Eye Disease Diagnosis and Treatment in Prescott, AZ
What “Treat” Actually Means at Premier Eye Center
Premier Eye Center’s doctors are trained and licensed to do more than detect eye problems — they can treat them. The practice manages a wide range of conditions including glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, keratoconus, and common infections like conjunctivitis and styes. Treatment may involve prescription medications, in-office procedures, or co-management with a surgical specialist when needed. For most patients, getting a diagnosis and starting care happens in the same place, without a referral sending you somewhere else to start over.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Eye Disease Treatment
Call us if you experience sudden vision changes, a significant increase in floaters or flashing lights, eye pain, unusual redness or discharge, or anything that feels different from your baseline. For those situations, we provide emergency eye care and will get you seen as quickly as possible.
A routine eye exam is focused on vision and general eye health, typically billed to a vision plan. A medical eye visit is focused on diagnosing or managing a specific condition and is billed to medical insurance. If you come in with a red eye, significant floaters, or follow-up care for glaucoma, that’s typically a medical visit. Both types of care happen at Premier Eye Center, and our staff can help clarify how your visit will be billed.
That’s exactly the reason routine comprehensive eye exams matter. Many serious eye conditions — including glaucoma and early macular degeneration — produce no noticeable symptoms until significant damage has occurred. An annual or biennial exam is the most reliable way to catch these problems while there’s still meaningful opportunity to intervene.
The Premier Eye Center team are licensed to diagnose and treat a broad range of eye diseases, including prescribing topical and oral medications. Our doctors manage conditions like glaucoma, dry eye, conjunctivitis, and diabetic retinopathy directly. When a condition requires surgery, we refer to the appropriate surgical specialist and co-manage the case from our office.
Conditions We Diagnose, Treat, and Co-Manage
The conditions listed below represent what we see and manage regularly in our practice. It’s not an exhaustive list of everything eye-related, but it covers the diagnoses our doctors deal with most often.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye is one of the most common conditions we manage — and one of the most under-treated. Northern Arizona’s high-altitude, low-humidity environment makes it particularly prevalent here. Patients often describe a persistent burning or gritty feeling, occasional excessive tearing, or fluctuating blur that clears with blinking.
We offer a full diagnostic workup for dry eye, including evaluation of tear quality and meibomian gland function. Treatment ranges from lubricating drops and prescription anti-inflammatory medications to lacrimal occlusion therapy and, for appropriate candidates, our dry eye therapy program using InMode Forma-I radiofrequency and Lumecca-I IPL technology. These in-office treatments target the root cause of evaporative dry eye rather than just managing symptoms.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of conditions in which damage to the optic nerve — usually related to elevated intraocular pressure — causes progressive, irreversible vision loss, typically starting at the periphery. Because early glaucoma has no symptoms, it’s most often detected during a routine eye exam.
Our doctors use several tools to detect and monitor glaucoma: tonometry to measure eye pressure, Humphrey Visual Field testing to map peripheral vision, OCT imaging of the optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer, RETEval to detect early abnormalities in retinal ganglion cell function and optic nerve pathways. and corneal pachymetry to help interpret pressure readings accurately. When glaucoma is confirmed, treatment typically begins with prescription eye drops to lower intraocular pressure. We monitor patients on an ongoing basis and adjust treatment as needed. If pressure can’t be adequately controlled with medication, we refer to a glaucoma subspecialist for consideration of laser or surgical options.
Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central portion of the retina and is a leading cause of permanent vision loss in adults over 60. There are two forms: dry AMD, which progresses gradually and is managed primarily through monitoring and nutritional supplementation in appropriate cases, and wet AMD, which involves abnormal blood vessel growth and requires prompt intervention by a retinal specialist.
We detect macular degeneration using OCT imaging, retinal photography, and RETEval testing — which can identify functional changes in the retina before structural changes are visible on imaging. Earlier detection means earlier management, and for dry AMD, that gives patients more options. Patients with confirmed AMD are monitored on a schedule determined by their doctor based on disease stage and risk factors.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes affects the small blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of damage to those retinal blood vessels and, left unmonitored, can progress to significant vision loss or blindness.
Annual dilated retinal exams are the standard of care for diabetic patients, and we provide them. Our retinal digital imaging, RETEval and OCT technology allow us to detect early changes — micro-aneurysms, hemorrhages, and retinal swelling — and document them over time. Patients with more advanced disease or signs of diabetic macular edema are co-managed with or referred to a retinal subspecialist. We coordinate that care and maintain continuity on our end.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis (commonly called pink eye) is an inflammation of the clear membrane covering the white of the eye. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or allergens — and the treatment is different for each. Bacterial conjunctivitis responds to antibiotic drops. Viral forms need to run their course, though we can help manage symptoms and rule out more serious causes. Allergic conjunctivitis is typically managed with antihistamine or mast cell stabilizer drops, sometimes in combination with treatment for underlying nasal allergies.
If you’re not sure what’s causing your red, irritated eye, that’s exactly the kind of question we’re here to answer. Call us — don’t guess and wait.
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea progressively thins and steepens into an irregular cone shape, distorting vision in ways that standard glasses or soft contact lenses often can’t correct. It typically becomes apparent in the teens or twenties and may stabilize on its own or continue to progress.
We diagnose keratoconus using corneal topography, which maps the curvature of the corneal surface in detail. Mild to moderate keratoconus is often managed with specialty contact lens designs — including scleral lenses, which vault over the irregular corneal surface and provide a smooth optical front surface. More advanced cases may warrant a referral for corneal cross-linking, a procedure that can slow or halt progression. We offer contact lens services for keratoconus patients and maintain the specialized fitting expertise this population requires.
Cataracts
A cataract is a gradual clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. It’s an almost universal consequence of aging — most people will develop one eventually. Early cataracts can often be managed with updated glasses prescriptions. When the clouding progresses to the point where glasses no longer provide adequate functional vision, surgery to replace the cloudy lens with a clear implant is the standard treatment.
We diagnose and monitor cataracts during routine exams and help patients understand where they are in the progression. When surgery becomes the right option, we co-manage with the cataract surgeon — handling pre-operative measurements and post-operative care — so patients have a familiar, continuous relationship through the process.
Blepharitis
Blepharitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the eyelid margins, typically caused by bacteria or dysfunction of the oil-producing meibomian glands. Symptoms include redness and irritation along the eyelid margin, crusting or flaking at the base of the lashes, a gritty sensation, and often dry eye symptoms as a secondary effect.
Management usually involves a consistent eyelid hygiene routine, warm compresses, and in some cases prescription medications. For patients with meibomian gland dysfunction contributing to blepharitis and dry eye, our InMode (RF/IPL) treatments can address the gland dysfunction directly.
Chalazion and Hordeolum (Stye)
A hordeolum — what most people call a stye — is an acute infection of an eyelid gland, typically presenting as a painful, localized swelling near the eyelid margin. A chalazion is a slower-developing, usually painless cyst that forms when a meibomian gland becomes blocked. Both are common and usually respond to warm compress therapy. When they don’t resolve on their own, our doctors can prescribe medications, provide drainage and use our InMode IPL to treat it.
Pterygium and Pinguecula
These are non-cancerous growths on the surface of the eye. A pterygium is a wedge-shaped tissue growth that can extend onto the cornea and, if large enough, affect vision or cause persistent irritation. A pinguecula is a yellowish raised lesion on the conjunctiva that doesn’t extend onto the cornea. Both are associated with UV exposure and are more common in dry, sunny climates — which describes most of northern Arizona.
Small or asymptomatic growths are typically monitored. Symptomatic cases can be managed with lubricating drops and UV protection. A pterygium that is growing significantly or affecting vision may require surgical removal by a specialist, which we can co-manage.
Retinal Detachment and Vitreous Detachment
A posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) occurs when the gel-like vitreous humor separates from the retina. It’s common with aging and usually presents as a sudden onset of floaters or flashes of light. Most PVDs are benign and require only monitoring to confirm that no retinal tear or detachment has occurred — but that monitoring is important, because a retinal tear can lead to retinal detachment, which is a sight-threatening emergency.
If you experience a sudden onset of floaters, flashes, or a curtain or shadow in your peripheral vision, call us immediately. A retinal detachment requires urgent surgical repair, and time matters significantly in the outcome.
How Diagnosis Connects to These Conditions
Many of the conditions described are detected through our advanced diagnostic procedures — OCT imaging, visual field testing, corneal topography, electrodiagnostic testing, RETEval, and retinal digital imaging. These tools allow us to catch disease earlier and track changes with more precision than a standard clinical exam alone provides. For most patients with a known eye condition, this technology is a routine part of their ongoing care at Premier Eye Center.
