PRESBYOPIA

Disorder

Description

Treatment

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.

Eyeglasses, contact lenses, refractive surgery (LASIK).

Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

Difficulty seeing close objects clearly.

Eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery.

Astigmatism

Irregular curvature of the cornea or lens, causing blurred vision.

Corrective lenses, LASIK surgery.

Cataracts

Clouding of the eye’s lens, leading to vision impairment.

Cataract surgery (replacement of the cloudy lens with an artificial one).

Glaucoma

Damage to the optic nerve, often caused by high intraocular pressure.

Eye drops, laser treatment, surgery.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Deterioration of the macula, affecting central vision.

Medications, laser therapy, lifestyle changes.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Damage to the retina due to diabetes, leading to vision loss.

Laser surgery, medications, blood sugar control.

Retinal Detachment

Separation of the retina from the back of the eye, a medical emergency.

Immediate surgery to reattach the retina.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Inflammation of the conjunctiva, often caused by infection or allergies.

Antibiotics (if bacterial), antihistamines, self-care.

Dry Eye Syndrome

Insufficient tear production or poor-quality tears.

Artificial tears, prescription drops, lifestyle changes.

Strabismus

Misalignment of the eyes, leading to double vision or crossed eyes.

Glasses, eye exercises, surgery.

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

Reduced vision in one eye, typically from early childhood.

Eye patch, corrective lenses, vision therapy.

Keratoconus

Thinning of the cornea, causing it to bulge into a cone shape.

Contact lenses, corneal cross-linking, surgery.

PRACTICE QUESTION

 Q: Consider the following statements about eye related disorders:

1.Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long for the refractive power of the cornea and lens.

2.Hyperopia occurs in some people when the eyeball is too short for the refractive power of the cornea and lens.

3.Astigmatism is an imperfectly shaped cornea or lens.

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) None

Answer: d

Explanation:

1^st statement is correct: Nearsightedness (myopia) occurs when the eyeball is too long for the refractive power of the cornea and lens. Because of the corneal curvature and relatively long size, light is focused in front of (rather than directly on) the retina, and the person has trouble clearly seeing distant objects.

2^nd statement is correct: Farsightedness (hyperopia) occurs in some people when the eyeball is too short for the refractive power of the cornea and lens. Because of the relatively short size, light is focused behind the retina. Children and young adults who are mildly farsighted may be able to see clearly if their lens is flexible enough to properly refocus light on the retina. However, with aging, the lens stiffens. Thus, as farsighted adults age, seeing near objects clearly becomes more difficult and seeing distant objects also becomes more difficult.

3^rd statement is correct: There are two types of astigmatism: corneal, in which the shape of the cornea is irregular, and lenticular, in which the lens is imperfectly shaped. Corneal astigmatism is more common. Either type of astigmatism can occur in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness.