Jasmeet Aujla

Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea. The cornea is a clear structure on the front surface of your eye which provides a smooth surface for light to enter the eye. In patients with Keratoconus the cornea starts to bulge forward into a cone like shape, causing the surface to become irregular, and thus leading to a decrease in vision. Keratoconus can be hereditary, or spontaneous (meaning no one in the family has it). It can often be associated with severe eye rubbing especially in patients with atopic or vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Furthermore, keratoconus can be found in combination with inherited retinal diseases such as Retinitis pigmentosa or certain collagen disorders such as Marfans syndrome or Ehlers Danlos syndrome (to name a few). People who have Keratoconus also tend to have large amounts of astigmatism, and may frequently change their glasses prescription. Keratoconus in mild cases can be treated with glasses or soft contact lenses, however, in moderate to severe cases, hard contact lenses are best.

Floaters are fairly normal and common if you have one or two on occasion. The reason is that inside the eye, we have a gel-like fluid that maintains shape and structure of the eye. It is about 99% water and 1% other fibers. As you get older, the gel starts to shrink; as it shrinks, a piece of the fibers can fall off, causing you to see a shadow of the fiber floating around. Near-sighted people are also more likely to have floaters as well because they have a longer eye length in general. Since the eye is more stretched out, it can cause floaters too. If you have a lot of floaters or NEW floaters, floaters with bright, flashing lights in your vision, or a black haze/curtain in your vision, then this could indicate a hole tear or detachment, and you should see an eye doctor and have a comprehensive eye exam as soon as possible.

This appears to be a stye that is infected causing the redness and swelling, this usually requires antibiotics for treatment along with warm compresses. I would recommend seeing an eye doctor as soon as possible to get the proper treatment. In the meantime, highly recommend warm compresses using a clean washcloth with warm water, and gently messaging the eye as much as possible to decrease the swelling.

It's a good thing that you have a follow-up visit, especially with the history of a retinal tear, to ensure there were no additional tears or detachments (I would definitely have someone take a look at it though first). And as long as there are no new holes or tears or detachments, the floaters is normal and it can be present for weeks to months to years (that is also normal and usually after a certain amount of time your brain will adjust and start ignoring the floater, and it won't be as bothersome). If you are still having trouble with the floater after a month or so, discuss it with your eye doctor and there can be a laser treatment done (yag vitreolysis) to break down the floater and improve your vision if needed. Otherwise, the floater can be monitored if it's not bothering you too much.

Eye Strain is a common issue especially with the increased use of computers and screens, we all use them many hours of the day. First you have to make sure you have the right prescription glasses for the computer, because if you are not wearing your eye glasses prescription then that will cause eye strain no matter what you do.
the other thing that can cause eye strain is when we are on the Computer/Screens we don't blink enough. So we have to remember the 20-20-20 rule every 20 min look 20 ft away for 20 sec. This allows a break for your eyes from being to focused and gets you to blink and refresh your eyes. If you have Dry eyes I recommend keeping a bottle of lubrication drops near the computer to use as needed to relieve eye strain.
Finally, blue light from computers/ screens can also cause eye fatigue, especially people who are light sensitive, have blue/light colored eyes, have migraines or TBI's. if you fall into one of these categories you may do well with blue blocking filters in your eyeglasses. Before you spend your money on fancy blue blocking glasses I do recommend changing your computer screen from a blue tint to a yellow tint and see if that helps with eye strain.. if it does then blue blocking glasses will benefit you. (Note there is also a setting on your phone that can do this as well).

We have a few ways to check for cataracts, first we check your vision, (normal is 20/20 ) if you have decreased vision that is not correctable with glasses this could indicate a cataract. Next the doctor will dilate your eyes to allow them to evaluate the lens in your eye. The Lens is like a clear window and as you get older it becomes more yellow and cloudy... causing your vision to decrease, (similar to looking out a dirty window) . If the doctor see's a cataract in the eye then they can suggest to either continue watching it and getting updated glasses (as cataracts are very slow growing and can take time to affect your vision) , or recommend surgery depending on the severity of the cataracts.

One of the first signs you will notice that indicate your cataract is getting worse is difficulty driving at night and bright lights are bothersome (especially car headlights). And if you play golf you can have a hard time seeing the ball.
If you have not had an eye exam in 10 years I highly recommend to do so.

It's recommended to get an eye exam every year.