What Are The Common Eye Problems?: Signs And Symptoms of an Eye Problem

Like other chronic diseases, eye problems are now a significant global issue.

Due to their lifestyle and extensive screen time, the majority of people get eye problems once in their lives.

However, the numbers of eye patients are shocking, as per the report around 93 million adults in the United States are at high risk of losing vision.

But, the unrivalled fact is merely 50% of them visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months.

While in the United States eye loss vision problems affect 20% of adults over the age of 85, and men are more likely than women to develop eye loss vision problems.

So let’s take a deep dive into this topic and understand the common eye problems that you should be aware of and what are the signs and symptoms of it.

Let’s get started…

What are the common eye problems?

Eye issues can vary from individual to individual based on their symptoms, but these are some of the common eye issues which are more often seen in eye patients.

Refractive Error

The refractive error usually occurs when the eye loses the ability to focus up close and several other inabilities such as reading letters from the phone book, or newspaper.

This issue is quite frequent in the United States and the error includes emmetropia, myopia(nearsightedness), hyperopia(farsightedness), and astigmatism.

From the following image, you can see that the different eye errors have different light focuses.

For instance, myopia is the error where light is focused in front of the retina while in hyperopia the light is focused behind the retina. As result, it can be corrected by eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is an eye problem associated with ageing, which damages the sharp central vision. However, Macula is the central visual part of the retina which is required to see objects, read, and drive clearly.

There are two forms of AMD: dry and wet. Straight lines that appear wavy as the first sign of wet AMD, and Drusen is one of the most typical early indicators of dry AMD.

While the estimate says that more than 1.8 million Americans aged 40 years and older become victims of AMD, additionally, the last report of AMD says the number of people with AMD is expected to reach 2.95 million in 2020.

Cataract

A cataract is the leading eye issue worldwide. It is the clouding of the eye lenses where your vision gets blurred, you can’t see objects and things clearly.

Cataracts can occur at any age, it can present at birth as well due to their various causes.

Most people ignore these issues due to a lack of awareness, and those who are aware prevent them to get proper treatment at right time.

Amblyopia

Amblyopia is the medical term used when vision is reduced. However, another name for amblyopia is a lazy eye.

It is the common eye cause, you all might have faced this issue once in your life when you just normally see any object for more time you slightly lose clear visibility.

The situation occurs because your eyes and brain are not working together. The condition includes the imbalance of positioning of both eyes.

While the estimates say that 2-3% of the population suffers from amblyopia.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the eye optic nerve which results in vision loss and blindness issues. It can occur when the usual fluid pressure inside the eye gradually rises.

But the recent theory says that now it can also occur with normal eye pressure. As a result, with early remedy, one can protect their eyes from vision loss.

Signs and symptoms of eye problem

Signs and symptoms are the indicators of your eye problem so ignoring or enticing them can be a disaster for you. So, if you are familiar with any of these symptoms then do consult with healthcare professionals.

Red Eye

When the blood vessels cover the surface that gives your eye a red lock. It is irritated or infected.

Red eyes can be a symptom of eye conditions such as conjunctivitis which can damage the eyes. However, sun damage can also lead due to not wearing the shades.

Eyestrain

This is the most common symptom of an eye condition. Today, most people have increased their screen time. The average screen time per day is 6 hours and 58 minutes globally. Which is the prime cause of several eye conditions.

However, the heavy usage of computer screens and mobile screens constantly can damage the eye muscles.

After covid-19 screen time has doubled than usual. It can be a silent disaster for your eyes as well.

As a result, make sure you avoid seeing the screen contently, take a break after every 20 mins of screen time and give relax your eyes.

Night Baldness

Many people find it hard to see clearly at night, especially while driving. And they can not see anything in a dark place. However, it’s a symptom of night baldness.

Some people are born with this problem and some envelop this issue over time.

Nearsightedness, cataracts, and lack of vitamin A cause night baldness-related issues. As a result, it can be fixed by a doctor’s recommendation.

Colour Blindness

When you can’t identify the colour difference between certain colours then you might be a victim of colourblindness. It usually occurs due to the absence of colour cells in your eye or doesn’t work.

But these symptoms are rare and are not found in a large ratio. Most people who have those symptoms are born with it or can, later on, occur due to the consumption of certain drugs and diseases. 

To sum it up

Although the most important aspect is a lack of awareness and not consulting doctors. However, nowadays it’s become easy to engage with healthcare professionals using patient engagement software.