TOP 5 Most common eye problems

Team L&M

Eyes are the most used and most abused parts of the body. People often neglect eye health, postpone a visit to eye specialist to a time ‘when I get time’. But it is time everyone wakes up and takes notice. Eye health, if not addressed to, in time can quickly lead to a point of no return.

Here I give you information about common eye problems, which, if not treated in time, can lead to permanent blindness.

Even if your vision is clear and healthy, you must make it a priority to get your yearly eye tests done. Routine visits help regular monitoring and it also help an eye specialist detect signs of vision disorders, if any.

While Ophthlmologists tell people to be careful about their eye health, they also say that one need not worry too much as if addressed to in time there can be no loss of vision.

“One must not neglect the health of eyes. If you are having any problem in seeing, you must immediately visit a doctor. And you must get your eyes tested as soon as you turn 40,” says Dr Ajay Aurora, Vision Plus Eye Centre, Noida.

“Those with diabetic condition should be extra careful, particularly if the vision is blurred or doubled, or they see flashes or floaters before their eyes,” he adds. “The responsibility lies equally with doctors and patients. If the problem is tackled in time, we can make sure that no one loses vision,” he points out.

Refractive errors
Refractive errors are the commonest problem faced by people. These errors prevent the eye from properly focusing light, causing blurred vision. These errors can be corrected with eye glasses, contact lenses or one can even go in for surgery. Nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are all refractive errors.

Lazy eye and squint

In lazy eye, the eye is structurally and anatomically fine but not functionally. This normally occurs in children. When there is a refractive error only in one eye, children usually do not bother as the other eye is functioning properly and they feel no problem in vision. The weak eye which is not used turns into a lazy eye and doesn’t perform functionally.
In case of squint, eye is not able to focus properly on the object because of incorrect balance of muscles that move the eye. Early detection and regular use of eye glasses will correct this problem.

Cataract

Cataract is clouding of eye lens due which vision is impaired. It is the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40 years and is the principal cause of blindness in the world. Aaprt from consuming health diet and staying away from cigarettes, one must also wear shades in sun as ultra violet rays from the sun can hasten the formation of cataract even in young people.

Macular degeneration

This one is common age related eye condition, and usually affects people over the age of 50 years. In some people, it advances very slowly and vision loss does not occur for a long time. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes.
A person can lower the risk of having macular degeneration of eye by avoiding smoking, exercising regularly and having a healthy diet rich in green leafy vegetables so that the blood pressure and cholesterol level is kept within the normal limits.

Diabetic retinopathy
This one affects working-age people, and is dependent on level of affluence, food habits and genetic set up. Those with diabetes should get their eyes checked yearly on regular basis. To avoid the condition of diabetic retinopathy, a diabetic patient must keep his/her blood sugar level within normal limits, stop consuming tobacco products, have a healthy nutritious diet and also take regular walks.