Spotlight on serious eye conditions

Some eye conditions are more serious than others, leading to symptoms like loss of vision or in severe cases blindness. The good news is that most eye conditions, even serious ones, can be maintained and even treated if detected early enough.

The key to this is making sure you have regular eye tests. This way, your optician can find problems with your eyes early. They can recommend the best way you can look after your eyes, whether this is a new prescription, medication or surgery.

As it’s National Eye Health Week, we’re highlighting some serious eye conditions, including symptoms and treatments.

Eye symptoms Eye conditions

Retinopathy

Just like glaucoma, there are different types of retinopathies. The most common is diabetic retinopathy, which people with type 1 or 2 diabetes can get. High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the eye.
There are a few symptoms of retinopathy you should look out for, including:

•   Blurred vision
•   Reduced field of vision
•   Floaters
•   Impaired colour vision
•   Struggling to see clearly at night
•   Permanent or partial loss of vision

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should speak to your doctor or optician. As with many other eye conditions, if retinopathy is detected early, it can be treated. Treatment for retinopathy will depend on which type of the condition you have, as well as the severity of the condition:

•   Managing your diabetes if you have diabetic retinopathy
•   Surgery
•   Laser treatment

Retinopathy symptoms

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration (AMD) affects the macula, which is the part of your eye that detects light. It can affect anyone as they age, however, it is more likely to affect people who smoke, have high blood pressure, are overweight and who have a family history of the condition.

AMD can cause different types of vision loss, as well as:

• Blurred vision
• Reduces sharpness of vision

However you treat Aged related macular degeneration depends on which type of the condition you have, whether this is wet or dry AMD.

Some treatments include:

•   Improving your lifestyle, such as your diet and stopping smoking
•   Using a magnifying glass for reading
•   Photo dynamic therapy
•   Medication

The best way to prevent or manage AMD is by having regular eye tests with your optician. This way they can detect it early and recommend the best treatment. You can find out more about the different types of aged macular degeneration below.

Macular degeneration

Cataracts

Cataracts make the clear part of the lens in your eye cloudy, which effects your vision. Early on, it can be difficult to notice cataracts. The condition also develops gradually which also makes it difficult to detect. The best way to manage and treat cataracts is by having regular eye tests with your optician.

There are also some symptoms you can look out for:

•   Blurred or clouded vision
•   Increased sensitivity to light
•   Struggling to see at night
•   ‘Halos’ around your eyes
•   Fading of colours
•   Double vision
•   Difficulty seeing objects faraway or reading

If you notice these symptoms, you should speak to your doctor or optician to give you a better chance of catching the condition early and treating it. As with most a few eye conditions, there are a few variations, however, surgery is the only treatment for cataracts. Stronger reading glasses and brighter reading lights can also help to manage the condition and prevent it from getting worse.

Cataracts symptoms

Whether serious or not, the best way to prevent, manage or treat eye conditions is to have regular eye tests. Your optician can detect any issues early and recommend the best treatment for you. A few simple lifestyle changes can also benefit your eye health.

Food, lifestyle and eye health

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Spotlight on serious eye conditions

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