What Types Of Vision Problems Are There?

Each day, our team of highly qualified eye care professionals at our Stacey & Stacey centres in Queensland diagnose and treat a wide range of vision problems in patients of all ages. This includes cataracts that cause cloudy areas in the eye, colour impairments that can make it difficult to tell colours apart, and all the way nearsightedness, or myopia, which can make far-away objects such as oncoming traffic or the television look blurry and out-of-focus.

While some eye conditions may pass on their own after some time and are not serious, others may indicate a time-sensitive underlying issue that warrants further investigation. As it can be very difficult to tell which category your eye concern falls under, our eye care professionals are here to offer you peace of mind using advanced technology to detect changes early, while accurately discerning between various conditions that may appear to have similar symptoms at first glance. This allows you to begin appropriate treatment promptly to preserve your sight and maintain your overall eye health.

Here’s a look into some of the most common eye conditions that our eye care professionals see.

Refractive Errors

A refractive error occurs when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing directly on the back of the eye like it needs to, resulting in blurry vision and other problems. This can make it hard to see clearly, and may lead to near-sightedness, long-sightedness, and lazy eye.

With refractive errors, the changes to a person’s vision tend to occur gradually over time, meaning that they often go unnoticed - and so you don’t realise that you need optical care or that your eyesight isn’t as good as it could be. This is why regular comprehensive eye exams are so important to maintain your vision and pick up on issues as soon as they arise. There are five common types of refractive errors:

• Farsightedness (hyperopia) - makes nearby objects look blurry
• Nearsightedness (myopia) - makes far-away objects look blurry
• Astigmatism - can make both far-away and nearby objects look blurry or distorted
• Mature vision (presbyopia - affects those in their early to mid-40s and older, making it difficult to see things up close
• Amblyopia (lazy eye) - occurs in infancy or early childhood, and usually affects one eye. Symptoms can include a wandering eye or eyes that may not appear to work together

Refractive errors can happen when:

• Your eyeball grows too long or too short, making it difficult for light to pass accurately onto your retina (the thin tissue layer that perceives light at the back of your eye)
• There are problems with the shape of your cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye)
• Natural ageing of your lens (a layer of your inner eye that is normally clear and helps the eye to focus light onto the retina)

Our eye care professionals at Stacey & Stacey can check for refractive errors as part of your eye assessment. The exam is simple and painless. If you have a refractive error, your optometrist can work alongside you to prescribe glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision, reduce vision-related headaches and eye strain, and help give you the freedom to do the things you love. In children, treatment for amblyopia may also include eye patches, eye drops, or visual therapy.

Flashes and Floaters

Floaters are small dark shapes that float across your vision, and they can look like spots, threads, squiggly lines, or even little cobwebs. Flashes are bright lights in your vision that can appear similar to light streaks, camera flashes, or shooting stars. Many people have flashes and floaters that come and go especially as they age, and they often don’t need treatment. Sometimes, they can be a sign of a more serious eye condition. If you notice new floaters or flashes that appear suddenly, or that don’t go away, it’s important to contact your eye care professional.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your central vision. It occurs when the natural ageing process causes damage to the central part of your retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) called the macula, which is responsible for your central vision.

AMD is a common cause of vision loss for those over 65, and although it doesn’t cause complete blindness, it can cause damage to your central vision which can make it harder to see faces, read or drive. AMD can also slowly progress over time, which is why it’s important to attend regular eye assessments to detect it as early as possible and begin treatment.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes. It affects the blood vessels in your retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of your eye. If you have diabetes, it’s important to get a comprehensive eye assessment at least once a year, as diabetic retinopathy may not have any noticeable symptoms early on, but early intervention can help you to prevent damage and improve your vision. Managing your diabetes by staying physically active, eating healthily, and taking diabetic medicine can help to prevent or delay vision loss, while advanced cases may require laser treatment or surgery.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness over time by damaging the cells in the nerve in the back of your eye called the optic nerve, which sends visual information from your eye to your brain. Glaucoma is more common in people aged over 60 years, and at first, it doesn’t tend to have any symptoms, so half of people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it.

Over time, you may slowly lose vision, and as the disease gets worse, you may start to notice that you can’t see things off to the side, or in your peripheral vision. Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually lead to blindness. There’s currently no complete cure, but early treatment can often prevent the damage and protect your vision, with eye drops, medication, and surgery. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam with an experienced optometrist.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a cloudy area in the lens of your eye, and they’re one of the most common causes of vision loss, particularly in those who are aged over 80 years, or those who have been exposed to harmful UV rays, smoking, or diabetes. At first, you may not notice any symptoms, but over time, your vision may become blurry, hazy, or less colourful, and you may have trouble reading or doing other everyday activities. Fortunately, surgery can often effectively remove cataracts and correct vision, this may even include implanting an artificial lens. Optometrists can pick up on early signs of cataracts through a comprehensive eye examination.

Colour Blindness

Those with colour blindness (or ‘colour impairment’), see colours differently than most other people, though they may not know it. The most common type of colour impairment can make it hard to tell the difference between red and green, other types may make it hard to tell the difference between blue and yellow. In rare cases those who are completely colour impaired don’t see colour at all. It tends to run in families and there’s no complete cure, but most people who are colour impaired are able to adjust and don’t have problems with everyday activities. If needed, optometrists can prescribe custom glasses and contact lenses which can help to improve vision.

Pterygium (Fleshy Growth)

A pterygium pronounced “te-ridge-e-um” is a vascular, fleshy growth of tissue in the corner of the eye that is often triangular in shape. It can develop when you’re exposed to excessive amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light, and it’s most common in people who live in sunny areas or who spend a lot of time outdoors such as farmers, skiers and fishermen. It can grow very slowly, but eventually cover a large part of the eye, affecting vision and causing symptoms of dry eye such as burning, itching or watery eyes. In some cases, the pterygium may need to be surgically removed.

Retinal Detachment

A retinal detachment happens when your retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of your eye, is pulled away from its normal position at the back of your eye. You may not notice any symptoms, but in some cases, you may not be able to see as clearly as normal, and you may notice other sudden symptoms, including:

• Flashes of light in one eye or both eyes
• A lot of new floaters (small dark spots or squiggly lines that float across your vision)
• A dark shadow or “curtain” on the sides or in the middle of your field of vision

Retinal detachment is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of a detached retina, it’s important to contact your optometrist or the emergency room right away.

To explore our range of expert professional services across our wide range of optometry services, explore our website, or to book your appointment, contact one of your local clinics here.