Pseudotumor cerebri is a condition in which high cerebrospinal fluid pressure inside your head can cause problems with vision and headache. The term "pseudotumor" (false tumor), comes from the days before imaging studies, when doctors who noted swelling of the optic disc considered the possibility of...
Toxoplasmosis is a common parisitic infection. When contracted by a pregnant woman, toxoplasmosis can pose serious risks to the unborn child. Simple precautions can reduce the chance of infection. Toxoplasmosis affects the retina, the light sensitive cells lining the back of the eye. Both eyes are...
Low Vision There are several ways to cope with AMD. To help you adapt to lower vision levels, your ophthalmologist can prescribe optical devices or refer you to a low vision specialist in your area. There is a wide range or support devices and rehabilitation programs available...
One's first encounter with the herpes zoster virus is usually childhood chicken pox. Later in life, the virus may reactivate, causing a characteristic rash of small blisters, frequently on the chest or forehead, which form crusts and may leave scars. This second encounter is known...
BRVO blocks small veins in the retina, the layer of light sensing cells at the back of the eye. If the blocked retinal veins are ones that nourish the macula, the part of the retina responsible for straight ahead vision, some central vision is lost....
Myopic degeneration is an uncommon condition characterized by progressive stretching of the eye that damages the retina, the layer of light sensitive cells that lines the back of the eye. People with severe nearsightedness (high myopia) are at greater risk for myopic degeneration. Myopic degeneration commonly...
Epiphora is an overflow of tears, either because too many tears are produced or because the tears are not draining properly. Excess tears give the eye a moist appearance, and can collect along the border of the lower lid and overflow onto the cheek. Small glands,...
The thyroid gland, located in the front of the neck, produces hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism. In a small number of people, the thyroid gland malfunctions and produces more hormones than the body needs. This is called hyperthyroidism, or Graves' disease. The overproduction of thyroid...
A pituitary tumor is a benign or non-cancerous growth overgrowth of cells that make up the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is the master gland located at the base of the brain that regulates other hormone glands in the body. The pituitary gland is responsible for...
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes a breakdown of the body's immune system. The immune system fights off illness and infection and is essential to maintaining a healthy body. Once HIV is present in the body, it attacks important white blood cells in...