The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. According to WHO, more than half of these people are women. Fortunately, 80 percent of those visual impairments can be avoided or cured. If you believe your vision might be deteriorating, it is important to make yourself aware of the warning signs, as well as the causes and treatments.
Blurry Vision
The most obvious sign your vision is changing is blurriness. If your view of the world isn’t as sharp as it used to be, you’ll want to visit an optometrist. He or she will be able to pinpoint the root of the problem. Cataracts, glaucoma or astigmatism may be the culprit, but aging, trauma or infection can also cause blurry vision.
Note whether the blurriness was gradual or sudden as this will affect your diagnoses. Treatments for blurry vision range from prescription glasses to LASIK surgery, but only a professional can help determine the right option for you.
Headaches
If you’ve been experiencing recurring headaches along with poor eyesight, it might be time to see an eye doctor. A headache caused by a visual impairment occurs when the eye muscle is overworked by constant squinting or eyestrain. If this sounds familiar, your optometrist might suggest prescription glasses to ease the headaches and improve your vision. However, if you'd rather not don a pair of specs, soft contact lenses from sites like Vision Direct are also a convenient and comfortable option. Yes you can have clear vision without sacrificing your personal style.
Floaters
We’ve all probably experienced these minor annoyances. Floaters can appear as spots or tiny threads in your field of vision. They are often times completely harmless, however if they’re accompanied by flashes of light or are occurring more often than not, make an appointment with your eye doctor as this may be a sign of retinal detachment.
If your floaters are benign but impair your vision, laser treatment can be used; unfortunately, this approach hasn't been carefully studied causing the risk of surgery to outweigh the benefits.
Eye Pain
Pain anywhere on or in the body is a telltale sign something is not right. Eye pain, also called ophthalmalgia, can occur on the eye’s surface or within the eye states Healthline. This discomfort typically resolves on its own but is considered serious when accompanied by vision loss.
Ocular pain can be caused by a foreign object in the eye, conjunctivitis (due to allergies or infection), contact lens irritation, corneal abrasion, injury to the eye, blepharitis (inflamed eyelid) and a sty (a bump on the eyelid). Depending on the severance of the pain, medication or eye drops may be prescribed.
Light Sensitivity
Hopkins Medicine mentions that sudden sensitivity to light could indicate cataracts. Cataracts are cloudy areas in the eye that cause blurry, partial or distorted vision. This condition is typically age-related and is common among people in their 70s and 80s.
Diabetes, medication and trauma can also lead to cataracts. Light sensitivity, double vision, faded colors and halos around lights are also common symptoms of this condition. Because cataracts are the world’s leading cause of blindness, seeing an eye doctor for any of these symptoms could potentially save your vision.