I have to wear contact lenses or I can't see a thing. I spent a lot of time making sure the contact lenses were hard to detect, but recently I've started getting some tinted contact lenses. It's actually really cool that I can make subtle shifts in my eye colour. It's funny when I see that people can tell there is something a bit funny or different with my appearance and they can't always tell what has changed. My optometrist is great about showing me new products and ideas that come out that might suit my prescription because he knows I'm always up for new things.
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CMV (cytomegalovirus) retinitis is an eye condition that anyone can develop, but those with a weakened immune system are more likely to develop it than the general population. It's a type of viral infection that can alter your vision by causing inflammation and cell debris to develop around the retina. The retina receives light from the front of your eye and transmits signals to your brain to allow images to be processed, so CMV retinitis can interfere with this pathway and lead to processed images being skewed. Learn about the signs of CMV retinitis and how the condition is treated.
Signs of CMV Retinitis
Common signs of CMV retinitis include persistent blurred vision and eye floaters and flashes, which occur due to cell debridement at the back of the eye. It's also common to experience loss of peripheral vision, which can make it difficult to sense motion, and you may find yourself being a little clumsy and bumping into objects. If early signs of CMV retinitis are ignored, the optic nerve at the back of your eye can become damaged due to increasing retinal inflammation and your retina can detach, which can lead to permanent loss of vision.
Treating CMV Retinitis
CMV retinitis can be diagnosed with a visit to your optometrist. As part of your eye exam, they will use an ophthalmoscope to view the retina and surrounding tissues at the back of your eyes. With the magnified images produced by the ophthalmoscope, they will be able to detect cell damage and inflammation, and they will also be able to identify whether the retina is beginning to detach.
Although there is no cure, once diagnosed, CMV retinitis can be treated with anti-viral drugs to prevent further damage from occurring. Medication may be given in the form of an intravenous infusion or an eye implant, which requires eye surgery to secure it in place and delivers measured doses of medication to keep inflammation down and symptoms at bay. An implant can last for several months and the procedure can be carried out using a local anesthetic. If your retina is beginning to detach, your eye doctor may also recommend laser surgery to secure the retina in place. This procedure can save your sight and is carried out as a day case.
If you're experiencing persistent visual disturbances and changes to your peripheral vision, speak with your optometrist. An eye test doesn't take long and can tell you quite a bit about your eye health, so it's best to address problems before serious damage to your sight occurs.
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