It’s a bit strange but when you think about it, eyes seem to be the most neglected part of the body when it comes to health. You might need to wear glasses or contacts but that’s pretty much it; people just don’t concern themselves with eye health until there’s an actual problem. But, you should know that eyes deserve proper care as well. For instance, just in Australia, 90% of vision loss and blindness due to common eye issues such as refractive error, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma could have been completely treatable and preventable!
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Refractive error
Common refractive errors involve nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. You have probably already heard of these vision issues and maybe even have one. After all, these are very common in this day and age. In general, refractive error is bad eyesight that has to do with the disturbing process of light going through your eyes and retina and sending the necessary impulses to the brain to create the image. Not being able to focus properly on certain objects and blurry vision are common. This can easily be solved with prescription glasses or contacts or even vision repair surgery.
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Diabetic retinopathy
As you can probably guess, diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can affect people suffering from diabetes. Essentially, the damage in the blood vessels can affect the retina thus causing blurred vision, dark spots and, in the most severe cases, even blindness if you neglect to treat this problem. Obviously, the most effective way to prevent diabetic retinopathy from occurring is to manage your blood sugar levels properly and follow your doctor’s advice. However, if you do suffer from diabetes, make it a point to do regular eye check-ups as well.
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Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is often associated with age. Essentially, the macula is the center of the retina and it’s responsible for the central vision. As you age, macular tissue can break down or blood vessels could have irregular growth, which would then lead to blurry vision. The most effective way to prevent this condition from happening is to quit smoking and manage your blood pressure and cholesterol properly. This also includes a healthy and balanced diet together with regular exercise.
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Cataract
A cataract is a very serious eye condition that used to be common for seniors but nowadays even younger generations are not excused from it. Basically, cataract involves clouded lenses in your eyes that result in foggy vision. You might even experience a halo around objects when it’s dark. Unfortunately, it can be really difficult to spot cataracts early as it’s not painful and doesn’t even have to show some more obvious signs of eye problems such as reddening or tearing. This is why it’s crucial that you do regular check-ups and seek medical help the moment you feel like your vision is not as clear as you’re used to. As mentioned, this is one of the conditions that was surveyed to lead to blindness in Australia but this too can be reversed if you put your trust in a famous Sydney eye clinic and get adequate surgical treatment.
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Glaucoma
Everyone has some type of fluid pressure in their eyes but if this pressure gets out of control, it can have glaucoma as a consequence. Even though glaucoma doesn’t necessarily cause pain, leaving it untreated can damage the optic nerve and even lead to blindness. Again, this is why it’s so important to do regular eye check-ups. What’s more, there’s no just one single cause for glaucoma as it can be triggered by a blocked blood vessel, eye injuries and inflammations, and so on. When it’s not severe, simple eye drops can fix the issue, but in some cases, surgery might be necessary.
Just like you would book an occasional doctor’s appointment for full body check-ups, make sure that you do the same for your eyes. After all, this is the best preventative measure that you can take against more serious eye problems. Also, do your best to quit smoking and drinking alcohol and embrace a healthy and balanced diet. You might not be able to feel it consciously in your eyes, but healthy habits are crucial for your eye health as well.
