Adulthood
Prolonged Focusing Problems – can be caused by concentration on close work such as reading or computer screens. This type of concentrated work can effect any age but young adults are especially prone. These problems include temporary difficulty in seeing clearly at a distance after such work or can also cause sluggishness in switching eye focus from near to far or vice versa.
These problems may occur each time a person is involved in a visually intensive task. This type of problem should be reported to an eye care specialist at which time reading glasses may be prescribed as an effective treatment.
Iritis (inflammation of the iris) – The iris is the colored portion of the eye. Iritis is often the result of a disease in another part of the body such as arthritis, tuberculosis or syphilis. Infections of some parts of the body (tonsils, sinus, kidney, gallbladder and teeth) can also cause the iris to become inflamed. Some symptoms includes pain, tearing, light sensitivity and blurred vision. Often these symptoms appear suddenly and increase rapidly over a few days. The treatment is often directed at finding the cause of the inflammation. Eye drops and ointments are used to relieve the pain and inflammation, dilate the pupil and reduce any scarring which can occur.
Diabetic Retinopathy – abnormalities in the tiny blood vessels which nourish the retina. This is a complication of diabetes mellitus. This disease can cause severe visual loss, including blindness, if it is left untreated. In fact, this is the leading cause of blindness in adults. Vision may become blurred with background retinopathy, but significant loss of sight does not usually occur. The changes in the retina can go unnoticed but can be detected in an eye exam. When bleeding occurs, the patient has clouding or complete loss of sight. Treatment depends on the location of the disease and the degree of damage to the retina. When it occurs in the peripheral retina, careful monitoring may be all that is needed. It retinopathy affects the macula and central vision, it is usually treated via laser treatment.
Middle Age
Presbyopia – blurs vision for reading and other close work. Sometimes this confused with farsightedness. Presbyopia is related to the aging process and causes a loss of flexibility in the lens inside the eye. It typically begins after age 40 and progresses into the early sixties. It can complicate other vision conditions. Reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals or contact lenses are needed, as are periodic lens changes.
Dry Eye Syndrome – eye irritation, scratchiness or possibly blurred vision due to the quantity or quality of the tear film is poor. This condition is often related to age as it occurs more frequently in adults over age 40. It may also be the result of the hormonal changes associated with menopause. The treatment includes artificial tears as well as the occlusion of the lacrimal duct. This treatment blocks the tear drainage duct which creates a reservoir of tears on the surface of the eyes.
