Amblyopia is reduced vision that occurs when an eye does not develop normal sight during early childhood. It is also called lazy eye. Continue reading →

An intraocular lens (IOL) is a tiny, lightweight, clear acrylic disk placed in the eye during cataract surgery. An IOL replaces the focusing power of the eye’s natural lens. Continue reading →

Light rays focus through your lens on the retina, a layer of light sensitive cells at the back of the eye. Similar to film, the retina allows the image to be "seen" by the brain. But over time the lens can become cloudy and prevent light rays from passing clearly through the lens. This cloudy lens is called a cataract. Continue reading →

A YAG laser capsulotomy is a procedure in which an eye surgeon makes a small opening in the capsule of your eye. The capsule is the thin, clear membrane that holds the lens in place. Continue reading →

The Crystalens® is an FDA-approved intraocular lens for the visual correction of adults with cataracts (clouded lenses) with or without presbyopia, or lenses that have aged or become more rigid. Continue reading →

Until recently, life without reading glasses or bifocals was not an option for most cataract patients. You now have an option! The AcrySof® ReSTOR® IOL is a unique technological innovation that can provide you with quality vision throughout the entire visual spectrum near through distance with increased independence from reading glasses or bifocals! Continue reading →

High blood sugar levels damage small blood vessels. The weakened blood vessels may break and leak fluid and blood. Also, new abnormal blood vessels may grow. These new blood vessels can bleed, cause cloudy vision, and destroy the retina. The longer you have had diabetes, the more likely you are to have retinopathy. Continue reading →

Allergic conjunctivitis is an allergic reaction on the surface of the eyes. It is a very common condition that occurs when your eyes come in contact with allergy-causing substances (allergens). Pollen, cat dander, and smoke are examples of allergens. Continue reading →

Blepharitis is inflammation of the edges of the eyelids. They look crusty, flaky, and often red. This condition is very common. Another name for it is granulated eyelids. It does not usually affect your eyesight. Continue reading →

A chalazion is a small lump in the eyelid. It is similar to a stye, which is an infection of the edge of the eyelid caused by bacteria. However, a chalazion is away from the edge and is usually not caused by bacteria. Continue reading →

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the outer layer of the cornea. The cornea is the clear outer layer on the front of the eye. Corneal abrasions can be very painful. Continue reading →

Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which your eyes do not produce enough tears or the tears do not have the normal chemical makeup. Another name for dry eye syndrome is keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Continue reading →

Excessive tearing is a condition in which tears spill out of your eyes even though you are not crying. Excessive tearing is also called watering eye or epiphora. Continue reading →

Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) is eye irritation that can develop when you wear contact lenses. Continue reading →

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the clear membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the white of the eye. Conjunctivitis is sometimes called pink eye Continue reading →

Here at West Boca Eye Center, we do not want you to suffer because of an emergency eye problem. As a result, we do our best to accommodate add on Emergency visits during office hours

So if you find yourself with any of the following eye emergencies, please do not hesitate to call us immediately – even if it happens to be after-hours or on the weekend:

• New-onset red, painful eye
• Foreign body in the eye
• Cuts or scratches in and around the eye
• New floaters or flashes of light
• Loss or acute change of vision

Continue reading →

Chemical burns to the eyes are a medical emergency. Follow these steps if you get a chemical in your eyes.

• Immediately flush the eye with water by holding your head under the faucet or by pouring water into your eye from a clean container. Keep your eye open while flushing with water.
• Continue flushing out your eye for 15 to 30 minutes.
• After you flush your eye out, call West Boca Eye Center or have someone take you to the emergency department or urgent care center. Chemicals can continue to do eye damage for days to months after ocular exposure.

Continue reading →

Herpes simplex is a disease caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Type 1 HSV often produces painful, fluid-filled blisters on the skin or other tissues. Cold sores and fever blisters are caused by this form of HSV. Continue reading →

Herpes zoster, also called shingles, is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the virus that causes chickenpox. Sometimes, many years after you have had chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus becomes active again and causes shingles. Continue reading →

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a life-threatening illness caused by infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV attacks the body’s immune system. Then the immune system cannot protect the body against infections and tumors. Continue reading →

Blepharospasm is forceful, uncontrollable closing of the eyelids. Often it affects both eyes, but it can affect only one. As the condition worsens, the blinking or winking occurs more often. The eyelids can be closed for longer than a normal blinking reflex, which may cause vision problems. Continue reading →

Headaches are a very common health problem. They can have many different causes. Sometimes, but not usually, eye problems are a cause. Continue reading →

A migraine headache is a special kind of headache that can last for hours to days. It can cause intense pain as well as other symptoms, such as feeling sick to your stomach or having changes in your vision. Continue reading →

Thyroid eye disorders are eye problems that may occur when the thyroid gland does not produce the normal amount of thyroid hormone. Continue reading →

An ocular migraine is a temporary problem with your vision that is usually, but not always, painless. You may lose some of your vision for a few minutes. You may see colors, zigzags of light, and bright spots or lines that float slowly across your field of vision. Ocular migraines are almost always harmless, but need to be checked urgently and thoroughly to rule out other, more dangerous reasons for the visual disturbances. Continue reading →

As we age, the delicate skin around our eyes can appear puffy or saggy. Eyelid skin stretches, muscles weaken, and the normal deposits of protective fat around the eye bulge. The surgical procedure which Drs. Bellotte use to remove excess eyelid tissues (skin, muscle, or fat) is called blepharoplasty Continue reading →

A pingueculum is a growth on the conjunctiva (the thin mucus membrane that coats the outside of the eyeball). The growth looks like a thickened area of tissue and is often cream-colored. It may contain yellow fibers and clear crystals. Usually it grows from the corner of your eye and stops before reaching the cornea (the clear, outer layer of your eye that covers the iris and pupil). Continue reading →

Ptosis is drooping of the upper eyelid. The lid may droop slightly or it may cover the pupil (the dark center of the eye). One or both eyelids may be affected. Continue reading →

Argon laser trabeculoplasty is a common procedure used to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged, usually by high pressure inside the eye. Eye pressure can become too high if you have a problem with the drainage of fluid from your eye. Damage to the optic nerve can cause a loss of vision. Continue reading →

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged. This damage is often associated with elevated eye pressure. The damage can lead to a loss of vision. However, early treatment can prevent blindness. If you need treatment, your eye doctor may recommend medication and possibly surgery to reduce the pressure in one or both eyes. Continue reading →

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye that carries the images we see from the eye to the brain. The optic nerve is made up of many nerve fibers (like an electric cable containing numerous wires). Glaucoma damages nerve fibers, which can cause blind spots in our vision and vision loss to develop. Continue reading →

If you live with unwanted hair on your upper lip, chin, under arms, bikini area, back, legs, or other areas, you may find permanent relief to your problem through pulsed light hair removal. Continue reading →

If you live with unwanted hair, sunspots, spider veins, rosacea, and scars, you may be surprised to find out that these conditions can all be treated with the same light-based technology. Continue reading →

If you live with unwanted hair, sunspots, spider veins, rosacea, and scars, you may be surprised to find out that these conditions can all be treated with the same light-based technology. Continue reading →

LASIK is a type of eye surgery to reduce nearsightedness and sometimes astigmatism and farsightedness. LASIK is the abbreviation for laser in situ keratomileusis. In this procedure an eye doctor removes very thin layers of tissue from the cornea. The cornea is the clear dome on the front of the eye. Continue reading →

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a type of eye surgery to reduce nearsightedness (when you have trouble seeing distant objects clearly) and sometimes farsightedness (trouble seeing close objects clearly) and astigmatism (blurred vision at any distance). In this procedure an eye doctor removes very thin layers of tissue from the cornea. The cornea is the clear dome on the front of the eye. Continue reading →

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease caused by damage or breakdown of the macula, the small part of the eye’s retina that is responsible for central vision. This condition affects both distance and close vision and can make some activities -like threading a needle or reading- very difficult or impossible. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 65. Continue reading →

Retinal detachment is separation of the retina from the layer of blood vessels (the choroid) underneath it. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Continue reading →

Retinal holes and tears are small breaks in the retina. The retina is light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Usually holes and tears do not mean you will have serious vision problems right away. However, retinal holes and tears may cause problems if they allow fluid to seep behind the retina. If a lot of fluid gets behind the retina, the retina can separate from the wall of the eye. Continue reading →

Bifocal contact lenses are lenses that provide correction for both near vision and far vision. Continue reading →

Color blindness is a vision problem that makes it hard to tell the difference between certain colors. If you are color blind, it usually does not mean you see everything in black and white or shades of gray. Full color blindness is very rare. Most color-blind people have trouble with just 1 or 2 colors. The colors they have the most difficulty telling the difference between are red and green. Shades of red and green might look brownish to a color-blind person. Continue reading →

An eye exam is the way an ophthalmologist tests your vision and eye health. Your vision will be checked to see if you need glasses or contact lenses. Dr. Bellotte will also test the health of your eyes to make sure that you do not have any other medical eye problems. Continue reading →

Sixty percent of the 161 million Americans who wear prescription eyewear choose eyeglasses. Wearing eyeglasses is one of the simplest ways to correct vision problems. Continue reading →

An eyelid twitch or tic is a twitching of the eyelid that you cannot control. Continue reading →

Eyestrain is a term used to describe sore or tired eyes. Eyestrain is a common problem among people who do a lot of reading or computer work. Continue reading →

Low vision is decreased vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery. People who cannot see better than 20/200 are often said to have low vision. (A person with 20/200 vision can see something 20 feet away that a person with normal vision can see 200 feet away.) Continue reading →

Presbyopia is a normal change in the eye’s ability to focus from a distance to close up. The eye has a lens inside that focuses much like the lens in a camera. Early in life, the lens is flexible and can focus at any distance. At about age 40, many people notice that they cannot see things up close as well as they used to. This is because the lenses in their eyes lose some flexibility. Continue reading →

Infections, inflammation, glaucoma, and many other eye disorders are treated with eye drops. Surprisingly, even the small amount of medication in an eye drop can create significant side effects in other parts of the body. It is important to remember that all medicines have side effects. There are ways to decrease the absorption of the eye drop into the system, and to increase the time the eye drop is on the eye, making the medicine more safe and effective. Continue reading →

Bifocal contact lenses are lenses that provide correction for both near vision and far vision. Continue reading →