Making ophthalmology a lot easier with descriptions regarding the most common eye afflictions

Macular degeneration is a condition which affects older adults and results in loss of vision in the macula because of damage to the retina. When it develops the disease can affect vision when reading and recognising faces, however side vision or peripheral vision is usually unaffected. There are two different types of the disease; dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. The former is caused when the cells in the macula degenerate and accumulate behind the retina. Alternatively, wet macular degeneration is classed as the more serious of the two and is caused when blood vessels grow abnormally in the choriocapillaris behind the retina. As the side-effects of the disease can normally be slowed by taking vitamins or mineral supplements surgery of eye is not always the most appropriate treatment method.The technology utilised by ophthalmologists changes depending on the eye condition being treated. In the instance of invasive cornea surgery a Ziemer LDV Femtosecond precision laser will be used. This piece of equipment enables a surgeon to operate on an eye without the need for a blade. Additionally, there is an OCT (Ocular Coherence Tomographer), this is a new form of non-invasive imaging technology to map the shape, size and contours of the eye. Lastly, there are procedures along the lines of Anti-VEGF drugs and Fluorescein angiography for more specialist ailments. These are simply a few choice examples of the procedures and equipment that are currently in use by professional ophthalmologists.In the United Kingdom, there are three institutions that grant postgraduate degrees in ophthalmology. Examples are establishments such as the Royal College of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Glasgow and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. In order to become a qualified ophthalmologist within the UK you will need to hold one of these qualifications. When the postgraduate has passed their course, the majority of the students tend to obtain a placement at the NHS to further their practical skills. In fact, a great number of the larger laser eye specialists offer training programs to help people become entirely qualified ophthalmologists. However, most of the time these are vocational courses, which are taken after acquiring a postgraduate qualification.Despite the facts that many believe cataracts to be a condition that only affects the elderly, it does affect children and young people too. Known as congenital cataracts in the medical field, these cataracts develop before birth or just after. The main feature of the condition includes the clouding of the eye, which can range from milder cases to entire opacity. Near-sightedness (myopia) is one clear symptom as well as difficulty in perceiving the colour blue and a progressive yellowing of the lens. Treatment involves a cataract operation or cataract surgery. Loss of vision and in some cases blindness can occur if left untreated. In older people the lens can shrink and swell.Lasik eye surgery is a style of refractive surgery used to correct hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism. This type of surgery is a clever alternative to wearing glasses and lenses, which the majority of people don't enjoy wearing. The procedure is similar in certain aspects to other corrective surgical alternatives such as photo-refractive keratectomy and >refractive surgery and is therefore a common solution to bad eye sight. It involves surgically remodelling the cornea, in particular reshaping its curvature. There is a small probability that the eye will reject the surgery and revert back to its original state, however any other side effects will be at a minimum.After reading the above descriptions you should now have a deeper understanding of how your eye functions and how to spot the most common eye diseases and conditions.