7 Eye Diseases an Eye Exam Can Detect
Everyone knows eye exams are important for things like updating your glasses or contacts prescription, but did you know that they’re equally as important to your overall health and wellness? A comprehensive eye exam can help detect glaucoma, cataracts, and any number of eye diseases. Detecting and treating eye diseases are not only important to your vision, but they can help identify and prevent future health problems as well. Here’s a look at just a few of the eye diseases that your optometrist may detect during a comprehensive eye exam:
1. Common Refractive Errors
One of the most basic diseases that an eye exam can detect include myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia. These are all refractive errors in the eye, meaning something about the shape of your eye or some other anomaly is effecting how light is refracted (or enters) the eye. Some of these are fairly common terms, especially if you wear any form of corrective lens, but what do they really mean?
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a condition in which objects close to you are visible, but objects far away appear blurry. It is caused primarily by the eye being more oval-shaped than round, preventing light from fully focusing on the retina. Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, is the opposite condition in which close objects are blurry but objects that are far away appear clearly. Hyperopia is caused when your eyeball is too short, or there is an issue with the shape of your cornea.
Astigmatism is caused by the lens or the corneas in your eyes having different curves. This causes blurriness of vision no matter the distance, which separates it from myopia or hyperopia. Astigmatism tends to run in families, meaning that even children are at risk. It is important to attend regular eye exams both for you and for your child in order to treat these common ocular diseases.
The final common refractive error is presbyopia. Unlike astigmatism, presbyopia is age-related and becomes noticeable around your mid-40s, worsening until your mid-60s. This condition causes farsightedness and can be corrected with both non-prescription and prescription eyeglasses or contacts.
2. Glaucoma Detection
Glaucoma is another (mostly) age-related disease of the eye. It is far more likely to be seen in adults as they age, but can on rare occasions be diagnosed in children as well. Glaucoma is a catch-all term for a group of eye diseases that are caused by damage to the optic nerve–the nerve that connects your eyes to the brain, found in the back of the eye. Glaucoma symptoms include vision loss, blindness, blurred vision, red eyes, and sometimes (but rarely) can include eye pain and nausea.
Attending routine eye exams as we age is important for the detection and treatment of glaucoma. To avoid the worsening of the condition, which can lead to surgery, make sure to schedule regular comprehensive eye exams. When caught early, glaucoma can be treated with eye drops and medications, often not requiring any surgical intervention.
3. Cataracts
Cataracts are a very commonplace eye condition affecting more than half of Americans over the age of 80. Cataracts develop slowly over time, and having regular comprehensive eye exams can detect the onset of this disease. Cataracts are clouding of the lens which results in blurry vision, vision loss, and seeing halos around lights. Treatment for cataracts is simple, and can be taken care of with a basic outpatient surgery that replaces the clouded lens with a clear, artificial lens.
4. Retinal Conditions
Several retinal diseases can be detected with regular dilated eye exams, including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment. These conditions are usually found in common with other health concerns, and your eye doctor may detect them during a comprehensive eye exam.
Diabetic Retinopathy is a serious health disease that occurs in conjunction with diabetes, causing vision loss and even blindness. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels in your retina–the tissue in the back of your eye. If you have diabetes, it’s important to get a yearly comprehensive dilated eye exam, as your optometrist may be able to detect early signs of this disease.
Macular Degeneration is a disease that can affect your central vision. This happens when the center of your retina deteriorates, resulting in vision loss in the center of your vision, but rarely causing full blindness. People who smoke, have high blood pressure, or are over the age of 50 are all at increased risk for macular degeneration.
Retinal Detachment is a serious health condition that happens when the retina pulls away from the tiny blood vessels that provide it with oxygen and nutrients, and requires immediate treatment. Those who are experiencing retinal detachment may notice floaters in their field of vision. Having a regular eye exam can keep your eyes healthy, and help detect signs that there is something wrong with your retina.
5. Strabismus
Strabismus is an eye disease characterized by misalignment of the eyes, or eyes that stray in different directions. Strabismus can be caused several ways, including nerve injury or dysfunction of the eye muscles. There are two types of strabismus: esotropia, where one eye deviates inwards; or exotropia, where one eye deviates outwards. Also known as crossed eyes, strabismus can be corrected with early detection and treatment, and your eye doctor may recommend special eyewear or surgery.
6. Amblyopia
Amblyopia–colloquially known as a “lazy eye”–is similar to strabismus, in which your eyes look in two different directions. Amblyopia begins in childhood, and is typically caused by developmental delays characterized by lack of stimulation between the brain and the nerve pathways to your eye. In addition to your eyes appearing misaligned, it can also cause poor depth perception in those who suffer from amblyopia. Luckily, it can be treated with eye patches, eye drops, and corrective eyewear.
7. Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a cone-shaped bulge in eye caused by the cornea becoming thinner and gradually bulging outwards. Common symptoms of keratoconus included blurred vision and sensitivity to light. While the cause is unknown, it is generally found during puberty or the early teenage years. It can be corrected in most cases with glasses or contacts, but on rare occasions does require corrective surgery. Be sure to have your child’s eye health routinely checked by an optometrist!
Disclaimer
Please note that the above symptoms don’t guarantee you have certain eye diseases or health condition. Whenever an eye exam reveals a possible health problem, your eye doctor will recommend further testing by a specialist or your primary care provider. If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, please contact your eye doctor and schedule a comprehensive eye exam.
Dr. Eric Torgerson
Owner at Poudre Valley Eyecare
Dr. Eric Torgerson is the owner of Poudre Valley Eyecare, and has been recognized for his contributions to optometry and his commitment to community health through various roles and accolades within the Northern Colorado Optometric Society and the Colorado Optometric Association.
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