Your visual system is one of the most complex in your body. Much of the information you require for everyday living is obtained through your eyes. As with most complex systems, there are many things that can go wrong.
Fortunately, most eye conditions can be prevented or corrected, provided they are detected early enough.
You can find out about some of the common eye conditions that we regularly come across and treat here. If you suspect you may be suffering from one of these conditions, please book a consultation with us as soon as possible.
Amblyopia
A person with amblyopia, or "lazy eye", has a condition in which the message sent from the affected eye or eyes to the brain is of low quality, making the sight of that eye poor. Sometimes the phrase "dimness of vision" is used to describe Amblyopia. A person with Amblyopia will have poor vision that cannot be corrected simply with spectacles.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a common vision problem that causes distortion and blurriness when viewing objects at near or far distances. People with long-sightedness or short-sightedness often also have astigmatism, or astigmatism can occur by itself.
Blepharitis
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids and is very common. Blepharitis usually affects both eyes on the edge of the eyelids and although rarely serious, it can be an uncomfortable, persistent and irritating problem.
Cataracts
Cataracts are a cloudiness that forms in the lens of the eye. The lens normally is clear. Poor vision results because the cloudiness interferes with light entering the eye. People older than 65 years often have signs of cataracts and should have their eyes examined regularly.
Colour Vision
Colour vision deficiency is a twofold complaint. A person suffering from a colour vision complaint will confuse some colours and/or will not see some colours as brightly as people with normal colour vision. Being unable to distinguish between shades of red and green is the most common colour vision deficiency.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, transparent layer that lines the inner eyelids and covers the white part of the eye. The three main types of conjunctivitis are infectious, allergic and toxic. Common symptoms of conjunctivitis are red watery eyes, inflamed inner eyelids, blurred vision, a scratchy feeling in the eyes and, sometimes, a pus like or watery discharge.
Convergence
To see clearly and without confusion at close distances, the two eyes must be aimed precisely at the object you are trying to see. Unfortunately, not everyone develops this ability in childhood. Inaccuracy of the alignment of the eyes can result in visual fatigue, blurred or double vision, poor judgement of depth, eye ache, headache and mental fatigue.
Diabetes
More than one million Australians, or five percent of the population, have diabetes. Of these, more than 70 per cent will develop some changes in their eyes within 15 years of diagnosis. Optometrists play a fundamental role in diagnosing these conditions in their early stages when they respond best to treatment.
Dry Eye
Dry eye is a condition that commonly affects people of all ages. It is more appropriate to refer to the condition as a "tear film abnormality" rather than dry eye because often people with "dry" eyes will complain of their eyes being very watery.
Floaters/Spots
Floaters or spots, as they are sometimes called are usually clouded or semi opaque specks or particles within the eye that are seen in the field of vision. As one becomes older, changes are more likely to occur in the eye. These changes cause floaters that can be of a more serious nature or causes the usual floaters to be more noticeable.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition in which the nerve cells that transmit information from the eye to the brain become damaged. Glaucoma is often associated with a build-up of pressure in the eye. The eye is normally filled with fluid that is constantly being replaced. If excessive amounts of fluid are produced or if it cannot drain away properly, the pressure inside the eye can increase.
Hyperopia
The eye's lens and cornea focus light into an image on the retina, just as a camera lens focuses light on to a film. In a resting hyperopic (longsighted) eye, the light is focused behind the retina and so the image is blurred. The perfect state of focusing exactly on the retina is unusual; the average person is a little hyperopic.
Keratoconus
Keratoconus (literally, conical cornea) is a thinning of the central zone of the cornea, the front surface of the eye. The normal pressure within the eye makes the thinner area of the cornea bulge forward slightly. Keratoconus is an inherited disorder that occurs in about one in 3,000 people.
Myopia
Most people call myopia short-sightedness. Short-sighted people do not see distant objects clearly. The eyes lens and corneas normally focus light onto an image on the retina. In a myopic eye the light is focused in front of the retina and so the image is blurred.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is a common condition that makes vision difficult at a normal reading distance. It is not a disease. Presbyopia is corrected by a spectacle prescription designed especially for close distances, in the form of spectacles or contact lenses.
Pterygium
A Pterygium (pronounced te-ri-gi-um, plural: pterygia) is a triangular-shaped lump of tissue that grows from the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the white of the eye) on to the cornea. Pterygia often occur in both eyes, usually on the side of the eye closer to the nose.
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