Closing the Year with a Clear View

Closing the Year with a Clear View

We often hear that prevention is better than treatment, however only few people act on this advice. We plan annual health check-up visits to doctors regarding our general health and other special concerns, but, we don’t always prioritize annual eye checkups and only go to our eye doctor when our vision seems to have worsened.

A small decline in your visual clarity can go unnoticed but ignoring the deterioration for a long period may result in significant issues that can only be resolved with surgery. Ophthalmological conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other conditions can develop without you even realizing.

Your vision can change overtime even if you once had 20/20 vision and a healthy family medical history. Because of this, annual check-ups are important to stay ahead of any changes in your vision.

Hazy surroundings:

Imagine yourself as a nighttime traveller who enjoys taking their car on brightly lit roads. The brightness flashing through the streetlights don’t bother you for a long time until suddenly, it becomes increasingly annoying. You start experiencing haziness and the headlights of cars cause a kind of discomfort you have never experienced before. This could be because the lens in your eye is thickening and hardening; something medically termed as a cataract.

Cataracts are clouding of the lens. They mostly manifest as blurry vision that develops slowly over the years.

Surgery is only indicated in cases of severe impairment of vision. However, when recognized in early stages, it can be resolved with prescription lenses or eyeglasses.

Floaters everywhere!

If you notice an increased occurrence of floaters in your vision combined with flashing lights all the time, then you must book an appointment with your ophthalmologist. Seeing floaters is quite common, which is why anyone facing these symptoms would tend to ignore them. This is an indication of a possible retinal detachment, a condition wherein the sensitive layer of the retina gets detached, leading to severe visual impairment. An annual eye check up can detect and treat the disease right in its initial stages.

When everything seems crooked….

Some eye ailments come along with aging. One such condition, known as ‘macular degeneration’, usually presents itself in individuals above fifty years of age. The macula is a region in the retina of the eye, responsible for visual acuity. If left untreated, it can get worse overtime. With macula thinning out, one may find difficulty in reading text clearly.

Moreover, straight lines often appear crooked. Individuals with this condition may also notice unusual black spots in the center of their visual field. Color perception is also disturbed. The disease may also occur in younger ages (juvenile macular degeneration) and has a strong association with diabetes.

An ophthalmologist can detect the disease by examining the eye for growth of new blood vessels under the macula, or presence of yellow spots in the region. They may offer you several therapeutic options to restore your visual acuity. The earlier the treatment, the better is the outcome.

 

Common habits that may be affecting your vision

Being unaware of certain practices can also deteriorate your vision. Some of these habits are listed below:

Reusing old lenses

Contact lenses are foreign objects that are sterilized to suit the environment of the eye. Using a lens that has gone past its expiration date can disturb the cornea and produce an infection. The same happens with a dirty lens. The eyes can become gritty, dry, and itchy overtime.

Not wearing your sunglasses while you’re outside

You need to protect your eyes from the UV rays of the sun as much as you do for your skin. Excessive exposure to bright light can cause early degeneration which in turn decrease vision. These changes are often irreversible. Hence, it is always wise to wear shades when you’re out on a sunny day.

Overconsumption of screen-time:

Nowadays screen-time is unavoidable and having one in front of your eyes around the clock does more damage than good. Muscles that control the movement of the eye orbit can become fatigued, and the corneal layer tends to dry out, leading to a decline in your vision.

 

When you should see an ophthalmologist more often

There are certain people who are prone to develop eye diseases earlier and quicker than the rest of the population. Frequent eye check-ups become more important in these cases

You are a diabetic

The retina is supplied with numerous tiny arteries. High blood sugar slowly causes damage to these blood vessels and one may soon notice a decline in visual acuity. Diabetics of any age group need proper eye care and must keep up with regular eye checks as per their doctor’s guidance.

You have a family history of eye disease

If you have relatives who have experienced visual disturbances starting from an early age you should stay in touch with your doctor and closely watch for any similar symptoms.

 

Ending the year on a good note

A good eye care routine will help keep your eyes healthy for many more years to come. With the year coming an end, an annual check-up should be on your to-do list to move into the new year with clear vision. Once you’ve gotten your updated prescription, head over to NURILENS’ collection for your newest pair.

 

REFERENCES:

  1. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts
  2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170635
  3. https://www.healthline.com/health/macular-degeneration
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