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Eye Health

Eye Doctors/Optometrists in Thornhill, Ontario

There are many common eye conditions that are preventable or treatable, especially if it's detected early. Our team of eye doctors and staff strongly believe in patient education, which is important in raising ocular health awareness to protect and maintain good vision.

  • Cataracts
  • Diabetes
  • Glaucoma
  • Age-Related Macular Degeneration
  • Floaters
  • Ocular Allergies
  • Retinal Detachment
  • Dry Eyes
  • Colour Deficiency
  • Keratoconus

Did you know cataracts is one of the most common preventable cause of vision loss? Learn more about it here.

Inside the eye, there is a clear structure called the lens that focuses images on the retina. The lens is continuously growing and thickening since birth. With age, the lens becomes cloudy, and slowly causes blurry vision that is not correctable with glasses.

In the early stages of cataracts, vision may not be affected at all. Our doctors, however, can detect early formation. When the cataracts start to affect daily activities, surgery can be done to replace the natural lens with an artificial implanted lens. Often times, an individual’s prescription is put into the implant providing functional uncorrected distance vision.

Factors that can contribute to the formation of cataracts include ultraviolet rays, traumatic injury, systemic condition like diabetes, or specific medications like steroids. Wearing sunglasses can help delay the onset or slow down the progression of cataracts.

Cataract

Diabetes can affect the eyes if blood sugar is not controlled properly or if a patient had been diabetic for many years. It is important for them to have eye exams at least once a year, or more frequent if their eye doctors find necessary.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working population in Canada. It is a result of damaged blood vessels in the retina, which leads to the leakages, formation of new weaker vessels (neovascularization), and other changes. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness. It is very important for diabetic patients to work with their family doctor and/or endocrinologist to control their blood sugar levels, and have annual eye examinations with their optometrists to monitor their ocular health. Our doctors can identify any vision threatening signs and initiate appropriate treatment to prevent irreversible vision damage.

Diabetes

Usually 40-50% of your nerve fibres deteriorates before you would notice a problem! Make sure you get routine eye exams so our optometrists can help detect glaucoma as early as possible.

Glaucoma is the degeneration of the optic nerve that leads to a loss of peripheral vision, then later central vision. The most common type of glaucoma is Open Angle glaucoma, which can progress asymptomatically and painlessly, while the less common type of Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma can cause nausea, vomiting, eye pain, and blurry vision. The optic nerve is responsible for transmitting information from the eye to the brain. If the optic nerve degenerates, information cannot travel to the brain, resulting in vision loss. Our brain, however, is very good at masking visual field defects; hence, early stages of glaucoma can develop unknowingly to an individual. The only way to detect glaucoma early on is through a comprehensive eye exam, where our doctors evaluate the health of the optic nerve. When necessary, a visual field test or other technology may be used to determine one’s risk. It often takes about 40-50% of nerve fibre loss before visual defects are even perceived. The risk is also higher for individuals who have a positive family history of glaucoma. Currently there is no cure for glaucoma. However, the deterioration of vision can be slowed down with medicated eye drops or surgery. Regular eye examinations with your optometrist can help screen for and prevent glaucoma.

Glaucoma

Similar to other parts of our body, our eyes deteriorate with age. Learn more about it here.

Macula is the central vision area that provides the best vision to see small details and colour. With age, similar to other parts of our body, the macula can deteriorate, leading to decreased visual acuity and distortion. This is known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD or ARMD). If severe, it is possible to lead to central blindness; the periphery, however, can remain unaffected. Unfortunately, there’s currently no cure for AMD, but there are ocular vitamins that can be taken or eye injections by specialists in the moderate to severe stages to slow down the progression.

There are 2 forms of macular degeneration: dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD is the more common of the two forms, and has a better prognosis. However, dry AMD can become wet AMD, where there is a leakage of fluid or blood. Vision in dry AMD deteriorates slowly over time, while wet AMD can be detrimental.

It is important to take preventative measures, such as UV protection and a healthy diet, at a young age to protect the macula. Additionally, the risk of macular degeneration in patients increases with a positive family history of AMD and in previous or current smokers. Regular eye examination can help screen for early onset of AMD and our optometrists can discuss various methods of maintenance and prevention of macular degeneration.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Do you see black little floaties in your vision? It's important to make sure it did not cause any damage to the back of your eyes.

Within our eyes, there’s a clear jelly-like substance called the vitreous that helps keep the shape of our eyeballs. It is tightly adhered to the lens and the retina within a sac. With age, the vitreous liquefies and it can pull away from the retina, leading to posterior vitreous detachment.

Since the vitreous is attached to the certain areas of the retina tightly, if it pulls too hard, it can create holes or tears that can lead to retinal detachments. In cases of increasing number of floaters, flashes, or a curtain or veil blocking your vision, you should consult an optometrist immediately or go to the closest hospital emergency if your optometrist is unavailable.

Click here to book now, or call us at 905-889-0809 if you have any questions or concerns. We can often see you on the same day.

Floaters

Don't let allergies get the best of you this year. Our eye doctors can help improve your comfort.

Most patients do not look forward to seasonal allergies. It can occur in people of all ages. Common symptoms of ocular allergies include redness, itchiness, and watery eyes. Depending on the severity of the allergies, our doctors will prescribe the appropriate treatment or medication when necessary. Don’t let allergies take control of your life! Come talk to our doctors to see what we can do to improve your outdoor experience.

Ocular Allergies

If you notice floaters, flashes of light, and/or a curtain or veil, you should come in immediately to ensure you don't have a retinal detachment!

The retina is a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye which transmits light from the eye to the brain where vision is perceived. When the retina detaches, it is peeling partially or completely away from the back of the eye. This results in loss of transmission to the brain that can lead to vision loss.

Retinal detachment can be caused by various factors including injury to the eye, traumatic injury to the head, eye surgery, high degree of myopia, and eye diseases. In some patients, there may be areas of the retina that is thinner, which may lead to spontaneous retinal detachment.

If you are experiencing the following symptoms: flashing of lights, many floaters in your vision or overall decrease in vision, please Click here or call 905-889-0809 for an appointment or walk in to our clinic as soon as possible. However, some patients may have no symptoms at all. Our doctors will perform a thorough ocular health examination to ensure the retina is intact, but if treatment is required, we will promptly refer you to a retinal ophthalmologist.

Dry eyes are more common than you think.

Tears are important for the overall health and function of the eye. It creates a smooth surface to produce clear vision that is important for our everyday activities. When the eye does not produce enough or poor quality tears, it can affect our comfort and vision. Common symptoms of dry eyes include burning, stinging, watering, foreign body sensation and blurry vision.

Dry eyes can be due to aging, environmental factors, hormonal changes, stress, eye surgery and certain medications. It is usually a chronic condition and cannot be completely resolved. It is, however, important to manage the symptoms and prevent dry eyes to cause damage to the cornea that can lead to potential vision loss. Our doctors routinely assess for dryness and would make necessary recommendations to alleviate symptoms and ensure the integrity of the eye.

Learn more about one of the most common genetic eye condition.

Patients with colour deficiency cannot distinguish colours or shades correctly. This is more common in males. Colour deficiency is normally inherited, but can also be a result of ocular diseases, side effect of medications or trauma.

There are three types of colour deficiency: two forms of red--green deficiency and one form of blue--yellow deficiency. Red-green deficiencies are more common and are usually inherited. These patients are unable to distinguish between some shades of reds, browns, oranges, and pinks, or greens and blues. Blue-yellow deficiency is more rare and is usually due to damage to the optic nerve. These patients are unable to distinguish some shades of blue and yellow. Patients who are truly colour blind sees the world only in shades of black, white and grey.

At Lumina Eye Care, we screen every child for colour deficiency. Currently there is no cure for colour deficiency. However, it would be valuable to know if a patient has this condition because it may affect career options as certain jobs such as pilots, police officers, and electricians require the ability to distinguish colours.

Colour Deficiency

Here's a good reason to not rub your eyes all the time.

The cornea is the clear, anterior most dome-shaped surface of the eye that helps focus light on our central vision area. Keratoconus is a progressive condition that affects the cornea, causing it to thin and bulge into a cone-shape that causes blurred and distorted vision. This condition is hereditary, and it is linked to Down Syndrome and chronic eye rubbing.

Keratoconus often manifest in an individual’s teens or early twenties. It is found in 1 in 1000 people. The earlier the onset of keratoconus, the higher the risk of more severe disease progression. In the early stages of the condition, one’s vision is still correctable with glasses. As the disease progresses, however, the irregularity of the cornea creates irregular astigmatism that is best corrected by hard contact lenses, such as rigid gas permeables or scleral lenses. Such lenses work by creating a smooth and regular surface with the tears that is between the cornea and the lens. In the advanced stages of keratoconus, scarring of the cornea can occur, and corneal transplant may be necessary to restore vision.

Corneal cross linking is a procedure that uses UV light and photosensitizer Riboflavin to strengthen the chemical bonds in the cornea to help retain its proper shape. It can only be done in the earlier stages of keratoconus to decrease the risk of corneal transplant. Hence, it is very important to detect the condition as early as possible.

Keratoconus