Your eyesight is one of the most important things in life. The health of your eyes is not something you want to gamble on, yet people around the world often don’t treat their eyesight with the respect it deserves. Simply assuming that everything will be fine doesn’t cut it with something so important, so it’s our responsibility to be educated on any potential problems with our sight.
The harsh reality of eye problems is that there is a plethora of potential problems. However, if we’re prepared with the knowledge, we are in a much safer position in terms of fixing any issues that come our way.
With that in mind then, we thought we’d run through five potential problems and how to deal with them should they arise:
1. Eyesight
Whilst this doesn’t constitute a medical problem per se, it’s one of the most integral issues to look for when worrying about your eyesight. If the images that you are registering aren’t razor sharp then you need to get your eyes tested. This should be done yearly anyway. If you do need corrective eyewear, whether it be contact lenses or glasses, by ignoring the problem you’re simply straining your eye muscles further, damaging your eyesight even more.
Should you be diagnosed with a vision problem then you have the choice of glasses or contacts. While glasses are often cheaper and easier to deal with, contacts are often preferred due to the fact that they’re not noticeable when you’re wearing them, especially if you’re wearing a modern pair like those from Last minute lenses.
2. Stye
A stye or sty is simply a blocked gland in the eyelid. This can be due to something external blocking the gland (like make up for example) or simply by excessive sweating. If the stye doesn’t naturally clean itself it can become infected, at which point medical assistance in the form of incising may be required. However, if you deal with it quickly, cleaning regularly with an eye-specific disinfectant will take care of it.
3. Cataracts
Whilst cataracts generally attack the older generation, it is possible for people of all ages to be affected. The thing to look out for here is a gradual clouding of your sight. Without medical assistance it would become progressively worse until the point of blindness; however, simple surgery can be undertaken in less than 20 minutes, giving full sight back to the patient.
4. Glaucoma
Glaucoma affects the optic nerve and ultimately leads to blindness. It’s imperative to deal with this immediately as the loss of vision can only be halted, not reversed. However, medication in the form of eye drops can prevent any further worsening of the condition.
5. Pink Eye
The social stigma often causes people not to face the issue, which is a huge error as pink eye is one of the most infectious eye diseases. Pink eye occurs when the membranes of the eye become inflamed due to either a bacteria or virus. After seeing a doctor, a simple eye drop ointment should have the problem clearing up in a matter of days.