Index
- Eye pathologies: what you need to know
- How does an eye disorder occur?
- The main pathologies of the eye and their respective symptoms
- Dry eye syndrome
- Glaucoma
- Conjunctivitis
- Cataract
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Presbyopia
- Myopia
Eye pathologies: what you need to know
Among the organs that are heavily used on a daily basis, the eyes are surely in the top 3. This demand has been amplified by the evolution of technology. Indeed, being more and more connected, people spend a lot of time in front of screens. The eyes thus tire very quickly, giving rise to various eye pathologies. But even if the hours spent in front of the screens can explain a good part of the eye damage, some of it is also caused by other factors. In this article, you will discover the main diseases that can affect the eye and their main symptoms.
How does an eye disorder occur?
Eye diseases are very numerous. They are also of varying degrees of severity. This diversity is explained by the fact that the eye is an organ composed of many parts. Every part of its anatomy can have problems. That's why it's important to better understand the eye disorder that is happening to you. This allows the ophthalmologist to better diagnose and treat the disorder. As you can see, eye diseases never manifest themselves in the same way. Their symptoms and frequency depend on the part of the eye concerned. The same is true of their severity. It should also be noted that some eye diseases can be contagious. This is the case with conjunctivitis, for example. Others, on the other hand, are more frequent with age. This is for example the case for macular degeneration or glaucoma.
The main pathologies of the eye and their respective symptoms
Due to the multiplicity of anatomical parts of the eye, there are many disorders affecting this organ. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the most frequent of them and describe their respective symptoms. This will give you a better understanding of what happens to you when you have eye problems.
Dry eye syndrome
This is a very common eye disorder at the moment. Dry eye syndrome, as the name suggests, is a condition caused by decreased tear secretion. It can also occur as a result of an imbalance between the components of the tears, which favours their evaporation. People suffering from this problem experience eye discomfort. In some cases, ulcerations of the cornea may appear. The dry eye can easily be subject to infection, irritation or inflammation.
Glaucoma
This ocular pathology occurs when the intraocular pressure is high. This pressure is exerted by fluids and causes damage to the optic nerve, which is no longer supplied with blood properly. Glaucoma also manifests itself by blurred vision, peripheral vision problems, and even blind spots accompanied by headaches.
Conjunctivitis
This is an eye disorder caused by inflammation of the conjunctiva. It can cause itching, tingling, and even pain. The eye is also prone to redness. Usually mild, this inflammation can have serious effects on the quality of vision if it is caused by a virus or bacteria.
Cataract
Cataract is an eye disease that occurs more and more with age. The majority of early cataracts occur after the age of 65. It occurs when the crystalline lens becomes opaque. Located at the back of the eye, the role of the lens is to concentrate light on the retina. People suffering from cataract have blurred vision and increasingly limited visual acuity. To treat cataracts, an operation is required.
Diabetic retinopathy
This eye disease only affects people with diabetes. It is more likely to occur in younger diabetic patients. In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms. But as it develops, the patient's vision becomes blurred. This vision disorder is caused by an obstruction of the blood vessels that supply blood to the retina. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. Diabetics should have an annual eye exam. This reduces the risk of vision problems.
Presbyopia
It is also a disorder affecting the lens of the eye. In concrete terms, presbyopia corresponds to a decrease in the capacity of the latter to accommodate itself. This disease can evolve over several years, and mainly affects people over the age of 45. It is considered to be a natural effect of the aging process of the eye. People suffering from this condition generally have problems with their near vision.
Myopia
Although it should not be included in this list, myopia deserves its place because of its frequency. In fact, it is not an eye disease per se. Myopia is more of a vision disorder. It is easily recognizable by the vision problems it causes. Indeed, myopia is characterized by blurred vision at a distance while near vision is very sharp. Also, this vision disorder can appear as early as early childhood or during adolescence. Thereafter, it evolves until the patient is 25 years old. From then on, myopia stabilizes. However, when it is classified as "strong", it can still develop beyond this age and cause serious complications.
