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Cataract

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light. Early in the developement of age-related cataract, the power of the lens may be increased, causing near-sightedness(myopia), and the gradual yellowing and opacification of the lens may reduce the perception of blue colors, cataracts typically progress slowly to cause vision loss, and are potentially blinding if untreated. The condition usually affects both eyes, but almost always one eye is affected earlier than the other.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is a condition caused by the eyes not producing enough tears, of a poor quality, leading to a feeling of gritty uncomfortable eyes, some eyes produce too many tears to compensate and become watery, Dry eye can be a symptom of underlying health issues, including:

• The natural aging process, especially during the female menopause.
• Side effects of using certain medications such as antihistamines and birth control pills.
• Diseases that affect the ability to make tears, such as Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and collagen vascular diseases.
• Structural problems with the eyes or a problem with the tear ducts.

Dry eye can usually be treated by artificical tear substitutes, ask your optician which would be best for you.

Macula Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the centre of the visual field(the macula) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in "dry" and "wet" forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults (>50 years). Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activites of daily life.

Spots and Floaters

Most people notice spots or floaters of their eyes. They are especially noticeable when looking at a plain white background and appear as greyish specks in our vision.

The vitreous fluid, the jelly inside the eye, contains small particles. These cast a shadow onto the retina at the back of the eye, which appear as spots and floaters.

If there is a sudden increase in spots or floaters, especially if these are accompained by flashing lights, or a custain effect shadowing your vision, this may indicate a more serious problem such as Retina detachment which left untreated can cause blindness. Anyone experiencing these sudden symptoms is advised to visit their optician immediately.

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blindness. It is a medical emergency.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye(s) and progressing to complete blindness. If untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye (aqueous humour).[1] The term 'ocular hypertension' is used for causes having constantly raised intraocular pressure (IOP) without any associated optic nerve damage. Conversely the term 'normal' or 'low tension glaucoma' is suggested for the typical visual field defects when associated with a normal or low IOP.

Myopia

Myopia is commonly known as being nearsighted (American) and shortsighted (British). A condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it. This causes the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus but in foucs when looking at a close of object. Below is the image to be used for myopia.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism is the optical term for more than one point of foucs. It occurs when the surface of the cornea or crystalline lens is not spherical. Light from an object does not focus exactly on the retina but at two seperate points. An astigmatic eye has curves that are steeper in one direction than the other. An example of this could be where the cornea is not spherical and shaped more like a Rugby ball than football - ofcourse this is not noticeable by just looking at someone's eyes.