Common Eye Conditions

Whether developing from heredity, aging or some other cause, there are many eye conditions that can affect you. The following is a list of common eye conditions and how they can affect your vision. If you or a loved one suffer from any of these conditions, or fear that you might, please contact us to schedule an appointment with our doctors.

Myopia
Also called nearsightedness; people with myopia can see objects up close while distant objects are blurry.

Hyperopia
Also called farsightedness; people with hyperopia can see distant objects clearly but have trouble seeing things up close.

Astigmatism
A type of refractive error in the eye, people with astigmatism have trouble focusing on light, causing multiple focus points and blurry vision.

Presbyopia
The gradual loss of your eyes’ ability to focus on close objects. People tend to get presbyopia as they age because the lens of the eye is less flexible, causing focusing issues.

Age related macular degeneration
Progressive damage of the macula (the area of the retina responsible for our central vision), AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss in patients over 65.

Glaucoma
Increasing eye pressure causes compression to the optic nerve, leading to loss of your peripheral vision and eventually your central vision.

Cataracts
There is a clear lens in your eyes called cataracts, providing the power to help us focus. With age, this lens can become cloudy from UV absorption and environmental factors. Cataract issues lead to problems focusing.

Dry eye syndrome
Occurring when your tears cannot provide enough moisture for your eyes, dry eye syndrome causes great discomfort.

Eye allergies
During allergy season, your eyes may become itchy, red, and swollen. Eye allergies are caused by irritants such as dust and pollen. Allergy season can last from January to November depending on where you live.

Retinal detachment
Your retina is at the back of your eye. It contains cells sensitive to light that trigger nerve impulses to the brain, enabling us to see. Your retina can tear or detach, causing you to see sudden flashes of light or have blocked vision. Contact an optometrist immediately if you have these symptoms.

Strabismus
The failure of your eyes to maintain proper alignment, strabismus causes the inability of your eyes to work as a team. You will experience double vision, with your eyes looking in different directions at the same time. When caught early enough, strabismus can be corrected through therapy and the use of special glasses, but if left untreated your brain will ignore visual input from the misaligned eye.

Vision therapy
A term used to describe several different exercises, vision therapy is used to help develop visual abilities or improve already existing visual skills.

Colour blindness
A deficiency in the way you see colour, people with colour blindness have trouble telling the difference between certain colours such as red and green.