Cranford Ophthalmology
Joseph Calderone, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.
Richard M. Chopin, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Two South Avenue East, Suite One
Cranford, NJ 07016
Phone: (908) 276-EYES (3937)
Fax: (908) 276-3174
As with any other part of the body, eyes are susceptible to any number of degenerative conditions that can ultimately inhibit optimal vision. Two of the most prevalent conditions are cataracts and glaucoma, both of which severely limit the quality of your vision as they progress. Though potentially obstructive to the use of clear vision in daily life, cataracts and glaucoma are both treatable conditions. While the ideal way to avoid vision diminishment is to detect and diagnose cataracts and glaucoma in their earliest stages, both are treatable even in their latter stages.
Scheduling routine eye examinations with Dr. Joseph Calderone, Jr. can aid in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cataracts and glaucoma. Drs. Calderone and Chopin want to offer you the best chance to avoid the consequences these conditions can bring and aid you on your journey to reach and maintain optimal eyesight.
If you wish to begin scheduling routine eye examinations to either treat or maintain your vision, please contact Cranford Ophthalmology to set up an appointment.
Cataracts
Great vision requires, among many conditions, a clear lens that allows light to pass through unobstructed to the retina. The light that reaches the retina is the means by which the brain makes sense of an image entering the eye. When the lens obstructs the light coming into the eye, however, this cloudy lens is referred to as a cataract. The clouding of the lens is most commonly caused by aging.
A cataract is a degeneration of the structure of the lens that reduces the clarity of the lens, inhibiting the ideal amount of light from entering through to the retina. The typical result of a cataract is blurred vision. Additionally, patients with cataracts may also encounter glare or difficulty seeing in bright light or in front of oncoming headlights, volatile vision, an increase in frequency of eyeglass prescription changes (most notably toward nearsightedness), fading or yellowing of colors, or double vision in one eye.
The doctors at Cranford Ophthalmology can detect cataracts through regularly scheduled eye examinations. Even if a cataract is detected, surgery may not be required, as other eye conditions may be contributing to blurred vision.
If a cataract is detected, two courses of action are possible. The first is to simply tolerate the reduction in vision. Changing the prescription of eyeglasses can improve vision enough to postpone cataract surgery. Eyeglasses with UV light protection and sunglasses have also been shown to slow the process of cataract development.
The second course of action is to undergo cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is also appropriate for patients whose vision loss gets in the way of daily activities and routines. The procedure to remove a cataract is performed more than two millions times each year in the United States, with 98 percent of surgeries resulting in vision improvement. A typical cataract surgery is performed by creating a tiny incision to prepare the cataract to be removed from the eye. The cloudy lens is then replaced with a permanent intraocular lens implant. While lasers are not commonly used for this procedure, they are used to deal with a cloudy membrane which can develop behind the new implant after 25 to 50 percent of cataract operations.
Follow-up visits are required with the ophthalmologist after cataract surgery to observe the healing progress and to prescribe eyeglasses if fine tuning of vision is necessary.
If you would like to be tested for cataracts or would like to discuss your options to deal with the effects of cataracts, contact Cranford Ophthalmology
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a primary cause of blindness in the United States, especially among senior citizens. While vision loss is the ultimate result of glaucoma, it is typically avoidable if the disease is detected, diagnosed, and treated early on by your ophthalmologist.
The loss of vision due to glaucoma comes subtly and slowly. Because glaucoma affects your vision so gradually, many patients only notice a vision problem when the condition develops to a point where large portions of their central visual field are covered by blind spots. Sometimes, the patient only becomes aware of his or her vision loss after it has become permanent.
Glaucoma damages the optic nerve of the eye. An image that enters the eye is focused onto the retina and then carried to the brain by the million nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve. The optic nerve is damaged in part by an abnormality in the trabecular meshwork, which acts as a drainage system for a crucial fluid called aqueous humor. An irregularity of the trabecular meshwork leads to an imbalance in the aqueous humor entering the eye and the aqueous humor leaving the eye, leading to a higher intraocular pressure (IOP).
Of the many factors that contribute to glaucoma, an elevated IOP is the most detectable and treatable link to the disease. Accordingly, glaucoma treatments are oriented toward reducing IOP.
Open angle glaucoma, the more common of the two types of glaucoma, affects about 90 percent of adults with the disease. This variety of glaucoma is brought on when the aqueous humor has easy access to the trabecular meshwork (the eye’s drainage system) and the IOP is elevated. The IOP level increases enough to damage the nerve fibers but not enough for the patient to feel the pressure or notice any vision loss until significant damage has already been done.
Narrow angle or angle closure glaucoma occurs when the aqueous humor can not access the trabecular meshwork easily, leading to a higher IOP. Unlike open angle glaucoma, narrow angle glaucoma produces various symptoms that are detectable by the patient, including:
- severe eye pain and/or headache
- red eye
- blurry vision
- occasional nausea and vomiting
- halos around lights
While open angle glaucoma can be detected and treated though regularly scheduled eye examinations, angle closure glaucoma is an urgent condition that requires immediate treatment in order to avoid permanent loss of vision.
When you see Dr. Calderone or Dr. Chopin for an eye examination, he will take into account the many risk factors associated with glaucoma, including:
- age
- familial history of glaucoma
- nearsightedness
- African ancestry
- any past eye trauma
- diabetes
- a history of severe anemia, low blood pressure, or shock
Among a variety of examination techniques, Dr. Calderone may use one or more methods to best fit your needs and his ability to diagnose. If Dr. Calderone finds that glaucoma is present, the typical starting point of treatment is the prescription of eye drops. An alternative to eye drop therapy is laser surgery, which can provide some advantages over eye drops. With laser surgery, the daily routine of taking eye drops, cost of eye drops, and possible side effects can be avoided. Cranford Ophthalmology is one of the only practices in the state with the Duet laser, with which Dr. Calderone can perform selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), a revolutionary treatment which is capable of reducing the glaucoma patient's dependency on eye drops.
It is generally recommended that patients in their 30s and 40s have their eyes examined every two years. Patients in their 50s and 60s should schedule examinations every year or two while patients who are 70 or older should schedule an examination every year.
Cranford Ophthalmology was one of the first eye care practices in the area to have the Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph, a device which uses an infrared laser to digitally image the optic nerve to detect glaucoma in its earliest stages.
If you would like to begin scheduling regular eye examinations to detect and treat glaucoma as early as possible, please contact Cranford Ophthalmology.