Eye Diseases

Although this site deals with dry eyes, we thought we would do a quick survey of the major eye diseases that can affect vision since these eye health problems also sometimes affect those who suffer from dry eye.

In this article we will discuss ocular diseases that can affect vision:

• Macular Degeneration
• Glaucoma
• Cataract
• Diabetic retinopathy

Macular Degeneration

The retina, which lines the bottom of the eye, captures the images and transmits them to the brain. The macula, the central part of the retina, ensures precision eyesight and enables meticulous tasks. When macular degeneration (macula alteration) occurs, precision vision diminishes and may even disappear. On the other hand, peripheral vision is not affected so that, in general, the disease does not lead to complete loss of vision.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among seniors in Canada.

Symptoms of Macular Degeneration

One of the first symptoms of macular degeneration is a decrease in vision affecting reading, writing or driving. The color perception can also be altered.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is characterized by lesions of the optic nerve, which serves to transmit information from the eye to the brain. It is often due to high pressure inside the eye, but sometimes manifests itself when this pressure is normal.

Symptoms of glaucoma

There are several types of glaucoma. Initially, the most common type of glaucoma (open angle) does not cause any immediate symptoms. Without treatment, there will eventually be loss of the visual field (space that the eye perceives when one sets his gaze straight ahead). Glaucoma decreases peripheral eyesight, which results in a phenomenon of tunnel visual acuity.

Cataract

There is a lens located in the front part of the eye. It directs the light towards the retina to form the images that one sees. When it becomes cloudy or opaque, the visual acuity of near and far is altered; This is called cataract.

Symptoms of cataract

In general, cataract due to aging progresses slowly. There is usually a progressive decrease in visual acuity, as well as glare or double vision in the presence of bright light.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy results from damage to the blood vessels of the retina. Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) is responsible for this damage. This is the leading cause of complete vision loss in North America and one of the common complications of diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy

Symptoms appear progressively as the disease progresses. They may include, among others, blurred, distorted or dual vision, perception of dark spots or stains moving in the visual field, or visual fluctuations.

When should a vision specialist or doctor be consulted?

You should consult a vision specialist or a doctor if:

• You have difficulty driving;
• You have blurred vision or if you need more light than before to read, tinker or perform other tasks;
• You see that your vision is double or distorted;
• You perceive spots in the form of dark spots, circles, lines or spider webs that move in your field of vision;
• You experience glare in the presence of light sources or see halos around it;
• You do not see well at night;
• You notice any other unusual symptoms.

Remember that you should see your eye specialist regularly, even in the absence of particular symptoms.