What Is a Cataract?
A cataract is a condition whereby proteins build up forming a dense and cloudy area in the lens.
This prevents the lens from sending clear images to the retina. Left untreated, it will gradually worsen and interfere with your vision. It also could cause permanent blindness. Hence, it is important to have regular eye screenings after the age of 40.
Symptoms of Cataract
Common symptoms of a cataract include:
- Blurry or cloudy vision
- Increased sensitivity to sunlight, headlights or glare
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Colours are faded or less vibrant
- Seeing halos or glare around lights
- Having double vision
- Frequent prescription changes in glasses
Causes of Cataract
Typically, cataract is a normal part of ageing but it may also develop from certain diseases, eye injuries or medication such as:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Long-term usage of steroids to treat other medical conditions
- Smoking
- Radiation therapy or exposure to ultraviolet radiation
- Other eye conditions or past eye surgery
- Excessive exposure to sunlight
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma occurs when there is an abnormally high pressure in your eyes causing damage to your optic nerve. It is one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness for people over the age of 60. However, vision loss can be slowed or prevented with early detection.
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Common symptoms of glaucoma include:
- Eye pain or pressure
- Nausea and vomiting
- Red eyes
- Headaches
- Seeing halos around lights
- Blurred or narrowed (tunnel) vision
Causes of Glaucoma
The most common reason is fluid accumulation in the front of the eye, which raises intraocular pressure. Others include:
- Age – it is more common as you get older
- Ethnicity – certain ethnicities are at higher risk
- Hereditary – tends to run in the family
- Reduced or poor blood flow to your optic nerve
- High blood pressure
- Having other eye conditions such as myopia or long-sightedness
What is Lazy Eye?
Lazy eye is a condition that occurs due to abnormal visual development in one eye which generally starts from birth. The weaker (lazy eye) tends to wander inward or outward and children rely more on the good eye. This makes school-aged children struggle to read or write because of vision problems. Routine eye examinations are equally important for your child as it is for you.
How to tell if your child has a lazy eye
- Frequent squinting, squeezing and rubbing eyes
- Short attention span
- Face turned to one side
- Difficulties in reading and sports performance
Causes of Lazy Eye
- Muscle imbalance that positions the eye
- The sharpness of vision between the eyes differs
- Cloudy area in the lens (cataract) that disrupts clear vision
