An enormous percentage of human populace will experience eye problems at certain point in their lives. Eye disorders are of a wide variety. Glaucoma, Cataract, refractive errors are major causes of visual impairment and preventable blindness. A few of the eye diseases are minor and usually get healed on its own or it can be treated at home itself. On the other hand, some problems require treatment from an eye specialist.

COMMON EYE PROBLEMS

• Eyestrain– tiredness in the eyes
• Refractive Errors– Blurred vision for distant objects, near objects, or both
• Dry eye syndrome– Tear glands are not able to produce enough tears
• Night Blindness – Difficulty to see in low light
• Conjunctivitis – It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva
• Eye floaters– Spots [strings, rings, cobwebs] in the vision
• Blepharitis– Inflammation of the eyelid causing crusty /dry eyelid, stickiness, grittiness.
• Cataract:  clouding of the normal clear lens of eye
• Glaucoma– It is a condition where increased intraocular pressure may result in damage to the optic nerve.
• Amblyopia– It is reduced vision in one eye due to vision development disorder
• Retina disorders

1. DRY EYES SYNDROME

Dry eye is the most common vision problems. The condition known as “Dry eye syndrome” happens when eye doesn’t produce enough tears or produce good quality tears. Some patients may experience uncomfortable, itching, burning sensation and in rare cases, some loss of vision. Wearing contact lenses increases the risk of dry eye syndrome. It also occurs due to increasing age.

Symptoms include:

• Red eyes
• Burning sensation
• itchy eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision
• Foreign body sensation eye discomfort

There is a large variation in the number of people affected by dry eye syndrome, with estimates ranging from as low as 5% to as high as 50% depending on different parts of the world.

Also Read :  HOME REMEDIES TO IMPROVE EYESIGHT

TREATMENT: 

• Use a humidifier in your home
• Use special eye drops that stimulate real tear formation
• Plugs placed in tear ducts to decrease tear drainage.

2. REFRACTIVE ERRORS

As per National Eye Institute the most common cause of vision problems are refractive errors. Refraction in the eye occurs when light passes through the lens and cornea. Refractive errors can occur as a result of the length of the eyeball, changes in the shape of the cornea or natural aging of the lens. Astigmatism Farsightedness and Nearsightedness are categorized by refractive errors.

Symptoms include:

• Persistent headache
• Irritation
• Itching
• Blurred vision for distant objects, near objects, or both

TREATMENT: 

The most common forms of treatments are

• Eyeglasses
• Contact lenses
• Refractive surgery

3. CATARACT

Cataract is a clouding of the normal clear lens of eye and is the leading cause of vision loss (blindness) worldwide. The most cataracts are age-related and more common in people but it can be present at birth. It can be the result of injury, UV exposure, or protein deterioration over time; this is what causes the eye’s lens to cloud. If cataracts left untreated, it can ultimately cause severe vision loss.

Signs and symptoms of cataracts include:

• Cloudy vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Poor vision at night
• Double vision
• Seeing halos around lights
• Fading colors
• Need for bright light to read or see fine detail

TYPES OF CATARACT-

1. congenital cataracts -Cataracts you’re born with
2. Nuclear cataracts – Cataracts affecting the center of the lens
3. Cortical cataracts – Cataracts that affect the edges of the lens
4. Posterior sub capsular cataracts – Cataracts that affect the back of the lens.

TREATMENT:

• Regular eye exams can help detect cataracts.
• Cataract is a common vision disorder that can be treated through surgery.
• Cataract surgery depends on the degree of vision loss.

4. GLAUCOMA:

Glaucoma is refers to a group of eye diseases that causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve and result in vision loss. It occurs when the normal fluid pressure (intraocular pressure) inside the eyes slowly increases. The increased intraocular pressure, can cause irreversible nerve damage and vision loss.  Recent findings show that glaucoma can occur with normal eye pressure. In the early phases of glaucoma often have no symptoms. As the disease progress can cause permanent loss of vision.

Symptoms include:

• Eye pain
• Tunnel vision
• Redness in eyes
• Partial loss of side vision
• Seeing halos around lights

TREATMENT:

• With early treatment, you can often protect your eyes against serious vision loss.
• Once detected, glaucoma can be treated with either surgery, lasers or eye drops.

5. MACULAR DEGENERATION:

Macular Degeneration is characterized by damage to the macula (the area of the retina that perceives light. It can cause blind spots in the central vision… It may become hard to read, drive, watch TV, and recognize faces. Most people do not have any signs in early phase of macular degeneration. As the disease progresses, you may notice changes in your vision, including:

• Straight lines seem bent
• Dark, blurry areas in the center of the vision
• Difficulty recognizing faces
• Difficulty seeing fine details

TREATMENT:

However, current treatments can slow the progression of the Age-related macular degeneration or prevent severe vision loss considerably.

Various treatment options are available, including:

Anti-angiogenic drugs–

Anti-angiogenic drugs Injected into the eye, these medications block the growth of new blood vessels and leakage of abnormal vessels inside the eye.

Laser therapy-

High-energy laser light can sometimes be used to destroy actively growing abnormal blood vessels.

Photodynamic laser therapy

RISK FACTORS INCLUDE:

• Increasing age
• Smoking
• Female gender
• Family history
• Excessive exposure to sunlight
• Excessive intake of alcohol

PREVENTION MEASURES

To prevent and slow the progression of vision problems following strategies may be helpful, including:

• Regular preventive eye examination
• Quit smoking
• Limits alcohol intake
• Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from harmful sunrays
• Manage other health problem
• Select a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables