Many forms of eye disease do not exhibit any symptoms in their early stages, so you may not even realize something is wrong until permanent damage has been done to your vision.
Your best defence against eye disease is to book regular eye exams.
Age-related macular degeneration is an eye disease that can affect people of all ages but generally develops in patients 50 years of age or older. There are two common types of AMD: Dry AMD and wet AMD.
Dry AMD occurs when the macula, located near the center of your retina, starts to thin and break down, compromising your central vision. This is often attributed to ageing, but the risk of developing dry AMD can increase if you smoke or have a poor diet.
Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels form underneath and in your macula, leaking blood and fluids that can damage your central vision. This leak builds up fluid in your retina, which then can cause a bump in your macula, leading to vision loss.
If you have AMD, some of the symptoms you may experience could include:
AMD can develop over the course of years without you even noticing the disease. The best way to manage the development of AMD is to make sure you’re attending regular eye exams. Early detection will allow your optometrist the opportunity to recommend the proper steps to protect your eyes.
Some of these recommendations can include dietary changes, medications, or lifestyle changes like quitting smoking.
For wet AMD, your optometrist might recommend anti-VEGF treatments to help your eyes grow new blood vessels for your retina.
Glaucoma is a collection of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. The risk of developing these diseases can increase if you have diabetes or if your family has a history with it.
Most of the time, glaucoma is caused by raised intraocular pressure but can develop even when your eye’s internal pressure is within the normal range. The two most common forms are as open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma.
If you have open-angle glaucoma, you can experience blind spots in your peripheral or central vision. In the advanced stages, you can experience tunnel vision.
If you have angle-closure glaucoma, you can experience headaches, eye pain, nausea, eye redness, and even blurred vision. All of these can develop quite quickly, so please make sure you contact medical assistance if any or all of these symptoms are developing.
The best way to prevent the development of glaucoma as you grow older is to make sure you attend regular eye exams. Like many diseases, your eye care team will have a better opportunity to treat your symptoms if they are able to detect the disease early.
Depending on the severity of your glaucoma, your optometrist can prescribe eye drops to lower eye pressure, or can recommend lifestyle changes.
“Pink eye,” medically known as conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin membrane covering the whites over your eye, resulting in redness and inflammation that can irritate your eyes.
There are three most common causes of conjunctivitis: viruses, bacteria, and allergies. Viruses and bacteria are highly contagious and can spread from person to person at a rapid rate.
Allergic conjunctivitis can happen when you have an allergic reaction to things like pollen or pet hair. When this happens, your body produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) that causes cells in the mucous lining of your eye to release histamines, resulting in an allergic reaction.
If you have conjunctivitis, you can experience:
Treatment depends on the type of pink eye you have. For viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, your optometrist can recommend medication or eye drops to soothe your symptoms. For allergic conjunctivitis, allergy medication can help you get back to feeling good as new.
Because of how contagious viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can be, it’s extremely important to make sure you try to avoid the general public if you have conjunctivitis caused by viruses or bacteria.
Cataracts are the “clouding” of the lenses of your eye as you grow older. It is treatable but can cause vision left if left to develop over time.
Cataracts occur when the crystalline lens of your eye becomes rigid, denser, and less transparent. This can happen for a variety of reasons.
The most common cause for cataracts is ageing, but it can have a higher risk of developing if you have diabetes, have a past eye injury, or if you have had eye surgery. Medical conditions like a family history of cataracts or diabetes can also raise your risk of developing the condition.
If you have cataracts, you can experience:
If your optometrist recognizes the signs of cataracts early, they can help give you the right recommendations to preserve your vision from cataracts. These recommendations can include lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or changing your diet.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your optometrist can also recommend cataract-removal surgery. This is a procedure that removes your crystalline lens and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens, clearing your cataracts and vision.
Eye diseases can cause permanent vision loss without treatment from an eye care professional. Depending on the symptoms and your personal health requirements, your optometrist can recommend to you the best options to treat or manage your disease.
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