Types of Eye Diseases and Disorders: Symptoms and Causes - How to Protect Your Eyes Naturally

Eye diseases can cause partial or permanent vision loss and indicate serious optical and physical problems in the body. They can lead to depression, frustration, anxiety, and phobias because they prevent people from doing some activities quickly and effectively. 

In this article, we have discussed the most common types of eye diseases and serious vision problems and we have explained the signs and symptoms of eye diseases, causes of vision problems, diagnosis and measures for eye protection and the best food for eye health.

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Your eyes could be the windows to your health and Eye disease symptoms indicate serious problems in the body

Eye Diseases and Disorders: Symptoms, Causes and Diagnosis - How to Protect Your Eyes Naturally

Importance of Eye Health

Eyes are sighting tools that enable us to see things and reveal everything in the body. They are precious gifts of Almighty God and they cannot be valued at the price. 

The human eyes have their specialty in dealing with the other organs of the body. They are the most delicate and sensitive, whether from the anatomical or functional aspects. 

It is not possible to touch reality and know it without looking at it and making sure it. As the eyes can reveal facts and events, they can reflect a lot of things. 

The eyes provide many pieces of evidence and signals to the body because they are connected to the central nervous system, they are a perfect guide to other parts of the body; everything that affects the body appears to them. 

Any symptoms that may pass through vision or change in their shape are indicative of serious dysfunction.

What are Eye Diseases? 

Some eye diseases can lead to partial or permanent vision loss and indicate serious optical and physical problems in the body. Eye diseases can occur at any age but they are often more common in the elderly. 
Unfortunately, aging also increases the risk of certain eye diseases, which can lead to serious vision problems. 
Eye diseases may cause frustration, depression, and anxiety, because they prevent people from doing some activities quickly and effectively, such as driving, reading, watching television, using computers, or simply walking and they impose social isolation and finding work difficult.

The main causes of eye diseases are ignorance, illiteracy, and the low potential of health institutions in the countries even at the level of diagnosis of some minor symptoms that lead to inevitable blindness when neglected. 
Environmental factors, patterns, lifestyles, behaviors and daily practices of individuals and some social practices play a dangerous role in the spread of eye diseases.

Eye diseases can be treated medically but not entirely with glasses, contact lenses, laser, or surgery. 
Consulting eye doctors from time to time is the best way to prevent vision problems or eye diseases, even when you are older. 
In addition, taking care of certain warning signals can help you take the appropriate steps to keep your eyesight correct, especially if symptoms suddenly occur, immediate intervention is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss.

What are the symptoms that should be given special attention, and which eye diseases are the most serious? 
We have collected for you the most common eye diseases and serious vision problems and discussed the most common types of eye diseases: Signs and symptoms, causes of eye diseases, diagnosis and eye protection tips and the best food for eye health.

What are the Common Diseases of the Eyes?

Types of Eye Diseases and Disorders

There is a long list of eye diseases. At the global level, eye diseases are more threatening. Examples of rare eye diseases include:

• Bietti's crystalline dystrophy.
• Microphthalmia (missing or small eyes)
• Behçet's disease of the eye.
• Stargardt disease.
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
• Retinitis pigmentosa.
• Retinoblastoma.

The most common types of eye diseases and disorders may include:

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD),  Astigmatism,  Diabetic retinopathy (DR),  Crossed eyes (Strabismus),  Blurred vision (refractive errors),  Lazy eye (amblyopia),  Glaucoma,  Conjunctivitis,  Blindness, Dry eye syndrome,  Eyestrain,  Eye infections,  red eye,  eye neoplasm,  mydriasis,  presbyopia,  photophobia,  retinitis, Open-angle glaucoma,  Diplopia,  Keratoconus,  Trachoma,  Macular edema,  Color blindness,  Nyctalopia,  Nystagmus,  Optic neuropathy,  Pterygium,  Ocular hypertension,  Chalazion,  Uveitis,  Blepharitis,  Keratitis,  Cataract,  Irritation, Floater, Swelling.

Signs and Symptoms of Eye Diseases

• The child's eye, which is four months old or more, is dislocated inside or outside, whiles the eye deviation, is normal during the first three months
• The inability of the baby to fix his eyes on objects and follow them with his eyes when moving
• Rubbing the eyes frequently
• Falling tears and eyelash constantly
• Tilting the head when trying to focus
• Swelling or redness of the eyelids
• Sensitivity to light, i.e. inability to look at the light
• Asymmetry of the eyes
• Closing one of the eyes repeatedly
• The inability to trace objects in the field of vision
• Having difficulty to see the complaint
• Blurry vision
• Rounding objects to see them

What are the Major Causes of Eye Diseases?

Too much screen time may cause eye diseases

Causes of Eye Diseases

1.   Genetic factors: Lazy eye, or poor eyesight, which leads to ignoring the brain messages from them.

2.   Cataracts, which prevent the passage of light easily through them, the vision becomes foggy.

3.   Retinopathy and damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes.

4.   Glaucoma: A disease caused by increased pressure inside the eye, which leads to damage to the optic nerve and visual impairment.

5.   Macular degeneration: It is the degradation of the macula, the region responsible for the central vision is the retina. The disease often affects the elderly, but may also affect young people.

6.   Trachoma: A disease caused by bacteria called chlamydia and is known scientifically as Chlamydia trachomatis.

7.   The lens responsible for vision in the brain is exposed to hypoxia, injury, or inflammation, which causes cortical blindness (loss of vision due to an organic defect in the visual cortex) leading to impaired vision and temporary blindness.

8.   Injury to the palate, or leprosy, is a congenital disorder in body pigments.

9.   Infection with retinal cytomegalovirus (a common disease among people with AIDS).

10.  Inflammation of the thyroid tumor (a type of eye cancer).

Risk Factors

Some common risk factors that increase vision problems and eye diseases include:

High Cholesterol: Those who suffer from high cholesterol, can go through a transient loss of vision, which goes and comes, like a curtain that falls over the eyes, a sign that the carotid artery of the individual suffers from the lack of blood access to the eyes. 
You will notice a ring of opacity at the end of the cornea known as arcus senilis and also difficult to adapt to bright light, and in some cases appear yellow deposits above the eyelid in the corners and in the eye stone, loaded with fat known as xanthelasma.

Thyroid problems: They are shaped like a butterfly in the neck, control many of the hormones that regulate growth and metabolism. 
When the thyroid does not function properly, many problems appear in the eye in the form of more swollen eyes than usual, and the individual suffers from double vision. 
This calls for special attention through the drops of wetting to ease the expansion and swelling also, but this does not dispense with the review of the specialist.

Diabetes: periodic eye check-up is important for everyone, but who has diabetes, or is vulnerable to infection must consult the specialists; as diabetes affects the eye and the appearance of the spot in the retina. As a result, the eye tends to loss of sight. This is evident in many diabetics.  
All associated with retinopathy of diabetes and disorders of light, especially as the disease leads to blurry vision and even retinal detachment.

Stroke: sudden loss of sight can be a sign of nearing stroke because vision loss is a result of a brain clot caused by nerve damage; blindness is caused by a blockage in the retinal blood vessels causing a clot. 
Also, high blood pressure in patients with carotid artery is more likely to be exposed to such an order, so be aware when suddenly lose sight in one or both eyes and call the emergency immediately.

A retinal migraine or an ophthalmic migraine: blind spots may indicate that you are suffering from an ophthalmic migraine, which is not the same as migraines, but causes severe headaches. 
It is empty during the vision, known as scotomas. The remaining minutes are limited, accompanied by pain sometimes and others do not. 
The individual may also feel flashes of light, misty vision, or a headache before any of these symptoms. When repeated, the eye specialist must be consulted.

Autoimmune diseases: Have you experienced a feeling that your eyelids are leaving you, maybe a sign of an autoimmune disorder, called muscular dystrophy, which causes muscle weakness, making it difficult to open the eyes. 
At the same time, there may be other symptoms, such as lupus, a certain type of arthritis, which leads to inflammation of the iris, in the layer of the eye and visual changes, when the level of visibility over the days, there is a pain in the ocean for the eye, especially when moving it.

Diagnosis of Eye Diseases

  To diagnose eye diseases the doctor may resort to the following:

• Identify the medical and family history of the patient in terms of visual impairment
• Examine various eye parts such as eyelids, conjunctiva, lenses, iris, cornea
• Test visual acuity and impaired vision, such as electrooculogram
• The Snellen test, a test by asking the patient to read letters and numbers within six meters of each eye or both to measure visual acuity
•  Visual Field Test, which is designed to determine the patient's ability to see objects without tilting or rotating the head
• Tonometry test
• Ocular Motility Assessment
• Visual evoked potential
• Electroretinography (ERG)

How to Protect Your Eyes Naturally

The best foods for your eyes

The Best Foods for Eye Health

Some foods are beneficial to eye health and prevention of eye diseases, some of which include:

• Foods rich in vitamin C are essential to the health of the blood vessels in the eye, preventing cataracts. Vitamin C is found in red peppers, strawberries, papaya, and cauliflower
•  Vitamin E-rich foods essential for the prevention of cataracts, and prevention of progression of macular degeneration associated with aging. Vitamin E is found in nuts, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds.
• Dark leafy vegetables rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein compounds, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids such as turnip, spinach, and cabbage
• Omega 3-rich foods that protect the eye from glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and maintain eye moisture. Omega-3 is found in fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and other seafood
• Vegetables and fruits are orange, such as carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, melons, and mangoes, because they contain a high percentage of beta-carotene, which helps with night vision
• Zinc-rich foods are essential for the production of melanin and for supplying the retina with vitamin A. Zinc is found in oysters, lean meats, and poultry
• Legumes, such as beans, lentils, lobsters, and chickpeas, because they help to see at night and reduce the development of macular degeneration associated with aging.
• Because it is rich in compounds that protect the retina, it increases the number of pigments that protect the spot (part of the eye controls the central vision).
• Gourd and squash because they contain lutein compounds and zeaxanthin.
• Broccoli and Brussels sprouts, because they contain antioxidants that protect the eye from free radicals that attack the retina.
• Fish. It can help to lower the risk of eye problems and maintain a healthy lifestyle

Additional Eye Protection Tips

Among the tips that can be followed to protect the eye and prevent it from eye diseases include:

1.     Maintain a healthy weight

2.     Adjust the level of cholesterol, sugar, and blood pressure

3.     Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes

4.     Eat healthy foods rich in antioxidants such as leafy vegetables, wild grapes, and red onions

5.     Wear protective glasses when needed

6.     Refrain from smoking and drink alcohol

7.     Direct air conditioner openings in the car away from the eyes to protect against dehydration

8.     Exercise or perform physical activity regularly

9.     Keep the house temperature low to protect the eye from dehydration

10. Avoid salty food

11.  Refurbish eye cosmetics every year, and mascara every three months to avoid contamination of the eyes with bacteria

12.  Use swimming glasses to protect eyes from chlorine

13.   Sit in a good lighting room when working on a computer, and rest your eyes regularly

14.  Consult your eye doctor and check your eye time to time

Conclusion

There are several eye diseases at the global level such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Strabismus, blurred vision (refractive errors), amblyopia, etc. 
The eyes may be affected by outer sources. The main reason for eye diseases is the low potential of health institutions, ignorance, and some minor and starting symptoms which, if neglected. 
Ignorance and incorrect use of electronic devices cause indispensable blindness and many eye diseases. 
Environmental factors, lifestyle, daily practice of individuals and some social practices play an alarming role in the spread of eye diseases. 

Eye diseases can be treated medically, but not completely with the contact lens, glasses, surgery. 
Consultation ophthalmologists or optometrists are the best way to prevent vision problems. 
Some foods are also beneficial to eye health and the prevention of eye diseases.

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By: Mahtab Alam Quddusi