Retina Exam

The retina is the back part of the eye that contains the macula. The macula is the portion of the eye that is most responsible for vision. A damaged macula can lead to blindness through a disease called macular degeneration. Typically, this is a progressive disease that afflicts aging eyes. It comes in two forms – dry and wet. Often patients notice that normally straight lines appear wavy, although this may happen in only one eye, so it can be difficult to notice. A sudden loss or dramatic change in vision should be examined immediately by a physician.

Wet and dry macular degeneration

Dry macular degeneration is usually detected during a routine dilated eye exam by detecting the presence of drusen. Drusen is similar to the age spots you find on your skin and resemble dry patches on the back of the eye. Many people live with dry macular degeneration for many years with no problems. Wet macular degeneration also occurs in the back of the eye and is detected as a hemorrhage or blood leakage in the back of the eye. Excessive tears are not related to wet macular degeneration.  This disorder usually comes on quickly and results in nearly instant vision loss. Fortunately there are many treatments today that can stop or even sometimes reverse the outcome of wet macular degeneration. If necessary, retinal photography can be performed at West Coast Eye Care.

There are a variety of retina problems that can be diagnosed from a routine eye exam, such as retinal detachments, retinal tears and diabetic retinopathy. If any of these diseases are found, a referral to a retina specialist will be given.