Many diseases can contribute to blindness. Some, such as mild cases of pink eye, will resolve themselves while others like glaucoma and macular degeneration require treatment in order to preserve vision loss.

Eye diseases can be painful and serious. While some forms can be prevented with regular professional eye exams, others are caused by conditions like diabetes, smoking or high blood pressure; others still are hereditary.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma affects the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. If left untreated, this damage can lead to irreversible blindness – hence why regular eye exams as preventive measures are essential. People over age 50, African-Americans and Hispanics are particularly prone to this condition but anyone at any time may become affected.

Glaucoma occurs when eye pressure reaches unsafe levels. This often happens when too much fluid is produced or when drainage of this fluid becomes limited; normally the eyes produce an aqueous humor to maintain moist and healthy conditions, and a daily amount drains out through drainage channels; when this balance shifts due to overproduction or poor drainage practices, pressure may rise rapidly resulting in severe eye damage.

Open-angle glaucoma is the most prevalent form of glaucoma and usually develops slowly without noticeable symptoms during its early stages. Over time however, symptoms such as blurred vision or halos around lights or blind spots become more pronounced as optic nerve fibers begin to die off and blindness sets in. Without detection or treatment this irreversible process could continue until blindness results.

Other forms of glaucoma may arise as side effects from other medical conditions, including cataracts, eye injuries, long term use of steroids and uncontrolled high blood pressure – these forms are known as secondary glaucoma; there may also be rare instances of congenital, pseudoexfoliative and pigmentary glaucoma that arise at birth.

A great way to protect your sight from glaucoma is through regular eye exams, medications, dilated eye exams and follow-up treatments with laser or surgery as necessary. Hawaii Pacific Health recommends visiting regularly so we can detect early stages of glaucoma and treat before irreparable damage occurs. For more information about treating it and any questions or concerns that you may have please reach out our office – we will gladly be more than happy to help!

Cataracts

Cataracts are eye conditions which cause blurred vision, glare issues and eventually blindness. Cataracts form when proteins in the lens of an eye clump together into a cloud that interferes with its ability to see properly. Aging often plays a part in this condition but other triggers include ultraviolet radiation exposure, metabolic changes or smoking as well as medication such as steroids and blood thinners that act on it directly or indirectly.

Opacity of the natural lens causes patients with cataracts to suffer a number of symptoms including hazy or blurry vision, glare/bright light sensitivity, double vision and yellowing or fading of colors. Patients also report experiencing significant quality-of-life reduction; other associated issues could include pain and discomfort as well as difficulties performing day-to-day activities.

Astigmatism, which occurs when the lens has an irregular shape than that of a basketball, is another factor contributing to cataract patients’ poor vision. Strabismus (one or both eyes are misaligning and moving in different directions simultaneously) further complicates matters.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in which the central part of the retina loses its ability to focus images, is another frequent cause of blindness. AMD can lead to other eye conditions as well, including the formation of drusen deposits which create a blue hue around the eyes’ surfaces and ultimately result in blindness.

AMD and other eye conditions like cataracts have numerous treatments available to them, including laser surgery which involves shining a beam of light directly on the retina to close any damaged blood vessels, medicated drops that help slow progression, or sometimes both medications and laser surgery may be needed to address their condition. With blindness on the rise, it is vital for anyone suffering any form of eye problem to contact their physician as early treatment could prevent serious conditions like glaucoma and cataracts, which could eventually lead to blindness.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy, also known as Diabetic Eye Retinopathy (DRE), occurs when damage to blood vessels within the retina occurs – an inner layer at the back of your eye that detects light and sends images directly to your brain. Over time, blood vessels close or leak fluid, restricting oxygen and nutrient supply to the retina resulting in vision loss or even blindness if left untreated; early diagnosis and medical examinations can help avoid severe disease progression. Blindness can often be prevented through diagnosis early as well as treatment options available via regular medical eye exams/Treatment/DRE Either way.

Non-proliferative retinopathy (NPDR) is the initial stage of eye disease. At this point, tiny bulges form in retinal blood vessels and leak clear fluid onto the retina. This causes it to swell up and obscure vision, with macular edema developing at later stages due to fluid building up on macula cells that leak fluid onto it from central parts of retina, creating blurry areas of vision called macular edema. Furthermore, vitreous fluid can leak out into the vitreous gel-like substance within eyes which causes dark spots or floaters affecting central vision and even worsen symptoms for those suffering from these illnesses.

At an advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessels form fragile abnormal ones to compensate for damaged ones that have sprouted new fragile abnormal ones, with thin walls that bleed easily causing fluid leakage into the vitreous and clouding vision. At its most extreme stages, diabetic retinopathy may cause retinal detachment from its supporting tissue leading to severe vision loss or blindness.

To avoid diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should schedule annual dilated eye exams and follow their doctor’s recommended treatment plan. An ophthalmologist can spot early symptoms with a special exam that uses drops to dilate pupils before performing an examination using special lenses and equipment to observe inside.

Genetics

Though many eye diseases cause blindness, most vision loss is preventable by taking good care in maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle and scheduling regular eye exams. Doing this may help stop or delay many common eye diseases from appearing in later years.

Vision impairment and blindness affect people of all ages, but some are at greater risk than others. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for those aged 60 or over; diabetic retinopathy can also result in blindness. Other diseases affecting vision include cataracts (clouding of lens) and myopia (nearsightedness), which causes you to see close objects clearly but not distant ones clearly due to eyeball shape issues – treatments include glasses, contacts lenses or acrylic corneal implants or even laser surgery (LASIK surgery).

Some eye diseases affect the retina, located at the back of your eye and composed of millions of light-sensing cells that send signals directly to the brain for interpretation and processing of visual information. Degeneration of retina cells may lead to blindness through age-related macular degeneration — an age-related macular degeneration condition in which sharp central vision is lost due to degradation of macula cells comprising millions of light-sensing cells found at its core on your retina.

Eye conditions that may contribute to blindness include pterygia – painful bumps on the surface of the eye – and pingueculae, which are enlarged cells that bulge outward from your cornea and can lead to blindness. Sometimes these diseases can be treated using medications or surgeries like blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).

Blindness in children is also a serious risk and may arise due to congenital conditions, like cross-eyed disorder (strabismus). Early identification of this problem is essential in order for the brain to choose one eye as its source of vision and ignore any unfit ones; regular eye exams and protective eyewear are therefore extremely essential for optimal vision development in young ones.