When eye infections, inflammation, and other medical conditions affect your vision and comfort, Northwest Eye Surgeons provides specialized care backed by decades of clinical expertise. Working in conjunction with your primary care eye doctor or physician, our comprehensive approach to medical eye care addresses everything from minor irritation to complex inflammatory conditions, ensuring you receive the best treatment for optimal outcomes.
At Northwest Eye Surgeons, we believe in collaborative care through our established co-management partnerships with optometric physicians, primary care doctors, and other specialists. This integrated approach enables us to deliver seamless, coordinated care that addresses all aspects of your eye health.
Common Eye Conditions We Treat
Medical eye conditions encompass a wide range of issues that can affect your vision, comfort, and overall eye health. While many conditions can be treated without surgery, proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications and preserve your vision.
Northwest Eye Surgeons treats many common medical eye conditions, including:
Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that initially causes chickenpox in childhood. When this virus reactivates later in life, it creates a characteristic painful rash of small blisters that typically appears on the chest or forehead before forming crusts and potentially leaving scars.
When herpes zoster affects the facial area, particularly the forehead and around the eye, immediate ophthalmologic evaluation becomes critical. The virus can invade ocular structures, leading to serious complications, including elevated eye pressure, significant inflammation, and herpes zoster lesions on the eye’s surface.
The doctors of Northwest Eye Surgeons specialize in detecting and managing ocular herpes and the periocular-induced pain. Our comprehensive evaluation includes monitoring for increased intraocular pressure, assessing ocular inflammatory responses of the uvea (iris, e.g.), and identifying surface lesions that require specialized management.
Modern antiviral medications have revolutionized shingles treatment, offering patients faster recovery times and more complete healing when taken promptly.
Iritis is inflammation of the iris, the colored portion of your eye surrounding the pupil. Also known as anterior uveitis, this condition affects the front section of the uvea (note: the uvea is segmented into the iris in the front, ciliary body in the anterior-middle, and posterior choroid).
Iritis typically develops suddenly, progressing over hours to days, and can affect one or both eyes. Key symptoms include:
Eye redness and irritation
Significant discomfort or aching in the affected eye
Sensitivity to light
Decreased visual acuity
A feeling of pressure or fullness in the eye
Acute iritis develops rapidly and may resolve within weeks with proper treatment, while chronic iritis can persist longer than three months and often requires ongoing management.
Northwest Eye Surgeons employs a multi-faceted treatment strategy for iritis that focuses on preserving vision while controlling inflammation and managing pain.
Our treatment protocols may include corticosteroid eye drops, pupil-dilating eye drops, or oral medications. With repeated episodes of non-traumatic iritis, there may be a systemic cause such as an autoimmune disease that underlies the recurrence.
A stye is a common eyelid infection that occurs when oil-producing glands near the eyelash follicles become blocked and infected with bacteria. These painful, red bumps typically develop along the edge of the eyelid or the inner eyelid surface and can significantly impact comfort and appearance.
Most styes resolve naturally within one to two weeks, but several home treatments can help accelerate healing and reduce discomfort, including using warm, moist compresses and gently cleaning the eyelid. When styes persist beyond 48 hours without improvement, Northwest Eye Surgeons may recommend in-office treatments, such as antibiotic eye drops or ointments, oral antibiotics, surgical drainage, or corticosteroid injections.
Conjunctivitis, commonly called pink eye, involves inflammation and/or infection of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane covering the white portion of your eye and inner eyelid surfaces. Its characteristic pink appearance results from dilated blood vessels within the inflamed tissue.
There are multiple types of conjunctivitis, including:
Viral conjunctivitis is the most common form of pink eye and often accompanies upper respiratory infections. While it typically goes away on its own, viral conjunctivitis can persist for several weeks and may require supportive care, including artificial tears, cool compresses, and anti-inflammatory drops for severe symptoms.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is a contagious form of pink eye caused by a bacterial infection. It often responds well to antibiotic eye drops or ointments, with most infections resolving within 7-10 days of beginning treatment.
Allergic conjunctivitis occurs when allergies cause itchy, watery, and red eyes, particularly during the spring and fall seasons when seasonal allergies are at their peak. Treatment focuses on controlling allergic responses, such as itching, through specialized eye drops.
Dry eye occurs when your eyes cannot produce adequate tears or when tear quality is too poor to maintain a healthy tear film. Dry eye symptoms extend beyond simple dryness and may include:
Burning, stinging, or scratching sensations
Light sensitivity
Excessive tearing (reflex tearing)
Contact lens discomfort
Eye redness and irritation
Wind or smoke sensitivity
General eye fatigue
Intermittent blurred vision
Mucus accumulation in and around the eyes
Northwest Eye Surgeons can prescribe individualized treatment plans tailored to your specific type and severity of dry eye. Treatment options may include artificial tears, prescription eye drops, LipiFlow, iLux, IPL, or amniotic tissue therapy.
Blepharitis results from the accumulation of dry, dead skin cells around the eyelashes and their base. Bacterial overgrowth can worsen this condition, leading to chronic inflammation that may require ongoing management.
Regular eyelid hygiene, using specialized cleansers such as SteriLid or Ocusoft, helps remove debris and control eyelid margin bacterial populations. This treatment may need to continue indefinitely or intermittently during symptom flares.
Meibomitis involves the blockage of the meibomian glands, which produce oils essential for maintaining tear film stability. These glands normally secrete free-flowing oils, but meibomitis can cause thick, waxy secretions that block the gland openings.
Treatment typically combines warm compresses to liquefy blocked secretions with topical antibiotics or oral antibiotics in severe cases.
Your Partners in Eye Health
Northwest Eye Surgeons combines clinical expertise with compassionate patient care to address your medical eye care needs. Our collaborative approach, working with your primary care doctor of optometry, ensures that you receive comprehensive treatment while maintaining clear communication with your other healthcare providers.
Whether you’re dealing with a single or complex condition, our team provides the specialized knowledge and evidence-based treatment options necessary for the best outcomes.
Reach out to our friendly team at Northwest Eye Surgeons. Whether you’re scheduling a refractive procedure or a routine eye care appointment, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
