Your eyesight is one of your most important senses and 80% of what you perceive comes through your eyesight. By protecting your eyes, you can prevent blindness as well as preventing developing eye diseases. Eye care is an essential and we have compiled a list of eye issues that are mostly experienced and how to treat them.
Cataracts is the clouding of a normally clear lens of the eye. The main signs of cataracts include blurry vision. Cataracts can be caused by an injury, UV exposure or protein disorder, if left untreated. it can result in severe blindness.
Prevention: There are ways to prevent cataracts, they include:
Treatment: The cloudy lens can be replaced with a clear, artificial lens.
Keratoconus is an eye condition where one’s cornea begins to bulge outwards and forms a cone shape. This causes blurry vision and light sensitivity and can lead to severe blindness if not treated correctly.
Treatment: The treatment usually starts with eyeglasses and contact lenses. Therapies such as cornea collagen crosslinking help to slow down the progression of the disease. A last solution is a cornea surgery, where the damaged cornea is replaced by donor tissue.
Refractive errors are the most common eye issues and occur when light passes through the cornea and the lens. Errors are caused by the length of the eyeball, change in the shape of the cornea and the aging of the lens. These errors include near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and distorted vision from all distances.
Treatment: The most common treatment is eyeglasses, contact lenses and surgery.
Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the optic nerve- the bundle of nerve fibres that serve as a communication line between the eyes and brain. If left untreated, Glaucoma can worsen over time. This condition can cause a build-up of pressure inside the eye and is commonly inherited and may only show up later in life. Glaucoma can lead to permanent loss of vision.
Treatment: Once one is aware of the condition, it can be treated with surgery, lasers, or eye drops.
Diabetic retinopathy takes place because of prolonged high blood sugar associated with types 1 and 2 diabetes and can cause blindness. Too much blood sugar can change the blood vessels in the back of the eye, preventing the retina from receiving the proper amount of nutrients it needs to maintain vision.
Treatment: Commonly, this can be treated with laser surgery. A procedure called laser photocoagulation that can seal or destroy growing or leaking blood vessels.
These are just some common eye problems, ways to prevent them and treatments. It is important to identify these common eye issues and treat them immediately. Make eye care an essential part of your everyday life.
