It’s nearly impossible to go through your life without experiencing at least one or more of these eye conditions. That’s why it’s very important that you visit your optometrist once a year, or at least once every two years. Your optometrist can see signs of disease, before you even have any symptoms. This way, you’ll be able to get treatment much earlier and will have a lower risk of permanent vision loss. Here are some of the most common eye conditions:
1. Refractive Errors
Refractive errors include astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness. In other words, it’s when you have blurry vision. Nearsightedness is when far away objects are blurry, farsightedness is when close-up objects are blurry and astigmatism can cause both far away and close-up objects to be blurry. This is the most common eye condition, affecting nearly 45.5% of all Americans. Refractive errors happen when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing at the back of the retina. The retina is a tissue in the back of your eye.
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Luckily, blurry vision is a condition that is easy to fix by getting LASIK surgery, or simply with vision correction glasses or contacts. You can even get your glasses as soon as the next day. Check out these Overnight Glasses prescription glasses online.
2. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an age-related eye condition that leads to vision loss and blindness. Glaucoma is caused when there is a rise in fluid pressure inside the eye that can affect the optic nerve. The scary thing about Glaucoma is that it can progress without any symptoms, while other eye conditions have almost immediate symptoms. This makes it extra important to regularly visit your optometrist, so diseases like these can be identified as soon as possible. With early treatment, it is more likely that you’ll be able to prevent serious vision loss.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Glaucoma. But, if it is identified at its early stages, it can be managed and controlled.
3. Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is an eye condition that is usually age-related, and is one of the most common cause of complete vision loss. Macular degeneration is developed when the center of the retina (called the macula) breaks down. The cause of this is usually age related. The macula allows the eye to see details, and when it doesn’t function how it’s supposed to, you can lose more and more of your central vision, and it can eventually lead to complete blindness.
Your treatment will depend on whether you have wet or dry macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration can be treated, although you won’t be able to fully prevent vision loss. Dry macular degeneration cannot be treated, but it can be managed to a certain level. Dry is more common.
The best thing you can do to prevent macular degeneration is to eat a healthy diet including lots of greens, citruses, eggs and fish. The main nutrients that boost eye health are vitamins A, C, E, zinc, lutein and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s important to include these in your diet, especially if you already suffer from refractive errors.
4. Cataracts
Cataracts occur when the lens develops a cloudy film, it is the most common cause of blindness throughout the world. Although cataracts most often occur as a result of age, they can actually occur at any age and can even be present at birth due to genetics or other health conditions. More than 10% of all Americans have a cataract in one or both of their eyes.
Cataracts can be treated successfully through cataract surgery. There is a much higher chance of successful treatment, when the cataracts are identified earlier, so it is very important to frequently visit your optometrist.
5. Amblyopia
Amblyopia, or “lazy eye” is one of the most common causes of vision damage in children. Amblyopia is caused when there are weaker muscles in one eye and a communication breakdown between the brain and the “lazy eye.” Amblyopia requires early treatment. Without it, the brain will eventually cut off communication with the “lazy eye” and the muscles will never be able to strengthen. If the “lazy eye” isn’t treated, it will end up either wandering or staying in the same position.
The “lazy eye” is usually treated with an eye patch. The eye patch is put on the stronger eye, so the weaker eye will be forced to get in shape. Besides the eye patch, the child also has to do special exercises to strengthen the weaker eye. For these methods to work, early treatment is required.
These were some of the most common eye conditions. It’s important to understand the possible causes of these conditions and their treatments, to better understand how crucial it is to frequently visit your optometrist, so you can get early treatment in the case of disease. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
