Vision problems can arise soon after birth or develop throughout life due to trauma, injuries, chronic illnesses, or simply due to the natural aging of the body.
However, most vision problems can be corrected with the use of glasses, contact lenses or surgery to improve the patient's ability to see, especially when an ophthalmologist makes the diagnosis early on in the problem and quickly initiates appropriate treatment..
1. Myopia
Myopia is characterized by the difficulty in seeing objects from afar, causing the appearance of other symptoms, especially headache that arises from the habit of squinting to try to see better.
Although it can affect vision from afar, people with myopia generally have good vision at close range. Check out other symptoms of this vision problem.
How to treat: Myopia treatment is started with the use of glasses or contact lenses that help to focus the observed image. However, another option is laser surgery that can be done after the doctor finds that the degree of myopia has stopped increasing.
2. Hyperopia
Farsightedness consists of difficulty in seeing objects up close and usually appears from birth, which can cause eye strain, headaches and difficulty concentrating, especially at school. See how to identify if you have hyperopia.
How to treat: hyperopia can be treated with the use of glasses or contact lenses that help to see objects close up correctly. However, the patient can also resort to surgery when the medical indication, to modify or definitively correct the cornea and avoid the constant use of glasses.
3. Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a vision problem that affects almost everyone and makes you see the boundaries of blurred objects and can be easily identified when similar letters such as H, M and N are confused. In addition, it is also common that, with astigmatism, one cannot see straight lines correctly. Find out what causes astigmatism.
How to treat: Treatment for astigmatism is done with the use of glasses or contact lenses, which often must be adapted to two problems, since it is common for this problem to also appear in patients with myopia or hyperopia. Laser correction surgery can also be performed in these cases.
4. Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the most common vision problem after the age of 40 due to the natural aging of the eye which makes it difficult to focus on objects that are close by, causing the tendency to hold the newspaper or books further away to be able to read, for example. See other signs that may indicate presbyopia.
How to treat it: Presbyopia can be corrected through the use of reading glasses that help to correct the image when it is necessary to look closely at an image or focus on the text of a book.
5. Strabismus
Strabismus is the lack of alignment between the two eyes that happens mainly after 2 years of age due to the uncoordinated movement of the muscles in each eye, causing the appearance of double vision, headache and eye deviation, as shown the image.
How to treat: the treatment of strabismus is usually started with the use of glasses or correction lenses, however, in some cases it may be necessary to use botulinum toxin or surgery to correct the strength of the muscles in each eye. See what treatment options for strabismus.
6. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a vision problem caused by increased pressure inside the eye, being asymptomatic in most cases and rarely presenting with severe eye pain, blurred vision and redness. Symptoms can appear from one moment to the next or appear over time, depending on the type of glaucoma.
How to treat: Treatment depends on the type of glaucoma and, therefore, each case must be guided by an ophthalmologist. However, in most cases the treatment is done with the use of eye drops, laser or surgery. See how to do the treatment and avoid complications.
7. Cataract
Cataracts are part of the natural aging of the eyes and, therefore, are more common in the elderly, causing signs and symptoms such as the appearance of a white film in the eye, decreased vision and increased sensitivity to light, for example. See other signs that may indicate cataracts.
How to treat it: Cataracts are usually treated with surgery to remove the lens from the eye and replace it with an artificial lens.
In any vision problem, it is recommended that the patient consult the ophthalmologist regularly, at least once a year to assess the evolution of presbyopia and to adapt the type of treatment, if necessary.
