Temporal arteritis, also known as Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) or Horton disease is an inflammatory disease of blood vessels, most commonly involving large and medium arteries of the head. This condition is an inflammation of the arteries throughout the body. It can begin with a severe headache, pain when chewing, and tenderness or swelling in the temple area. It may later be followed by sudden vision loss, usually in one eye. You may suddenly lose vision in the other eye within a few days or weeks of the first. Researches don’t know the cause of this disease, but studies point towards an impaired immune system. It’s critical to make an appointment with Dr. Cartwright whenever you have sudden vision loss, because early treatment with medication may help save your vision in one or both eyes.

The eyelids help protect your eyes, spread tears over its surface, and limit the amount of light that can get in. Blinking also helps move dirt or other particles off the surface of the eye. You close your eyelids when you see something coming towards your eyes. This can help protect against injuries. Like any other parts of our body, eyelids can get infected, inflamed, or even develop cancer. Other eyelid problems might include:
• Eyelids that turn out (ectropion) or in (entropion)
• Droopy eyelids
• Blinking spasms
• Inflamed outer edges near the eyelashes
Eyelid problems often can be treated with proper cleaning, medication or surgery.

Your cornea is the clear, dome-shaped outermost layer of the eye. The cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, other harmful matter and It helps to focus the light coming in. Contact lenses, if you wear them, float on top of your corneas. Problems with the cornea include:
• Allergies
• Refractive errors
• Injuries
• Infections
• Dystrophies
Treatments include adjusting your eyeglass prescription, using medicated eye drops, and having surgery.

Conjunctivitis, also called Pink Eye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface. The lining of the eye is usually clear. If irritation or infection occurs, the lining becomes red and swollen. Pink eye is very common. People of all ages can get conjunctivitis. It can be caused by infection, exposure to chemicals and irritants or allergies, and it usually is not serious and goes away within 7 to 10 days without medical treatment.

In a healthy eye, a balance exists between the fluid produced, and the fluid that leaves the eye. This balance keeps the eye pressure at a healthy level. In order to maintain this balance, the eye has a built in drainage system. This drainage system controls the inflow and outflow of the fluids, which is responsible for nourishing the eye. When the natural drainage of the eye becomes obstructed, the fluid has nowhere to escape causing the pressure to elevate. The optic nerve is most vulnerable to this type of damage from elevated pressure. Continuous elevated pressure, or spikes in the pressure, can damage the optic nerve. Because glaucoma is painless, there are usually no early warning signs of this disease. It is less noticeable because it develops slowly, in most cases over a longer period of time, and as a result the vision loss is not as obvious. Treatment may include prescription eye drops or surgery.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye, causing vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or LASIK. As frightening as cataracts might sound, modern cataract surgery usually can restore vision lost to cataracts and often can reduce your dependence on eyeglasses as well.

Too many tears can come from being sensitive wind, light, or temperature changes. Tearing may also mean that you have a more serious problem, such as a blocked tear duct or an eye infection. Our physicians at Medical Eye Associates can treat or correct both of these conditions.