EYECARE OF KONA

FAMILY EYE CARE
DR. JOHN M. TSUE, O.D. INC.
Serving Kona Since 1979

(808) 329-5253

Panel Doctor
L A S E R   E Y E   C E N T E R
O F   H A W A I I
Kuakini Tower Building Suite 212
eyecare@eyecareofkona.com

What is nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a vision condition in which you see close objects clearly but cannot see distant ones as clearly.

What is farsightedness?
Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a vision condition in which distant objects are usually seen clearly but close ones appear blurred.

What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a vision condition that occurs when the front surface of your eye (cornea) is slightly irregular in shape, resulting in vision being blurred at all distances.

What is presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a vision condition that occurs when the crystalline lens of the eye gradually loses its ability to bring close objects into clear focus. It usually becomes noticeable when you reach your early- to mid-forties and is a natural part of aging.

How are these vision conditions treated?
Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are all treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, and in some cases, vision therapy.

What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia (lazy eye) is the loss or lack of the full development of vision in one eye that is not fully correctable with lenses and is not the result of any identifiable eye health problem. Amblyopia is usually due to conditions such as crossed-eyes (strabismus) or a large difference in the refractive error between the two eyes.

How is amblyopia treated?
In young children, patching the good eye may help the amblyopic eye to improve. In older children and adults, other vision therapy techniques may be used.

What are crossed-eyes?
Strabismus (crossed-eyes) is a vision condition in which your eyes are not properly aligned with each other. One or both eyes may turn in (esotropia), out (exotropia), up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia).

How are crossed-eyes treated?
Treatment of crossed-eyes often includes use of eyeglasses, prisms and vision therapy. In extreme cases, surgery may be needed.

What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease in which the fluid pressure in your eyeball increases and damages the optic nerve. This damage can cause severe vision loss and even blindness, if untreated.

How is glaucoma treated? Glaucoma can be effectively treated with prescription eye drops or other medicines which reduce the pressure in the eye. In some cases, surgery may be needed.

What are cataracts?
If the normally clear lens in your eye becomes cloudy, it is called a cataract. As the lens becomes cloudy, vision becomes blurred and/or distorted.

How are cataracts treated?
Eyeglasses or contact lenses can be prescribed to provide clear vision until cataracts develop to the point that they impair vision. Then they need to be removed surgically. During this surgery, an intraocular lens implant is usually inserted to replace your natural lens. However, contact lenses or eyeglasses are also often still needed to fully restore vision.

What is conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, transparent layer covering the surfaces of your inner eyeball and a portion of the front of your eyeball. The three main types are infectious (pink eye), allergic and chemical.

How is conjunctivitis treated?
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat the infectious forms. The ideal treatment for allergic and chemical forms is to remove the cause of the inflammation. If that is not possible, prescription and nonprescription eye drops are available to help relieve the discomfort.