Check your Eye Health: Common Vision Ailments
Simple it may seem our eyes is one of the most important senses of our body. It's our window to the world. It enables us to see and appreciate the world around us, thus we need to take care of it.
Although seeing seems easy as focusing at an object, it entails a complex process and involves many parts of our eyes. When light coming from an object it passes through:
- Cornea - the central transparent front surface of our eye
- Pupil - a central opening or hole in our "iris" (the round colored part of our eye) which regulates the amount of light coming into our eye
- Lens - a transparent flexible round lens which adjusts it shape for the eye to focus the light exactly on the retina when we look from a distant to a near object.
- Retina – inner lining of the eye which transmits nerve impulses into the brain through the optic nerve upon stimulation of the light. The brain will then be able to interpret what is seen.
Now you are familiar how your eyes work. At this stage, it's note-worthy to know what are the common eye ailments or conditions that you might be experiencing or identify symptoms leading to it. When you experience any of these conditions, immediately visit a licensed optometrist for a prescription.
Myopia (Nearsightedness) – Condition in which near objects are seen clearly, but distant ones are out of focus. This occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea has too much curvature. Nearsightedness is very common. Eyeglasses or contact lenses can correct nearsightedness and may be necessary for certain activities, including watching a movie or TV screen.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness) – Condition in which distance objects are seen clearly, but close ones are out of focus. This occurs if the eyeball is too short or the cornea does not have enough curvature. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating and maintaining focus on close objects, eye strain, fatigue and/or headaches, aching or burning eyes, discomfort after long-term concentration. Comprehensive eye exams are necessary to determine farsightedness, as common vision screenings often cannot detect the problem.
Presbyopia – Loss of flexibility in your eyes' crystalline lens, causing difficulty focusing on close objects. This is a natural part of aging, typically occurring in the early to mid-40s. Signs include reading at arm's length, blurred vision and eye fatigue. Presbyopia is not a disease and cannot be prevented.
Astigmatism – Causes blurred vision due to the irregular shape of the cornea or the curvature of the lens inside the eye. The irregular shape prevents light from centering on the retina and creates blurred vision at any distance. This is a very common condition and often occurs with other vision conditions, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness. Astigmatism can be treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, orthokeratology (treatment to reshape the cornea), and/or laser and other refractive surgery procedures.
Strabismus (Crossed Eyes) – Occurs when one or both of the eyes turns in, out, up or down. This is often caused by poor eye muscle control. Treatments include eyeglasses, prisms, vision therapy, and sometimes, surgery. If detected early, it can often be corrected.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) – Loss or lack of development in one eye. Often associated with crossed-eyes or large differences in degrees of nearsightedness and farsightedness between the two eyes. Lazy Eye cannot be corrected with lenses. Treatments include prescription lenses, prisms, vision therapy and eye patching.
Spots and Floaters – Small cloudy specks or particles within the vitreous (clear fluid that fills the inside of the eyes), caused during formation of the eyes before birth, deterioration of the vitreous fluid from aging, or some eye diseases or injuries. This condition rarely has an effect on vision and typically found to be harmless.
