5 common eye conditions
Blepharitis
Blepharitis commonly causes itchiness, crusting of the eyelids and dryness of the eye. It’s a common problem especially amongst people who also have a skin condition called rosacea. Blepharitis is caused by blockage of the small glands in the eyelids which secrete oils into tears ( called the Meibomian glands). One contributory factor may be bacterial overgrowth at the glands so it is worthwhile seeing a doctor about this if your symptoms don’t improve by simple measures which we’ll come on to. It’s not painful and it is unlikely to affect your sight but it can certainly affect the quality of your life. There are some simple treatments which can be very effective before you seek the advice of a doctor but if these are not successful an Ophthalmologist can advise you and it may be that you need antibiotics, prescription only lubricants or treatment of the immune response. More information about blepharitis
Dry Eye
Many people experience a sensation of grittiness in their eyes or dryness.
Dryness of the eye has a variety of causes but they can be divided broadly into two groups. There can be an insufficiency of tears due to evaporation or the quality of tears may be poor because the all the components in tears are not in perfect balance. We’re also realising that there is a third component, inflammation.
An example of a condition which affects the quality of tears is blepharitis (see Blepharitis above) , This is because the glands which secrete oils into tears get blocked. The eye can produce tears as part of a reflex but these tears often don’t successfully stay on the ocular surface and can simply overflow without doing a very good job of lubricating the surface of the eye.
Most dry eye can be managed with simple over the counter lubricating eye drops but some people need and want a personalised treatment plan for the causes of their dry eye. A specialist can advise you of all your options. For instance, it may be that you need antibiotics, prescription-only lubricants or evaluation / treatment of the immune response.
An example of tear insufficiency may be dryness due to tear evaporation such as in cold or windy weather or staring for long periods without blinking when working on a computer. Simple treatments work too, so try this first: blink more frequently when using a computer monitor or wearing glasses in windy weather.
Age Related Macular Degeneration
Age Related Macular Degeneration is a leading cause of loss of sight in our central vison in the over 50 year age group. Very slowly, the retina and its abundant light-sensing ( photoreceptor) cells become damaged and stop functioning , causing blurred vision right at the centre of your visual field and sometimes distortion. Smoking makes the condition worse and a the right diet can have beneficial effects.
We now have treatment that can protect from sight loss in one form of macular degeneration, called ‘wet macular degeneration’. This has been a major advance in the last 10 years or so.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is especially important to be aware of because it happens without symptoms and it’s very common. It’s a condition which causes damage to the optic nerve in the back of the eye and usually, there is high pressure in the eyes. This condition can cause blindness through silent visual loss, starting at the outside of our field of vison (the peripheral field). Fortunately, treatment with pressure-lowering eyedrops can usually prevent or arrest visual loss. Because it is more common as we get older, it makes sense to have the pressure in the eyes checked every year once you get to 50 years of age and younger than this if you have a family history of glaucoma.
Eye inflammation can cause the pressure in the eye to rise and can cause glaucoma, so in the treatment of uveitis, looking after the pressure to prevent uveitic glaucoma is just as important as making sure inflammation in the eye is well controlled.
Cataract
Cataracts are a natural part of aging although there are some eye conditions which can make cataracts occur under other circumstances. Cataracts make the vision generally blurry and are caused by the changes in proteins in the lens of our eyes, making the lens a bit more cloudy.
A cataract operation is one of the safest and shortest operations out there and can transform the life of a person with cataracts.