LASIK, Cataract, and Glaucoma Specialists in Long Island New York Tweet

Wading River is a hamlet in Suffolk Country, on the North Shore of Long Island. The community of Wading River is on the town line between the Town of Brookhaven and the Town of Riverhead. It comes from the original Native American name for the area, Pauquaconsuk, meaning "the place where we wade for thick, round-shelled clams". It evolved into a commercial center for nearby North Shore hamlets in the 1700s and the more simple translation of this descriptive native word, "Wading in the River" or Wading River was adopted by the first settlers. The Wading River residents enjoy every range of country living at its best with North Fork farms, gaming, and old-fashioned New England Towns to the East, and not so remote suburbs, shopping and industry to the West. They also enjoy a varied housing community from beach and vacation bungalows to excessive new construction waterfronts, homes within developments or quiet isolated abodes.

One of the most historic structures in Wading River is the Wading River Congregational Church which was used in 1671 and was the earliest church in the area. Wading River has two townships namely the Brookhaven and Riverhead and two school districts as well the Shoreham/Wading River & Riverhead. The town geography has lowlands, highlands, hills, flat open spaces, farms, ponds, parks and beaches while industry has recently expanded with some shopping centers and new construction still retain the strangeness as a small East End Long Island town.

North Shore Eye Care serves the residents of Wading River with a variety of concerns including Glaucoma. Glaucoma occurs in about 2% of the population over 40, even though less frequently it can also affect children and young adults. People with glaucoma usually have slow form of the condition, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in which it takes years for it to incur damage to the eye. Many studies have shown that close to over one-third of cases remain undiagnosed. Risk factors for glaucoma include race, age, diabetes, smoking and family history. What actually happens during glaucoma is that the optic nerve suffers damage related to having higher pressures in the eye over a period of time. The optic nerve is sort of like a fiber optic cable that connects the eye to the brain. It carries a lot of information to the brain related to vision. Typically in glaucoma, the optic nerve damage causes loss of peripheral vision that varies in from patient to patient. Eventually, if not treated, the loss of vision usually gets worse over the course of many months to years.

What actually happens during glaucoma is that the optic nerve suffers damage related to having higher pressures in the eye over a period of time. The optic nerve is sort of like a fiber optic cable that connects the eye to the brain. It carries a lot of information to the brain related to vision. Typically in glaucoma, the optic nerve damage causes loss of peripheral vision that varies in from patient to patient. Eventually, if not treated, the loss of vision usually gets worse over the course of many months to years. It is very important to understand that the loss of vision in glaucoma is usually permanent in adults. This is why early treatment is imperative and why we screen more diligently now as opposed to 30 years ago. A full ophthalmic examination is essential to detect glaucoma early and help prevent vision loss. Unfortunately, because central vision is usually not affected until advanced stages, people are unaware that they have it.