Have you ever wondered why your eyes are red and irritated? You might have allergies, or maybe it’s a common cold. Or maybe it’s something more serious, like glaucoma.
The truth is there are many common eye problems and conditions that can affect your vision. And if you don’t know what they are and how to spot them, you may not realize when your vision is at risk.
But there’s no need to worry! In this article, we will explore a few common eye problems and how to tackle them.
Table of Contents
Refractive Errors
One of the most common eye problems is refractive errors. Refractive errors are a result of the way light bends through your cornea and lens, which allows you to see clearly. The eye is made up of many parts, but the main ones are the cornea, lens, and retina.
The cornea, the front surface of your eye, shields your iris. Light enters your eye through the cornea, reflects off the lens, and then travels to your retina. This image can be clearly seen because the lens focuses it on your retina. Whenever there is an imbalance between these structures, refractive errors happen.
According to a study published in Frontiers, the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) in the United States was 6%. This indicates that refractive errors are highly prevalent in the country.
To tackle these issues, it’s important to get an eye exam from an optometrist or ophthalmologist as soon as possible. They can assist in determining whether you have a refractive error and the most suitable course of action.
If you’re diagnosed with uncorrected refractive error, there are several ways that you can treat it:
- Contact lenses: If your eyesight is better corrected with contact lenses than with glasses or contacts alone, wearing them will help improve your eyesight and reduce symptoms of dyslexia.
- Surgery: If your eyesight is still blurry after wearing contact lenses for six months or more, you may want to consider surgery to fix your cornea shape. The doctor will use lasers or other techniques to reshape the cornea so that it focuses light properly on the retina and gives you better vision than glasses could achieve alone.
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
Thyroid eye disease is a common eye problem that affects people who have an underactive thyroid, an overactive thyroid, or an autoimmune disorder. TED causes bulging eyes and drooping eyelids that can make it hard to see.
TED occurs when the muscles in your eyes are weakened by inflammation or nerve damage. When you have TED, your eyes may swell up and turn red, and you may experience pain around your eyes. You may also experience blurry vision.
You can manage this condition in various ways, including:
- Medication: Some TED patients take medication to effectively manage their symptoms. If you choose this option, it’s important to be aware that some medications like Tepezza have been linked to potentially permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. In fact, many people have experienced these symptoms after consuming Tepezza to treat TED. As a result, they suffered a massive loss in the form of pain and costly treatment. If you’ve consumed Tepezza and suffered hearing loss, then you’re eligible for a Tepezza Hearing Loss Lawsuit. The Tepezza Hearing Loss Lawsuit will empower you to present your case in front of the court and entitle you to obtain compensation.
- Surgery: Some TED patients require surgery to achieve better results. The goal of surgery is usually to remove excess fluid from behind their eyes and reduce pressure inside them so they can blink normally again without straining muscles around their eyeballs.
Moreover, many private organizations are coming forward to raise awareness about this disease. They aim to tackle the disease with awareness campaigns that educate and make people aware of the potential symptoms and ways to tackle the disease.
Awareness campaigns such as “Thyroid Eye Disease Awareness (TED) Week” are helping more people learn about TED and how it affects their lives, so they can seek treatment sooner rather than later.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Every year, millions of people are affected by the common eye condition known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition harms the macula, which is a portion of the retina and is in charge of central vision. Vision loss and occasionally blindness could result from this.
There are roughly 20 million cases of age-related macular degeneration in the United States alone. This statistic shows how widespread the problem is, making it crucial to be aware of the symptoms so you can spot them and seek assistance as needed.
There are many ways to treat or manage Age-Related Macular Degeneration:
- Laser therapy: This treatment uses an intense beam of light to burn away abnormal blood vessels under the retina. However, it can cause complications such as bleeding or retinal detachment.
- Anti-VEGF injections: These injections are given directly into the back of your eye, and they target the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), which is responsible for forming new blood vessels around damaged tissue. However, they can cause inflammation, bleeding, or infection.
Cataracts
Cataract is one of the most prevalent eye problems. However, it’s also quite manageable. Over 24.4 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts. By the time Americans are 75 years old, approximately 50% of them have cataracts.
While this figure may seem alarming, it’s important to note that cataracts are highly treatable. Your eye’s lens undergoes changes that result in cataracts, which make the lens cloudy and opaque. As a result, they may impair vision and create difficulties in seeing at night.
There are several different treatments available for cataracts, including surgery and medication. Surgery removes the damaged lens and replaces them with an artificial one. Medication helps slow down the formation of new cataract-causing proteins, allowing your natural lens to remain normal longer.
Summing Up
If you’ve ever been worried about your eyes or if you’re just curious about the state of your eyes, this article is for you. We’ve outlined four common eye problems and how to tackle them so that you can feel confident in the health of your eyes.