Glaucoma happens due to elevated eye pressure due to a build-up of fluid that flows throughout the inside of the eye. Eye pressure may increase when the eye makes too much fluid or the drainage system doesn’t work correctly. Glaucoma can damage vision before you notice any symptoms; therefore, it’s essential to be aware of it before it damages your vision.
The treatment
Occurred damage can not be restored, but eye drops, tablets or laser treatment can prevent further damage.
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which is typically clear. Seeing through cloudy lenses is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window for people with cataracts. Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car at night, or see the expression on a friend’s face. Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually affect vision. Stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help with cataracts at first.
The treatment
Cataract surgery, where an artificial one replaces the cloudy lens, is the only long-term solution.
For you to see, light has to pass through the cornea and lens. These parts of the eye bend — also called refract — the light so that the light is focused directly on the retina at the back of your eye. These tissues translate light into signals sent to the brain, which lets you perceive images. Myopia is also more commonly known as nearsightedness; it happens when the shape of the eye — or the shape of certain parts of the eye — causes light rays to bend or refract. Light rays that should be focused on nerve tissues at the back of the eye called the retina, are focused instead in front of the retina. It is a common vision condition in which close objects look clear, but far objects look blurry. Nearsightedness usually results when the eye is too long or oval-shaped rather than round. It also may result when the curve of the cornea is too steep. With these changes, light rays come to a point in front of the retina and cross. The messages sent from the retina to the brain are perceived as blurry.
The treatment
Blurry vision can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.
A chalazion is a swollen bump on the eyelid. It happens when the eyelid’s oil gland clogs up. At first, you might not know you have a chalazion as there is little or no pain. But your eyelid may get red, swollen, and sometimes tender to touch as it grows. If the chalazion gets large, it can press on your eye and cause blurry vision. Rarely, the whole eyelid might swell.
The treatment
You can treat a chalazion with warm compresses and a massage. Sometimes antibiotics are needed, or a steroid shot is necessary. If your chalazion affects vision or does not go away, you may need to have it drained. This surgery is usually done in the doctor’s office using local anaesthesia.
As we age, the vitreous in the eyes starts to shrink and thinner. The vitreous fluid moves around the retina as the eye moves without causing problems. But sometimes, the vitreous may stick to the retina and pull hard enough to tear it. When that happens, fluid can pass through the tear and lift (detach) the retina. A detached retina is when the retina lifts away from the back of the eye. The retina does not work when it is detached, making vision blurry. A detached retina is a serious problem because you can lose sight if not treated.
The treatment
The retina can be treated by laser treatment or surgery.
People with diabetes can have an eye disease called diabetic retinopathy. This is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels can swell and leak. Or they can close, stopping blood from passing through. Sometimes, abnormal, new blood vessels grow on the retina. All of these changes can steal your vision.
The treatment
Treatment can consist of laser treatment, injections or an operation where vitreous gel and blood from leaking vessels in the back of your eye are removed.
Keratoconus is when the cornea thins out and bulges like a cone. Changing the shape of the cornea brings light rays out of focus. As a result, your vision is blurry and distorted, and you might get too sensitive to light.
The treatment
In the starting phase of keratoconus, vision can be corrected with prescription glasses or soft contact lenses. When the shape continues to change, hard contact lenses are the solution.
With Macular degeneration, you lose your central vision. You cannot see fine details, whether something is close or far. But your peripheral (side) vision will still be normal. For instance, imagine you are looking at a clock with hands. You might see the clock’s numbers with MD but not the hands. Or lines are no longer straight but have a weird curve. Macular degeneration is very common. It is a leading cause of vision loss in people over fifty.
The treatment
There are various ways to delay the process with injections, a surgical procedure or nutritional supplements.
Sometimes, a posterior capsule membrane becomes cloudy when the eye has healed from cataract surgery. It might help to think of the posterior capsule as a transparent pocket. It holds your artificial lens in place.
The treatment
Simple laser treatment can help.
Our accomplishments so far
Treatments
- Over 6,000,000 eye screenings
- Over 800,000 (eye) surgeries
- Handed out over 50,000 eyeglasses
Education
- Trained over 400 eye doctors
- Trained over 2000 eye specialists
- Organised over 40,000 trainings
Medical Centres
- Opened 7 eye clinics
- Opened 24 district eye centres
Together for better vision
Eye Care Foundation actively provides essential eye care to disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities in Asia, South America and Africa. With the support of monetary donations and the work of volunteers, our foundation offers eye exams, treatments, and operations to people who otherwise don’t have access to this crucial care. By working together and sharing knowledge, know-how and access – we can ensure a better vision for everyone.