Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Pickering

Comprehensive Eye Exams Protect Your Vision

Nearly 1.5 million Canadians have some degree of vision impairment, and an estimated 5.59 million more have an eye disease that can lead to sight loss or blindness. While many eye diseases cause irreversible damage, many treatments prevent vision loss if they are caught early enough.

Routine eye exams are essential for preserving your sight. They allow your optometrist to check your overall ocular health and detect eye diseases in their earliest stages, ensuring swift action and more successful treatments.

At Leet Meldrew Eye Care, we’ve invested in the latest optometric technology to provide you and your family with thorough, accurate exams and diagnoses.

Common Eye Diseases

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve. Because the optic nerve is responsible for transferring visual information from the eyes to the brain, it leads to irreversible vision loss and blindness when it’s damaged.

Unfortunately, most types of glaucoma cause no pain or symptoms in their early stages. This makes eye exams essential for diagnosing glaucoma before damage is extensive.

Learn more about glaucoma on our glaucoma page.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease related to the macula’s progressive deterioration, the part of the retina responsible for central vision. As the name suggests, this disease is often related to the ageing process.

There are 2 types of AMD:

Dry AMD progresses gradually over time. It’s associated with the development of drusen deposits accumulating behind the retina. Dry AMD is the most common type of AMD, accounting for 90% of AMD cases.

Wet AMD is far less common, accounting for only about 10% of AMD cases but is responsible for 90% of all blindness resulting from AMD. It occurs when weak blood vessels suddenly break and leak blood or fluid into the macula. Wet AMD comes on suddenly with severe symptoms. It’s considered a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

Cataracts

Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Often related to the ageing process, cataracts are most often found in those over 60. Despite being one of the most manageable eye diseases, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in Canada.

Learn more about cataracts on our cataracts page.

Diabetic Eye Disease

Diabetes is a systemic disease that causes several complications with the eyes. Diabetes increases your risk of developing glaucoma and cataracts but can also cause diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Early stages of these eye diseases have no symptoms and can lead to vision loss and blindness before you’re aware there is a problem. A comprehensive eye exam can reveal signs of diabetic eye disease and detect and diagnose diabetes, ensuring swift action to prevent sight loss.

Learn more about diabetic eye diseases on our diabetic eye exams page.

Diagnosing & Monitoring Eye Disease

At Leet Meldrew Eye Care, we’ve invested in advanced technology to help us detect, diagnose, and monitor eye diseases.

Our goal is to prevent the progression of these serious diseases and protect your eyesight. Even with an eye disease diagnosis, modern treatments are often successful, allowing you to enjoy many years with healthy vision.

Retinal Photography

Retinal photography uses a specialized low-power microscope with an attached camera to take high-definition images of the eye’s interior surface. With its detailed images of the retina, macula, and optic disc, retinal photography is a useful tool for diagnosing and monitoring many eye diseases.

Visual Field Testing

Visual field testing diagnoses, assesses the severity of, and monitors glaucoma. It evaluates vision loss caused by glaucoma and medical conditions like stroke by mapping your central and peripheral vision.

At Leet Meldrew, we use 2 types of visual field tests: Humphrey and frequency doubling technology.

Heidelberg Retinal Tomography

The Heidelberg Retinal Tomography (HRT) machine is a non-invasive tool used to diagnose, monitor, and manage glaucoma. Using a special laser, the HRT takes 3-dimensional photographs of the optic nerve and retina.

Gonioscopy

Gonioscopy is a non-invasive tool used to check the drainage angle between your iris and cornea. This angle is difficult to see during traditional tests, so a gonioscopy is an essential tool for diagnosing and monitoring various eye conditions.

Book Your Eye Care Appointment

Please book your comprehensive eye exam today, and protect your eyes from vision-threatening eye diseases.

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Where to Find Us

You can find us in the professional building on Kingston Road between Orchard Valley Court and Valley Farm Road. Our office is Suite 214, adjacent to the Pickering YMCA Employment and Community Services.