Health and Wellness Blog
Diabetes is a chronic disease. Left uncontrolled, it can cause various complications, including eye and vision problems. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease related to the condition and is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. It is primarily caused by changes in the retina’s blood vessels, which may occur in varying ways.
Your eyes are some of the most complex organs in your body. Unfortunately, they are also extremely sensitive and are vulnerable to a number of conditions and diseases. Being able to identify the signs and symptoms of the most common eye problems empowers you to seek prompt medical attention, which leads to early diagnosis and more effective treatment.
Below are the top 11 eye problems and their signs and symptoms. If you experience any of the symptoms or believe you may have one of these conditions, be sure to consult a trusted eye doctor in your area.
COMMON REFRACTIVE ERRORS: Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism are the three most common refractive errors.
Myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that compromises distant-range vision This condition is often hereditary.
Also Read: Eye Care 101: What You Need to Know About Myopia Control
Hyperopia, more commonly known as farsightedness, compromises short-range vision. People with this condition can see objects at a distance clearly but have compromised short-range vision. This condition is often caused by an abnormally shaped the cornea.
Astigmatism is a condition characterized by blurred, fuzzy or distorted vision. It is caused by an abnormality in the shape of the cornea; when light passes through an irregularly curved cornea, it gets transferred to the retina incorrectly, which results in blurry vision. In most cases, patients diagnosed with astigmatism will also have either myopia or hyperopia. Astigmatism can affect patients of all ages. It is more common with people who have a family history of the condition or have had previous eye surgery.
This is an age-related condition that typically occurs in middle age and causes compromised short-range vision. It is caused by gradual changes in the lens of the eyes. Presbyopia cannot be cured, as the lens of the eye cannot return to its natural state. However, with current technologies, the lens can either be replaced or patients can be given prescription glasses to improve their visual acuity.
More commonly known as “lazy eye,”, amblyopia does not only result in impaired vision but the appearance of the eye itself is affected as well. Amblyopia can be caused by several different factors, including anisometropia, strabismus, visual deprivation and organic causes. Patients with amblyopia have difficulty focusing their vision; as a result, one of the eyes seems to wander. It’s as if the patient has lost the ability to control the motion of one of their eyes.
ARTIFICIAL TEARS: Dry eye treatment typically involves the use of artificial tear eye drops.
Your eyes need to be well lubricated at all times to function properly. This is why you’ll often notice tears in your eyes even when you’re not crying. Tears help lubricate the eyes to help you see clearly and to maintain your visual comfort. When a person’s tears are not sufficient to provide the necessary amount of moisture to the eyes, this is a sign ofs dry eye syndrome. This condition can be caused by several factors, such as the environment, the natural aging process, medications, diseases or conditions that prevent full closure of the eyelids.
Bacterial and viral infections can sometimes affect the eyes, resulting in redness, a burning sensation or watery eyes. This condition is referred to as conjunctivitis. Irritants, infections, sexually transmitted diseases or even allergies can cause conjunctivitis. It is possible for the condition to clear up after a few weeks even without medical intervention. However, it is best to consult an eye doctor to determine the exact cause so that the condition can be treated accordingly.
One of the most common eye problems is cataracts, a medical condition characterized by the blurring of the lens of the eyes. The condition can affect one or both eyes. Patients with cataracts experience cloudy vision that can make it difficult to perform normal day-to-day functions, such as reading or driving a car. Cataracts can be caused by many different factors, such as diabetes, smoking, obesity, previous eye surgery or old age.
Diabetes affects many different organs of the body, including the eyes. This condition causes fluids from ruptured blood vessels to enter the macula, causing vision impairment. Patients with this condition have trouble seeing during the night and also see spots or floaters. In some cases, these patients may also notice a blank spot right in the middle of their vision. Since diabetes is the primary cause of this condition, diabetes treatment and management is the best way to improve the patient’s vision and slow the progression of the disease.
Vision occurs when the light that enters the eye gets transmitted to the retina and is transferred to the brain for processing. It is the brain that interprets the light into images. This pathway from the eye to the brain is called the optic nerve. Glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve is damaged, typically due to a build-up of pressure in the eye. If not treated promptly, the condition can result in total loss of vision. Treatment for this condition includes laser surgery, microsurgery and the use of eye drops.
BLIND SPOT: Macular degeneration causes the appearance of blind spots and can lead to permanent loss of vision over time.
Macular degeneration also referred to as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a condition characterized by blind spots in a patient’s vision. The condition is caused by problems with the macula, the part of the eye that enables a person to recognize faces, to drive, and to perform other tasks that require vision. Macular degeneration typically affects patients above the age of 50. The condition is mostly caused by aging, but studies suggest that genetics may also be a factor in its development.
The aging process and environmental factors can impact your visual health. However, the progression of eye problems can be slowed down by taking proper care of the eyes. Regular checkups with your ophthalmologist or licensed optometrist will ensure that your eyes are in the best possible condition at all times. Should there be a problem discovered during an eye examination, the condition can be treated before it progresses and causes severe damage to the eyes.
============================================================
Author Bio:
Dr. Justin Bazan formed Park Slope Eye in 2008. Park Slope Eye serves the greater Brooklyn, NY, area along with the Park Slope neighborhood. Park Slope Eye provides quality vision care for patients of all ages with a particular emphasis on younger patients — devoting a large part of the practice to vision care for children and infants.
============================================================
Parenting is among the toughest jobs on earth, and it gets tougher when the strategies you are trying to use to nurture an awesome, respectful, disciplined, and empathetic child fail. You might even think of spanking them, or you might already have but, stop for a minute and think of other solutions that could work better.
“Weight training? I can’t! It would make me look manly —- and bulky!” “You shouldn’t weight train you know. Because the day you stop, your body will convert that muscle into fat and you will balloon up!” These are some of the most ridiculous statements that most women hear when they mention or hear the word “strength training.”
The advancement of our life doesn’t stop from machines and invention only, but also to our technology system. Every year our web designers find ways on how to improve the website to make it user-friendly and innovative. Now let’s take a look at what 2018 offers us:
When you become a parent, a major concern is the sleepless nights. Staying awake by your baby’s cry can be pretty stressful and tiring when you have no energy built up to go to work the other morning. You may think that this is inevitable but the solution to this is much easier than you think. All you need to do is invest in good baby bouncers and rockers. It also prevents the baby from hazards that could lead to the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This can be prevented by following these six steps;
Using a drug just to take advantage of one of its side effects can be a dangerous choice to make. Just because taking a pill may result in an outcome that you desire does not mean that the risks of taking the medication should be ignored. One example of such a prescribed drug that people commonly use for purposes outside of what it is intended for is Adderall; the most common reason is to accelerate weight loss. Here is why abusing this type of medication just to feel better about stepping on a scale is such a bad idea:
We’ve all heard about the physical benefits of exercise. But do you know how exercise can revitalize your mind?
Sure, hitting the gym is great for folks who want to build muscles or improve cardiovascular health. However, over the years, many researchers have teamed up to study the benefits of physical exercise on the mind.
In this post, we’ll be discussing 7 reasons how physical exercise can revive your mind:
The popularity of online shopping had gone wild. The Internet is used to gather information and also a haven for online sellers and buyers. Though, there is one problem that our website is facing. SLOW WEBSITE LOAD, studies of Kissmetrics shows that 47% of an average person expects the website they visit to load less than 2 seconds and 40 % of guests on the website leaves when the website load for 3 seconds.
People have different preferences like there are people who love shopping at the mall while others are inclined to online shopping. Online shoppers are always bothered by how they can get the delivery they want.
There’s no greater time for newlyweds to escape for a much-needed private getaway than when they have just been married. However, if you could not go on a honeymoon right after you tied the knot, you can always plan a couples’ getaway with your spouse when the time is right and when you can afford a spectacular honeymoon vacation at a destination you both love.