitoring your eye health, especially if you have diabetes.

We offer diabetic eye exams that are specially designed to look for vision complications associated with diabetes. We use advanced techniques for detection like Optos retinal imaging, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, and dilated fundus exams. These tools give us the ability to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Your health is important to us. Book an appointment with us today for more information about eye disease diagnosis and management.

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