Typical Eye Conditions

When you consider how much stress we put our eyes through each and every day, it is amazing that we all don’t have serious problems with our eyes. No other part of the human body works harder each and every second of the day to collect and process information, all the while avoiding damage and constantly staying at a prescribed temperature and at a constant level of moistness. However, many of us do have problems with our eyes, so let’s take a look at some of the most common eye issues and see if they can be solved by the use of prescription eyeglasses.

Myopia

First off, myopia, which is better known to all of us as nearsightedness, is a very common condition that can often be corrected by the use of eyewear; either glasses, contacts or even the use of LASIK surgery. With myopia, a person is able to see things out to a certain set distance, but then after that distance, objects can become blurry to the point where you are unable to see them at all. In most cases, a person with myopia can still make out colors and general shapes as well as degrees of brightness, but any sort of fine detail would be impossible to make out without eyeglasses. Generally, this is a condition that gets worse with age, not better, and can be debilitating to one’s way of life if left untreated. Myopia is an excellent example of why eye exams from an early age are so important. In fact, myopia can even be seen in toddlers that begin getting eye exams from an early enough age.

On the technical side, myopia is caused because the eyeball is actually longer than it needs to be. This elongation disrupts how the eye sees and how it interprets the data that it sees. Myopia is not an issue with your brain since the brain is only able to receive the information the eye sends to it. Unfortunately, the brain does not have the power to clarify or change this data, it can only report what it sees. It is believed by some practitioners of all natural medicine that myopia is caused by your environment or even by stress, but the medical establishment will recommend a series of eye exercises, a new pair of glasses and regular check ups every year or so. As you age, it is a good idea to have your eyes looked at even more frequently.

Presbyopia

Like so many other eye conditions, presbyopia is often caused by old age or by extreme trauma to the eye. This condition is often referred to as “short arm syndrome” because it requires people to hold things like books, newspapers and magazines at arms length so they can be read. In general, it is a condition that makes reading small type or seeing small things at very close distances almost impossible. This condition is often seen in people who reach their 40s. It is caused by the eye having distinct trouble focusing or changing the focus distance on a regular basis. This sluggish response is dealt with by simply moving objects back and forth so they can be read instead of waiting for the eye itself to change. Most people don’t realize they suffer from presbyopia until someone points it out to them. The change is often slow and symptoms include an inability to read small text, the feeling that your eye is strained or tired all the time, especially after short periods of time reading small text as well as a need for more light to read than you are normally used to. The good news when it comes to presbyopia is that it is very treatable. You can get a specific set of glasses for this condition or a set of contact lenses, if you wish. You can also get LASIK in some cases. Most folks simply choose to get a pair of bifocals so that they can easily go back and forth between different sights when they want. For many, the use of bifocals takes some adjustment, but once you wear them for a while, they become second nature.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is one of the most common eye conditions in the United States today. If you have been diagnosed with this condition, you are likely suffering from some kind of blurred vision or the feeling that each one of your eyes is seeing an object in front of you in a slightly different way. For obvious reasons, this can be very disconcerting and result in a significant decrease in your quality of life. The most common test for this condition can actually be done at home without the help of a doctor. Simply concentrate on an object in front of you and cover one eye, and then the cover the other eye and open the one you were covering previously. If the object in front of you moves, chances are you suffer from astigmatism. What makes dealing with astigmatism different from other eye issues is that it isn’t a vision problem, but a small issue with the structure of your eye. The cornea of your eye normally is round, but for those folks with astigmatism, it is often shaped in more of an oval shape. This causes the light that enters the eye to move around and be perceived in an odd way. This causes light to hit some of your light receptors more than others and the imbalance in your vision is born. It can be very difficult to cure this condition, but you can use eyeglasses or other eyewear to mask it. According to industry statistics, it is believed that upwards of 30 percent of the world’s population suffers from some degree of astigmatism, although when you consider how many people never see an eye doctor in their life, it wouldn’t be surprising if that total was much higher. This is almost always a condition you are born with that gets significantly worse as you age.

Was this article helpful? Know someone who would be interested?