Your eyes are an important part of your health, so ensuring you look after them to the best of your ability is important. Maintaining a healthy diet and not straining your eyes for too long in front of a laptop or tv screen will certainly help, along with going for regular check ups. There are some eye conditions which can be very serious and lead to a loss of vision if left untreated so it is essential to be aware of the warning signs.
Cataracts
Cataracts are when the lens inside your eyes begin to turn cloudy making it difficult for you to see properly. This is more likely to occur once you pass the age of 40. Your vision can slowly decline if left untreated. There is no specific reason as to why Cataracts affect some people and not others but there are a few factors that may increase the likelihood of developing them.
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High levels of alcohol consumption
- Diabetes
- Excessive amounts of UV rays from the sun
- Extended use of corticosteroids medicines
- Using statin medicines to control cholesterol levels
- Previous eye injury or inflammation
- Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Previous eye surgery
- Common in your family history
The most common symptoms that appear when Cataracts emerge are.
- Sensitivity to light
- Appearance of halos near bright lights
- Double vision
- Difficulty driving at night
- Glare of bright lights
- Colours appearing less vivid
- Blurry vision
An eye doctor would be able to identify whether any of the symptoms you are experiencing are indeed related to Cataracts. Once they diagnose this they will then most likely suggest eye surgery in order to treat the problem, which is a common painless solution.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye condition that affects the optic nerve. This can occur when there is unusually high pressure in your eye. It is more likely to occur in adults over the age of 60 and can lead to blindness if left untreated. Symptoms can be gradual and a lot of people do not realise they have it until the condition suddenly deteriorates and it is too late.
The best way to keep track is to have regular eye examinations with an eye doctor so that they can spot any warning signs from an early stage and provide necessary treatment.
Symptoms to be aware of are the following in both eyes or just the one.
- Any blurry vision
- Circles that appear around bright lights
- A red eye
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Extreme eye pain
- Any feelings of tenderness around the eye
Depending on the severity of the condition you will most likely be offered eye surgery as an option, laser surgery, and eyedrops to help reduce the level of pressure in your eyes. You will also be monitored closely to see if the treatment provided has been successful and to ensure the condition is under control.
Uveitis
There are two different types of Uveitis, one is infectious caused by a bacteria or virus present in your eye whereas the other type can be as a result of an eye injury or due to an underlying health condition. If you have the following illnesses you are more prone to developing Noninfectious Uveitis.
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tuberculosis
- Shingles
- AIDS
Typical symptoms can be any of the following.
- Pain in your eye
- Floaters (dark floating spots that appear and do not go away)
- Sensitivity to light
- Any redness in your eye
- Visible swelling
- A change in vision that is not normal for you
Once you notice that something is not quite right it is important to be seen by an eye doctor immediately. Noninfectious Uveitis is a serious eye condition that can potentially affect your sight if left untreated. Luckily there are chronic uveitis treatments in order to help alleviate symptoms through the use of biologic therapies and steroids. So it is imperative to get checked out by a doctor when you spot the signs.
Only you can be aware of any unusual changes that occur that you think do not feel normal for you, so as soon as this happens always seek the advice of a medical professional to ensure it does not develop into one of these serious eye problems.
Contributed Content
