Eye diseases
Eye diseases are conditions that alter the anatomy or function of the eye or its associated structures, sometimes impairing vision or causing pain.
Cataract: Clouding of the eye’s natural lens that can blur vision and increase glare. This lens disease reduces vision by blocking or scattering light before it reaches the retina.
Intraocular pressure: The fluid pressure inside the eye, maintained by the production and drainage of aqueous humor. Impaired fluid drainage can raise pressure and contribute to optic nerve damage in glaucoma.
Ophthalmology: The medical specialty concerned with eye health, vision, and diseases of the eye. This specialty diagnoses and treats diseases across the eye and visual system.
Refractive error: A focusing problem caused by the eye’s shape or optical components, including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. It can blur vision without the tissue damage that defines many eye diseases.
Glaucoma: A group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure. It damages the nerve carrying visual signals from the eye to the brain.
Aqueous humor: The clear fluid in the front of the eye that nourishes tissues and helps maintain eye pressure. Its flow and drainage help explain pressure-related disease.
Fundus photography: Imaging of the interior surface of the eye, including the retina, optic disc, and blood vessels. It documents retinal changes used to detect and monitor disease.
Amblyopia: Reduced vision in one or both eyes caused by abnormal visual development during childhood. It is a developmental visual disorder, not necessarily a disease of the eye’s tissues.
Age-related macular degeneration: A progressive disease of the macula that impairs central vision, usually in older adults. It targets the retinal region needed for detailed central vision.
Retinal ganglion cell: A retinal neuron that sends visual information toward the brain through the optic nerve. Loss of these cells underlies the characteristic nerve damage in glaucoma.