Welcoming the New Year Right With the Best Resolution: Prioritize Your Eye Health This Time 

• Refractive errors- This affects the way light rays enter the eyes, leading to blurry vision, which causes any of the following: 

Myopia (Nearsightedness) is an eye condition that allows you to view objects clearly that are near.  

Hyperopia (Farsightedness) a refractive error of the eye where distant objects can be seen more clearly than close objects. 

Astigmatism often has a cornea shaped more like a football instead of the normal round shape. This error affects how light enters the eyes, leading to a distorted or blurry vision. 

Presbyopia typically shares the same symptoms with hyperopia, which is difficulty in focusing on close-up objects.The main distinction between the two is presbyopia occurs due to the natural aging process. 

• Cataract– This eye condition is characterized by the clouding of the eye’s natural lens, leading to a decrease in vision. Common symptoms are double vision in one eye, fading of colors, difficulty reading or performing detailed tasks, halos around lights, cloudy or blurred vision, and frequent changes in eyeglass prescription.

• Glaucoma– It is a group of eye conditions that damages the optic nerve, leading to a loss of peripheral vision. Signs to look out for are tunnel vision, elevated intraocular pressure, blurred vision, halos around lights, eye pain or discomfort, headaches, nausea, or vomiting (associated with acute angle-closure glaucoma)

Cataracts and glaucoma’s symptoms are nearly identical, but the key distinction lies in their impact. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, resulting in peripheral vision loss. In contrast, cataracts cloud the eye’s natural lens, affecting overall vision clarity.

• Diabetic retinopathy- This is a diabetes-related condition that affects the blood vessels in the retina, which is the result of prolonged high blood sugar levels. Symptoms are  vision, floaters, impaired color vision, dark or empty areas in vision, difficulty perceiving contrast, vision fluctuations, vision loss, and poor night vision.

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)- One of the leading causes of vision loss among individuals over the age of 50. AMD is a progressive eye condition that affects the macula, a small part in the center of the retina responsible for central vision. Beware of these signs: blurred or distorted central vision, difficulty reading or performing close-up tasks, dark or empty areas in central vision, straight lines appearing wavy, changes in color perception, difficulty recognizing faces, slow adaptation to low light, and hallucinations (advanced stage).