Understanding and Managing Common Vision Problems

The eyes are sensitive, highly developed, and complex organs. The sensory organs contain structures and tissues that react to light, allowing the individual to see. Unfortunately, most people take their vision for granted until problems develop.

 

Various eye conditions can result in vision complications. While some issues are minor and often go away with little or no treatment, others are more severe. You can understand and manage common vision problems by reading our blog below.

 

Understanding Vision Problems

The eyes function by allowing light into the pupil, reaching the retina. This is a thin tissue at the back of the eye. The iris around the pupil controls the amount of light that enters the eye. The lens is the clear section of the eye that helps the cornea to focus the light reaching the retina.

 

The retina has receptor cells that turn the incoming light into signals that travel through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain processes electrical signals into images. Eye diseases or disorders affect various parts of the process, leading to vision problems.

 

Symptoms of Vision Problems

Eye problems lead to various vision symptoms. Common symptoms include:

 

• Double vision

• Cloudy or blurry vision

• Glare

• Light sensitivity

• A halo around lights

• Seeing floaters

• Tired or sore eyes

• Difficulty seeing at night
  
   

Individuals may also experience headaches and difficulty focusing on tasks such as reading and using the computer. While some symptoms begin in childhood, others develop later in life.

 

Vision Problems – Refractive Errors

Refractive errors are the most common vision problems. The vision impairments result from how light rays focus inside the eye before transmission to the brain. Refractive errors occur even when the eyes are healthy and are often correctable using eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Presbyopia is a common age-related issue that usually develops after 40.

 

Disease-Related Vision Problems

Some vision problems result from eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment. These conditions affect the eye's functions and the processing units, which can lead to defective or blurry vision. Treatment will vary depending on the disease. The objective of all treatments is to restore vision, halt vision loss, and preserve the remaining eyesight. Management and early treatment of the diseases can help to reduce the risk of vision loss. Effective treatment will depend on the disease stage and severity of symptoms.

 

Preventing Vision Problems

Scheduling regular comprehensive eye exams can help to protect your vision and eye health. Understanding risk factors can help you to avoid habits that can harm your eyes. Other common vision problems include:

• Color blindness

• Night blindness

• Eye strain

• Eye infections

• Strabismus (crossed eyes)

• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
  
   

Eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, and wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes can help to maintain good vision.

 

Many eye problems are not obvious in the early stages. If you experience symptoms of eye issuers, contact your eye doctor as soon as possible. An eye exam can detect and diagnose eye conditions and diseases that can affect your vision. Failing to treat or manage eye conditions can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness.


 

For more on understanding and managing common vision problems, visit Baseline Vision Clinic. Our office is in Hillsboro, Oregon. Call (503) 648-8328 to book an appointment today.