4 Common Eye Diseases

They're known as the window to the soul and are one of the most expressive parts of the body, but how often do you really think about your eyes? Eyes are actually pretty amazing. For instance, did you know your eyes start to develop only two weeks after conception? Or that your eyeballs stay the same size from birth to death (though your ears and nose continue to grow throughout your life)? Most people don't realize just how intricate eyes are, and that they have over two million working parts. Because more than a million nerve fibers connect each eye to the brain, eyes cannot be transplanted. However, just the cornea can be. (By the way, the cornea is the only tissue in the body that doesn't have blood.) Another fascinating fact about eyes is that they are even better than fingerprints at identification. Your fingerprint has 40 unique characteristics but your iris (the colored part of your eye) has 256! Unfortunately, approximately 240 million people have some sort of vision impairment. However, there's good news, too. Around 80 percent of vision problems are avoidable or even curable. Read on to learn more about the eye and common eye diseases.

• Refractive disorders. Myopia and hyperopia (known more commonly as nearsightedness and farsightedness) fall under this category of eye disorders and diseases, as do astigmatism (a steepening of the lens) and presbyopia (when the lens cannot focus). There are a variety of both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for refractive disorders, depending on your particular situation. Websites such as

youreyedoc.com are a great source of information and can connect you with eye doctors in your area.

• Dry eye. Frequently under diagnosed, dry eye's symptoms are subtle and can even include watery eyes. Symptoms can also include dryness, burning or stinging, tiredness, itching, sensitivity to light, the feeling of sand in your eyes and vision that becomes blurred after reading or using a computer. The eyes produce two types of tears, lubricating and reflex. It's when the eye stops producing enough lubricating tears that dry eye occurs. However, the eye may still be producing plenty of reflex tears, which is how you can have watery eyes as a symptom. Dry eye tends to affect women more often than men, and can be caused by hormonal changes, various diseases, some prescription medications and aging. A wide variety of nonsurgical treatments are available that generally provide effective relief.
• Glaucoma. There are several different types of this disease but they all involve a buildup of pressure inside the eye. This puts pressure on the optic nerve and if left untreated, can cause vision impairment and blindness. Glaucoma more often affects people over the age of 35. The onset of symptoms is slow and painless, which can make it difficult to realize there's a problem. However, there are many routine ways to test for and detect glaucoma before it does permanent damage. This is one of the reasons why it's important to see an eye doctor on a regular basis. Treatments for glaucoma can include medication and/or laser surgery.
• Blepharitis. Also referred to as eyelid inflammation, this condition is caused by excess growth of bacteria that is normally present on the skin. Symptoms can range from unnoticeable to severe but most commonly cause the eyelids to become reddened, itchy and swollen. There is no cure for blepharitis but proper eye hygiene can help reduce symptoms. In some cases, antibiotics may be indicated. Blepharitis can be prevented by keeping your face and hands clean, removing eye makeup before going to bed and avoiding rubbing your eyes with dirty fingers or a dirty cloth.

About the Author: Beth A. Stevens is a vision expert and contributing writer who enjoys helping people maintain healthy eyes and good vision.

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