According to World Health Organization (WHO), 39 million people are blind worldwide, and atleast at least 2.2 billion people have near or distant vision impairment. At least 1 billion vision impairments could have been prevented or are yet to be addressed. While in Nigeria, over a million people are blind, and half of them live in the northeast and northwest. The significant causes of blindness in Nigeria are Glaucoma, cataracts, cornea opacity, refractive errors, presbyopia, AMD, and diabetic retinopathy.
Visual impairment can impact people of various age groups; however, most people experiencing vision loss and blindness are typically aged 50 years or older. It occurs when an eye disease affects the optical system and its vision functions. It has severe consequences for people across the life course. Many of these consequences can be mitigated by timely access to quality eye care.
Below are the top 10 eye diseases and their treatments.
Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in Nigeria and worldwide. It happens when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Cataracts can form at any age but are most common in people over 50 years. Common symptoms are Blurry vision, faded colors, frequent changes in contact lens or eyeglass prescription, problems seeing at night, sensitivity to light and glare, and seeing “halos” around lights.
When your prescription glasses can’t clear your vision, surgery is the only effective option to treat cataracts.
One of the leading causes of blindness is Glaucoma, an eye disease in which increased eye pressure damages the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. Glaucoma is considered a “Silent thief of sight.” because it has no signs or symptoms in its early stages.
Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical Treatments
Aging and eye injuries can cause small retinal tears, leading to retinal detachment. The chance of vision loss increases if you do not get timely detection and treatment. Some symptoms of retinal detachment are blurred or foggy vision, steadily receding peripheral vision, the sudden appearance of floaters, and the sudden appearance of light flashes in one or both eyes.
Retinal detachment is a medical emergency that needs early treatment to protect vision. Laser surgery, freezing treatment, and other types of surgical treatment are used to treat this eye disease.
Refractive errors are a common eye disease that happens when the shape of the eye hinders light from focusing accurately on the back of the eye. There are three main types of refractive errors, including:
This leads to blurry vision, difficulty seeing objects at night, eyestrain, headaches, and squinting.
Treatments for Refractive Errors
Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical Treatments
Presbyopia is the gradual loss of the eye’s capacity to focus on nearby objects. It’s a natural part of the aging process. Usually, presbyopia becomes noticeable in the early to mid-40s and worsens until age 65. Symptoms of presbyopia are blurry vision and eye strain.
Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical Treatments
AMD stands as the primary cause of vision impairment in people aged 60 and above. This condition impacts the macula, the central portion of the retina, resulting in vision loss at the center of the visual field. AMD consists of two types: wet AMD and dry AMD.
There is no cure for dry AMD; however, for wet AMD- you may need regular eye injections and a light treatment called photodynamic therapy to stop your vision from worsening.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among adults, resulting from damage to the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer located at the back of the eye. People with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes should remain vigilant regarding the symptoms and consequences of diabetic retinopathy.
There are two stages of diabetic retinopathy:
Some common symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include blurred vision, dark spots or string floaters in the vision, fluctuating vision, trouble recognizing colors, and vision loss.
Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical Treatments
Keratoconus is an ocular condition characterized by the cornea’s thinning and bulging or conical shaping. The irregular corneal shape leads to blurred vision and heightened sensitivity to light. Generally, Keratoconus emerges in the late teenage years and develops with time. Common signs of Keratoconus are blurred vision, poor night vision and difficulty driving at night, sudden worsening or clouding of vision, and headaches and eye pain.
In the initial stage, glasses can be used for treatment. However, as the disease advances during late childhood and early adulthood, there may be a requirement for corneal transplantation to restore vision.
Strabismus or crossed eyes is an eye disorder in which the eyes don’t simultaneously look in the same direction. Some symptoms are crossed or misaligned eyes, double vision, loss of depth perception, uncoordinated eye movements, and eyes not focusing on a particular point simultaneously. There are four types of strabismus, including:
Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical Treatments
This eye problem results in poor vision in a single eye due to a misalignment between the brain and the affected eye. It stands as the most prevalent cause of vision impairment in children. Parents frequently remain unaware of a child’s amblyopia until an eye doctor makes the diagnosis. Symptoms of amblyopia include squinting, closing one eye, and tilting the head.
The Bottom Line
We at Skipper Eye-Q may not treat every eye problem mentioned here, but we’re leading in using laser technology to provide treatment of retina, Glaucoma, and cataracts, changing lives for the better.
If you suspect you have vision problems, scheduling a thorough eye exam with a reputed eye hospital soon is important. You can consult our certified and experienced eye doctors for a personalized approach to address your vision concerns and explore the best possible solutions. We are a leading eye clinic in Nigeria; trust in our commitment to promoting eye health and enhancing your overall visual well-being.
Glaucoma has long been known as the “silent thief of sight.” Traditionally, patients were told they would not notice anything until their side/peripheral vision started to go. In practice, that...
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Diabetic retinopathy is a serious eye condition caused by long-term diabetes and is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide. It develops when high blood sugar damages the...
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Blurry vision in one eye without pain is usually a sign of a specific problem with that eye—not fatigue or screen strain. It could indicate anything from a simple refractive change...
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