Hereditary eye diseases are all too common. It is estimated that there are about 350 of them. At Innovative Eye Care in Bakersfield, Dr. Wilhelmsen provides a full-service optometry office. Our optometrist can help with any inherited eye diseases that you may have.
Glaucoma is a serious eye disease. Damage is caused to the optic nerve by increased pressure within the eye. One type of glaucoma is hereditary. It is known as open-angle glaucoma. If members of your family have this type of glaucoma, it makes you more likely to also develop glaucoma.
Color blindness is an x-linked recessive inheritance. It tends to affect males more than females. With this condition, it is impossible to distinguish between certain colors and, for some people, any colors.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is a group of eye conditions that affect the retina. It causes loss of vision in many different possible ways. It can cause the loss of night vision, peripheral vision, and also central vision. Usually, it does not cause total blindness.
Keratoconus is a disease that affects the shape of the cornea. In most cases, it is not hereditary, but when it is inherited it is usually in an autosomal dominant pattern. This means that only one parent needs to have the gene for keratoconus to pass it on.
Myopia is nearsightedness, which means you can see things clearly that are close up, and things far away are blurry. It is a complex condition, so it isn't a simple matter of inheritance. But the fact remains that if your near relatives suffer from the condition, your chances of also suffering from it are much greater.
These are just a few of the inherited eye diseases that you should let your optometrist know run in your family. If you have the potential to suffer from a hereditary eye disease, Dr. Wilhelmsen at Innovative Eye Care is here to help. Call our team today at (661) 213-3310 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.