Useful information on the overall health of your eyes

Macular degeneration is a painless condition which leads to a gradual loss of vision in the centre of the visual field (macula) due to retina damage. As it progresses, macular degeneration usually makes it difficult to recognise faces, however peripheral vision usually remains intact. There are two forms of macular degeneration; dry and wet. The first is caused when the cells in the macula thin and degenerate and this is normally the more common form of the disease. On the other hand, wet macular degeneration is less common and is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina which leads to leakage below the macula. As the progression of the disease can often be slowed by a range of treatments eye surgery is usually is a last-resort.In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, universities can confer ophthalmology degrees. Educational institutions offering these include the Royal College of Glasgow, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Royal College of Edinburgh. In order to become a qualified ophthalmologist within the UK you will need to hold one of these qualifications. Once their post graduate degree has been awarded, nearly all of the students usually obtain a placement within the NHS to develop practical skills and experience. As a matter of fact, a large number of major laser eye specialists run specific programs to help individuals become qualified ophthalmologists. However, these are usually vocational courses which can only be taken after a postgraduate qualification.Plenty of locations have different clinics or surgeries. A lot of specialist eye treatment clinics are based in large cities like London, Glasgow and Birmingham. It makes sense then that laser eye surgery in London could be your ideal solution if looking for eye surgery. Due to their excellent reputation, the clinics will have long waiting lists that you can be added to. This does mean that the the clinic is of the highest standard possible. In several cases, they could be officially or unofficially linked up with registered opticians so a good suggestion is to speak to your own eye optician for their opinion before going to see an eye surgeon.A cornea transplant is needed when a cornea becomes permanently damaged, possibly through disease. If for instance a person develops Fuchs dystrophy (a slow progressing corneal disease that is common in patients in their fifties) or Keratoconus (a disease which causes the cornea to thin and change shape) then a cornea transplant is the final solution. This is where donated corneal tissue is grafted onto a damaged eye to restore the damage caused by the corneal disease, with the graft coming from a deceased donor. cornea transplant or Keratoconus surgery are the last resort for cornea diseases - in 9 out of 10 cases, conditions can easily be treated simply by wearing corrective lenses.The specific technology being used by ophthalmologists will change depending on the eye condition being treated. For an invasive cornea surgical operation a Ziemer LDV Femtosecond precision laser is used. This equipment allows the surgeon to operate on the eye without having to use a blade. There is an OCT (Ocular Coherence Tomographer), which is a new form of non-invasive imaging technology for detailed mapping of the size, shape and contours of the eye. for those that suffer from more complicated conditions there is Anti-VEGF drugs and Fluorescein angiography treatments. These are just some of the equipment and procedures that are currently in use by professional ophthalmologists.Lasik eye surgery is a variety of refractive surgery that helps to fix hyeropia, astigmatism and myopia. Generally this form of surgery is a worthwhile alternative to wearing lenses or glasses, which most people dislike wearing. In some ways the procedure is quite like other surgical corrective procedures such as photo-refractive keratectomy and refractive surgery and is therefore a common solution to bad eye sight. As a procedure, it involves surgical remodelling of the cornea, specifically reshaping its curvature. There are chances that the eye will reject the surgery and progressively revert back to its old condition but other side effects are minimal.Now that you've had the chance to read through the main points of this article you should have a better understanding of the UK's most common eye conditions and diseases. However, if you still don't feel happy with your eye condition, it is definitely a good idea to see a doctor or optician as soon as possible.