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July 12, 2023
The eye is one of the most revered organs, it helps us see the world. However, the eye is also one of the most complex organs, susceptible to a variety of diseases. Eye-related disorders can cause a great deal of inconvenience to someone, not to mention they can become severe and even result in vision loss. This is why it is very important to take care of your eyes.
In many cases, people fail to identify common symptoms and reach a doctor only when the discomfort becomes serious.
This handy guide discusses the most common eye conditions, their symptoms and treatment for you to take care of the organ that helps you see and perceive the world.
Astigmatism is a condition when your eyes are not completely round, instead, they are oval-shaped or shaped like an egg.
Astigmatism can be of two types:
Due to these irregular shapes, the light that falls on the eye doesn’t bend properly leading to blurry vision.
Some people are born with this condition, while in others it can develop over time. Astigmatism can also occur due to eye diseases, eye injury or any kind of eye surgery. Contrary to popular belief, reading in low light or sitting close to a television set does not cause astigmatism or make it worse.
So how will you understand if you have astigmatism? These are some of the common symptoms:
You should contact an ophthalmologist if you face any of the above issues. However, it is important to note that having all these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have astigmatism.
Astigmatism can be treated using glasses or contact lenses or through eye surgery.
Symptoms of astigmatism are more difficult to understand in children as they may not understand that they have blurred vision right away. However, treating astigmatism in children is very important since the disease can not only affect their performance in school or sports but can also lead to conditions such as lazy eye if left untreated.
This is why children should be taken for eye check-ups regularly to detect the disease at an early stage.
According to Dr Norwazilah Mohd Ansul, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Avisena Specialist Hospital, “Cataract is a condition where the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing vision impairment.” It can develop in one eye or both eyes.
We have a natural lens inside our eyes, which bends light rays that come into the eye, helping us to see in return. This lens needs to be clear at all times for us to see properly. These lenses become cloudy when someone has a cataract. It looks like a foggy windshield, resulting in hazy vision. Patients suffering from cataract fail to see colours properly as well.
Cataracts are a major cause of blindness. People commonly think that cataracts are an age-related disease. This is not entirely true. Although cataract is more common among people aged 50 and above, they can develop at any age and even babies may be born with them.
The most common cause of cataracts is ageing. Many changes take place in the eye when people reach 40. The normal protein in the eye lens starts to break down, sometimes leading to cataract. The disease often starts developing when someone reaches the age of 60, however, it may not cause vision problems immediately. Only when the cloudiness reaches a certain level is when people start getting issues with vision.
Cataracts may also be caused due to:
While age-related cataracts may develop slowly, cataracts caused by other reasons may develop very quickly.
The most common symptoms of cataracts are:
“The treatment of cataracts is to replace the lens of the eye through surgery.” – mentions Dr Norwazilah Mohd Ansul. There are no other treatments such as medications, eye drops, exercises, or eyeglasses that can cure cataracts. Eyeglasses can only help with vision in the early stages.
Cataract surgery, a common procedure nowadays is performed to replace the eye lens with a lens implant within the eyeball. This is mainly done in two ways:
During which a small incision or opening is made to emulsify the lens using ultrasound energy. Then a foldable permanent lens implant is inserted into the lens bag inside the eye through that small opening.
Requires a larger incision of approximately 7mm through which the lens is manually removed. This method requires several stitches to close the surgical wound. The surgery takes about 20 to 30 minutes. This surgery is done using general anaesthesia when the patient is unconscious. However, the patient can go home after the surgery.
Glaucoma is a serious disease when the eye’s optic nerves are damaged. When there is a higher than normal fluid pressure in the eye, the optic nerve can get damaged, affecting the visual information transmitted to your brain.
This is a very serious yet common eye problem that can lead to blindness in one or both eyes.
Our eyes constantly make a clear liquid inside the front part of the eye known as aqueous humour. This fluid drains in and out of the eye and the drainage area is known as the drainage angle. The process of draining out the old fluid while new fluid enters the eye keeps the pressure of the eye stable.
When this drainage does not work properly, fluid builds up inside the eye. This causes the eye pressure to increase, thus damaging the nerve. The nerve fibres finally die causing blind spots in the vision. When all the nerve fibre dies, a person becomes blind.
Glaucoma is generally of two types:
The most common type of glaucoma where the eye does not drain fluid normally. The pressure in the eye builds up causing damage to the optic nerve. This type of glaucoma happens gradually, causing no vision changes in the beginning or causing no pain.
This happens when someone’s iris (the coloured part of the eye) is very close to the drainage angle of the eye. The iris can block the drainage angle, thus causing fluid buildup. This can lead to an emergency situation termed ‘acute attack’. Sometimes Angle-Closure Glaucoma may develop slowly, so people do not realise it until there is a sudden attack. This kind of Glaucoma can cause blindness if not treated immediately.
The risk of Glaucoma is higher in some people than others, such as:
Many people do not show any signs of eye damage but have higher than normal eye pressure. They should be monitored closely as Glaucoma suspects. For others, ophthalmologists will check for Glaucoma during regular eye checkups. Angle-Closure Glaucoma, as mentioned above can be severe and one may get an acute attack out of the blue. An ophthalmologist must be contacted immediately if you face any of these symptoms:
Glaucoma can be treated in two ways depending upon the severity of the disease. Some of the most practised treatment methods are:
The separation of the retina of the eye from the tissues at the back of the eye is retinal detachment. When detached, the retina fails to work properly, thus leading to blurry vision. A serious condition, this if left untreated can lead to blindness.
As a person gets older, the jelly-like substance in the middle of the eye known as the vitreous starts to shrink and slowly becomes thinner. The vitreous moves as the eye moves. So when the vitreous shrinks, it sometimes sticks to the retina and pulls it hard, which results in the detachment of the retina.
People with the following conditions are susceptible to retinal detachment:
The symptoms of retinal detachment include:
Retinal detachment is a serious issue that can lead to blindness. Contact an ophthalmologist immediately if you face any of the above symptoms.
The main treatment of a detached retina is surgery. Some common types of surgery for treating this are:
Diabetic Retinopathy is an eye disease that is caused due to diabetes. Because of high sugar levels in the blood, the blood vessels in the retina get damaged. The blood vessels swell up, causing blockage for blood flow into the eye. This can finally lead to vision loss.
Diabetic Retinopathy has two stages:
The main cause of Diabetic Retinopathy is Diabetes. Hence, all diabetic patients should go for regular eye checkups.
Diabetic Retinopathy may have no symptoms at an early stage. However, once it gets worse, patients may get one or more of the following symptoms:
Diabetes Retinopathy is usually treated in two ways. The kind of treatment to be used will be determined by the Ophthalmologist:
Controlling the blood sugar and the blood pressure in your eyes is the most common treatment. Often a nutritionist provides patients with a diet chart to control their blood sugar levels. Taking medicines prescribed by the doctor is of utmost importance. Good sugar control can sometimes restore vision.
The disease can also be treated by medication which is administered into the eye through injection for slowing vision loss and improving vision.
Taking care of the eye is as important as exercising or following a healthy diet. Your eyes are your assets and it is better to value them before it gets too late. Wear sunglasses to avoid the harsh UV rays, avoid smoking and give your eyes enough rest.
If you have a family history of eye diseases or are suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, ensure to go for an eye checkup every year. Regular eye tests and examinations can help nip a lot of eye diseases in the bud.
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