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Top Causes of Eye Problems &Detecting Eye Diseases and Conditions ( courtecy,--webMD )


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Top Causes of Eye Problems









Most people have eye problems at one time or another. Some are minor and will go away on their own, or are easy to treat at home. Others need a specialist’s care.
Whether your vision isn’t what it used to be, or never was that great, there are things you can do to get your eye health back on track.
See if any of these common problems sound familiar. And always check with a doctor if your symptoms are really bad or don’t clear up within a few days.

Eyestrain

Anyone who reads for hours, works at a computer, or drives long distances knows about this one. It happens when you overuse your eyes. They get tired and need to rest, just like any other part of your body.
If your eyes feel strained, give them some time off. If they’re still weary after a few days, check with your doctor to make sure it isn’t another problem.

Red Eyes

Your eyes look bloodshot. Why?



Their surface is covered in blood vessels that expand when they’re irritated or infected. That gives your eyes the red look.
Eyestrain can do it, and so can a late night, a lack of sleep, or allergies. If an injury is the cause, get it checked by your doctor.
Red eyes could be a symptom of another eye condition, like conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or sun damage from not wearing shades over the years. If over-the-counter eye drops and rest don’t clear it up, see your doctor.

Night Blindness

Is it hard to see at night, especially while driving? Is it tough to find your way around in dark places, such as movie theaters?
That sounds like night blindness. It’s a symptom, not a problem in its own right. Nearsightednesscataractskeratoconus, and a lack of vitamin A all cause a type of night blindness that doctors can fix.
Some people are born with this problem, or it might develop from a degenerative disease involving the retina, and that usually can’t be treated. If you have it, you’ll need to be extra careful in areas of low light.



Lazy Eye

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, happens when one eye doesn’t develop properly. Vision is weaker in that eye, and it tends to move “lazily” around while the other eye stays put. It’s found in infants, children, and adults, and rarely affects both eyes. Treatment needs to be sought immediately for infants and children.
Lifelong vision problems can be avoided if a lazy eye is detected and treated during early childhood. Treatment includes corrective glasses or contact lenses and using a patch or other strategies to make a child use the lazy eye.

Cross Eyes (Strabismus) and Nystagmus

If your eyes aren’t lined up with each other when you look at something, you could have strabismus. You might also hear it called crossed eyes or walleye.
This problem won’t go away on its own. You’ll need to get an ophthalmologist, or eye specialist, to correct it.
With nystagmus, the eye moves or "jiggles" all the time on its own. You have no control.
There are many treatments, including vision therapy to make your eyes stronger. Surgery is also an option. Your doctor will examine your eyes to see which treatment might work best for you.

Colorblindness

When you can’t see certain colors, or can’t tell the difference between them (usually reds and greens), you may be colorblind. It happens when the color cells in your eye (the doctor will call them cone cells) are absent or don’t work.
When it’s most severe, you can only see in shades of gray, but this is rare. Most people who have it are born with it, but you can get it later in life from certain drugs and diseases. Your doctor can tell you what’s to blame. Men are much more likely to be born with it than women.
Your eye doctor can diagnose it with a simple test. There’s no treatment if you’re born with it, but special contacts and glasses can help some people tell the difference between certain colors.



Uveitis

This is the name for a group of diseases that cause inflammation of the uvea. That’s the middle layer of the eye that contains most of the blood vessels.
These diseases can destroy eye tissue, and even cause eye loss. People of all ages can have it. Symptoms may go away quickly or last for a long time.
People with immune system conditions like AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, or ulcerative colitis may be more likely to have uveitis. Symptoms may include:
  • Blurred vision
  • Eye pain
  • Eye redness
  • Light sensitivity
See your doctor if you have these symptoms and they don’t go away within a few days. There are different kinds of treatment for uveitis, depending on the type you have.

Presbyopia

This happens when you lose the ability, despite good distance vision, to clearly see close objects and small print.
After age 40 or so, you may have to hold a book or other reading material farther away from your eyes to make it easier to read. Sort of like your arms are too short.
Reading glasses, contact lensesLASIK, which is laser eye surgery, and other procedures can be used to restore good reading vision.

Floaters

These are tiny spots or specks that float across your field of vision. Most people notice them in well-lit rooms or outdoors on a bright day.
Floaters are usually normal, but they sometimes can be a sign of a more serious eye problem, like retinal detachment. That’s when the retina at the back of your eye separates from the layer underneath. When this happens, you might also see light flashes along with the floaters or a dark shadow come across the edge of your sight.
If you notice a sudden change in the type or number of spots or flashes you see or a new dark “curtain" in your peripheral vision, go to your eye doctor as soon as possible.

Dry Eyes

This happens when your eyes can't make enough good-quality tears. You might feel like something is in your eye or like it’s burning. Rarely, in severe cases, extreme dryness can lead to some loss of vision. Some treatments include:
  • Using a humidifier in your home
  • Special eye drops that work like real tears
  • Plugs in your tear ducts to lessen drainage
  • Lipiflow, a procedure that uses heat and pressure to treat dry eyes
  • Testosterone eyelid cream
  • Nutritional supplements with fish oil and omega-3
If your dry eye problem is chronic, you may have dry eye disease. You doctor could prescribe medicated drops like cyclosporine(Restasis) or lifitegrast (Xiidra) to stimulate tear production.



Excess Tearing

It has nothing to do with your feelings. You might be sensitive to light, wind, or temperature changes. Try to protect your eyes by shielding them or wearing sunglasses (go for wraparound frames -- they block more wind than other types).
Tearing may also signal a more serious problem, like an eye infection or a blocked tear duct. Your eye doctor can treat or correct both of these conditions.

Cataracts

These are cloudy areas that develop in the eye lens.
A healthy lens is clear like a camera's. Light passes through it to your retina -- the back of your eye where images are processed. When you have a cataract, light can't get through as easily. The result: You can't see as well and may notice glare or a halo around lights at night.
Cataracts often form slowly. They don't cause symptoms like pain, redness, or tearing in the eye.
Some stay small and don't affect your sight. If they do progress and affect your vision, surgery almost always works to bring it back.

Glaucoma

Your eye is like a tire: Some pressure inside it is normal and safe. But levels that are too high can damage your optic nerve. Glaucoma is the name for a group of diseases that cause this condition.
A common form is primary open angle glaucoma. Most people who have it don’t have early symptoms or pain. So it's important to keep up with your regular eye exams.
It doesn’t happen often, but glaucoma can be caused by:
  • An injury to the eye
  • Blocked blood vessels
  • Inflammatory disorders of the eye
Treatment includes prescription eye drops or surgery.

Retinal Disorders

The retina is a thin lining on the back of your eye that is made up of cells that collect images and pass them on to your brain. Retinal disorders block this transfer. There are different types:
  • Age-related macular degeneration refers to a breakdown of a small portion of the retina called the macula.
  • Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the blood vessels in your retina caused by diabetes.
  • Retinal detachment happens when the retina separates from the layer underneath.
It’s important to get an early diagnosis and have these conditions treated.


Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye)

In this condition, tissue that lines the back of your eyelids and covers your sclera gets inflamed. It can cause redness, itching, burning, tearing, discharge, or a feeling that something is in your eye.
People of all ages can get it. Causes include infection, exposure to chemicals and irritants, or allergies.
Wash your hands often to lower your chance of getting it.

Corneal Diseases

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped "window" at the front of your eye. It helps to focus the light that comes in. Disease, infection, injury, and exposure to toxins can damage it. Signs include:
  • Red eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Pain
  • Reduced vision, or a halo effect
The main treatment methods include:
  • A new eyeglasses or contacts prescription
  • Medicated eye drops
  • Surgery

Eyelid Problems

Your eyelids do a lot for you. They protect your eye, spread tears over its surface, and limit the amount of light that can get in.
Pain, itching, tearing, and sensitivity to light are common symptoms of eyelid problems. You might also have blinking spasms or inflamed outer edges near your eyelashes.
Treatment could include proper cleaning, medication, or surgery.

Vision Changes

As you get older, you may find that you can’t see as well as you once did. That’s normal. You’ll probably need glasses or contacts. You may choose to have surgery (LASIK) to correct your vision. If you already have glasses, you may need a stronger prescription.
Other, more serious conditions also happen as you age. Eye diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts, can cause vision problems. Symptoms vary a lot among these disorders, so keep up with your eye exams.
Some vision changes can be dangerous and need immediate medical care. Anytime you have a sudden loss of vision, or everything looks blurry -- even if it’s temporary -- see a doctor right away. Go to the emergency room or call 911.

Problems With Contact Lenses

They work well for many people, but you need to take care of them. Wash your hands before you touch them. Follow the care guidelines that came with your prescription. And follow these rules:
  • Never wet them by putting them in your mouth. That can make an infection more likely.
  • Make sure your lenses fit properly, so they don’t scratch your eyes.
  • Use eye drops that say they're safe for contact lenses.
  • Never use homemade saline solutions. They aren’t sterile and could cause an infection.
  • Don't sleep with them in. Doing so raises the risk of infection.
If you do everything right and still have problems with your contacts, see your eye doctor. You might have allergies, dry eyes, or just be better off with glasses. Once you know what the problem is, you can decide what’s best for you.

Detecting Eye Diseases and Conditions



As our population ages, vision loss from eye diseases is increasing.
According to the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the CDC:
  • About 3.3 to 4.1 million Americans ages 40 or older are blind or have low vision. This is about 1 in every 28 people. By 2020, that number could be 5.5 million -- a 60% increase.
NEI has identified the most common eye diseases in people over age 40 as:
To catch eye conditions early and help prevent vision loss, you should get a baseline eye exam when you are 40. If you are at high risk for an eye problem, yearly visits are recommended. If there are no issues, you should then see your doctor every 2 to 4 years until you are 54. Afterwards, visits should be more frequent - every 1 to three 3 years. By the time you reach 65, consider visits every 1 to 2 years.
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Here's what you should know about these threats to your eyesight.

Your Eyes and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) damages, then destroys, central vision, your "straight-ahead," finely detailed vision. This eye disease takes two forms, dry and wet. About 90% of AMD cases are dry. The remaining 10% are wet, a more advanced form. Wet AMD is more damaging, causing about 90% of serious vision loss.

Who's at Risk for AMD?

Starting with the highest risk, people who:

Symptoms of AMD

AMD is painless. It may worsen slowly or rapidly. Dry AMD may affect central vision within a few years. Wet AMD can cause sudden and dramatic changes in vision. In either case, early detection and treatment are key to slowing vision loss. See your eye doctor right away if you notice:
  • Straight lines appearing wavy, a symptom of wet AMD
  • Blurred central vision, the most common dry AMD symptom
  • Trouble seeing things in the distance
  • Difficulty seeing details, like faces or words on a page
  • Dark or "blank" spots blocking your central vision


Treatment of AMD

Wet AMD treatment may include:
  • Special drug injections (by far the most common treatment)
  • Laser surgery
  • Photodynamic therapy
Dry AMD treatment is aimed at monitoring or slowing the progression of the disease. Vision loss from advanced dry AMD cannot be prevented. But taking certain dietary supplements may help stabilize the disease in some patients. One large study has shown that taking high doses of the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin, along with zinc, may help slow AMD progression in cases of:
  • Intermediate AMD
  • High risk of progressing to advanced AMD
  • Advanced AMD in just one eye
However, the study showed that this regimen did not prevent AMD onset or slow its progression in early-stage disease.

Steps to Prevent AMD

These preventive steps may help keep AMD at bay:
  • Eat more leafy green vegetables and fish.
  • Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.
  • Don't smoke.
  • Check your blood pressure regularly. Get treatment if your blood pressure is too high.

Your Eyes and Cataracts

A cataract is an eye condition in which the eye's normally clear lens becomes cloudy. It eventually occurs in both eyes but may be more noticeable in one eye first. Since less light passes through a cloudy lens, vision blurs. Cataracts are small at first and may not affect vision. But the denser they grow, the more they affect your vision.
Most cataracts are due to aging. Other risk factors include:
  • Diseases, like diabetes
  • Eye injury or trauma
  • Eye surgery for another problem
  • Inheritance or pregnancy-related causes (Babies can be born with cataracts or develop them in childhood.)
  • Overexposure of eyes to the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays
  • Smoking
  • Certain medications

Who's at Risk for Cataracts?

The risk increases with age. Other risk factors for cataracts include:
  • Environmental -- such as overexposure to sunlight
  • Lifestyle -- including smoking and alcohol use
  • People who have certain diseases -- including diabetes

Symptoms of Cataracts

The most common cataract symptoms include:


Treatment of Cataracts

For early cataracts, these steps may help:
  • Getting a new eyeglass or contact lens prescription
  • Using brighter lighting
  • Using magnifying lenses
  • Wearing sunglasses
If cataracts interfere with everyday activities, your doctor will probably recommend surgery. Surgical cataract removal is one of the most common, safest, and most effective types of surgery done in the U.S. Delaying cataract surgery until it interferes with your quality of life is appropriate and won't harm your eyes.
If you choose surgery, you'll be referred to an ophthalmologist who can perform the surgery (if you don't already have a doctor you trust). During the procedure, the eye surgeon removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial clear lens. If both eyes need cataract surgery, surgery will generally be done one eye at a time separated by a time interval felt appropriate by your surgeon.

Ways to Prevent Cataracts

You may help delay cataract development by:
  • Avoiding overexposure to sunlight; wear wraparound sunglasses with ultraviolet protection and a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Not smoking

Diabetic Eye Disease

People with diabetes are at risk for developing several eye diseases:
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease in people with diabetes. It affects over 5 million Americans ages 18 and older. Usually both eyes develop the disease. Diabetic retinopathyprogresses in four stages. The most severe is proliferative retinopathy.
Damaged blood vessels due to diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss and blindness two ways:
  1. Fluid leaks into the center of the retina, called the macula. This area of the retina is where central vision takes place. The fluid causes the macula to swell, blurring vision.
  2. In proliferative retinopathy, new and abnormal blood vessels grow. These vessels blur vision by leaking blood into the center of the eye and causing scar tissue, and that can lead to retinal detachment.

Who's at Risk for Diabetic Eye Disease?

Everyone with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, is at risk for diabetic eye disease. The longer you have diabetes, the more your risk grows. According to the National Eye Institute, up to 45% of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some form of diabetic retinopathy.
One problem with identifying yourself as being at risk is that proliferative retinopathy and macular swelling can develop without any symptoms. Sometimes vision remains unaffected as the eye disease progresses. Nevertheless, your risk of eventual vision loss is high - one reason why routine eye exams are necessary.


Symptoms of Diabetic Eye Disease

Like diabetes, early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy may not be noticed for some time. Don't wait for symptoms to appear before taking action. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, schedule a complete dilated eye exam with your eye doctor once a year, or more often if needed. If you delay treatment until vision is noticeably affected, it may be less effective.
See your eye doctor right away if you notice these symptoms:
  • Blurred vision. This is very common in people with diabetes who have unstable blood sugar levels, even without the presence of retinopathy.
  • "Floaters" that swim in and out of your vision in one eye that last longer than a few days. These may be ordinary harmless floaters, but if you have diabetes especially, floaters may be the sign of bleeding in the back of the eye. New floaters are always a reason for seeing an eye doctor -- especially when you have diabetes.

Treatment of Diabetic Eye Disease

"Scatter" laser treatment (pan-retinal photocoagulation) is effective for treating new blood vessels before or after they begin to bleed. Severe bleeding may be treated with a surgical procedure (vitrectomy) by removing blood from the center of the eye.
"Focal" laser treatment may be done to stabilize vision. This therapy may reduce vision loss by up to 50%.
These laser treatments may reduce the risk of serious vision loss and blindness. But they cannot cure diabetic eye disease. They cannot bring back lost vision or prevent future vision loss.
Newly developed medications can be injected into the eye to treat the complications of diabetes.

Steps to Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease

More than a third of people with diabetes don't get proper vision care. This puts them at higher risk for blindness. If you have diabetes, be vigilant about eye and vision care. People with diabetes, even those without diagnosed eye disease, need to see their eye doctor once a year. Those with diabetic changes in their eyes need to be seen more frequently.
Keeping your blood sugar tightly controlled (as measured by both your blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C levels) and your blood pressure within the normal range both help. Always follow your doctor's recommendations regarding medication, diet, and exercise.


Your Eyes and Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of related eye diseases that can cause blindness. Many people who have it don't know it. That's because symptoms don't appear until glaucoma has already damaged the optic nerve. This nerve carries images from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma optic nerve damage is usually associated with an elevated pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure).
The most common type of glaucoma is primary open-angle glaucoma. Its causes are not yet clearly understood. Glaucoma can also develop without an increase in eye pressure, called low-tension or normal-tension glaucoma.

Who's at Risk for Glaucoma?

Glaucoma can develop in anyone. However, people at increased risk include:
  • People over age 60
  • Mexican-Americans
  • African-Americans, especially those with high eye pressure, corneal thinness, or optic nerve problems
  • Anyone who has had a severe eye injury
  • People with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes
  • Anyone with a family history of glaucoma
  • A person who has increased eye pressure

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Typically, glaucoma has no symptoms until the latest and most advanced stages when vision is just about gone. That’s why some people call glaucoma “the sneak thief of sight.” As this eye disease progresses, the person with glaucoma may notice progressive vision loss, including:
  • Blurry vision
  • Narrowed side (peripheral) vision
  • Problems focusing
  • A "halo" effect around lights (This is unusual and typically occurs at extreme eye pressures and acute glaucoma attacks.)

Treatment for Glaucoma

There is no cure for glaucoma. Once vision is lost, it cannot be restored. However, early detection and treatment of this eye disease can often protect you from severe vision loss.
Glaucoma treatment may include:
  • Eye drops or pills that help reduce pressure in the eye
  • Several kinds of laser treatments to decrease eye pressure or to compensate for narrow angle glaucoma
  • Surgery to create a new opening for fluid to drain from the eye
If you're taking medicine for glaucoma, take your medicine every dayas directed. Remember, when you don’t take your medicine, your eye pressure increases -- and that may be silently causing permanent vision loss.
If you've lost some vision due to this eye disease, your eye doctor can refer you for low-vision services. Low-vision aids can help you make the most of your remaining vision.


Steps to Prevent Glaucoma

The key to preventing glaucoma is to maintain normal eye pressure. What eye pressure level is "normal" for you? Only an eye doctor can determine this.
Have regular eye exams every 2 to 4 years until age 54 and hen every 1 to 3 years until 65. After that you should have an exam every 1 to 2 years.
Your eye doctor may notice high eye pressure or may determine that you are at high risk of developing glaucoma. In these cases, you may be asked to use eye drops or visit the doctor more often. In some people who are at risk for glaucoma, eye drop treatment can reduce the risk by about 50%. Reducing eye pressure is the only known way to slow or stop the progression of visual loss from glaucoma.



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