Our eyes are vital to how we experience and interact with the world around us, yet numerous eye diseases can silently threaten our sight as we age.
We’ll delve into 4 prevalent eye diseases, exploring their causes, symptoms, and available treatments. Understanding these conditions is key to early detection and effective management, ensuring that we can preserve our vision and maintain quality of life.
Here are 4 common eye diseases:
1. Cataract
A cataract occurs when the eye’s natural clear lens becomes cloudy.
This causes light entering the eye to be scattered, leading to symptoms such as blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light and glare, difficulty seeing at night, and fading colour perception.
Cataracts develop gradually and are part of the aging process, though they can also result from injury, certain medications (corticosteroids), or other health conditions (such as diabetes).
Management and Treatment:
Cataracts are typically diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. Our optometrists are trained to advise when onward referral to an ophthalmologist for cataract removal is necessary. The treatment involves the surgical removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with an artificial lens, which is a highly effective procedure for restoring clear vision.
2. Diabetic Retinopathy
In Singapore, approximately 1 in 9 adults is affected by diabetes, which translates to around 400,000 people. Diabetes can have a variety of effects on the eye. One of the complications is diabetic retinopathy, where there is damage to the blood vessels in the retina.
In the early stages of this condition, there may be no noticeable symptoms or only mild vision problems. However, as the condition progresses, it may result in severe vision loss.
The likelihood of developing diabetic retinopathy increases with the duration of diabetes and with poorer blood sugar control.
Management and Treatment:
Comprehensive eye exams are crucial for detecting diabetic retinopathy early, often before symptoms appear. While early-stage cases usually only need monitoring, advanced cases may require laser treatment, injections, or surgery. Controlling one’s blood sugar levels is crucial for slowing the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
3. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD/ AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration is a condition that affects the macula, the part of our retina that is responsible for our central, sharp detailed vision. ARMD is one of the leading causes of irreversible sight loss in people over the age of 60.
There are 2 types of ARMD:
- Dry ARMD: the more common form can cause slow progressive loss of central vision. Individuals may not realize they have this condition until it has progressed to a point where their central vision becomes blurry or distorted.
- Wet AMD: the less common form can lead to rapid significant vision loss, sometimes within days. Distorted vision and the appearance of dark shadows or empty areas in the central vision may also occur.
Management and Treatment:
While there is no cure for ARMD, treatments such as nutritional supplements, Anti-VEGF injections, laser therapy, and lifestyle changes can help manage the condition and slow its progression. Regular comprehensive eye examinations are crucial for early detection and monitoring of the condition.
4. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often due to increased intraocular pressure (IOP). The optic nerve transmits visual information to the brain, and damage to it results in vision loss.
Early stages of glaucoma typically show no symptoms as initial vision loss is mainly in the periphery which is not easily noticeable. Most people only notice changes when their central vision has deteriorated, at that point there may have already been considerable permanent nerve damage. Thus regular comprehensive eye examinations are crucial for early detection and effective management of the condition.
It commonly affects individuals above the age of 60, and can be inherited, thus those with a family history of glaucoma are at a higher risk. Individuals with inherently high IOP, medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, prior eye injuries, or high myopia are also at risk.
Management and Treatment:
Glaucoma treatment focuses on lowering intraocular pressure through medications via eye drops or pills, laser therapy, or surgery to prevent further damage to the optic nerve and preserve vision.