Risk Factors And Symptoms Associated With Major Eye Diseases

Staying healthy is a tricky task that includes a series of physical workouts, diet precautions, and bypassing several risk factors that pave the path to diseases. In this write-up, we are discussing major eye diseases and risk factors associated with each. We hope this information helps you find an alternate way to pass by such diseases and improve the overall quality of your life.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second largest reason for blindness in several parts of the world. It is caused by excess blood glucose for a long time. The anterior chamber of our eyes is filled with a transparent fluid called aqueous humour. Its job is to provide nutrition and hydration to the major parts of our eyes including the cornea, iris, pupil, and lens. The fluid also helps to maintain the normal shape of the eyes by maintaining a specific amount of pressure called Intraocular Pressure or IOP. However, when IOP exceeds a bearable threshold, it damages the nerve fibres connecting the retina with the optic nerve. This condition is known as glaucoma. Glaucoma can be treated with the Ayurvedic eye treatment with the natural and risk free methods.

Symptoms

Glaucoma is a silent disease that grows at a very slow pace. But in certain cases it shows rapid progress and leads to the below-mentioned symptoms:

• The appearance of halos around the lights
• Intense pain in the eyes
• Emesis and nausea
• Constant headache
• Blurry vision
• Distinct tenderness in and around the eyes
• Redness in the eyes

Risk Factors

Glaucoma is a common occurrence in Caribbean, Asian, and African countries. Also, people who have a family history of this disease are likely to develop this condition. The disease is also common among people with complicated medical conditions like diabetes.

Cataract 

Cataracts are the cloudy patches present in the lens of the eyes. The size of the patch increases with the progress of the disease and leads to misty vision and sometimes total blindness. Normally, it occurs in both eyes but the rate of progression may differ in between the eyes.

Symptoms

• Misty vision
• High sensitivity to light
• Problem seeing in dim light
• Faded perception of colours

Risk Factors

It normally occurs in the senior years of life but is sometimes observed even in kids, especially infants. It may also occur to chain smokers, diabetic patients, excess consumption of steroids, and alcohol consumption.

 

Diabetic Retinopathy

It is a complicated disease that develops in the wake of high blood sugar for a long time. It needs to be treated immediately after diagnosis or may lead to total blindness.

Symptoms

The initial stage of diabetic retinopathy is asymptomatic. The key is to go through regular eye check-ups if you are suffering from diabetes.

Risk Factors

Mainly people suffering from Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes have a high risk of developing retinopathy. But there are some specific risk factors that enhance the risk of developing this disease which includes:

• Persistent blood sugar levels
• A long history of diabetes
• High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure
• Pregnancy
• African, Caribbean, and Asian ethnic background

Refractive Errors

Refractive errors like short-sightedness and long-sightedness are pretty common refractive errors that cause problems with seeing objects at a certain distance. It causes blurriness in seeing either distant objects or fine work like small letters. Both these conditions vary in intensity and can affect both kids and adults.

Symptoms

Refractive errors lead to some regular issues like dual vision, halos around bright lights, eye-squinting due to strain on the eyes, and headaches.

Risk Factors

Myopia is an inherited problem, so if any of your peers or parents suffered from this problem, you are at risk of developing this condition sooner or later. Other risk factors include prolonged periods of looking at a close object like television, books, and so on.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is inflammation in the eyelids that leads to swelling, itchy, and redness in the eyes. The severity of pain ranges from chronic to acute but most people experience chronic pain. Normally, it is caused by painful diseases like Herpes simplex and other skin diseases like atopic dermatitis that lead to crusting or flaking of the eyelashes.

Symptoms

• Itching or burning sensation in the eyes
• Redness
• Puffiness
• Crusting or flaking present the base of the eyelids

Risk Factors

Mostly, people with poor hygiene or those who use a lot of chemical-based make-up products are at high risk of getting blepharitis.

 

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration or AMD is common among people aged between 50-60 years. Unlike other eye disorders, AMD doesn’t lead to blindness. But it does impair one’s ability to read and identify faces. It damages the clarity of vision and is classified into two types: dry and wet.

Symptoms

• Visual hallucinations
• Objects seem smaller than their natural size
• Straight lines seeming wavy or slightly crooked
• Colours seeming less bright than normal

Risk Factors

People suffering from complicated medical conditions like hypertension or heart diseases bear a high risk of getting age-related macular degeneration.

 

What Does The Ayurveda Say About It? 

In Ayurveda, eyes are governed by the fire element called the Pitta Dosha. When Pitta Dosha aggravates beyond a permissible limit, it leads to eye diseases. The Ayurvedic eye treatment, thus, focuses on pacifying the Pitta dosha and providing a chemical and side-effects free solution for vision-related ailments. Ayurveda includes several lifestyle reasons for eye disorders which include:

• Entering water or showers immediately after being exposed to sunlight.
• Straining eyes to see objects beyond the visual field.
• The habit of getting angry or aggressive for small or no reason
• Eye injuries
• Excessive consumption of black gram, horse gram, sour fermented edibles, sour food, and so on.
• Excess sweating, smoking, indulgence in sexual intercourse, crying, and grieving.
• Prolonged obstruction of natural body urges.
• Lack of sleep or poor quality of sleep.
• Forcibly keeping in tear reflex
• High exposure to dust and travelling
• Constant viewing of digital gadgets, very fine work, and minute objects
• Not following the normal season regimen
• Excess intake of alcohol, liquid diets, etc
• High fever
• Excess barefoot walking or getting foot massages with water or oils
• High exposure to bright lights