subject: Other Eye Conditions [print this page] Blurry vision seems to be the number one symptom of various eye conditions and diseases. Likewise, many minor and major eye conditions share the same symptoms, so just assuming that your eye condition is not serious would be unwise. Always schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist in your area if your vision has diminished or symptomatic of a larger problem.
The eye conditions that we worry about later in life include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, but some eye conditions are present from birth. Here are a few that you may encounter in family and friends.
Amblyopia
Most know this condition as "lazy eye," and happens when a person's vision does not develop properly in early childhood. When the eye and brain do not work together, one drooping eyelid is the resulting affect. The amblyopic eye will create blurry vision, but often the child will not complain because the blurred vision seems normal. However, if left untreated, the condition may lead to permanent vision problems. To strengthen the eye, a person with amblyopia may need to wear an eye patch to force the affected eye to function properly.
Color Blindness
Color blindness is not truly a form of blindness, but those with this vision problem have difficulty distinguishing certain colors typically red and green, and may also include blue or green and yellow. This deficiency in color perception is much more common in males than females and usually affects both eyes. While no cure or treatment is available, a person can learn to adapt to color blindness in several ways. A color-blind person can remember that the light at the top of a traffic signal is the red one. Diagnosing color blindness in children at an early age is important so that steps can be taken to avoid learning difficulties related to color perception.
Cone-rod Dystrophy
This disease is an inherited one that causes degradation of the specialized light-sensitive cells of the retina. The progression of the disease begins with decreased sharpness of vision, then moves on to loss of peripheral vision and color perception. Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common form of cone-rod dystrophy, or also known as cone-rod degeneration, progressive cone-rod dystrophy and retinal cone dystrophy. Treatments and cures for this disease do not exist.
Floaters and spots
Usually normal and harmless, these floaters and flashers seem to float across our field of vision. In reality, they are actually shadows on the retina cast by tiny strands of gel or cells inside the clear fluid that fills the eye. Yet, in some cases, they can forewarn of more serious eye conditions that include:
Diabetic retinopathy
Retinal detachment
Eye infection
An ophthalmologist should be contacted immediately if these specs and spots suddenly increase or vision suddenly declines.
Strabismus
When both eyes don't point in the same direction simultaneously, this condition may be present. Strabismus happens when eye muscles don't work in concert. This condition can result from genetics, injury or disease. Eye doctors can usually correct this eye condition with corrective eyeglasses, eye-muscle exercises, surgery, or a combination of these methods, if caught early. If left untreated, the condition may develop into amblyopia.
