Eye Disease Diagnosis and Co-Management

It means one team follows your eyes from diagnosis through treatment. We detect and monitor eye disease in-office with OCT, visual field testing and retinal imaging, and treat what can be treated here. When a condition calls for surgery or injections, we refer you to a reputable ophthalmologist, then handle your pre- and post-operative care close to home. You get specialist treatment without losing the doctor who knows your history — and without repeated long drives from the Scranton area or elsewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania for routine follow-ups.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss. It describes a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve, causing gradual vision loss and, if untreated, blindness. It is usually associated with elevated intraocular pressure. Open-angle glaucoma, the most common form, often shows no symptoms until vision has already been lost. Angle-closure glaucoma is the opposite: severe eye pain, blurry vision, nausea and halos around lights come on suddenly and need immediate care.

We check eye pressure at every comprehensive exam and use Humphrey Matrix FDT and SK-850A visual field analysis plus OCT scans of the optic nerve to catch glaucoma early. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, but early treatment can slow or stop its progression.

AMD affects the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision, while side vision usually stays intact. Dry AMD, the more common form, occurs as the macula slowly thins over time. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak fluid or blood, causing faster vision loss.

Early signs include straight lines that look wavy, dark or blank spots in the center of your vision, dull colors, trouble in low light and a growing need for brighter reading light. Risk rises after 50 and with a family history of AMD, smoking, high blood pressure and long-term UV exposure. Depending on the stage, care may include nutritional supplements formulated for specific stages of dry AMD, close monitoring with retinal imaging compared over time, and coordination with retina specialists for anti-VEGF injections or photodynamic therapy when wet AMD develops.

High blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. Over time they can leak, swell or close off — a condition called diabetic retinopathy, one of the leading causes of vision loss in adults. Diabetic macular edema, swelling in the central retina, can follow. The early stages usually cause no pain and no noticeable vision change.

That's why an annual diabetic eye exam is part of good diabetes management even when your blood sugar is well controlled. Our retinal imaging can pick up microaneurysms and small hemorrhages long before you notice anything, and images are compared year to year so we can recommend treatment at the right moment.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens that develops with age, causing dim, hazy or glare-prone vision. When it begins to interfere with daily life, cataract surgery replaces the cloudy lens with a clear artificial one. We don't perform the surgery, but we co-manage it: we refer you to a reputable eye surgeon, handle your pre-operative evaluation, and provide your post-operative care in Old Forge or Clarks Summit.

Not every vision problem is a disease. These common refractive errors are diagnosed during a comprehensive exam and corrected with glasses, contact lenses or, in some cases, LASIK:

Seasonal allergies cause itchy, red, watery eyes that are often mistaken for dry eye — and the two frequently overlap. During peak allergy season, keep windows closed, wear sunglasses outdoors as a barrier against airborne allergens, wash bedding in hot water and wash your hands often. Resist rubbing your eyes; it makes symptoms worse. If a flare-up won't settle, schedule a visit and we'll sort out allergy from dry eye and treat accordingly.