Common problems in children:
Refractive errors: A refractive error is a very common eye disorder. It occurs when the eye cannot clearly focus the images from the outside world. The result of refractive errors is
blurred vision. Refractive errors can be corrected (but not cured) with glasses or contact lenses, depending on your child’s age and preferences.
Amblyopia: which is weak vision in one eye, can happen when one eye has a much higher prescription than the other. It’s best to treat amblyopia before age 6, when treatment is most effective. Left untreated, amblyopia can lead to blindness in the affected eye.
Strabismus: results from the eye muscles not working correctly together. It typically shows up between birth and 21 months. Kids cannot outgrow it without treatment. If untreated, strabismus can worsen, leading to amblyopia (lazy eye). Treatment for strabismus may include eyeglasses, prisms, vision therapy, or eye muscle surgery.
Severe nearsightedness: Myopia (nearsightedness) affects about 3 in 10 Canadians. It begins in childhood and often progresses until about age 20. later in life can put your child at risk of serious issues, including glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment. The good news is it’s possible to slow the development of myopia in kids using specialized
contacts or glasses, so they can avoid issues associated with a high myopic prescription as they age. Learn all about our myopia control methods.
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Common problems in adults:
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Nearsightedness: Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.
Farsightedness: Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see distant objects clearly, but objects nearby may be blurry. The degree of your farsightedness influences your focusing ability.
Presbyopia: Presbyopia is the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus on nearby objects. It's a natural, often annoying part of aging. Presbyopia usually becomes noticeable in your early to mid-40s and continues to worsen until around age 65.
Dry Eyes: Dry eye is a disease of the front of the eye, whereas a disruption in our normal tear production and maintenance occurs. There are two main types of dry eye: aqueous deficient dry eye and evaporative dry eye. Aqueous deficient dry eye occurs when too little tears are produced by the lacrimal gland located below our eyebrow.3 When we don’t have adequate aqueous tear production, our ocular surface becomes rough, causing burning, gritty, and scratchy eyes. Wearing contact lenses or having a history of previous eye surgery can contribute to this type of dry eye. Evaporative dry eye, also known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), stems from the clogging of the meibomian glands inside of our eyelids. Our meibomian glands secrete meibum, the lipid or oily layer of the tear film. This tear layer helps to keep the other layers of the tear film in place. When our meibomian glands are clogged, our tears can evaporate easily, causing
irritation.
Floaters: Floaters are small dark shapes that float across your vision. They can look like spots, threads, squiggly lines, or even little cobwebs. Most people have floaters that come and go, and they often don't need treatment. But sometimes floaters can be a sign of a more serious eye condition.
Common problems in Seniors:
Cataracts: Cataracts are the clouding of the lens of your eye, which is normally clear. Most cataracts develop slowly over time, causing symptoms such as blurry vision. Cataracts can be surgically removed through an outpatient procedure that restores vision in nearly everyone.
Macular degeneration: Macular degeneration is usually an age-related eye disease that can result in significant vision loss for those who suffer from it. Macular degeneration occurs when the macula, or center part of the retina, begins to deteriorate.
Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.
Retinal detachment: Retinal detachment describes an emergency in which a thin layer of tissue (the retina) at the back of the eye pulls away from its normal position. Retinal detachment separates the retinal cells from the layer of blood vessels that provides oxygen and nourishment. The longer retinal detachment goes untreated, the greater your risk of permanent
vision loss in the affected eye.
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