Every year, people around the world suffer from a variety of common eye conditions that are highly treatable. Many simply chalk it up to age, buy a pair of glasses and try to go on living a normal life. But the problem is only getting worse. Between 2010 and 2050, the National Eye Institute (NEI) predicted that cases of common eye diseases will double.
Impaired vision due to common eye conditions can impair your life. After all, glasses and contact lenses bring their own set of inconveniences and problems. If you want to live your best life yet, today and long into the future, maintaining your vision health is vital.
To keep your vision at its best, check out these common eye conditions, and see what you (and we) can do about it.
Common eye conditions and their savvy solutions
- Presbyopia (near vision loss)
About: Presbyopia is age-related near-vision loss. As you reach your 40s and 50s, your eye lenses begin stiffening, reducing their natural ability to automatically adjust and focus. And this condition only worsens over time.
Symptoms: Symptoms include holding things at a distance to read, blurry vision when reading at what was a normal distance in your earlier years, and eyestrain from close-up work. Though presbyopia is a natural result of the aging process, left untreated, it can initiate earlier development of cataracts.
Treatments: Treatments for common vision problems such as presbyopia have included glasses and contact lenses. But these have only been surface solutions rather than fixing the real problem. The KAMRA inlay treatment is a life-changing procedure that can restore your vision, and free you from the constraints of glasses. Consult with your eye specialist to see if this option is right for you.
- Cataracts
About: Cataracts is a degenerative eye condition that occurs most often as a result of aging (60% of those with cataractsare over the age of 75) or having diabetes. Occasionally it can develop in babies as well. In cataracts, the lenses of the eye become cloudy, making it nearly impossible for the eye to focus and see clearly. The NEI predicts that by 2050, the number of people withcataracts will have doubledfrom 24.4 million in 2010 to 50 million.
Symptoms: Common symptoms of cataracts include cloudy vision, light sensitivity, frequent prescription changes and low vision at night.
Treatments: While there’s no way to prevent common eye conditions like cataracts, you can take measures to extend your healthy vision. Avoid smoking and too much alcohol, exercise to stay in shape, wear sunglasses, and if you have high blood pressure, be sure you get it under control with medication and a healthy lifestyle.
Treatments often include glasses or contacts in the early stages, to enable clearer vision. In the later stages cataract surgery can replace stiffened lenses to give you clearer vision and fix other common eye conditions such as presbyopia and astigmatisms. Talk to your eye care professional to see what options are best for you.
- Dry Eye Syndrome
About: Dry eye syndrome is one of many common eye conditions that, though uncomfortable, is highly treatable. Dry eyes (and chronic dry eyes) occur when the eye isn’t producing enough moisture to keep the surface balanced. While the causes of dry eyes are most often environmental, there are other conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy or menopause that can initiate or aggravate the condition.
Symptoms: Symptoms include dryness and itching, burning, heaviness, soreness, wateriness and blurry vision. Left untreated, it can lead to inflammation and potentially damage the eye.
Treatments: But thankfully, you don’t have to suffer. You can alleviate dry eyes by blinking regularly, wearing sunglasses, staying hydrated, getting proper rest and following the 20/20/20 rule of computer use: take a 20-second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away every 20 minutes. Eye drops can ease the discomfort. For chronic conditions, there are several high-tech treatment options that can help your eyes rebalance moisture levels for good.
- Myopia (near-sightedness)
About: Myopia, also known as near-sightedness, affects about 25% of Americans. It results when the eye is shaped longer than normal. This makes it impossible to bend light in the right way and focus clearly in the distance, which results in blurriness.
Symptoms: Symptoms of common eye conditions like myopia include eye strain, headaches and squinting when trying to focus on something in the distance.
Treatments: While glasses and contact lenses are common corrective measures, eye specialists are focusing on correcting the problem rather than simply bandaging them. Long-term treatments such as LASIK and or Intacs can help reshape the eye to enable normal vision and fuss-free living.
There are many common eye conditions that could affect your eye health in the near- or long-term. Staying on top of your vision care with regular eye exams is vital to keeping your peepers in their optimal health.Schedule a free consultation today to keep your eyes in their prime condition, and to see what treatment options are available for you.
