EYE CONDITIONS
Name
Cateract
Condition
Clouding of Lens
Implications for Working Vision
Blurred reading, nearer reading, need for stronger light, sensitive to glare.
Name
Macular Degeneration
Condition
Degeneration of the cone cells of the retina
Implications for Working Vision
Loss of central vision, might affect colour vision, difficulty discerning fine detail
Name
Glaucoma
Condition
Pressure inside the eye is raised sufficiently to damage vision.
Implications for Working Vision
Both visual field and central vision might be affected.
Name
Diabetic Retinopathy
Condition
Increase in blood vessels and resultant permeability allows blood to pass into the retina/vitreous.
Implications for Working Vision
Scattered vision due to ‘floaters’ fluncuations in visual state.
Name
Myopia
Condition
Short Sightedness
Implications for Working Vision
Distance vision weak
Name
Hypermetropia
Condition
Long Sightedness
Implications for Working Vision
Near Vision Weak
Name
Retinitus Pigmentos
Condition
Degeneration of the pigment layer in retina affecting the rod cells.
Implications for Working Vision
‘Tunnel Vision’
Name
Albinism
Condition
Pigment in the body tissues is absent from birth, iris appears pink.
Implications for Working Vision
Photophobia, involuntary eye movement
Name
Optic Atrophy
Condition
Optic Nerve becomes damaged or reduced in size/function.
Implications for Working Vision
Hazy, indistinct images.
Name
Nystagmus
Condition
Involuntary eye movement
Implications for Working Vision
Clarity of vision is poor – particularly for near tasks. Difficulty in focusing.
Name
Retinal Detachment
Condition
Hole in retina which allows fluid between the nerve layers of tissue containing rod and cone cells and the pigment layer.
Implications for Working Vision
Scattered vision/distorted image, ‘flashing lights’
What is Uveitis?
If we think of the eye as a hollow, fluid-filled, 3-layered ball, then the outer layer is the sclera, a tough coat, the innermost is the retina, the thin light-gathering layer, and the middle layer is the Uvea. The Uvea is made up of the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid (see diagram). When any part of the uvea becomes inflamed then it is called Uveitis.
A big problem, when trying to understand Uveitis, for patients and doctors alike, is that there are many different types of Uveitis. This is because:
·
The Uvea is made up of different parts. So if the iris is affected, the condition and its treatment could be totally different to when the choroid is affected.·
The inflammation in the Uvea very often affects other parts of the eye such as the retina and so a variety of other problems can be present to complicate the picture.·
Next there are a large number of medical conditions where Uveitis is a feature amongst the other symptoms of the disease. e.g. Behcet’s Disease, Sarcoidosis and Toxoplasmosis, to name just three of them.·
There are many different types of causes of Uveitis [see Causes].The term intraocular inflammation is often used to cover the spectrum of uveitis conditions. As there is this wide variety of different conditions and complications, it follows that there are numerous ways that it presents itself. The degree and type of sight loss and the type of treatment may vary considerably from patient to patient. Although the potential for confusion sounds high, as long as it is remembered that Uveitis is actually a number of different conditions, then it is possible to find out about your own particular case. It is, of course, very important, for both patients and doctors, to establish the exact type of Uveitis that exists, as far as it is possible, early on.