Diseases & Conditions

Age-related macular degeneration is an eye condition that leads to the deterioration of the center of the retina, called the macula, leading to loss of central vision.

Eye allergies are a condition when the eyes react to an irritant or allergen, making them red, itchy, tearful and swollen.

Lazy eye is poor vision in an eye that did not develop normal sight during childhood. Lazy eye is also called amblyopia.

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of your cornea — the clear, round dome covering the eye’s iris and pupil — or in the shape of the eye’s lens, causing blurry or distorted vision.

Bacterial keratitis is an infection of the cornea, often due to improper care and cleaning of contact lenses or from injury to the cornea.

Bell's palsy is a temporary condition that causes certain muscles in your face to weaken or become paralyzed.

A black eye is bruising around the eye due to an injury to the face or head.

Blepharitis is inflammation (swelling) of the eyelids, where the upper and lower eyelids become coated with oily particles and bacteria near the base of the eyelashes. Blepharitis causes irritation, itchiness, redness, and stinging or burning of the eye.

A blocked tear duct is when the eye’s drainage system for tears is either partially or completely obstructed. Tears cannot drain normally, causing a watery, irritated or chronically infected eye.

Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s normally clear lens, causing vision problems.

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of tissue that can affect both the eyes and skin.

A chalazion is a lump on the eyelid caused by enlarged oil-producing gland in the eyelid. A stye is also a lump on the eyelid, usually caused by an infected eyelash follicle.

Conjunctivitis is swelling of the conjunctiva — the thin, filmy membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids and the white part of your eye (sclera).

The most common infection related to contact lens use is keratitis, an infection of the cornea (the clear, round dome covering the eye's iris and pupil).

Corneal abrasion is a scratch or scrape on the eye’s cornea.

Corneal laceration is a cut on the cornea.

A healthy, clear cornea is necessary for good vision. Scars, swelling or an irregular shape can cause the cornea to scatter or distort light, resulting in glare or blurry vision.

A corneal ulcer is an open sore on the cornea.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common diabetic eye disease caused by changes in retinal blood vessels.

Dry eye is a condition where the eyes don’t produce enough tears or the right quality of tears to be healthy or comfortable.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) is a refractive error, which means the eye does not bend or refract light properly. With hyperopia, distant objects look clear but close objects appear blurred.

Floaters are shadows cast on the eye’s retina from clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous. Flashes are flashes of light that you see when the vitreous gel pulls or rubs the retina.

Fuchs’ dystrophy is a progressive eye disease affecting the cornea, causing certain cells to deteriorate and die off, making corneal cells swollen and cloudy.

Fungal keratitis is an infection of the cornea, often due to improper care and cleaning of contact lenses or from injury to the cornea.

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve.

Herpes keratitis is a viral infection of the eye caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Type I HSV is the most frequent cause of eye infections.

A hyphema is a collection of blood in the front part of the eye.

Keratoconus is a condition when the normally round cornea becomes thin and develops a cone-like bulge.

Low vision is a loss of eyesight that makes everyday tasks difficult or impossible, affecting central and/or peripheral (side) vision. Low vision cannot be improved with regular eyeglasses, medicine or surgery.

Macular edema is a swelling or thickening of the macula, the area of the retina responsible for central vision.

Macular hole is a small break in the macula, the central area of the retina that is responsible for central vision.

A macular pucker is when the macula—part of the eye’s retina—wrinkles, creases or bulges, leading to blurry or distorted vision and possibly a blind spot in your visual field.

Microvascular cranial nerve palsy (MCNP) is a neurological condition that affects the muscles that move the eyes, causing inability to move the eyes in certain directions, double vision and sometimes a droopy eyelid.

Classic migraine starts with visual symptoms such as zigzag lines, colored lights or flashes of light expanding to one side of your vision over 10 to 30 minutes, followed by a single-sided pounding, severe headache. Along with the headache, you may have nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. Common migraine may cause only a headache felt on both sides of the head.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a refractive error, which means the eye does not bend or refract light properly. With myopia, close objects look clear but distant objects appear blurred.

A nevus (plural, nevi) in the eye is a common, benign, pigmented growth, similar to a mole on your skin.

Nystagmus is an involuntary, rapid and repetitive movement of the eyes — either side-to-side, up and down or vertical.

Ocular hypertension is when the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) is higher than normal. Unlike glaucoma, with ocular hypertension the optic nerve appears normal and no signs of glaucoma are found during visual field testing, which tests side (peripheral) vision.

Ocular melanoma (also called eye melanoma) is a type of cancer that develops in the cells that produce pigment — the substance that gives your skin, hair and eyes color.

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the eye’s optic nerve.

Pinguecula and Pterygium are common, non-cancerous growths on the cornea and conjunctiva likely caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, dry eye and wind and dust.

Pink eye (called conjunctivitis) is swelling of the conjunctiva — the thin, filmy membrane that covers the inside of your eyelids and the white part of your eye (sclera).

Presbyopia is an age-related condition when the eye’s lens doesn’t change shape as easily as it once did, making it more difficult to read or see things at close range.

Ptosis is when the upper eyelid droops, sometimes restricting or blocking vision.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic disorders that affect the retina’s ability to respond to light, causing a slow loss of vision.

Retinoblastoma is cancer of the eye that begins in the retina, and is most common among children.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease that occurs in a small percentage of premature babies where abnormal blood vessels grow on the retina.

Strabismus is a visual problem in which the eyes are not aligned properly and point in different directions. One eye may look straight ahead, while the other eye turns inward, outward, upward or downward.

A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a single, concentrated spot of blood, or many scattered blood splotches, under the conjunctiva, a clear membrane that covers the white of the eye (called the sclera) and the inner eyelids.

A torn retina is when the retina tears in one or more places. A detached retina is when the retina is lifted off the wall of the back of the eye.

Eyelid spasm or twitching, which is also called blepharospasm, is an abnormal, involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids.

Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye between the retina and the sclera (white of the eye), and can lead to vision loss if left untreated.