Common Eye Conditions You Should Be Aware Of For Your Eye Health

Here are some of the most common eye conditions and their symptoms everyone should know to be able to spot the early stages of eye problems and to seek professional help when necessary.

Visual problems

The most common problems with vision are called “refractive errors.” Refractive errors are due to changes in the shape or size of the eye which prevent light from focusing directly on the retina. There are 4 common refractive errors and most people have one or more of these conditions. Nearsightedness (myopia): You only see near objects well. Objects far away appear blurry. Farsightedness (hyperopia): You only see far objects well. Close objects appear blurry. Astigmatism: The eye does not focus light evenly, causing images to appear blurry and stretched out. Presbyopia: An age-related condition that affects most adults over the age 35, where the ability to focus on close objects becomes difficult.

Signs of other refractive errors:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Haziness
• Glare or halos around bright lights
• Squinting
• Headaches
• Eye strain

Other visual issues

Floaters: Tiny spots are specs that float across your visual field. Cataracts: Cloudy areas that develop in the lens of the eye, which may affect your vision or you may notice a glare or halo around lights at night.

Medical & disease-related issues

Glaucoma: Excessive pressure in the eye that can damage your optic nerve. Most people don’t experience early symptoms or pain. Therefore, regular eye exams are important. Dry eye: Occurs when the eye can’t produce enough good-quality tears. Can produce a itching or burning sensation. If the condition becomes chronic, it could indicate try eye disease. Excessive tearing: Can indicate sensitivity to light, wind or temperature. It can also indicate a serious problem such as an eye infection or blocked tear duct. Uveitis: An inflammation of the uvea. It’s extremely serious and can destroy eye tissue and even cause eye loss. Symptoms may include: Blurred vision, eye pain, eye redness, and light sensitivity. Red eyes: Although this sometimes can be caused by fatigue and strain, red eyes can also be a symptom of conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or sun damage due to not protecting your eyes effectively from the sun over a long term. Conjunctivitis (pinkeye): Inflammation of the tissue that lines the back of your eyelids. Symptoms include redness, itching, burning, tearing, discharge or the feeling of having something in your eye. Night blindness: If you have difficulty in the dark, it may indicate night blindness. It could be an indication of a degenerative disease occurring in your retina. Some types of night blindness can be treated and improved or eliminated.