Regular eye exams can detect vision problems like nearsightedness and farsightedness, as well as degenerative conditions like glaucoma and cataracts that can cause blindness. Myopia is caused by an elongated eyeball, while hyperopia is caused by a shortened eyeball. Glaucoma is often caused by increased intraocular pressure, while cataracts are caused by overexposure to UV light. Optometrists can also detect early symptoms of underlying conditions, such as brain tumors causing double vision.
There are many different types of vision problems. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are two common examples and are the reason many people wear corrective lenses. Other vision problems, glaucoma and cataracts, for example, are degenerative and can cause blindness if not treated by an optometrist or other doctor. Having your eyesight checked regularly ensures more than just good eyesight. Because some conditions like brain cancer affect vision, an optometrist can detect early symptoms; the patient can start treatment for the underlying cause before the condition worsens.
Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a refractive disorder. In this condition, the eyeball is too long, meaning the eye cannot focus on distant objects. It is commonly accepted that a combination of genetic and environmental factors play a role. Myopia is much easier to correct through refractive surgery than farsightedness. Most eye surgeons agree that due to the nature of the surgery, all patients need reading glasses after the age of 40.
Farsightedness, also known as farsightedness, is the opposite of myopia. The eyeball is too short, the eye cannot focus on nearby objects. Unlike myopia, it was generally believed that only a person’s genetics determined whether he or she developed the condition. Glasses or contact lenses are the most common treatment.
Outside of common vision problems like near and farsightedness, there are others that occur as a person gets older. Glaucoma is a condition in which damage to the optic nerve occurs. While any number of causes are possible, it is mostly due to increased intraocular pressure. The pressure rises if an individual has uncontrolled diabetes or abuses steroids. Glaucoma gets worse as damage to the optic nerve leads to irreversible blindness.
Responsible for half of the reported cases of blindness worldwide, a cataract is a cloudiness that occurs in the lens of the eye. The main cause is overexposure to ultraviolet light. Although most cataract patients develop symptoms later in life, genetic factors can cause an individual to develop the disorder in childhood. Trauma to the eye is another reason a cataract can develop. As with glaucoma, cataract treatments may improve vision but not prevent future problems from developing.
An annual visit to the optician can help maintain good vision and overall health. An optometrist can diagnose vision problems in their early stages and start a patient on the correct course of treatment. A side benefit is that some vision problems are indicators of underlying conditions. For example, a common symptom of brain tumors is double vision. An optometrist discovering this symptom leads to an earlier diagnosis and perhaps a better chance of survival for the patient.
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