Eye diseases damage the eye and its ability to see. They can be caused by pathogens such as viruses or bacteria, or eye disease can be mechanical. For example, the shape of an eyeball can determine whether a person is near or farsighted. Eye diseases can also be complications of other health conditions such as diabetes. Here is a list of the six most common eye diseases:
1. Strabismus
Strabismus occurs when the eyes don’t line up properly to focus on what the patient is looking at. It’s often a mechanical problem that occurs because the muscles in the eye aren’t working the way they should, but it can also be the result of an infection or trauma. Symptoms of strabismus include vision that’s jittery, fatigue or discomfort when the person reads, eye strain and double vision. Patients may also suffer from social anxiety because of their appearance. About two percent of children are born with strabismus and there is a genetic factor. If a parent has the malady, there’s a greater chance of their child having it as well.
2. Refractive errors
Refractive errors are so named because they affect the way the eyes bend, or refract the light that falls into them. If the light is not bent at the right angle, it can lead to nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. These problems are easy to treat with glasses or contact lenses, and some people have refractive surgery to correct their vision. With myopia, far away objects are blurry. With farsightedness, objects that are near are blurry. Astigmatism also causes objects to be blurry whether they are near or far.
3. Cataracts
Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye, which should be crystal clear, becomes cloudy. This can lead to blindness if it’s not corrected. Fortunately, outpatient laser surgery can correct the problem. A person with a cataract notices that colors that used to be vivid fade. They have poor night vision and are sensitive to light, and they may see halos around light bulbs. They also notice that they must constantly change the prescription of their glasses. A cataract can take years to develop and is one of the risks of aging. Other reasons are eye injury or eye surgery.
4. Glaucoma
This is a disease where pressure builds up in the eye to the point where the ocular nerve is damaged. This can lead to blindness, so it’s crucial to be treated early. Moreover, the most common type of the disease is painless and insidious. People do not notice that their vision is being stolen until much of it is gone. This vision loss can’t be reversed. Glaucoma is detected through tonometry and other eye tests performed by an optometrist. It can be treated with eye drops, medicines taken orally or surgery. Doctors don’t know why people develop the disease, but it seems to run in families. It’s more common in older people and people of color.
5. Keratoconus
With keratoconus eye disease, the clear area at the front of the eye called the cornea thins out bulges until it is cone-shaped as opposed to the normal dome shape. This causes the person’s vision to blur and grow distorted. The person also becomes sensitive to light. Doctors don’t know what causes keratoconus, but in many people it starts in their teens. Some people with inherited disorders such as Down syndrome are more at risk. How the disorder is treated depends on how severe it is. Patients can be helped with eyeglasses, different types of contact lenses, collagen cross-linking or a corneal transplant.
6. Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of uncontrolled diabetes. With this disease, the blood vessels in the eye are damaged. This leads to vision loss. As with glaucoma, this disease may be asymptomatic in its early stages. Other symptoms may be floaters, vision that’s blurry or fluctuating, and reduced color vision. Aside from type 1 or type 2 diabetes, risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy include hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking and pregnancy. People of color are also at higher risk.