Common Eyesight Problems

Electronic Visual Acuity System

Eye problems are one of the most difficult health conditions to cope with. This is because the eye is used for several duties and it gives a sense of unique appearance to everyone. As a result, it is important to be aware of the common eyesight problems, their causes, symptoms, as well as their preventive and curative measures. Some of the common problems include myopia (near sightedness), hyperopia (far sightedness), astigmatism, presbyopia and nyctalopia (night blindness).

Myopia

Myopia refers to the condition where a person can only see very close objects. This condition occurs when the eyeball is too long or when the cornea is excessively curved so that light rays entering the eye does not refract and focus well. Myopia is not hereditary but it can be acquired when activities that require very close contact with the eye (such as reading) are performed for a long period of time. Some of the important facts to know about myopia include the symptoms that accompany the condition. The symptoms of myopia include headaches, squinting and eyestrain. Myopia can be treated by wearing lens or going for lasik surgery .

There are different ways of classifying myopia. By cause, myopia can be divided into axial myopia and refractive myopia. Axial myopia is the case when the length of the eye’s axial increases while refractive myopia is related to the weak conditions of the eye’s refractive elements. By severity, myopia can be classified as low myopia, medium myopia and high myopia. Low myopia can be corrected by lens with optical power of -3.00 diopters or less. Medium myopia can be corrected by using lens with optical power between -3.00 and -6.00 diopters while for high myopia, a lens of -6.00 diopters or more will be required.

Hyperopia

Another name for hyperopia is far-sightedness, or hypermetropia. It is an eye problem that enables one to see only distant objects clearly, while objects placed very close to the eye appear blurred. It happens when the eyeball is too small or when the lens is not curved enough. This makes the light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina. Other causes of hyperopia include injuries, sinus infections, old age and genetics. The problem can be treated by having lasik surgery or by using convex lenses.

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the condition that occurs when the eye can no longer focus on near objects as a result of age. As the eye gets old, the ciliary muscles weaken and the crystalline lens loses its elasticity. The symptoms of presbyopia usually start from the age of forty and continue to worsen until the age of sixty. These symptoms include inability to read small prints especially in the absence of bright light and eye strain after reading for a long time. Presbyopia can be treated by using reading glasses, eye glasses or contact lenses.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is an eye problem that occurs when the eye lens is not evenly curved. The irregular curvature makes refraction of light rays abnormal and when the sufferer views an object, it appears blurred. Some of the different causes of astigmatism include genetics, bad posture and pressure exerted on the cornea by the eye lids. The symptoms of astigmatism include tiredness, headache and blurred vision. Astigmatism can be treated by using the right eye glasses, contact lens or by undergoing refractive surgery. Refractive surgery is an eye surgery that aims at correcting the shape of the cornea.

Nyctalopia (Night Blindness)

Nyctalopia (night blindness) is the inability of the eye to see properly at night or with dim light. This word originated from two Greek words namely, “nykt” (meaning night) and “alaos” (meaning blindness). Experts believe that nyctalopia is experienced when other eye problems manifest. The major causes of nyctalopia include damage to the retina, lack of vitamin A , malnutrition, injury, genetics, Oguchi disease , congenital night blindness, refractive surgery, over exposure to very bright light or the sun and retinis pigmentosa . Retinis pigmentosa is believed to be the major cause of night blindness. Simple medications for this include wearing eye glasses or surgery. However, treatment for night blindness can only be effective when its cause is known.

The first thing to do whenever abnormal symptoms are felt on the eye is to contact an eye doctor. The eye doctor will then conduct some tests to determine what the particular problem is. It is only after the tests that one can be very sure of the exact eyesight problem and find out the necessary ways for curing or managing the situation. This is important because lack of prompt medical attention can lead to other forms of eye problems, including permanent eye damage.