GLAUCOMA

One of the things we look at when we dilate the eye is the optic nerve cupping.  It's the white area in the middle of the optic nerve in the photo below.  The smaller the white area the less the risk for glaucoma.  As pressure damages the optic nerve, the white area grows and your peripheral vision decreases until you're blind.  The 2nd photo shows an eye with glaucoma.  Note the absence of pink area inferiorly.  

CATARACT

The top photo shows a lens with no cataract and the bottom shows one with a thick nuclear cataract. 

COLD SORE ON THE EYE!

Herpes Simplex Virus resides in the nerve centers of about 95% of the population.  It is responsible for cold sores on the lips.  When it activates in the eye, it can cause discomfort, decreased vision, pain, light sensitivity, and watering.  HSV can reactivate during periods of stress or with extreme exposure to sunlight. 

When HSV activates on the eye, we treat it with antivirals and watch very carefully for scarring and secondary inflammatory damage.  It can be very serious and even cause blindness if mismanaged.