Eye Disease Specialist

Eye Disease services offered in Encino, Santa Clarita and Palmdale, CA

Eye disease can stem from problems local to your eyes or other health conditions like diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). At Wide Eye Optometry, with offices in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, and Palmdale, California, dedicated eye doctor Mary Demirjian, OD, can diagnose and manage eye conditions of all types using a variety of advanced innovations. Call the nearest office or click the online booking tool to schedule your appointment today.

Eye Disease Q & A

What is an eye disease?

Eye diseases are a large group of conditions that affect how your eye functions. The diseases can occur when you have a chronic disease, such as diabetes, or when you have issues like consistently high blood pressure.

Eye diseases can also occur when you encounter irritants, allergens, or other substances that irritate your eyes.

What are the types of diabetic eye diseases?

Diabetic eye disease is a group of conditions that can affect people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, in which the retina (the tiny blood vessels in the back of the eyes) sustains serious damage due to long-term high blood sugar.

People with diabetes are also much more likely to develop diabetic macular edema, which occurs with swelling in the part of your retina (the macula) that controls reading and other fine-detail tasks. If you have diabetes, you’re much more likely to develop cataracts and glaucoma.

What are some other common eye diseases?

There are several common eye diseases that Dr. Demirjian regularly treats at Wide Eye Optometry, including:

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, also called pink eye, occurs when the protective cover over your eyeball (the conjunctiva) and the inner eyelid grow irritated. Pink eye usually happens because of a virus, bacteria, or allergies. It can also occur because of a foreign object in your eye or direct contact with other types of irritants.

Milder cases of pink eye usually go away within a few weeks. However, if left untreated, it may worsen and lead to chronic corneal inflammation and vision problems.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma usually happens when intraocular (in-eye) fluid levels grow too high. This causes an increase in pressure inside your eye and damages the optic nerve, the main nerve responsible for eyesight.

Glaucoma can develop very slowly and may not show symptoms until it’s in its later stages. Early detection and regular glaucoma monitoring can help to prevent vision loss.

Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration occurs with damage in your macula. Dry macular degeneration isn’t treatable at this time.

But with early identification of dry macular degeneration, predictive genetic testing, and healthy lifestyle changes, you can minimize the risk of the disease moving into the more severe form (wet macular degeneration).

Cataracts

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens that covers your eye. They usually occur as the eyes change with age. You can slow cataract progression with early diagnosis. If cataracts disrupt vision significantly, cataract surgery can restore your eyesight.

Depending on your eye condition, Dr. Demirjian develops a custom treatment plan that aligns with your vision needs.

For help with eye disease or other eye problems, call the nearest Wide Eye Optometry office or book your appointment online.

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