Know How to Prevent Vision Problems

Visual impairment is a condition in which the eye's ability to see clearly or function optimally is disrupted, causing blurry, blurred or lost vision. Visual impairment refers to any condition that affects the eye's ability to see clearly or function optimally. Visual impairment can include a variety of disorders, from refractive problems such as farsightedness or nearsightedness, to serious conditions such as cataracts or macular degeneration. Visual impairment can affect various aspects of daily life and requires appropriate care and treatment.

Causes of Visual Impairment

1. Refractive Disorders, Refractive problems such as myopia (farsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism can cause blurry or blurred vision.
2. Cataracts Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing blurry or blurred vision.
3. Glaucoma, Glaucoma is an eye disease characterized by damage to the optic nerve which can reduce visual acuity gradually and permanently, which is often associated with increased eye pressure.
4. Macular Degeneration, Age-related macular degeneration is a condition in which the visual center at the back of the eye, known as the macula, is damaged, causing poor central vision.
5. Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic retinopathy is an eye complication caused by uncontrolled diabetes, in which the blood vessels in the retina are damaged and can cause vision loss.
6. Eye infections, infections of the cornea and inflammation in the eyeball are also causes of decreased vision.

Risk Factors for Visual Impairment

Risk factors for eye disease can be divided into several conditions, namely:

• Excessive use of devices. Blue light from devices that are used excessively can cause eye fatigue or dry eyes. This habit will have a worse impact on children under 18 years of age.
• Unhealthy lifestyle. For example, not consuming enough healthy and nutritious food. Examples include carrots, green vegetables, fruit and fish which contain high levels of omega-3.
• Use of contact lenses. If used for too long and not kept clean, using contact lenses can increase the risk of eye disease, especially red eye.
• Age. The older a person gets, the more the quality of eye function decreases.
• Genetic. Some eye diseases can be inherited.
• Certain diseases. Diseases such as diabetes or tumors have complications that affect vision.

Symptoms of Visual Impairment

Symptoms of visual impairment can vary depending on the type and cause. Some common symptoms that people with vision problems can experience include:

1. Blurry or blurry vision.
2. Difficulty seeing distant or near objects.
3. Impaired vision at night.
4. Sensitivity to bright light.
5. Double vision or ghosting.
6. Red, irritated or inflamed eyes.
7. Eye pain.
8. Loss of visual field.

How to Prevent Eye Vision Problems

Eye health needs to be maintained to minimize the risk of eye vision problems. Here are some things you can do to maintain eye health:

• Regularly check your eyes, at least once every six months.
• Consume balanced nutritious food. Green leafy vegetables, salmon, tuna, eggs, nuts, blueberries, blackberries and oranges if consumed regularly can help maintain eye health.
• Don't stare at gadgets for too long, including cellphones, televisions and laptops.
• Quit smoking.
• Exercise regularly.
• Know the risk factors for eye disease. Including age, family history of eye disease, background of other health conditions (such as high blood pressure or diabetes).
• Protect eyes. Wear sunglasses, even on cloudy days to protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays. Wear appropriate protective eyewear when exercising or when doing risky work.

You can also maintain eye health by not ignoring various eye problems. Immediately consult an ophthalmologist at RSU Hermina Pandanaran if you experience the symptoms above, or if your eyes feel painful, swollen, sensitive to light, dark spots float when you look, or whenever you cannot see normally. That way, Hermina's friends will get the right treatment!

Reference :

American Optometric Association. (2022). Eye and Vision Problems.
Very Well Health. (2023). Common Eye Problems: Causes and Treatment.
American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2023). Eye Health A-Z.