As we age, our bodies become less and less able to handle the wear and tear of daily life. With time, people’s eyesight usually deteriorates, too, but we often forget to take care of this important organ.
As you grow older, your vision might be at risk of developing certain conditions or diseases. But these can easily be avoided if you learn the warning signs earlier on in life.
This article focuses on the common eye problems you can face when you neglect your eyes.
Difficulty reading
The environment we are living in has enough adversities to weaken our eyesight. From children to adults, technology and the environment have a lot of adverse effects on our eyes. The most common symptom we face is difficulty in reading. It can be for myopia and hypermetropia or even other problems.
For some, it may be necessary to wear reading glasses. Reading glasses are the easiest way to prevent your eyesight from worsening. You can also search “eyeglasses near me” on Google to browse your nearby stores for various types of eyeglasses that will help with eye problems.
Nowadays, blue-coated lenses are on the rise as they are designed to block the harmful blue rays that emit from digital screens. On the other hand, contact lenses offer another solution for poor vision and can provide many of the same benefits as eyeglasses. However, contact lenses can cause eye irritation and infections if not properly cared for and cleaned regularly.
According to The Vision Council, 75 percent of adults in the United States wear glasses or contact lenses. With the growing elderly population and longer hours spent in front of screens, more people are discovering that they need vision correction.
Headaches
Headaches are a common problem, and they can be caused by a variety of factors. The most common causes are stress and eye strain arising from focusing on computer screens for too long. There’s no need to fear these headaches though there are many ways to treat them and avoid them in the future.
If you get frequent headaches due to eyestrain, consider purchasing glasses that have an anti-reflective coating on the lenses. This will help reduce glare from your surroundings so that it doesn’t interfere with your vision as much. Another option is sitting further away from your screen and adjusting the color temperature of your screen based on the time of day.
You can also try taking short breaks every hour or so while working on a computer. It might seem like doing so interrupts productivity, but it’s actually beneficial because it allows your eyes some rest while still accomplishing what needs to be done.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy that results in damage to the retinal ganglion cells of the eye. The disease leads to vision loss and blindness if left untreated. But recent studies have revealed that glaucoma can occur even with normal pressures inside the eyeball.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention(CDC), around 3 million US citizens are suffering from glaucoma. There are various types of glaucoma, out of which Open-angle glaucoma is the most common.
Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when blood vessels press against the optic nerve and block its blood supply. This often results in immediate vision loss that can lead to permanent damage if not treated quickly enough.
Dry And Itchy Eyes
Dry eyes, marked by itching or burning sensations, can be caused by a number of different things, including stress and aging. Dry eye syndrome is also linked with inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis) and redness of the conjunctiva.
Dry Eye Directory states that around 15 percent of the US population has dry eyes syndrome. It’s important that you don’t mistake dry eye symptoms for allergies or infections because they could lead to long-term damage if left untreated.
The treatment depends on what caused your dry eyes in the first place. If it’s due to an allergic reaction, you’ll need antihistamines. If it’s because of aging, try using a tear duct massage every night before going to sleep. Otherwise, it suffices to apply artificial tears twice a day until your symptoms improve.
Eye strain
Eye strain is the most common problem people face around the world. Data from Wantlens states that 93.5 percent of adults use some kind of digital screen for more than two hours a day. And that leads to eyestrain in 77 percent of them.
Eye strain is actually a condition in which the muscles of your eyes become fatigued after prolonged use, leading to discomfort or pain. Eye strain can be caused by working in front of a computer screen for long periods of time or reading in poor light conditions.
Maintaining good eye health is easy if you make regular eye exams a priority and take proper care of your eyes every day. Are you experiencing any of the symptoms above? Don’t ignore them! See an eye doctor immediately so that you don’t suffer from long-term complications or any irreversible damage to your eyesight.
