7 Eye Problems You Should Know About and their Treatment Options

Eye problems are common, and many people will experience them during their lifetime. Whether you woke up today with vision concerns or have had eye problems for years, the importance of continually taking optimal care of your eyesight cannot be over-emphasized.

This article shares some eye problems affecting children and adults alike, presenting you with their possible treatment options.

Let us delve into specifics.

Conjunctivochalasis

Conjunctivochalasis, also known as CCH, is an eye condition where there is an excess formation of the conjunctival skin, causing folds between the eye globe and the eyelids. The extra skin on the eye, though harmless, can cover the cornea, impairing proper vision.

Various factors cause CCH, with aging, misuse of contact lenses, and thyroid dysfunction topping the list. People suffering from this eye condition will often experience pain around the eyes, worsening if they do not seek immediate treatment.

Many ophthalmologists will give medications that treat the symptoms. In other cases, patients might need surgical treatment.

Refractive errors

Refractive errors are the most common vision problems. They happen when light going into your eyes fails to focus on the retina properly. As a result, you experience blurred vision.

There are four types of refractive errors. They are myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.

When you have myopia, you will only have perfect vision for things near you. Those that are far will appear blurry. Hyperopia is the opposite of this – you have blurry vision for things closest to you.

On the other hand, astigmatism is a combination of both – nearby, and far-away objects appear blurry. Last but not least, Presbyopia is a condition that affects the elderly and middle-aged persons, making it difficult to see things close by.

Ophthalmologists will take you through an eye exam and recommend glasses or contact lenses to correct refractive errors. In other cases, you might need surgical treatment.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a potentially dangerous vision problem as it can cause blindness. It happens when the optic nerve is damaged due to high pressure in the eyes.

Glaucoma can happen to anyone, but people aged 60 and above, those that have diabetes and high blood pressure, are mostly at risk. Blurred vision, blind spots, eye pain, severe headaches, vomiting, and tunnel vision are some of the symptoms of glaucoma.

In most cases, glaucoma ends in blindness. However, early treatment is recommended because it slows down blindness and, in some instances, prevents it altogether. For this reason, the importance of regular eye check-ups cannot be over-emphasized.

Cataracts

Cataracts are characterized by cloudy vision, which is like looking through a frosty glass window.

Cataracts form in the lens of the eye, progressing slowly and making it hard to read, drive and undertake other chores. Apart from the blurred vision, the need for brighter lighting, seeing fading colors, light sensitivity, and seeing halos around lighting are some of the symptoms of cataracts.

People with cataracts may use bright lights and glasses to see better in the initial stages. However, as the cataract grows, it may significantly impair vision, calling for surgery.

Keratoconus

This is an eye condition where the cornea bulges out and forms a cone shape. It can cause problems such as blurred vision and light sensitivity. It is known to affect both eyes but, with one eye being more severe.

Vision problems that keratoconus brings about can be managed using glasses and contact lenses. In addition, your eye doctor might put you through the corneal collagen cross-linking treatment that slows down keratoconus or stops its progress. However, in the advanced stages, the need for a cornea transplant might be the solution.

Pink eye

Pink eye, medically known as conjunctivitis, is an eye condition that causes inflammation and redness on the conjunctiva – the clear membrane that covers the eyeball. The conjunctiva contains tiny blood vessels, and when inflamed or infected, they become bigger, causing the eye to appear reddish or pinkish.

Pink eye is common in children and results from a bacterial or viral infection. It may also be caused by allergens, irritants, parasites, and an eye drop reaction.

Pink eye, in children, is not a life-threatening condition, but since it can be contagious, it needs immediate medical attention. However, a rare conjunctivitis that results from STDs such as Gonorrhea can cause blindness if left untreated.

Some of the symptoms of conjunctivitis are a thick yellow, green, or white discharge from the eye, itchy and burning eyes, as well as redness in the white of the eye.

Note that not all cases of redness of the eye are caused by conjunctivitis. For this reason, a doctor will perform eye exams and consult lab tests to make sure you are suffering from conjunctivitis. The doctor will then prescribe the ideal medication for you, ranging from antibiotics and eye drops to ointments.

Strabismus

Strabismus is an eye condition where both eyes cannot look at the same object because they are not lined up in the same direction.

The eyes consist of various muscles that work in cohesion to ensure they focus on one object at a time. However, in the case of Strabismus, this muscle cohesion is non-existent. As a result, a person with the condition cannot focus on one object. Instead, one eye will look at one object while the other focuses on another.

In this case, the eye sends two images to the brain. If not treated, the mind will naturally learn to ignore the weaker eye, causing a visual problem known as amblyopia or the lazy eye.

Most strabismus cases are noticed shortly after birth, and their cause is unknown.

Some of the treatments that your ophthalmologist will recommend include glasses, eye therapy, patching, or surgery.

Bottom line

There you have it! Some of the eye problems you will likely encounter at an eye clinic. Whichever vision impairment condition you might have, be it extra skin on the eye or cataracts, it is best to see an ophthalmologist immediately. Leaving an eye problem untreated can increase the chances of blindness.