COMMON EYE CONDITIONS

• Difficulty seeing the white board at school or the TV at home
• Squinting or partially closing the eyes to see distant objects
• Eye strain or headaches when focusing on faraway objects

Myopia correction consists of corrective glasses or contact lenses, or refractive surgery like LASIK. For children, an eye doctor may suggest myopia control strategies to help slow the progression of myopia and keep it from worsening into high myopia. Example of high myopia strategies include special contact lenses or glasses, myopia control eye drops, and making certain lifestyle changes². High myopia is severe nearsightedness that carries an increased risk of sight-threatening problems later in life.

• Difficulty focusing on close-up objects
• Headaches while reading, writing or after doing near work
• Eye strain, squinting or partially closing the eyelids to see more clearly

Hyperopia can be corrected with prescription glasses or contacts, or corrective laser surgery (LASIK). These treatments adjust the image to focus directly on the retina rather than behind it.

Farsightedness usually gets worse as you get older. While the symptoms may be similar to those of age-related presbyopia, hyperopia is not caused by aging.

• Blurry vision when looking at near or far objects
• Eye strain
• Headaches
• Needing to squint to see clearly

Astigmatism can occur alone or with myopia or hyperopia. It can be treated with astigmatism-correcting glasses or contact lenses. Keep in mind that not all contacts or glasses for astigmatism are the same. Prescriptions vary depending on the location and severity of the irregularities in the cornea.

As people age, there is an increased risk for some eye conditions to develop. While some conditions are common and can be corrected easily, more serious conditions can cause vision damage or loss. People aged 40 and older may develop eye problems such as presbyopia, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye disease that affects your central vision. AMD happens because the macula — the most light-sensitive area of the retina — becomes damaged and starts to deteriorate. The macula helps you see fine details right in front of you. As the condition progresses, central vision worsens until it is lost.

There are two types: dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD is more common and occurs when cells in the macula start to deteriorate. Wet AMD happens when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina and leak fluid.

Risk factors for AMD are age (being 60 years or older), smoking and having a family history of AMD. It’s also been determined that Caucasian people have a higher risk of developing AMD than any other racial group⁶.

While treatment options are limited for dry AMD (the most common type), you can reduce your risk by exercising regularly, eating a vitamin-rich diet and wearing sunglasses outside.

A cataract is characterized by cloudiness in the eye’s lens. They are common in older adults and may affect one or both eyes.

The lens of the eye is made of water and protein. After age 40, the proteins start to break down and may clump together, creating a cloudy area in your vision.

As more proteins gather in this clump, the bigger it gets. Eventually the clump of proteins clouds the entire lens. This can cause vision to become dull, blurred and hazy.

Diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, UV exposure and eye trauma can raise a person’s risk of developing cataracts. Other risk factors include prolonged steroid use and a family history of cataracts.

Minor cataracts may be managed with glasses or contact lenses. But larger cataracts often need to be removed with cataract surgery. This surgery consists of an eye surgeon removing the old cloudy lens and replacing it with a new artificial lens⁷.

• Scratchy, gritty feeling in the eyes
• Burning or a feeling of dryness
• The sensation that something is in your eyes
• Excessive eye watering
• Blurry vision

An eye exam with dry eye testing can determine what’s causing your dry eye symptoms and the best way to treat it. Artificial tears (or lubricating eye drops) may be prescribed to reduce the itchy, burning feeling. Your doctor may also suggest prescription eye drops that help your body produce more tears naturally. Or they may recommend punctal plugs, which block the tears from draining so quickly.

• Blink regularly. If you’re on a computer, practice the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
• Boost your humidity level in air conditioning or heating.
• For people with dry eye, glasses are often a more comfortable option than contact lenses for vision correction. This is because the tear film is unstable (contact lenses sit on the tears) and because oxygen can get to the eyes more easily when wearing glasses.
• Wear full-coverage wraparound sunglasses if you’re outdoors.
• Ask your doctor about dietary supplements to increase your essential fatty acid intake.
• Drink plenty of water — at least 8 to 10 glasses every day.

For more information about dry eye syndrome, visit AllAboutVision.com.

Glaucoma is a group of related eye issues that, if left untreated, can damage the optic nerve and eventually result in blindness. The optic nerve is responsible for sending messages from the eyes to the brain. When pressure within the eye gets too high and stays that way, it can press against and damage the optic nerve. Low-tension glaucoma, though less common, can also damage the optic nerve and vision.

People affected by glaucoma may not experience symptoms until the damage to the optic nerve has already been done. But an eye doctor can check eye pressure and the appearance of the optic nerve during an eye exam. If they notice any abnormalities, they can suggest methods of prevention or management.

While there’s no cure for glaucoma, early detection can help preserve remaining vision.

Some eye disease risk factors (like age and genetics) are beyond our control. But there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of developing certain eye diseases. You can:

• Have regular eye exams. Insist on routine exams for anyone you care about, yourself included. Book an eye exam appointment for yourself and your family today.
• Address your high blood pressure. Hypertension (high blood pressure) has been associated with eye damage, as well as many other health problems.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases your risk of developing diabetes and AMD. Ask your doctor for help.
• Quit smoking. Smoking increases your chance of developing diabetes, AMD, cataracts and many other health issues.

Vision plays a huge role in the quality of our lives, and it’s too precious to be left to chance. Let your eye doctor become a trusted partner in keeping your eyes healthy. By getting annual comprehensive eye exams, they can address any problems early and help you make the most of your vision.

1. Myopia: A close look at efforts to turn back a growing problem. National Eye Institute. October 2017.
2. What is myopia control? All About Vision. May 2022.
3. Farsightedness. Cleveland Clinic. November 2020.
4. Presbyopia: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. November 2021.
5. Presbyopia: Diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic. November 2021.
6. Risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). VisionAware. March 2022.
7. Cataracts. National Eye Institute. January 2023.
8. Diabetic retinopathy. Kellogg Eye Center. Accessed February 2023.
9. Diabetes and vision loss. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 2022.