Definition:
Retinopathy is a disease of the retina (the nerve layer that lines the back of your eye). It is the part of your eye that “takes pictures” and sends the images to your brain. Many people with diabetes get retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to poor vision and even blindness. Most of the time, it gets worse over many years. At first, the blood vessels in the eye get weak. This can lead to blood and other liquid leaking into the retina from the blood vessels. This is the most common kind of retinopathy.

Definition:
Glaucoma is a condition where the intra-ocular pressure of the eye causes damage to the optic nerve, resulting in the loss of peripheral vision (side), contrast vision, color vision, and blurred sight. Glaucoma tends to be more common among adults over the age of 40 years of age and is more common among those who have family members with glaucoma. Glaucoma is a progressive disease and patients with uncontrolled glaucoma can become totally blind. Fortunately, treatments can slow the progression of vision loss. It is more prevalent among African-Americans.

Definition:
Macular degeneration is the progressive deterioration of a critical region of the retina called the macula. The macula is a 3-5 mm area in the retina that is responsible for central vision. This disorder leads to irreversible loss of central vision, although peripheral vision (side) is retained. In the early stages, vision may be gray, hazy, or distorted.

 

Definition:
Optic Nerve Atrophy (ONA) is a permanent visual impairment caused by damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve functions like a cable carrying information from the eye to be processed by the brain. The optic nerve is comprised of over a million small nerve fibers (axons). When some of these nerve fibers are damaged through disease, the brain doesn’t receive complete vision information and sight becomes blurred. A person’s ability to see clearly (visual acuity) is affected due to nerve damage that occurs in the central part of the retina responsible for detail and color vision (macula). These areas of the eye are more vulnerable to the effects of atrophy. ONA is the end result of damage to the optic nerve. It can affect one or both eyes. It may also be progressive, depending on the cause.