Common Eye Disorders And Diseases

What would humans be like without their eyes? Imagine not being able to see the beauty that Mother Nature possesses. Also, think of it this way. How many activities do you do during the day that depends on the functionality of your eyes? Many, right?

But did you know that there are diseases and conditions that can hamper the functionality of your precious peepers? And the bad news is that most eye conditions are painless, and you don’t recognize it until the condition has advanced. While 100 percent prevention is utopic, becoming aware of the different eye conditions can help you identify symptoms and preventive measures.

Cataracts

Did you know that cataract is the leading cause of blindness in America? Approximately 30.1 million Americans aged 40 years and above have cataracts in either one eye or both. And of these, approximately 5.1 percent have had their lens removed surgically. But what are cataracts exactly?

Cataracts are a painless clouding of the lens that leads to blurry vision. While age is the leading cataract-causing factor, other causes include excessive UV exposure, trauma, diabetes, and some form of medications. Get information on the differences between an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, and Optician.

How is it diagnosed? Your eye doctor can diagnose cataracts through a routine eye checkup. And the treatment? Surgery is the preferred curative procedure. It involves removing the clouded lens and replacing with artificial ones.

Glaucoma

It’s a collection of eye-related conditions that damage the optic nerve- a nerve on our brain, which sends visual signals from the retina to the brain, helping us see. The damage on the nerve is usually caused by ocular hypertension, which exerts pressure on the eye.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR)

This eye disorder is a result of complications of diabetes. Diabetes leads to progressive damage of blood vessels in your body. And your eyes aren’t spared either. DR involves a four-stage process that starts as mild but progresses to an advanced stage, which causes blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration

AMD is an eye disorder linked to age and causes a physical disturbance to the center of the retina (macula), damaging the sharp and central vision.

Refractive errors

These are the most common eye defects in America. Refractive errors include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (distorted vision regardless of the distance), and presbyopia, which leads to the inability to focus from up close.

hankfully, refractive errors can be corrected by eyeglasses, contact glasses, and surgery where necessary.

Night blindness

Are you having trouble seeing at night? Getting trouble finding your way in dark places? It could be a sign of night blindness, and it’s not a problem on its own. Lack of vitamin A, cataracts, and myopia could lead to night blindness.

Pink eye (conjunctivitis)

Pink eye is commonly caused by bacteria and viral infections, but irritants like chemicals and pollutants can be culprits. Pink eye involves inflammation and redness of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) covering your eyeball’s white part.

Dry eye syndrome

This condition can affect anyone regardless of age, particularly after looking at a screen for an extended period. Infrequent blinking causes moisture in your eyes to dry up, leading to a feeling of dryness in the eyes.

Lazy eye (amblyopia)

Most common in children and occurs when the brain and the eyes are not operating in sync. The eye looks normal, but it’s not operating optimally because the brain is favoring the other eye.

While most people associate eye diseases with old age, this pre-conceived notion isn’t entirely true. Eye disorders can occur at any age, and the best way to bulletproof your vision is by scheduling regular professional eye examinations with your eye doctor. That way, you will alleviate both major eye disease conditions like glaucoma and minor ones like dry eye syndrome.