It is extremely likely that at some point or another, you will be diagnosed with some form of degenerative eye disease. Though this sounds extremely frightening, it is a natural part of aging and can typically be cured with glasses, contact lenses or laser therapy. The most fortunate people make it through life without ever needing these corrective devices, or not needing them until quite late in life. However, thousands of Americans need to have vision correction, even as early as childhood. This is completely normal and can be checked in a simple eye examination at the office of your optometrist. The following are conditions, which are frequently diagnosed:

Amblyopia

This disorder is also known as “lazy eye,” but in reality, it has little to do with the eye and is certainly not a byproduct of laziness. The amblyopia patient will have little to no sight in their “lazy” eye, but this is caused by a problem of reception in the brain. The patient’s mind does not send the signals that the eye sends, so the eye- to save energy- just shuts down.

Diplopia

This condition is more commonly referred to as “double vision.” When a patient suffers from this, he or she will see two of the same image, stacked on top of each other, side-by-side, or proximal diagonally. This may occur in one or both of the eyes, but oftentimes, the patient can learn to suppress one of the images, so that they only see one.

Myopia

This extremely common disorder is better known as near-sidedness. Patients with this problem have little difficulty focusing on things right in front of them, but objects in the distance will seem blurry. This occurs most frequently in younger patients, and is thought to have some correlation to ethnicity and education levels. Those people who read often tend to develop myopia more readily than those who don’t.

Hyperopia

This condition is the opposite of myopia. Patients with this disorder complain that they are unable to see objects close to them- such as the text in a newspaper, but have little to no difficulty seeing things in the distance. However, in some cases, patients do have problems seeing both. This can be remedied with bifocal lenses.

Presbyopia

This condition is easily confused with hyperopia, except that it is exclusively linked to far-sightedness, and tends to occur more in elderly patients. This is a natural part of the aging process and can be fixed with a simple pair of reading glasses.

Strabismus

This is also known as “lazy eye,” because it is a misalignment of the eyes. They do not appear to match up and the patient has difficulty with binocular vision. This also has a huge negative effect on depth perception. This can be tested in the optometrist’s office with a series of three-dimensional images. Optic health is crucial for the survival of any individual in today’s society. If you would like to learn more about these potential disorders and have an annual check-up, contact your optometrist today!

When you catch the flu, you see your physician. When you break your arm, you go to the emergency room. When you chip your tooth, you make an appointment with your dentist, but what do you do if something goes wrong with one of the most important organs in your body? As human beings, we rely on our sense of sight for nearly everything. It is the most powerful sense that we possess, and it helps us with almost every function in our day-to-day life. Therefore, vision problems can be extremely frustrating. Luckily, specialists known as optometrists exist to diagnose and find solutions to the common visual ailments:

Poor Vision

This is perhaps the most complained about malady that patients suffer from. Most people, at some point in their lives, have to get glasses or contacts to correct vision problems. The lenses in glasses and of contacts reshape the surface of the eye, to better absorb light. A similar, but more permanent, solution to this problem is laser therapy. Optometrists or medical specialists use a beam of light to cut through the retina. This reshapes it, just as a contact lens would. Many people who undergo the operation have vision that is better than 20/20 after the procedure.

Headaches

Ophthalmic, or ocular, migraines are headaches, brought on by a lack of blood flow in the brain. They differ from other migraines, however, in that they have symptoms that appear in the eyes. Often, the migraine is a sharp, shooting pain in the head that can last several hours, even days. With ocular migraines, the patient often knows about an upcoming migraine before it hits, because he or she will begin to lose focus in the center of their focal field. This blur may move about the field, or may be characterized by small dark spots that seem to float. The migraines are harmless, and can be treated with prescription medication.

Infection

Many patients are susceptible to infections in the eye. Pink eye and sties are two such infections. Often, these problems are solved with a round of topical antibiotics to be smeared around or dropped into the eye. It is especially important to catch these problems early, because they can cause temporary or permanent blindness.

Cataracts

Cataracts typically occur in older patients. The lens of the eye becomes clouded and the eye appears to be opaque. Eventually, the cataract will block out any light, and make it extremely difficult for patients to see. It can even lead to full, irreversible blindness, if left untreated. They can also pop up as a result of exposure to radiation, ultraviolet light, diabetes, hypertension or trauma.

Glaucoma

This disease also targets the elderly. It is actually a group of disorders that strike the nerve cells in the back of the eye. Most experts agree that it is a direct effect of hypertension. If caught early, it can be treated, but it is difficult to catch, because the changes occur over such a long period of time. For this reason, and for the many others mentioned, it is always important to maintain at least a yearly appointment with your optometrist.