Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Columbia & Eldon

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Eye Care Is Health Care

Of all the senses, most Americans say losing their eyesight would have the most profound impact on their daily lives. There are many different eye diseases that can cause vision loss, and many of them advance without symptoms in their early stages. 

Regular, comprehensive eye exams should be part of your overall healthcare strategy. Let the team at Family Focus Eyecare assess and evaluate your ocular health and identify any diseases before they become a problem. 

If we do identify an eye disease, rest assured that we have the knowledge and experience to treat it. Book your next eye exam today.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a serious sight-threatening disease that damages the optic nerve. Please visit our dedicated glaucoma page for more information.

Diabetic Eye Diseases

In people under the age of 74, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. If you have diabetes, you have annual eye exams to monitor your ocular health.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Nearly 1 in 3 people with diabetes will develop retinopathy at some point. Consistently high levels of glucose in the blood can damage the tiny, delicate blood vessels that feed the retina.

In the early stages of retinopathy, the blood vessels weaken, bulge, and leak fluid and blood into the retina. As the condition advances, the blood vessels can burst and new, abnormal vessels grow to replace them. These might also leak.

New blood vessels that interfere with the outflow of fluid from the eye can cause pressure buildup and lead to glaucoma.

If high blood glucose damages the blood vessels in the eye, they can burst and leak into the macula, damaging your central vision. Diabetic macular edema is a very serious condition that can lead to blindness.

90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable. Early identification of diabetic retinopathy can help protect your eyesight. Be sure to book a diabetic eye exam to protect your vision.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in adults over 50. As we age, the macula breaks down. The macula is responsible for central vision—that all-important part that allows us to drive, do close-up tasks, and recognize faces.

Some risk factors for AMD include:

In most cases, AMD progresses slowly and painlessly. Symptoms of AMD can include:

  • Fuzzy or distorted spots in the central vision
  • Difficulty adapting to low light levels
  • Straight lines that appear wavy or distorted
  • Needing brighter lights when doing close-up tasks
  • Difficulty recognizing faces

2 Types of AMD

Age-related macular degeneration comes in 2 forms—wet AMD and dry AMD. Dry AMD is most common, accounting for 8 out of 10 cases of AMD. Dry AMD occurs when the macula thins with age.

Wet AMD is much more serious and occurs when new blood vessels grow under the retina, burst, and leak fluid. This causes scar tissue and is a serious threat to your vision.

Identifying AMD early allows us to work collaboratively with you and develop a plan of action before significant vision occurs. Putting a care plan in place at the earliest possible time will preserve as much vision as possible.

Family Focus Eyecare is among the first in the country to offer patients a new test called AdaptDx to detect early stages of AMD. This new diagnostic aid provides a simple, noninvasive measure of dark adaptation, the earliest symptom and biomarker for AMD.

An automatically generated measure called the Rod Intercept™ (RI)—the time in minutes it takes for dark adaptation to occur—can indicate the presence of the disease at least 3 years before it becomes clinically evident.

The AdaptDx test takes less than 10 minutes and can easily fit into a comprehensive eye examination. 

Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the normally clear lens in your eye hardens and becomes opaque or cloudy. Generally, cataracts develop slowly and painlessly. 

Sometimes, they remain quite small, and vision can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. But, if they grow and obscure your vision, you may require surgery. Cataract surgery is safe and effective and involves replacing your clouded lens with a clear, artificial one.

Symptoms of cataracts may include:

  • Difficulty seeing at night
  • Seeing halos around lights
  • Frequent changes to lens prescriptions
  • Clouded or blurred vision
  • Fading or yellowing of colors

We’ll always take a measured approach to recommending surgery, exploring other options first. But, ask yourself the following questions—if you answer yes to any of them, it might be time to seriously discuss your cataracts:

  • Are you having a hard time driving or performing your job safely?
  • Is reading or watching television becoming a struggle?
  • Do you see glares or halos when looking at lights?
  • Is it becoming difficult to perform daily tasks like cooking, shopping, or even walking upstairs?
  • Are vision problems decreasing your quality of life or threatening your independence?

Preserve Your Sight with Early Detection

Not only do we assist with eye diseases in adults and seniors, but we can detect and treat pediatric eye conditions as well. Please book an appointment today and prioritize the ocular health of your entire family.

Visit One of Our Locations

Columbia
West Broadway

Find our Columbia West clinic in the Broadway Business park, near the Callaway Bank and the Regeneration Salon & Spa.

  • 3301 W Broadway Business Park Ct, Suite E
  • Columbia, MO 65203

Columbia
South Providence

Visit our location in South Columbia, near Sophia’s and B&B Bagel.

  • 3901 South Providence Rd
  • Columbia, MO 65203

Eldon
North Oak

Our Eldon location is on Oak Street, two blocks north of the post office and between North and High Street.

  • 115 N Oak St
  • Eldon, MO 65026

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