Signs or risk factors for eye disease

If you are having any problems with your eyes or suspect something is wrong with them, it is highly recommended to go get them looked at before the problem escalates and blindness kicks in. We need our eyes in order to navigate and perform our day-to-day routines efficiently, so you’ll actually be doing yourself a favor by leading a healthy lifestyle, which in return guarantees prevailing at what you do.

Getting your eyes checked means detecting all signs or risks for eye diseases and working on them so they get back to working properly. Early detection and treatment could prevent vision loss. Make an appointment immediately to get your eyes working as they should.

Signs and Symptoms

Red eyes- redness in the eye can be caused by many different conditions and injuries that can lead to irritation, swelling, and vision loss. Typically, the eye’s small blood vessels will become inflamed, making the whites of the eyes seem red or pink. Redness of the eye can be an indication that your eyes are irritated, could also be a bigger problem or infection.

Night blindness- If you are having trouble seeing when it gets dark outside, you may have a night vision problem. Typically, your eyes can easily adjust between well-lit and dark places, but some eye problems can make it difficult to do so. Troubles with night vision can be an indicator of cataracts, nystagmus, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Light sensitivity- this is a condition that causes bright light to be uncomfortable, also referred to as photophobia. Mild photophobia makes you squint in a brightly lit room or while outside. Some conditions associated with light sensitivity include cataracts, corneal abrasion, allergies, migraines, and keratoconus.

Excessive tearing- irritated eyes produce tears in an attempt to lubricate and soothe the eyes. Tearing may be associated with bacterial keratitis, blocked tear ducts, conjunctivitis (pink eyes), and allergies.

Blurred or Distorted vision- if you are having blurred vision, you may be experiencing a variety of issues. Age-related macular degeneration, astigmatism, detached or torn retina, and macular edema are common eye conditions that may cause blurred or distorted vision. Other factors include cataracts, keratoconus, conjunctivitis, and refractive error.

Swelling- can be a result of trauma to the head, neck or face. The tissues in the eye or eyelids can become irritated and inflamed, causing the typical swollen, discolored appearance. Common issues associated with swelling are black eye, blepharitis, blocked tear duct, cellulitis, corneal ulcer, scleritis and graves’ disease.

Risks for eye disease

A number of factors have been postulated to cause eye problems. The increased incidence of eye disease is multifactorial in origin since risk factors related to the individual, environment, and solar radiation contribute to their development.

Smoking is thought to affect eye health through oxidative stress. Antioxidants help maintain lens transparency, so smoking may interfere with the protection from antioxidative nutrients. This may also contribute to macular degeneration.

Alcohol is a difficult risk factor to isolate because it is often associated with smoking and can inhibit the absorption of nutrients. Alcohol may work directly on the proteins in the lens itself and indirectly by affecting the absorption of nutrients important to the lens.

Near work such as reading, watching TV, or looking at a computer screen has been associated with the development of myopia. It is advisable to wear computer glasses to prevent straining your eyes when working with these gadgets.

Just like in every part of our body, many structures in the eye change as we age, and this can result in eye disorders and diseases. It is therefore imperative to do regular checkups with your doctor to make sure your eyes are well taken care of. In addition, diabetes is also thought to be a risk factor for other eye diseases such as cataracts. The eye may be adversely affected by problems with blood sugar levels, microvascular damage, and associated conditions such as poor nutrition and obesity.