Common Vision Problems: The Top 10 Conditions Affecting Sight

Common vision problems are caused by a range of factors, and understanding how these develop are key to preventing them and treating them. Here are the most common vision problems you should know about. 

10 Common Vision Problems

Listed below are some of the common vision problems many people may encounter. It is worth noting that this list is not exclusive, and does not enumerate the entirety of common vision problems:

1. Astigmatism

Astigmatism refers to the imperfections of the cornea or lens of the eye. Normal eyes have cornea and lens that are smooth and proportional on all sides, which allows light rays to be focused onto the retina.

Astigmatism is sometimes coupled with or is related to a refractive error, which is another common vision problem.

2. Hyperopia

Hyperopia refers to farsightedness, and is classified as a refractive error. This means that the eye does not properly refract light in order to focus an image. As such, objects from a distance look clear, but closer objects appear blurred or faded at times.

3. Myopia

Also known as nearsightedness, is basically regarded as the opposite of hyperopia. Both conditions are refractive errors, and the effects of myopia cause individuals to see closer objects very clearly while objects at a distance are faded and blurred.

Overall Eye Health: All You Need to Know

4. Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the condition that occurs when the eyes gradually lose the ability to focus on objects up close and to see them clearly, and is a result of aging. This becomes drastically more noticeable when people reach the age of 40 upwards.

5. Color Blindness

Color blindness occurs when you are unable to view colors the same way a normal person does. The retina is affected in this case, specifically, the cells it contains. The retina contains rods and cones, each with roles to detect light and color. This occurs when any of the color cone cells are not functioning, absent, or detect a different color than normal.

6. Night Blindness

Night vision or nyctalopia is a type of vision impairment. People affected by nyctalopia have very poor vision at night, or when in dimly lit environments.

7. Cataract

Cataracts cause the lens of the eye to become cloudy. When trying to focus on images, things may appear to be hazy, blurry, less colorful, and harder to see clearly. People affected by a cataract compare their vision to that of looking through a dusty windshield of a car, or through a very foggy mirror.

8. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is regarded as a disease that deals with damage to the optic nerve of the eye. Buildup of fluids in the front part of the eye, usually leads to an increase in pressure that affects the optic nerve, and this leads to glaucoma.

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, common vision problems have a wide array of types and each usually indicates damage in a part of the eye or a related organ. It is imperative to get in touch with a medical professional if you begin to experience symptoms related to your vision, as immediate and appropriate action is the best way to combat the degeneration of your optic health.

Learn more about Vision Impairment here.