5 Most common types of eye syndromes detected among individuals

Today, a large percentage of the human population is experiencing eye problems due to changing climatic conditions, changing lifestyles and limited access to proper eye care or treatment. According to WHO, 2.2 billion people around the world suffer from eye conditions and visual impairment, while the number is massively high, it also stated over one billion cases can be prevented if addressed on time. According to the WHO's World Report on Vision, the burden of impairment tends to be greater in low and middle-income countries. Women also suffer disproportionately, along with migrants, indigenous peoples, and those with disabilities and rural communities. Due to inadequate access, these billion people are not being able to receive the care they need for conditions like short and farsightedness, glaucoma and cataract. However, these conditions can be cured if they are treated on time.

We will be highlighting some of the most common eye conditions prevailing across the world that need to be addressed.

1. Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration usually occurs when your central portion of the retina called macula gets damaged. It is considered to be an incurable eye-disease. This is one of the most common syndromes found in a large number of people. To be precise, over 10 million people are likely to suffer from Macular Degeneration, otherwise known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). In fact, we are witnessing more cases of macular degeneration than cataracts and glaucoma combined. Some of the common symptoms include partial vision loss, blurry vision, problems seeing in dim light, and things appearing smaller than they actually are.

2. Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the eye form clumps, preventing eye lens from sending information to the retina. Cataracts are a widely occurring eye problem that is affecting millions of people across the world. People can have visually impairing cataracts in one or both eyes depending on the condition. They are additionally seen as the formation of a dense, cloudy area in the lens of the eye. Cataracts usually cause vision impairment due to the inability of the light to pass through the retina, preventing the person from seeing clear things.

3. Glaucoma

One of the leading causes of blindness for adults, Glaucoma is caused when your optic nerve gets damaged, which is a necessary condition for good vision. The damage is usually caused by increased pressure in your eye. People above 60 years of age are more likely to witness this kind of syndrome. Glaucoma may or may not have earlier symptoms and you may see the symptoms when the condition reaches its advanced stage. Once it reaches the advanced level, it can’t be cured. Therefore, it is advised to get regular eye checkups to detect early symptoms. If treated early, you can be prevented from the loss of visions but once you reach the last stage, the treatment becomes extremely complicated. So, if glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have the condition, you'll generally need treatment for the rest of your life. The biggest symptoms of glaucoma include tunnel vision, peripheral vision loss, blurry eyes, halos around the eyes, and redness of the eyes. Glaucoma is most likely to affect adults over 40 years of age, but anyone from teenagers, children, and even infants can have it.

4. Dry Eyes Syndrome

As depicted by the name, Dry eyes syndrome is a unique syndrome caused by a lack of moisture and lubrication on the eye’s surface. Human eyes tend to make tears to keep it filled with moisture. But due some effect in layers of the tear film, sometimes the eyes are not able to produce tears, thus making the eyes dry and itchy. While some may experience constant eye irritation, others may undergo significant inflammation leading to scarring of the front surface of the eye.

People across the world are affected largely with this kind of syndrome ranging from as low as 5% to as high as 50%. Common causes of this syndrome may include people wearing contact or adults above the age of 60 years.

5. Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment or detached retina occurs after retina detaches from its underlying layer of support tissue at the back of the eye. Healthy retina is a must to be able to see clearly. The retinal detachment only occurs in one eye. So, the detachment may affect the small part. If not diagnosed properly, it can cause permanent vision loss. People suffering from myopia, diabetes are more likely to suffer retinal detachment.

Wrapping Up

Being an essential part of the body, eye care is an integral part to perform day-to-day tasks. Therefore, one must ensure to take proper care of his/her eyes and get adequate checkups as prescribed by the best eye specialists or surgeons. If you are visually impaired, your dependency on others increases, affecting the health of others as well. This is why early checkups and taking extra care of your eyes is extremely important. Eye care not only improves vision but they also indicate certain underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. As adults are more prone to getting eye syndromes, taking them for checkups becomes even more necessary to provide them with the extra comfort and care they require. Thus, if you are facing any of the above mentioned eye related conditions or syndromes, you must visit the nearest eye specialist to get the early treatment possible for the prevention of your eyes.

WHO Source check - https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/latest-studies/story/two-billion-people-eye-conditions-visual-impairment-who-report-1607486-2019-10-09