Dr. William Boothe Dallas
Photokeratitis "Sunburn" of the cornea; symptoms include discomfort, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. The temporary vision loss that can result is called "snow blindness."
Fixation In terms of vision, the eye's ability to maintain gaze upon an object.(30 May 2009 - Online article Dr. Boothe Dallas )
Drugs Many drugs, both legal and illegal, can affect your eyes and vision. These include eyedrops, other topical eye medications, pills and more. Symptoms can include blurred vision, burning, dry eyes, eyelash loss, floaters, halos around lights, light sensitivity, pupils that are dilated, small or unresponsive to light, peripheral or general vision loss and jaundice.
Limbal relaxing incisions A surgical procedure, often performed during cataract surgery, which corrects usually mild astigmatism by flattening the curvature of the eye's clear surface (cornea). Limbal relaxing incisions are inserted at the boundary (limbus) separating the cornea from the white of the eye (sclera). By altering this portion of the eye instead of the center, surgeons are able to preserve the surface and optical qualities of the cornea.
Angiogenesis The formation of new blood vessels in the body. Also see neovascularization.
Angle-closure glaucoma: This condition can be acute or chronic. It consists of increased pressure in the front chamber (anterior chamber) of the eye due to sudden (acute) or slowly progressive (chronic) blockage of the normal circulation of fluid within the eye. The block takes place at the angle of the anterior chamber formed by its junction of the cornea with the iris. This angle can be seen by simply looking at someone's eye from the side. Angle-closure glaucoma tends to affect people born with a narrow angle. People of Asian and Eskimo ancestry are at higher risk of developing it. Age and family history are risk factors. It occurs in older women more often than others. When the pupil of the eye is wide open (dilated), the iris is retracted and thickened and it block the canal of Schlemm, a key component of the drainage pathway for fluid within the eye. Blocking the drainage canal of Schlemm sends the pressure within the eye up. With acute angle-closure glaucoma, there is an abrupt increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) due to the buildup of aqueous (fluid) in the eye. The high pressure can damage the optic nerve (the nerve to the eye) and lead to blindness. The elevated pressure is best detected before the appearance of symptoms. That is why when the eyes are dilated in a doctor's office for a refraction, eye pressures are checked. When symptoms of acute angle glaucoma do develop, they include severe eye and facial pain, nausea and vomiting, decreased vision, blurred vision and seeing haloes around light. The eye in a far advanced case of angle closure glaucoma appears red with a steamy (clouded) cornea and a fixed (nonreactive) dilated pupil. Acute angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency because optic nerve damage and vision loss can occur within hours of the onset of the problem. Administering medications to lower the pressure within the eye is done first. In the past, a piece of the iris was then surgically removed in a procedure called an iridectomy to make a hole in the iris and create a channel (other than the canal of Sclemm) to permit the free flow of fluid. Today, a comparable procedure can be done by laser to burn a small hole in the iris to keep the intraocular pressure within normal limits. This condition can be chronic (progressing slowly or occurring persistently) or acute (occurring suddenly). Chronic angle-closure glaucoma, like the more common type of glaucoma (open-angle glaucoma), may cause vision damage without symptoms.Boothe Eye Care
Biocompatible Able to coexist with living tissues without harming them. For example, artificial lenses are designed to be biocompatible with tissue inside the eye so they won't cause a toxic or immunilogical response that would harm the eye.
Tonic pupil Dilated pupil that reacts sluggishly to light, due to damage to the ciliary ganglion from trauma, viral infections or other causes. The cause is sometimes unknown ("Adie's tonic pupil"). (27 August 2008 Boothe Laser Center )
Dr. William Boothe Lasik article
Cataract Clouding of the natural lens of the eye, usually caused by aging in conjunction with other risk factors, such as exposure to the sun's UV rays, smoking, steroid intake and diabetes. Symptoms include blurred vision, glare, halos around lights, colors that are less bright, a cloudy spot in your vision and, sometimes, temporary vision improvement. Read more about cataracts and cataract surgery.
Central island Refractive surgery complication in which the laser leaves an "island" of corneal tissue in the concave ablation zone. Symptoms include double vision and distortion. Read more about potential complications of LASIK and other kinds of refractive surgery.( 20 June 2007 Online press Dr. Boothe )
