Eye Diseases

General information

Eye health is an important component of general health and quality of life. Eye diseases, from the mildest to the most severe, can have a significant impact on our daily lives, and it is therefore important to understand the various diseases, how they are diagnosed and how they are treated.

There are common eye diseases, most of which are also relatively simple to diagnose and treat. When common eye diseases are left untreated, they can progress to very severe conditions that are dangerous to vision and health. Furthermore, there are rare eye diseases that are difficult to diagnose. As a result, if unusual symptoms are identified in vision or in the eyes, one should seek examination by an ophthalmologist.

In addition, there are hereditary eye diseases and genetic eye diseases. Although these are relatively rare eye diseases, they are usually easier to diagnose in the presence of an appropriate family history. Even in the case of hereditary eye diseases, it is essential to see an ophthalmologist in order to tailor optimal treatment and slow the progression of the disease.

Types of eye diseases

Glaucoma

This disease is characterized in most cases by increased intraocular pressure, which over time can lead to loss of vision due to irreversible damage to the optic nerve. The disease can appear at any age, but it is more common in people aged 40 and over and especially in people who suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and in people who have undergone eye surgery. There are also cases of hereditary glaucoma. Glaucoma can cause excessive sensitivity to light, changes in eye color, tearing and differences in the size of the eyes.

Treatment of glaucoma patients can be done with drug therapy in eye drops, pills, laser or surgery. If there is a family member with glaucoma, the rest of the family members are at high risk of developing it too. Early detection and treatment of the disease save vision and make it possible to manage it properly.

Diabetic retinopathy

An eye disease that affects diabetics and is characterized by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. A disease that is not treated can cause severe damage to vision and even blindness. In advanced stages of the disease there may be a sudden decrease in visual acuity and even retinal detachment. Diabetes also increases the incidence of cataract and glaucoma.

The course of the disease can be controlled by balancing blood sugar levels with drug therapy, an adapted diet, weight reduction, blood-pressure control and, of course, smoking cessation. There are various treatments for diabetic retinopathy according to the status and severity of the disease – among them laser surgeries, medications and steroids.

Retinal detachment

When a hole or tear forms in the retina, fluid or blood can penetrate through it and cause the retina to detach from the eyeball. This condition may be expressed as "flashes of light", and there may be a sudden and marked decrease in visual acuity. This is a process that is not accompanied by pain and characteristically occurs in one eye only. The treatment is usually based on laser surgeries or surgical operations.

Retinal degeneration

Degeneration of the center of vision in the retina is a common condition in older people, smokers, and those with high blood pressure and excess blood lipids. Sometimes the patient will see changes in the image in the eye or even differences in the image between the two eyes. The disease does not cause total blindness but it limits the patient's functioning, so it is very important to identify it at an early stage. In the mild cases of the disease it can be treated with special vitamins, but in the more severe states of the disease – it is treated with drug injections. The goal of treatment is to prevent the growth of blood vessels and to suppress the formation of edema in the retina.

Nystagmus

This condition is expressed in involuntary movements of the eyes. Nystagmus can be congenital or arise during life. Patients will have to make an effort in order to read, to distinguish between small items and to follow moving objects. Usually the phenomenon can be managed by using glasses and contact lenses. In more extreme cases one can use Botox injection, take anti-seizure medications and so on.

Keratoconus

This is a disease of the eye's cornea that causes gradual changes in the structure of the cornea, causing the cornea to take on a cone shape. The background to the disease can be hereditary, and the disease presents at young ages, but there may also be environmental factors. Patients in this condition will experience nearsightedness, astigmatism, difficulty in night vision and more. In the early stages one can achieve reasonable vision with glasses or special contact lenses. In later stages the patient will need surgical intervention. In some cases this is a hereditary disease, and accordingly it is advisable for all family members to go for diagnosis.

Cataract

A condition in which the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy. In most cases this is a gradual process that develops over years and with age. Additional causes of cataract are injury to the eye, congenital cataract and various medications. The recommended treatment for cataract is surgery, in which the cloudy lens is removed and an artificial lens is implanted in its place.

Pterygium

This is a condition of thickening of the eye's conjunctiva by a mucous membrane that covers the white of the eye. This is a tissue that is rich in blood vessels and therefore gives a reddish appearance on inspection. If the lesion does not limit the patient's field of vision, there is no obligation to remove it. However, when the lesion interferes with vision or presses on the cornea – it can be removed by surgery.

Ptosis

This condition can be caused by a congenital cause, trauma to the eye or weakness of the eyelid muscles. Ptosis may be in both eyelids or in only one of them. The condition can be corrected by surgery to lift the eyelid.

Inflammation of the eye tissue

Inflammation of the eye tissue can have various presentations. There may be states of inflammation in the eye in an anterior or posterior location, and even inflammation involving the entire eyeball. Inflammation in the eye can accompany additional systemic diseases such as autoimmune diseases, infections and more. The main treatment is based on anti-inflammatory drugs.

Stye

A stye in the eye is expressed by itching, a warm bulge in the eyelid that is uncomfortable to the touch, swelling and redness of the eyelids. The possibility of developing a stye in the eye is higher under certain circumstances, such as in people with a history of recurrent eyelid inflammations, skin diseases, diabetes or high cholesterol levels. However, most people will experience a stye in the eye at least once in their lives. A person's chance of acquiring a stye in the eye increases if they do not maintain good eye hygiene, such as not removing eye makeup or putting in contact lenses without washing hands. There is a wide range of treatments for a stye in the eye, from home treatments, through the use of eye drops, to surgeries to remove the stye.

Dry eyes

Associated with eye inflammation, exposure to irritating factors such as sand and dust. The cause of the feeling of dryness in the eyes is impaired production of tears. In most cases the dryness will be a result of another disease such as diabetes, rheumatological diseases, inflammations and eyelid diseases, hormonal changes in menopause in women, side effects of medications and more. In addition to treating the underlying disease, in most cases the treatment for dry eye will be drops that serve as tear substitutes, as well as avoidance of drying factors such as contact lenses.

Exposure to irritating substances such as sand and dust has been linked to dry eyes. Impaired production of tears is the cause of the feeling of dryness in the eyes. Some states of dryness are caused as a result of another disease such as diabetes, eyelid diseases, hormonal changes and medications. In addition to treating the underlying disease, the most common treatment for dry eyes is eye drops, as well as avoidance of factors that can dry out the eye (sand, dust, contact lenses and so on)..

Color vision disturbance

A disturbance that can be congenital or acquired following damage to the optic nerve or damage to the retina. Usually this is a congenital problem that is observed more in boys than in girls. Color vision disturbance has a very wide range of types, but fairly across the board – there is no treatment for the disease.

Albinism

This is a hereditary trait, one of whose signs is a lack of pigment in the iris of the eye. Albinos have eyes that are light blue or reddish in color, as a result of the absence of melanin and the reflection of the blood vessels inside the eyeball. This problem is expressed in glare, difficulty focusing the vision and difficulty seeing at a distance. In addition, nystagmus may appear following a prolonged period of poor vision.

Retinoblastoma

This is a malignant tumor that originates in cells in the retina of the eye. The disease can cause severe damage to one eye or both, cause blindness and even send metastases. The treatment of this disease includes radiation, local chemotherapy treatment and even removal of the affected eye as needed.

In summary

From the foregoing, there is a very wide range of eye diseases. There is usually an overlap between the symptoms of the various diseases, but there may also be a specific presentation for each disease. Most eye diseases require therapeutic intervention by an ophthalmologist. Accordingly, identification, diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the eye disease constitute an important component in eye health and in preserving optimal vision capability.