Symptoms

• Flashers:

  “Flashers,” or quick flashes of light perceived in an eye, can represent tugging on the retina by the vitreous jelly. This may be a sign or precursor to retinal tears and detachments, and should be evaluated promptly. In other situations, flashing lights might be symptomatic of ocular migraines. A thorough examination including history taking with the doctor will help differentiate between these conditions.

• Floaters:

  Eye floaters are small pieces of debris that float in the eye’s vitreous humor. The debris casts shadows onto the retina (the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye). If you have eye floaters, it is these shadows that you see “floating” across your field of vision.

  Floaters can be the result of a natural process of vitreous degeneration - called vitreous syneresis and ultimately posterior vitreous detachment. However, floaters can also be cause by abnormal conditions such as retinal tears, hemorrhage and uveitis. It is important that you have a dilated eye exam by a qualified retina specialist if you have new onset or worsening floaters in the eye(s). You should expect a thorough scleral-depressed dilated eye exam to evaluate your symptoms. Photos alone are not enough to evaluate the full extent of the retina.

  If you are suffering from degenerative floaters, Dr. Ezon can offer a pain-free office-based special laser to treat many such floaters. In the past many eye care specialists have minimized patient complaints of floaters, but Dr. Ezon recognizes the quality of vision and satisfaction can be affected by floaters. He is here to help. The laser treatment for this condition is called YAG Vitreoablation, or Laser Floater Treatment.

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• Metamorphopsia:

  Metamorphosia is wavy distortion of your vision. Straight lines may be wavy, portions of images may bow inward or outward. It is very important to have a retina specialist evaluate your eye promptly if you are experiencing metamorphopsia. This can indicate a number of conditions where time is critical in successful treatment. Examples of some conditions are macular degeneration, myopic degeneration, epiretinal membrane, central serous retinopathy, retinal detachment.

  Dr. Ezon specializes in the treatment of each of these conditions, and has spent thousands of hours training in medical and surgical retinal disorders. Schedule an appointment promptly for evaluation of distorted vision.

• Eye / Retina Anatomy:

  

  The front of the eye consists of the cornea, iris and lens. These function to focus light on the back of the eye, the retina, which converts light into an electrical stimulus understood by the brain. The optic nerve carries these signals to the appropriate place in the brain.

  The retina is made up of many layers processing the light. The central part of the retina is called the macula and this is where our sharp central vision resides. Diseases like macular degeneration, macular edema and central serous retinopathy affect the macula. Conditions like retinal detachment affect the peripheral and sometimes central retina. Glaucoma affects the optic nerve.

  The middle part of the eye is filled with a clear substance called vitreous. In fetal life this provides support for eye structures such as special blood vessels. But in adulthood the gel serves limited function. It is made up of mostly water, along with strands of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Later in life, the gel tends to degenerate and can cause floaters, or even retinal tears.