Ophthalmology encompasses both medical and surgical aspects of the eyes and vision with the aim of diagnosing, treating, and managing eye diseases.
Ophthalmology encompasses both medical and surgical aspects of the eyes and vision. The aim of the department is to diagnose, treat, and manage eye disorders and diseases. Ophthalmology doctors are highly trained physicians equipped to offer a full spectrum of eye care.
Ophthalmology requires comprehensive training for doctors so that they can manage a wide range of health issues, from common to complex disorders. Some of the ophthalmological diseases are summarized as follows:
It is an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation and swelling around the eyes. The disease is often associated with thyroid abnormalities. If you have symptoms such as bulging eyes, discomfort, or vision changes, your doctor may diagnose thyroid eye disease. Your doctor treats thyroid eye disease by managing thyroid levels, using steroids for inflammation, and performing surgery for severe cases.
Ophthalmology can manage surfer’s eye disease (pterygium), which causes a growth of pink, fleshy tissue on the conjunctiva. This disease may affect anyone spending a lot of time outdoors. Mild cases might not need treatment beyond monitoring, while severe cases can require surgical removal.
Fuch’s dystrophy affects the cornea. This disease may lead to vision loss through swelling and clouding. Early stages might be managed with saline drops or ointments, while advanced cases could require corneal transplantation.
Allergic eye disease symptoms can include red, itchy, and watery eyes. After evaluating your eyes, your doctor may create a treatment plan that involves avoiding allergens, using antihistamine eye drops, and sometimes corticosteroids.
Retinis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of genetic disorders that affect the retina and patients’ vision. Patients experience decreasing peripheral vision and trouble seeing at night. RP eye disease does not cause complete blindness; however, slight progression can be observed during treatment.
Lyme disease can cause a characteristic rash and inflammation around the eyes. Treatment may involve antibiotics to address the underlying infection.
Lupus can affect the eyes in various ways, including inflammation of different eye parts. Treatment focuses on the underlying lupus condition and may include corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs.
Addison's disease can cause darkening of the eyelids and other areas around the eyes. Your ophthalmology doctor may create a treatment plan involving corticosteroid replacement therapy.
In Wilson disease eyes could contain Kayser-Fleischer rings around the cornea. This disease is known for causing copper to build up around the body. Therefore, the treatment involves medications to reduce copper levels.
Diabetic eye disease stages include conditions like retinopathy, which is one of the eye diseases that cause blindness if untreated. In early detection, your ophthalmology doctor may create a treatment plan that involves controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In later stages, your doctor may decide to perform retinal detachment surgery.
After completing retinal detachment treatment, patients may need to maintain a specific head position for several days to ensure proper healing. Lastly, retinal detachment recovery time may vary between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on the severity and type of the surgery.
Diabetic retinopathy stages can be divided into two categories:
In addition to retinopathy, diabetic maculopathy and floaters can be observed if the patient has a severe diabetic level.
Diabetic maculopathy, also known as diabetic macular edema (DMO), is a condition where the blood vessels in the macula—the central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision—become blocked.
Age-related macular degeneration news can be exciting for those suffering from the disease. Recent studies have brought promising new treatments and a deeper understanding of the disease’s genetic underpinnings.
AMD has two primary types: wet and dry.
Wet vs dry age related macular degeneration
Dry AMD vs wet AMD is a critical topic to summarize. However, it can be overlooked in a simple way, as below:
Trachoma eye disease is one of the eye diseases that cause blindness. In an ophthalmology clinic, you may be given antibiotics as part of your tailored treatment plan. If necessary, your ophthalmologist may perform surgery.
Central serous chorioretinopathy is a condition where fluid accumulates under the retina and disrupts vision. Treatments may include laser therapy or photodynamic therapy to reduce fluid and improve vision.
Drusen's eye disease is related to age-related macular degeneration. Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. Management focuses on lifestyle changes and, in advanced stages, medications or laser therapy to slow progression.
Coats disease is a rare condition leading to abnormal blood vessel development in the retina. To enhance vision, ophthalmology doctors may create a treatment plan, including laser therapy or cryotherapy.
Refractive error diseases include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Errors in refraction can be enhanced with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.
Cataract is a condition involving a clouding of the eye’s lens and causes blurred vision. It is a treatable disease through surgery, where the clouded lens is replaced with an artificial one. Cataract eye surgery healing time can take up to four weeks. However, you can feel relaxed, as the surgery is quick and safe. Cataract surgery recovery is so quick that many patients feel vision improvement within a few days.
During the cataract surgery healing process, patients are required to use eye drops and wear eye shields. If patients follow the ophthalmology doctor’s instructions properly, cataract operation recovery time can be shortened.
Glaucoma is a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve, often due to high eye pressure. To diagnose the disease, an ophthalmology specialist performs a glaucoma test, which is a simple and painless procedure.
There are several types of glaucoma, such as:
After diagnosis, doctors create a treatment plan involving eye drops, laser treatment, or glaucoma surgery to lower eye pressure.
This is a condition of misalignment of the eyes that generally occurs during childhood. This condition can be treated with glasses, patching exercises, or strabismus surgery. After diagnosing and deciding on the treatment plan, your paediatric ophthalmology doctor will inform you of the strabismus treatment cost.
Prosis of the eyelid is a condition that can be described as eyelid drooping. Ptosis treatment can be performed with ptosis surgery to improve vision and appearance.
Keratitis is inflammation of the cornea, which can be caused by infections, injuries, or wearing contact lenses for too long. Symptoms of this eye disease include eye pain, redness, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. According to the stage of the disease, ophthalmology doctors may create a keratitis treatment plan involving eye drops, antibiotics, antivirals, or corneal transplants. Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the disease.
Types of keratitis are:
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is the inflammation of the transparent membrane lining the eyelid and eyeball. Common symptoms may include:
Treatment options for this eye disease may include conjunctivitis eye drops, artificial tears, cleaning the eyelids, and applying cold or warm compresses.
Graves ophthalmology disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the tissues around the eyes. The leading symptoms of this disorder are eye bulging, discomfort, and potential vision issues. Treatment options planned by the neuro-ophthalmology department include using corticosteroids like prednisone to reduce swelling, teprotumumab for severe cases, and, in some instances, surgery such as orbital decompression to relieve pressure on the optic nerve.
Macular degeneration might manifest as dark or blurry spots in the center of your vision field. This disorder may make tasks like reading or recognizing faces challenging. Straight lines may appear wavy or broken, and there can be a noticeable change in color perception. The severity of vision impairment can vary, but these symptoms significantly impact daily activities.
Eye diseases can be treated at the ophthalmology department. The cost of a treatment by ophthalmologists varies significantly depending on the type of procedure, the technology, and the location of the clinic. However, if you look for high-quality treatment performed by experienced doctors at a low cost, you can contact our clinic located in Turkey. Lastly, if you decide to get treatment from our clinic, you will have a chance to stay at the finest hotels.
Ophthalmologists are medically trained doctors who specialize in comprehensive eye care and offer services that range from prescribing glasses to performing complex surgeries. They are uniquely qualified to provide a full spectrum of eye care, including managing diseases that affect vision, conducting surgical procedures on the eye, and implementing laser therapy.
