Consult to Cure Eye Problems

Eye diseases or disorders are of a wide variety. Cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors are major causes of visual impairment and preventable blindness. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness accounting for 66.2% cases of blindness, and 80.7% of cases of severe visual impairment followed by refractive error and glaucoma.

Figure 1: Causes of Blindness

80% of blindness cases in India are curable or preventable.

National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey India (2015-19) reported that there is a decrease in the prevalence of blindness [Figure 2] and visual impairment in persons above 50 years [Figure 3] because of timely intervention.

Figure 2: Prevalence of blindness in India over the years

Figure 3: Reduction in visual impairment cases in India

Common Eye Problems Among Indians

Eyestrain [tiredness in the eyes]
Refractive Errors [short-sightedness, farsightedness, distorted vision] - Uncorrected refractive error is a preventable cause of visual impairment in India
Dry eye syndrome - Tear glands are not able to make enough tears
Night Blindness [Nyctalopia] - Difficulty to see in low light
Conjunctivitis [Allergic / bacterial / Viral] - It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva
Amblyopia - It is reduced vision in one eye due to vision development disorder
Eye floaters - Spots [strings, rings, cobwebs] in the vision
Retina disorders
Blepharitis - Inflammation of the eyelid causing crusty /dry eyelid, stickiness, grittiness.
Cataract: A cataract is an opacity within the clear lens of the eye
Glaucoma - It is a condition where increased intraocular pressure may result in damage to the optic nerve

What Causes Eye Problems?

Infection, allergy, vitamin deficiency, chemical irritants, genetics, smoking etc are some of the common causes of eye problems
Cataract - Etiology could be aging, hereditary, UV-Rays, dietary deficiency of vitamin E, C , B, and proteins
Glaucoma - Too much aqueous production or obstruction of its outflow from the eye causes an increase in the intraocular pressure (IOP), can lead to glaucoma. Over time, high eye pressure can cause irreversible nerve damage and vision loss
Xerophthalmia - This is the most common cause of blindness in children. It is caused due to vitamin A deficiency

Symptoms Associated with Eye Problems

Various eye symptoms and diseases are listed in the disease in Table 1

Symptoms that demands immediate consultation include

Severe eye pain
Change in vision or sudden loss of vision
Floaters
Blurred vision
Watery and red eyes
The foreign body inside the eye and trauma to the eye

Treating Eye Problems

Various diseases and their probable treatment are given in the table below [Table 1]

Disorder	Symptoms	Treatment
Cataract	Cloudy vision Sensitivity to light Poor vision at night Double vision	Surgery
Glaucoma	Eye pain Red-eye Blurred vision Vision Loss	Medical and Surgery
Eye Strain	Dry or watery eyes Tired, burning or itching	Artificial tears
Refractive Errors	Blurred vision for distant objects, near objects, or both Headache Irritation, itching	Eyeglasses Contact lenses Refractive surgery
Watery eye	Excessive tearing	Treat the cause
Night Blindness	Difficult to see in dark or low light	Treat the cause
Dry eye Syndrome	Foreign body sensation eye discomfort Burning Itching	Artificial tears
Diabetic Retinopathy	Double vision Blurred vision Loss of vision	Management of Diabetes laser treatment Surgery
Conjunctivitis	Tearing Burning Discharge or stickiness Itching Eye pain Red-eye	Antibiotic/ antihistaminic eye drops or ointments

If you notice difficulty in your sight, constant irritation and should the basic home remedies not suffice, take online eye doctor consultation at your convenience.

FAQ

Are an optometrist and an ophthalmologist the same?

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (eye specialist) who diagnoses and treats eye disorders while an optometrist is trained to perform an eye examination and can prescribe corrective glasses.