Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a condition usually diagnosed during the early childhood years. It often occurs in children up to the age of seven and is usually recognized by an eye that appears to ‘wander’ around the room, instead of being in sync with the other eye. If you suspect your child may struggle with lazy eye, your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, can help.

What Causes Lazy Eye?

A lazy eye happens when one eye becomes weaker than the other. The retina of that eye, for whatever reason, begins to receive fewer visual signals. Over time, the brain learns to ignore signals from the weaker eye altogether. Different factors may contribute to amblyopia, including:

• Muscle imbalance between the eyes (strabismus)
• Prescription differences between eyes (refractive amblyopia)
• Astigmatism
• Cataracts

These problems may develop as a result of premature birth, developmental disabilities, being underweight at birth, or a family history of lazy eye.

Is Lazy Eye Treatable?

Amblyopia is a fairly common condition that’s usually easy to treat when caught early. To encourage the weaker eye to focus, your child’s eye doctor may recommend wearing a patch over the stronger eye. Special eyeglasses may help, as well — ones that feature a blurred lens over the stronger eye and a clear lens over the weaker eye. These solutions force the affected eye to work harder, strengthening muscles and improving eye health. Regular prescription eyeglasses that correct farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism may also be the answer. Sometimes, medicated eyedrops that blur vision in the good eye may be prescribed, as well. In some instances, eye surgery may be required to correct amblyopia.

If you’ve noticed your child exhibiting symptoms such as a wandering eye, frequent head tilting, or squinting, contact Champaign Eye Professionals to learn more about eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other treatment options to help correct lazy eye.

Often, vision problems are easy to treat with a routine eye exam and a prescription for corrective lenses. Some situations, however, require a more in-depth approach. This is especially true when a more serious medical condition is the root of the issue and vision loss is only a symptom. This is why it’s so important to make and keep annual eye appointments. Your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, may be the first medical professional to detect diseases that could impact your vision, including the two most common.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a side-effect of uncontrolled diabetes. It can happen when elevated levels of sugar in your blood damage the blood vessels in your eyes. If gone undetected and left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to glaucoma and total vision loss. Advanced symptoms include:

• Streaks or floaters in your field of vision
• Blurred vision
• Trouble seeing close-up or far away

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, or if this disease runs in your family, it’s time to see your vision specialist. Schedule an appointment right away.

Chronic Hypertension

You may recognize chronic hypertension by its more common name — uncontrolled high blood pressure. This disease stresses your blood vessels and may lead to damage in the tiny vessels that supply blood to your eyes. When left untreated, chronic hypertension may cause blood vessels to leak blood or fluid to collect beneath the retina. It may also cause nerve damage, which can lead to total vision loss.

Effective management is the best way to treat chronic hypertension. This means partnering with your primary care physician and your eye doctor to learn how best to control your disease. Simple lifestyle changes may be enough to manage the condition and to prevent further damage to your eyes.

For help with diseases that affect the eyes in Champaign, IL, contact Champaign Eye Professionals to talk with one of our friendly and experienced representatives today.

There’s a lens at the front of each eye that captures and projects light onto the retina. When all is well with this lens — the cornea — you see clearly. Images are in focus both far away and close up, and you have no need for corrective lenses. However, if this lens becomes misshapen, images may become blurry. This happens because the cornea isn’t refracting light as it should and light isn’t landing on the retina in an exact way. At this point, you have developed a refractive error, such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism. Each will affect how easily you can read, drive, or use your computer at work. While myopia or hyperopia makes it more difficult to see either close-up or far away, astigmatism affects both aspects of your vision. Your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, can diagnose and treat astigmatism.

What Causes Astigmatism?

Several factors may cause your cornea to change shape. These include:

• Genetic Predisposition
• Eye Trauma
• Prior Eye Surgery
• Diseases of the Eye, Such as Keratoconus

If you’re experiencing problems with vision clarity, you may have astigmatism. Keeping regular appointments with your vision specialist may provide you with early diagnosis and intervention.

How Do I Know if I Have Astigmatism?

If your eyes frequently hurt, or if they feel strained, a refractive error such as astigmatism could be the culprit. Other common symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, and the inability to see images that are close up or far away without squinting. If it feels more difficult to drive, read, or look at the whiteboard in your classroom or at work, it’s time to book an appointment for a routine eye exam.

Treatment for Astigmatism in Champaign, IL

There are several common treatment options to correct astigmatism, including:

• Prescription Eye Glasses
• Toric Contact Lenses
• Rigid Contact Lenses
• Lasik Surgery
• Astigmatic Keratotomy (incisions to relax the cornea)

Basically, treatment is aimed at changing the angle at which your cornea refracts light. Your vision specialist will discuss the best options to correct your astigmatism in Champaign, IL. Call Champaign Eye Professionals today to schedule a consultation.

Sunglasses not only make you look confident and sexy, but they also protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you spend a lot of time outdoors on sunny days, you need sunglasses. Wearing them religiously can help you avoid some of the common signs of aging on your eyes, including the formation of cataracts. Your vision care specialist can help you choose sunglasses in Champaign, IL, that flatter and complement your facial structure. These tips may help.

Outline Your Face in the Mirror to Find Its Shape

A lipstick is all you need to find the shape of your face. Simply stand before a mirror and use the lipstick to draw its outline. When you step back, you’ll have a clear idea of how your face is shaped. Then, you can purchase sunglasses to complement it. Your vision care associate can help you find the right frame for your face, but you can make the process easier by understanding your facial structure.

Choose a Flattering Color for Your Sunglasses

You’ll want sunglasses that go well with your complexion and hair color, so follow these simple rules of thumb:

• Warm, light-colored or dark-colored skin needs earth tones.
• Cool, light-colored or dark-colored skin looks better in striking shades of blue or gray.
• Medium skin usually goes well with a wider range of colors and hues, so if you have olive-tone skin, you may have more colors from which to choose.

It’s important to understand whether your skin has warm or cool undertones. Your vision associate can help you decide.

Champaign Eye Professionals, in Champaign, IL, is always happy to help you choose the best frame and color for your prescription or non-prescription sunglasses. Speak with one of our friendly representatives today to schedule an appointment.

Aging affects your eyes just as it does the rest of your body, and your risks of developing chronic eye conditions go up as you get older. Diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma become more common. This makes regular visits to your eye doctor in Champaign, IL, even more important, so you can benefit from early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Two of the more common eye conditions caused by aging include presbyopia and the formation of cataracts.

Presbyopia May Develop as You Age

As people age, the flexible lens inside the eye tends to stiffen up and become less pliable. Because it’s the flexibility that allows you to change focus to see objects more clearly, changes in vision usually result. We call this presbyopia, and it’s very common among older people. Presbyopia may begin around age 40 and progress as a person ages. As a result, you may need more light to see clearly, or you may need prescription eyeglasses, such as bifocals, to help your eyes change focus. If you notice problems with eye strain, tired eyes, or your ability to focus on items close up, you may be noticing signs of presbyopia.

Cataracts Are a Common Side Effect of Aging

Cataracts happen when the lens inside the eye becomes foggy, another common eye condition related to normal aging. While not everyone develops cataracts as they get older, some health conditions put you more at risk. These include diabetes, exposure to radiation, and previous eye injury. If you smoke or drink heavily, you’re also at greater risk. Treatment for cataracts in Champaign, IL, usually involves eye surgery to replace the foggy lens with a synthetic lens.

Champaign Eye Professionals in Illinois can help with common eye conditions related to normal aging. Call today to schedule a consultation.