Eye Dictionary: W
W
wall-eyed. A simple way to describe eyes that turn outward. This term isn't really used in medicine, but is very descriptive. We would usually describe a wall-eyed person as having an exotropia. The opposite would be cross-eyed (esotropia). Ocular alignment problems like this are called strabismus. New cases of strabismus need to be evaluated by an eye doctor.
wall fracture. In the world of medicine, a "wall fracture" generally implies the breakage of one of the bones that make up the eye socket. The eye socket (also known as the orbit) is constructed from seven different bones inside the skull. Many of these bones are thin and prone to cracking after blunt trauma to the eye. The floor of the orbit is most likely to fracture with injury, and the contents of the eye socket (mainly fat and eye muscle) can herniate down through this fracture into the sinus cavity underneath. While this sounds pretty awful, this crumple zone is actually designed to protect the eye from compressive injuries. In many ways, you can compare our skull's sinuses to the bumpers or airbags in a car. These structures are designed to break in order to protect the important passengers (in this case, the eye and brain). Fortunately, small bone fractures heal on their own without long-term problems. Rarely, a large wall fracture will cause the eye to look sunken inward (enophthalmos) or one of the eye muscles will get caught in the fractured bone. This may require surgical repair. Orbital wall repairs are usually done with an oculoplastics specialist or ENT doctor in the operating room.
warm compresses. A warm compress can be used to treat many eye conditions. For example, warm compresses can be used with dry eye to improve tear flow. Warmth is also useful in cases of blepharitis to increase the flow of oil from the meibomian glands. Warm compresses are usually recommended in cases of chalazion or styes as they help drain them faster and heat-induced dilation of blood vessels can help oral antibiotics target the involved skin. There are many ways to apply a warm compress. Most people find it easiest to fill a bowl with warm water, dip a washcloth in the water, and apply the damp cloth to the closed eyes. The cloth cools quickly so the process can repeated several times. Other people like to use warm packs with the eyes, though care must be used to not burn the sensitive eyelids.
wet macular degeneration. This is the more serious form of macular degeneration associated with acute swelling in the retina. Macular degeneration can be thought of as a premature aging of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for good central vision. Most people have dry macular degeneration, which is a slow and progressive loss of vision. A certain percentage of these people develop "wet" degeneration where abnormal blood vessels under the retina begin to bleed suddenly. This bleeding causes sudden and severe vision loss as the retina swells with macular edema. Fortunately, the treatment for wet degeneration has improved with the development of anti-VEGF injections such as Avastin and Lucentis.
wall fracture. In the world of medicine, a "wall fracture" generally implies the breakage of one of the bones that make up the eye socket. The eye socket (also known as the orbit) is constructed from seven different bones inside the skull. Many of these bones are thin and prone to cracking after blunt trauma to the eye. The floor of the orbit is most likely to fracture with injury, and the contents of the eye socket (mainly fat and eye muscle) can herniate down through this fracture into the sinus cavity underneath. While this sounds pretty awful, this crumple zone is actually designed to protect the eye from compressive injuries. In many ways, you can compare our skull's sinuses to the bumpers or airbags in a car. These structures are designed to break in order to protect the important passengers (in this case, the eye and brain). Fortunately, small bone fractures heal on their own without long-term problems. Rarely, a large wall fracture will cause the eye to look sunken inward (enophthalmos) or one of the eye muscles will get caught in the fractured bone. This may require surgical repair. Orbital wall repairs are usually done with an oculoplastics specialist or ENT doctor in the operating room.
warm compresses. A warm compress can be used to treat many eye conditions. For example, warm compresses can be used with dry eye to improve tear flow. Warmth is also useful in cases of blepharitis to increase the flow of oil from the meibomian glands. Warm compresses are usually recommended in cases of chalazion or styes as they help drain them faster and heat-induced dilation of blood vessels can help oral antibiotics target the involved skin. There are many ways to apply a warm compress. Most people find it easiest to fill a bowl with warm water, dip a washcloth in the water, and apply the damp cloth to the closed eyes. The cloth cools quickly so the process can repeated several times. Other people like to use warm packs with the eyes, though care must be used to not burn the sensitive eyelids.
wet macular degeneration. This is the more serious form of macular degeneration associated with acute swelling in the retina. Macular degeneration can be thought of as a premature aging of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for good central vision. Most people have dry macular degeneration, which is a slow and progressive loss of vision. A certain percentage of these people develop "wet" degeneration where abnormal blood vessels under the retina begin to bleed suddenly. This bleeding causes sudden and severe vision loss as the retina swells with macular edema. Fortunately, the treatment for wet degeneration has improved with the development of anti-VEGF injections such as Avastin and Lucentis.