CATARACTS
This is when the lens of the eye becomes fogged, due either to a decrease in the fluid surrounding the lens, poor circulation, or nutritional deficiencies. Cataracts can impair the detail of a person’s vision by causing a haze and preventing light from penetrating the lens. This condition tends to get worse over time-even to the point of blindness in the most extreme cases. Cataracts can affect either one or both eyes. The most common treatment is to avoid what’s causing your eye allergy. Itchy eyes? Keep your home free of pet dander and dust and keep pets off the furniture.
GLAUCOMA
Similar to cataracts, this disorder also causes a gradual loss of sight, initially affecting a person’s peripheral vision. The optic nerve is quite sensitive and can be affected by fluid, sunlight, infection, circulatory problems, exposure to toxins, and nutritional deficiencies. In glaucoma, pressure on the eye tends to progressively increase, damaging the optic nerve. This causes gradual vision loss and, without proper care, can eventually lead to blindness. In fact, glaucoma is one of the principal causes of blindness in the U.S.
MACULAR DEGENERATION
Another primary cause of blindness is the condition that occurs when the tiny area in the center of the retina, the macula, deteriorates. This is a condition primarily of the elderly It occurs for a variety of reasons, including nutritional deficiencies, circulatory trouble, and atherosclerosis. Exposure to electromagnetic fields, particularly through heavy computer use, has also been implicated.
MYOPIA
This is the condition generally referred to as nearsightedness. Light entering the eye achieves clarity in front of the retina as opposed to on the retina, where it would normally come into focus. This result in difficulty seeing objects that is far away
HYPEROPIA
The opposite of myopia is known as hyperopia or farsightedness. Here, the carrier wave of light adjusts to achieve images behind the retina. Thus, a person with hyperopia has trouble seeing objects in very close range.