Awareness of Common Eye Disorders
Awareness of the most common eye conditions is important for maintaining good eye and general health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2 billion people in the world suffer from some visual disorder ranging from mild refractive errors to severe conditions that can lead to blindness.
Awareness helps catch issues early, allowing individuals to take proactive steps and ultimately reduce the risk of blindness. Approximately 90% of vision impairment can be prevented or treated.
This document provides an overview of some of the most common eye disorders.
Refractive Errors
The image of an object focuses on the back of the eye, called the retina. Due to some irregularities in the shape of the refractive surfaces of the eyes, it is difficult for the eyes to focus the image on the retina. Hence, the object appears blurred or distorted, which is called refractive error.
There are four types of refractive errors:
- Myopia: This is the difficulty of seeing farther objects.
- Hyperopia: Closer objects appear blurry.
- Astigmatism: A common refractive error occurs due to the irregularity in one or more refractive surfaces of the eye, where the object in focus appears distorted or blurred.
- Presbyopia: Occurs due to a normal aging process where the ability to focus on the closer object is lost.
Myopia and hyperopia may occur due to a change in the eye’s axial length or the curvature of the refractive surfaces of the eye. There are several different factors responsible for these refractive errors.
Glaucoma
It is a serious condition in which the pressure inside the eye increases. If untreated, it can cause vision loss by damaging the optic nerve, leading to permanent vision loss. There may be no early symptoms, but regular eye checkups can help early detection. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
The macula is a tiny spot on the retina responsible for sharp central vision. AMD is a condition that affects the macula, resulting in loss of central sharp vision. It is common in older age.
AMD is primarily linked to aging. Other risk factors include family history, hypertension, smoking, and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet lights.
Cataract
Globally, Cataract is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness. The eye lens is made up of proteins. With age, the proteins in the lens break down, causing the lens to become cloudy, called cataracts. It can lead to blurred vision, increased sensitivity to bright light, and glare. Aging is the leading cause. Other factors like general health and malnutrition can provoke it.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye condition. High blood sugar levels can damage the retina’s blood vessels, causing mild to severe vision loss. There are four stages of the DR. Early stages may have no symptoms, but as the disease progresses, you may notice blurred vision, floaters, or black spots in the visual field. Eventually, it can lead to blindness.
Strabismus
Misalignment of the two eyes is called strabismus or cross eyes. When you focus on something, one of the two eyes may turn inward (esotropia), outward (exotropia), upward (hypertropia), or downward(hypotropia), while the other eye looks straight at the object. Someone with cross eyes may feel double vision or a defect in depth perception.
Asthenopia
It refers to a group of symptoms that may occur due to weakness of the eye muscle or vision. Your eyes become fatigued when you perform a visual activity or focus on a task for a longer duration, like reading, using digital devices, or driving. These symptoms are usually temporary and improve with rest.
Some of the asthenopia symptoms include eye pain, headache, blurred vision, light sensation, burning and heavy eyes, and watering. You may feel one or more of these symptoms while working.
Red Eyes
There are several blood vessels located on the different surfaces of the eyes. Red eyes or bloodshot eyes occur when these vessels become dilated or irritated, causing a reddish appearance to the eyes. Bloodshot eyes indicate several different health issues, some of which may be mild. It can indicate some serious ophthalmic diseases or conditions requiring immediate treatment.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eyes)
Amblyopia is the condition when one eye does not develop normal vision. The brain and both eyes work as a team to focus on an object, resulting in a clear image of an object perceived by the brain. When one eye fails to develop good vision compared to the other eye, the brain learns to suppress its images, and this is called lazy eye.
Amblyopia results from several underlying causes like strabismus, anisometropic refractive error, cataracts, and genetic issues.
Amblyopia has a 2-3% prevalence in children worldwide. A child’s vision develops in the first few years of his life, so early detection and treatment of the underlying cause can improve the vision. If untreated, it can lead to permanent decreased vision in the affected eye.
Dry Eyes
Tears nourish the outer surface of the eyes and protect them from dust, smoke, and wind. Dry eye is a condition where the eyes do not produce enough water for lubrication, causing burning, foreign body sensation, blurred vision, red eyes, and light sensitivity. Dry eye has a 5% to 50% prevalence worldwide, which may increase in people aged 50 and above.
Dry eyes occur for several reasons, including environmental conditions, excessive use of digital devices, low humidity, and some medications. It is a treatable condition in most of the cases.
LumiLab guides, webpages, and articles discussing optometry and ophthalmology are intended only for educational and informative purposes and do not serve as medical or professional advice.
The information presented, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material, is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician, optician, or other health care professional if you have questions about your eye health or vision.
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