ABOUT EYES IN GENERAL

The eye, responsible for one of our most vital senses, is one of the most important organs in the body. When all is well, most of us take our eyes for granted. But as you no doubt know from experience, when your vision is blurred, or your eyes are itchy and watery, or it feels like there's something "sticking" in there, it's hard to concentrate on anything but your eyes. When something's not right with your eyes, then nothing's right with the world. As eye care specialists, we devote our working hours to helping people with eye problems of all kinds. And we have written this book to help the many people who have such problems, or who are worried about their eyes or the eyes of someone they care about.

It's remarkable and humbling to consider how far the field of ophthalmology—the medical specialty covering the anatomy, functions, pathology, and treatment of the eye—has progressed over the last three decades, a period when we have seen our patients helped by innovations in every aspect of eye care that were unheard of only a short time ago. New antibiotics and medications, safer cataract surgery with shorter recovery time, better glaucoma treatments, refined surgical techniques for mending retinal detachments and clearing vitreous hemorrhages, and retinovitreous treatments—not to mention a revolution in lens-making materials and technology—have helped thousands of people to see better longer.

The eye's anatomy and what changes occur naturally over time, as well as what changes are not natural and may be dangerous—and tell you what to do about them. We demystify the eye examination, describe how eyeglasses and contact lenses work (and how to tell what will work best for you), and take up the controversial vision-corrective surgery called refractive surgery.

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