Common Eye Problems

Vision is precious and it certainly has a huge role in our daily life, so we really need to take care of our eyes and seek medical help whenever vision impairment or any common eye problem symptom is detected. The following is a list of common eye problems and their possible causes:

Refractive Errors

Myopia:

• Symptoms include: blurry distance vision but good near vision
  
• Causes: Eyeball is too long or the cornea has too much curvature so light entering the eye isn't focused directly on the retina but in front of it. Distance objects appear out of focus.

Hyperopia:

• Symptoms include: Blurred vision of close objects but distant objects are clear
  
• Causes: Eyeball is too small or focusing power is too weak. The image is formed behind the retina rather than directly on it. Near Objects appear out of focus.

Astigmatism:

• Symptoms include: Difficulty in seeing details in both close and far objects.
  
• Causes: The cornea is abnormally curved causing vision to be out of focus. The image is not formed on the retina.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

• Symptoms include: distortion of straight lines / distortion of central vision, dark blurry areas appear in the center of vision, diminished or altered color perception
  
• Causes: Aging / Damage of the macula either due to leakage of blood from abnormal fragile blood vessels that grow behind the macula (wet AMD) or due to slow break down of the light sensitive cells of the macula (dry AMD).

Conjunctivitis (Pink eye)

• Symptoms include: Redness, irritation and watering.
  
• Causes: exposure to bacteria and other irritants.

Cataracts

• Symptoms include: loss of contrast sensitivity so that contours, shadows and colors are less vivid.
  
• Causes: clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or its envelope causing diffusion of light instead total entry of light into the eye. This may be caused by extended exposure to UV, trauma or secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in advanced age.

Diabetic retinopathy

• Symptoms: usually no symptoms appear before there is severe damage in your eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams. Symptoms include: blurring of vision, gradual vision loss, floaters, shadows or missing areas of visions and difficulty seeing at nighttime.
  
• Causes: Damage of the blood vessels of the retina (these vessels can be blocked or leak blood)

Glaucoma

• Symptoms: Most people have no symptoms until they begin to lose their vision (mostly peripheral vision). Closed angle glaucoma can appear suddenly and can be very painful.
  
• Causes: Damage of the optic nerve usually due to increased pressure in the eye (Intraocular pressure IOP)

Retinal detachment

• Symptoms include: Blurred vision, bright flashes of light, floaters.
  
• Causes: The retina is detached from the underlaying support tissue.