Most Common Eye Diseases

Eyesight is one of the most valuable assets that anyone has. Our eyes serve as the windows for the outside world. It is through them that we can see and experience the beauty of nature. Therefore, maintaining eye health is essential if you want to enjoy a problem-free life. However, over the past few decades, as exposure to screens increased, the number of patients suffering from eye diseases have also increased. An unhealthy lifestyle is also the cause of a major cause for most eye diseases. As a result, now more people in the Middle East are getting corrective eye treatments like Lasik surgery in Dubai. 

Now let’s take a look at some of the most common eye problems that people encounter these days:

Cataracts:

Another common eye ailment is a cataract that is characterized by a cloudy and milky white lens in the eye. Usually, cataracts are age-related. Therefore, they are more common in people above 50 but it’s not a compulsion as it can also develop in younger people. There are many causes of cataracts such as injury of the eye, UV exposure or protein deterioration with time. Cataracts are a common eye disease that can be treated through surgery. However, they can cause severe vision loss if left untreated.

Keratoconus:

Keratoconus is a disease in which the shape of the cornea changes. The cornea of a person’s eye has a dome shape but as the collagen that holds the cornea becomes weak its shape can change to a cone. This condition is known as keratoconus and it can cause serious loss of vision if left untreated.  

Refractive Errors:

Refractive errors are the most common form of vision problem that people have. When light passes through the cornea and eye lens, refraction of light takes place. However, refractive errors can occur because of the changed shape of eyeball, cornea or because of the natural aging of the lens. The most common vision problems; nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are all forms of refractive errors. Wearing a pair of contact lenses or spectacles can solve this problem and even you can undergo eye surgery for permanently correcting your refractive errors.   

Presbyopia:

Normally people think that presbyopia is farsightedness, however, it’s not the case as the cause of both is completely different. The cause of farsightedness is the change in the natural shape of the eyeball, which causes incorrect bending of light rays. Whereas, the cause of presbyopia is the loss of flexibility of the eye lens. However, patients suffering from presbyopia can correct it by undergoing surgery or by wearing corrective lenses or glasses.

Floaters:

Floaters is an eye problem that is quite common in people over the age of 50. It is basically an eye problem in which the patients see tiny specks or spots floating in their vision range. These spots are deposits of proteins that drift in the vitreous in front of your eye. They don’t block the patient’s vision, they just see floating spots in front of their eyes. Doctors believe that floaters accompanied by flashing are an indication for serious eye ailments such as retinal detachment. Hence, it is necessary to see your eye specialist if you start seeing floaters.

Dry Eyes:

Dry eyes are a common problem among people who work continuously in front of screens. During this disease, the tear glands don’t produce enough tears that are needed for the lubrication of the eye. Dry eyes can cause irritation, itching, burning and are uncomfortable and in extreme cases, this condition can even lead to blindness. Doctors usually prescribe special eye drops to cure this disease.

Tearing:

Tearing is a common eye problem that people living in a dry and desert environment usually face. During this problem, your eyes produce extra tears that aren’t needed. The main cause of this problem is the sensitivity of eyes to light, wind or temperature changes. However, if you can effectively protect your eyes, you can overcome this problem. Nevertheless, sometimes tearing can be an indication of a more serious eye problem such as infection or blockage of the tear duct.

These are some of the eye problems that people living in the Middle East are more prone too because of the harsh desert environment. Therefore, it is important that if you observe any symptoms you must immediately visit the best eye specialist in Dubai.