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Medical Eye Care
A doctorate degree in Optometry paired with years of optometric experience qualifies Doctor Hagen to diagnose and treat many medical eye conditions from eye injuries and infections to more chronic conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration. As a medical health care provider, Doctor Hagen provides prescriptions for pharmaceutical treatment in the form eye drop solutions and oral medications.
Our medical care includes treatment of the full range of eye diseases, from redness in the eye to sight-threatening conditions such as retinal tears, holes or detachments. The following are some of the eye conditions we diagnose and treat:
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Eye infections ( conjunctivitis: bacterial, viral, or allergic)
- Abrasions and other eye injuries
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma (Wet and Dry forms)
- Macular Degeneration
- Iritis
- Styes (Hordeolum)
- Chalazion
- Pterygium
- Pingucula
- Blocked tear ducts and defects
As part of our insured level of quality eye care, we provide immediate care should an eye emergency occur. Doctor Hagen is willing and able to provide a complete diagnosis as well as prescribe any necessary medical treatment or provide a prompt referral. Offering both emergency and long term care of every eye condition insures our patients an underlying security in us as their eye care provider.
Should your condition require surgical or specialty medical care, Doctor Hagen consults with a range of specialists in the Spokane area.
Our Thorough Disease Treatment
Maintaining your Highest Quality of Vision
We believe patient's awareness is the key to proper prevention and treatment of any ocular condition. Therefore, at Garland Vision Source, we try to provide a concise, but thorough depiction of many of the dominant eye diseases in addition to several other common eye conditions. As important as it is to know the physiological mechanics of a disease, it is even more crucial to understand how these can be prevented, how they can be treated, and how best to minimize lasting visual impairments.
GLAUCOMA:
Studies show that those of increased age, as well as those with elevated internal eye pressure, diabetes, and/or family history of the disease are all at an increased risk for developing glaucoma.
Known as a "silent thief" of vision, glaucoma often sneaks up on patients with little to no indicators. The disease's symptoms generally go unnoticed in its initial stages. It isn't until substantial vision loss is experienced that patients begin to notice. The term glaucoma encompasses a number of diseases that that causes optic nerve damage. Prevention of this disease is attainable through routine eye examinations that consist of specialized components that assess glaucoma symptoms.
If left untreated, glaucoma can cause progressive vision loss beginning with blind spots in your vision, followed by complete tunnel vision that ultimately ends in total blindness.
Though a cure for Glaucoma does not exist and the diseases damage cannot be reversed, treatment and regular checkups by Doctor Hagen can prevent loss of vision for patients in early stages of glaucoma. More importantly, if vision loss has already occurred, proper treatment can slow or prevent it from progressing further.
CATARACTS:
Within the structure of the eye, lies a clear, natural lens responsible for filtering light in and allowing the eye to focus in on objects both close up and far away. As we age, some of the proteins in the eye can clump together, clouding areas of the lens; forming what are medically referred to as cataracts. When these opacities emerge in the lens, your vision gradually becomes impaired.
Focusing through a cataract is similar to attempting to see through a frosted, foggy window. Symptoms of cataracts are clouded, blurred or dim vision, increased difficulty with vision at night, sensitivity to light and glare, or fading or yellowing of colors. Doctor Hagen is experienced in diagnosing and managing Cataracts. Should a cataract appear in your eye, we monitor its development as some cataracts may never reach the stage where they should be removed. At first, eyeglasses and stronger lighting can help you manage cataracts. If cataracts affect your vision to the extent where you cannot read, drive, or see distant objects comfortably, surgery is recommended. Our office co-manages with cataract specialists, experts in the surgical removal of cataracts. Nine out of ten people who have cataract surgery regain excellent vision, often between 20/20 and 20/40. We carefully monitor your eyes post operatively to verify adaptation to the surgery as well as continue to evaluate your need for spectacles after surgery.
MACULAR DEGENERATION:
The leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans over the age of 65 is Macular Degeneration. If caught early, treatment can be performed to delay or halt its spread. Age Related Macular Degeneration, ARMD, is the degeneration, or deterioration of the macula: the center of your retina which controls the sharpness of your central vision. The difficulty in discovering ARMD is that its symptoms develop slowly and painlessly. Some indicators include the sudden need for bright light in order to do basic tasks such as reading, difficulty adjusting to change in light levels, blurriness of printed words, or a gradual haziness in your overall vision. Unique to Macular Degeneration is its ability to inhibit only one of the eyes, while leaving the other entirely untouched. This makes it harder to recognize any changes in your vision as the dominant eye compensates for the weaker.
Risk factors for Macular Degeneration are increased age (especially over 50), obesity, inactivity, genetics, high blood pressure, and smoking. Doctor Hagen can often detect early signs of macular degeneration through a retinal examination even before symptoms occur. Preventative steps can be taken such as committing to regular eye exams to spot the disease early on and prevent life-changing vision loss, managing any other health issues such as cardiovascular disease or high-blood pressure which contribute to Macular Degeneration, and consuming omega-3 fatty acids that minimize your risk of developing the disease. Strong evidence has proven that certain nutrients such vitamin A and vitamins C and E may also help prevent or slow progression of dry macular degeneration. Taking a high-dose formulation of antioxidants and zinc may also reduce progression of dry macular degeneration to advanced macular degeneration.
Other Conditions of the Eye:
Dry Eye: While this term sounds trivial, it is it's complexities that trouble more of our patients than any other eye condition. Dry Eye is diagnosed as a syndrome caused by chronic lack of adequate lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. This is usually due to decreased quality or quantity of tears as a result of increased age, as well as taking medications that cause dry eyes. Women are also more likely to experience dry eye than men.
Discomfort from dry eye can be anything from constant irritation such as stinging or burning sensations, to ocular inflammation of the front of the eye, to a foreign body sensation in the eye.
Commonly experienced symptoms of dry eyes include stinging, burning, or scratchy sensation in your eyes, a foreign body sensation, eye fatigue after short periods of reading, sensitivity to light, difficulty wearing contact lenses, or periods of excessive tearing. If any of these symptoms begin to bother you, several solutions are possible. Most commonly prescribed are artificial tears, lubricating eye drops that moisten your eyes and relieve the dry, scratching feeling. A variety of prescription eye drops can also help control this annoying and sometimes painful condition.
Conjunctivitis: "Pink Eye": Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the lining of your eyelid Inflammation causes small blood vessels in the conjunctiva to become more prominent, which is what causes the pink or red cast to the whites of your eyes, thus it's common name; "Pink Eye". Conjunctivitis is typically caused one of three factors; bacterial infections, viral infection, or an allergic reaction. Though the inflammation of pink eye can be irritating, it rarely affects your vision. If you suspect pink eye, you can take steps to ease your discomfort. But because pink eye can be contagious, early diagnosis and treatment is important. Symptoms of conjunctivitis include a pink eye, along with itching, burning, stinging, irritation, pain, grittiness, crusting or light sensitivity.
Eye Injuries:
Corneal Abrasion: The most common eye injuries occur superficially on the front of the eye known as the cornea. A variety of substances such as dust, dirt, wood shavings, metal pieces, or even paper edges may come into contact with the eye resulting in a scratch that in some case can become infected. In the rare case that a corneal ulcer forms from an infected abrasion, serious medical response must be taken. Tears, blurred vision, increased sensitivity, redness around the eye, and headaches often are indicators of a cornea abrasion. If the abrasion doesn't heal on its own or creates elevated discomfort, call Doctor Hagen to receive treatment.
Because maintaining your highest quality of vision is our standard, we constantly strive to prevent, treat, and cure all ocular diseases that pose any threat to your health. Doctor Hagen in cooperation with his skilled staff, make every effort to diagnose and provide medical attention to any ocular condition that may occur. While most of these are discovered during your comprehensive exam, we also accommodate any emergency request due to discomfort, visual impairments, and any other symptoms of concern to you.
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Address
521 West Garland
Spokane, WA 99205
Phone: (509) 327-9505
Fax: (509) 325-3277
Hours
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
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