Eye Care Services

• General Eye Exams
• Treatment of Eye Injuries
• Diabetic Eye Care
• Glaucoma Treatment
• Dry Eyes
• Floaters and Flashers
• Blepharitis

General Eye Exams

During a comprehensive eye exam, your doctor will determine if you need any vision correction with eyeglasses or contact lenses. You will be checked for diseases and conditions of the eye, such as glaucoma and cataracts, which can cause a range of problems from blurry vision to blindness.

Did you know there's more to an eye exam than vision correction? Your eyes reveal more about your health than you know and, to your eye doctor, your eyes are windows to your overall health. Many illnesses show their earliest signs in the eyes and many diseases can affect your vision. While you’re being examined, your eye doctor will look for signs of hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, high cholesterol, high stroke risk and even early signs of Multiple Sclerosis.

Treatment of Eye Injuries

Eye injuries can range from something as simple as a small particle embedded in your eye, to industrial injuries or injuries sustained in an automobile accident. At Michael Callahan & Associates, our doctors are trained to handle all types of injuries. In case of an eye injury emergency, go directly to or call the Callahan Eye Foundation Emergency Room at (205) 325-8254.

Diabetic Eye Care

Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It affects half of the 14 million Americans with diabetes.

At first, you may notice no changes in your vision. But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse over the years and threaten your good vision. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) is the federal government's lead agency for vision research. The NEI urges all people with diabetes to have an eye examination through dilated pupils at least once a year.

Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma is a disease that causes high levels of pressure inside the eye due to failure of the eye to regulate its own internal pressure and is one of the leading causes of blindness. It is a disease of the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the pathway that carries the images we see to the brain. If left untreated, the disease can destroy the optic nerve leading to a loss of vision.

To date, with proper medical care, glaucoma may be treated and controlled. Since most people with glaucoma experience no noticeable symptoms, an eye examination, including specialized testing, is the most important tool in preventing vision loss from the disease.

Dry Eyes

Dry eye is the term used to describe eyes that do not produce enough tears or tears with the proper chemical composition. Dry eye is most often a result of your eyes’ natural aging process. Most people’s eyes tend to become drier as they age, but the degree of dryness varies and some people have more problems than others. Of course, there are other factors that can lead to dry eyes including certain medications, environmental factors and problems with normal blinking.

If untreated, dry eye can be more than just irritating or uncomfortable. Excessive dry eye can make contact lens wear more difficult or damage eye tissue and possibly scar the cornea, the transparent front covering of the eye, impairing vision.

Unfortunately, dry eye cannot be cured, but your eye’s sensitivity can be lessened and treatment prescribed by your eye doctor will help your eyes remain healthy and insure your vision is not affected.

Floaters and Flashers

Floaters, sometimes called spots, are small cloudy particles that float within the vitreous, the clear, jelly-like fluid that fills the inner portion of your eyes. Floaters are usually harmless and generally look like translucent specks of various shapes and sizes. Floaters become visible when they fall within the line of sight and cast a shadow on the retina.

There are a number of possible causes for floaters. They may be small flecks of protein or other matter that were trapped during the formation of your eyes before birth or may be caused by deterioration of the vitreous fluid as part of the natural ageing process.

Flashes or streaks of light can be symptoms or signs of vitreous or retinal detachment and should be quickly seen by your eye doctor since retinal detachment can result in severe vision loss.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a chronic or long-term inflammation of the eyelids and eyelashes and can affect people of all ages. It may appear as greasy flakes around the base of the eyelashes and as a mild redness of the eyelid. It may also result in formation of chalazia, which are nodules on the eyelid. Acute infection of the eyelids can result in a sty.

Blepharitis is usually not serious, but if left untreated, can be very uncomfortable, unattractive and lead to more serious problems. Your eye doctor will determine the cause and recommend the right treatment specifically for you.

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