We often don’t pay much attention to our eyesight, until something goes wrong. Imagine not being able to see your favorite things, or even worse, not being able to see at all! That’s why it’s important to keep an eye (pun intended) on our vision health to prevent issues from becoming serious. Here, I’ll talk about six typical vision problems, their warning signs and what you can do about them.
1. Cataract
Cataracts form cloudy spots on your eye lens, causing blurry vision.
Signs:
– Seeing colors as faded
– Glare or halos around lights at night
– Constant changes in your glasses or contact lens prescription
Fixes: At first, you could manage with antiglare sunglasses or new glasses. If these don’t help, you might need cataract surgery.
2. Macular Degeneration
The macula is at the center of your retina and helps us with tasks like reading, driving, recognizing faces and colors. With age, damage could happen to this area.
Signs:
– Difficulty with reading, driving or recognizing faces
– Poor vision in dim light
– Loss of some vision
– Things looking smaller than they really are
Fixes: To prevent it, avoid smoking, exercise regularly, eat lots of greens, and monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure.
3. Glaucoma
Glaucoma comes from high pressure in your eyes which can damage your optic nerve and impact your central vision. If left untreated, it could cause permanent blindness.
Signs:
– ‘Tunnel vision’
– Blurry vision
– Redness in eyes
– Halos around lights
– Loss of peripheral vision
Fixes: Eye drops and pills typically help. But surgeries, traditional or Lasik, could also be an option.
4. Refractive Errors
These happen when light doesn’t focus properly on your retina because of the shape of your eye, causing vision issues. Common types are nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Signs:
– Blurred or double vision
– Headaches
– Eye strain
Fixes: Typically, glasses or contact lenses can correct this. Lasik eye surgery is another option. Also, don’t forget your yearly eye exam!
5. Diabetic Retinopathy
This is an eye problem related to diabetes that damages the blood vessels in your retina, affecting both eyes typically.
Signs:
– Blurred vision or vision loss
– Dark spots in vision
– Changing vision
– Trouble recognizing colors
Fixes: Get yearly eye tests done and control your blood sugar levels. An early laser treatment can prevent severe damage.
6. Color Blindness
Color blindness is when you can’t see colors normally due to an issue with the pigments in the eye cones.
Signs:
– Problems distinguishing colors
– Not being able to see different shades of a color
Fixes: There’s no cure yet, unfortunately, but there are eyeglasses and contact lenses with filters that can somewhat help those with color deficiencies.
If you notice any of these symptoms, get to an eye doctor right away! Attack the problem head-on before it gets worse.
This article is tagged under Common Vision Problems, Prevent.
