Common eye conditions
Our information will help you understand more about the most common eye conditions, explain what to expect and give you advice on how to make the best use of your remaining sight.
We provide a range of services that can help you remain safe, mobile and independent and we’re always here to support you. So please get in touch if you need further help or advice.
Cataracts
Cataracts cause the lens in the eye to become cloudy, preventing light passing through, which makes what you see look out of focus, blurry or hazy. Cataracts usually develop gradually, are more common in older people and affect everyone differently, but people often experience:
- Objects looking misty or blurred.
- The colour of objects becoming faded or yellowing.
- Difficulty seeing in bright light due to glare.
- Double vision.
- Spectacles always seeming scratched or dirty.
Treatment is a common surgical procedure removing the affected lens and replacing it with an artificial lens, or implant and because the implant is artificial you won’t develop any more cataracts in that eye. Most cataract surgery is very successful, but occasionally the surgeon may not be able to insert an implant and then contact lenses or high prescription glasses may still be needed. If you have other eye conditions your sight may still be affected.
Cataracts are difficult to prevent as they are usually caused by age however, stopping smoking and wearing sunglasses with UV protection may help reduce the risk of developing Cataracts.
You may not notice any changes in your sight in the early stages of Cataracts but if you are having difficulty seeing avoid glare or light shining directly into your eyes; sunglasses, tinted lenses, a visor or a brimmed hat may help. Correct lighting is also important; not enough will make it harder to see and too much light will dazzle you. Try using an adjustable fluorescent lamp to direct light when reading and avoid light reflecting off shiny surfaces.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome
Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a common condition amongst people with sight impairments when they start to lose their sight. It causes people to see things that aren’t really there, known as visual hallucinations, but this is usually only temporary becoming less frequent as time goes on.
The exact cause of CBS is unknown but the main factors are sight loss and how your brain reacts to this; research suggests that when your brain stops receiving information from your eyes it tries to fill in the gaps with images or patterns it’s created or seen before, which may not always make sense.
People often have very different experiences; hallucinations can last from a few seconds to hours or days and images can be very confusing and may not have any meaning however, their frequency usually reduces over time. It is normal to be worried, confused or frightened when you see things that you know aren’t really there so it can be helpful to talk to your GP, optician or a professional about what you are seeing.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the name given to the changes in the eye, which can occur in people who have Diabetes. Having Diabetes doesn’t mean your sight will be affected but it can affect your eyesight, so it’s important to have annual eye tests so any problems can be diagnosed early. DR causes blood vessels in the back of the eye to break and leak and can cause floating spots in front of the eyes or areas of blurring. The blood vessels may stop carrying blood permanently which can lead to loss of sight.
You may not notice any changes in your vision until you have a routine eye test, but people often experience blurred vision, spots in front of their eyes or changes in vision from hour to hour, or from day to day.
The most common treatment is to seal leaking blood vessels using a laser to stop or slow down deterioration and you can discuss this in more detail with your Consultant Ophthalmologist. The best treatment is prevention, so it’s important to keep good control of your diabetes to help reduce the risk of developing DR at all. Avoiding smoking, drinking too much alcohol, high blood pressure and too much sunlight can also reduce the risks.
You may not notice any changes in your sight in the early stages but if you are having difficulty seeing avoid glare or light shining directly into your eyes; sunglasses, tinted lenses, a visor or a brimmed hat may help. Correct lighting is also important; not enough will make it harder to see and too much light will dazzle you. Try using an adjustable fluorescent lamp to direct light when reading and avoid light reflecting off shiny surfaces.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions where the optic nerve is damaged by increased pressure in the eye. The eye contains a watery fluid that circulates around the eye and then drains away through tiny channels near the front of the eye. If the fluid can’t drain away or if too much is produced, this increases the pressure in the eye which can damage the optic nerve and affect your sight. The pressure in your eye is very different to blood pressure so Glaucoma is not caused by high blood pressure.
The edge of your field of vision may start to fade, so you may not be able to see things to the side of you and you may develop blank areas near your central vision. Pressure in the eye usually increases very slowly meaning loss of vision is also gradual so you may not notice that anything is wrong. This is why it’s important to get your eyes tested regularly and ensure you are checked for Glaucoma at every visit. Three main tests are used and are straightforward and painless:
- A gentle, painless puff of air is blown against the eye.
- A field of vision test using flashing lights.
- An examination of the back of the eye and the optic nerve.
It’s important to diagnose Glaucoma early as treatment can prevent further deterioration. Treatment aims to lower the pressure in the eye using eye drops, pills or a small operation. You should discuss treatment options with your Consultant Ophthalmologist. Glaucoma often runs in families, so if you have a blood relation with the condition it is important to get your eyes tested regularly and to let your eye specialist know about your family history. Eye tests are free for people over 40 who also have a close family history of Glaucoma.
If you are having difficulty seeing, avoid glare or light shining directly into your eyes; sunglasses, tinted lenses, a visor or a brimmed hat may help. Correct lighting is also important; not enough will make it harder to see and too much light will dazzle you. Try using an adjustable fluorescent lamp to direct light when reading and avoid light reflecting off shiny surfaces.
Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration or disease (MD) is the most common cause of sight loss in the world, and usually affects people over 60. However, macular conditions do occur in children and adults of all ages and are often known as macular dystrophies. The macula is a small part of the back of the eye that allows us to see colour and fine details. As this deteriorates your central vision may become blurred making it difficult to read or see facial features, and eventually you may have a blank area in your central vision. Unless you have other eye conditions, you won’t lose all of your sight and you can learn how to use your remaining sight to continue with everyday life.
Some people with macular conditions may not notice any changes in their vision until they have a routine eye test, but other people often experience:
- Straight objects, like doorframes or lampposts looking distorted or bent.
- Blurred vision or gaps in their vision.
- Objects in front of them changing shape, size, colour or moving and disappearing.
- Dark spots like a smudge on glasses appearing in the centre of their vision.
- Colours fading or words disappearing when reading.
- Difficulty adapting from dark to light environments.
There are different treatments available depending on the type of MD, which should be discussed with your Consultant Ophthalmologist.
Changes to your lifestyle such as avoiding smoking, drinking too much alcohol, high blood pressure and over exposure to sunlight can help reduce the risk of developing MD. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a diet low in saturated fats with lots of leafy green vegetables and oily fish can also help prevent MD.
If you are having difficulty seeing try using strong contrasting colours and large print text, get closer to the objects you want to see, like the TV and use good lighting like a task lamp for close up work.
Nystagmus
Nystagmus is where a person has uncontrollable eye movements. It can often look like the person’s eyes are shaking, moving quickly from side to side or up and down, or even in a circular motion.
Eliana did a video to help her classmates and friends understand more about her eye condition: (You can read a transcript of this video.)
Sight loss after a stroke
People experience different problems with their sight after a stroke because the problem isn’t with the eye but is a result of damage to the brain caused by the stroke. Visual field loss is the most common way that a stroke can affect your sight; you may have ‘blind spots’ or may only be able to see either the left or right half of your visual field from both eyes. You may have difficulties reading or may only be able to see one side of your dinner plate. This means you may bump into objects or seem to ignore people even though you are looking right at them. A stroke can also cause blurred or double vision, or abnormal eye movements.
There are no treatments available for sight conditions caused by stroke, but a rehabilitation program for someone who has had a stroke should include an assessment of their vision and eyes so a referral can be made to the relevant specialists who can provide positive strategies to manage your sight loss.
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of diseases that cause the light sensitive cells in the back of the eye to deteriorate affecting your side (peripheral) vision and how you see in the dark. The speed of deterioration varies from person to person and the loss of your peripheral vision may progress until only a small central area of sight remains. This also known as tunnel vision and can make you appear clumsy because even if you can see what is directly in front of you, you may bump into objects that are outside of your central field of vision.
People with RP may not notice any changes in their vision until they have a routine eye test, but other people often experience:
- Night blindness; not being able to see at night, or in low or dim lighting.
- Difficulty adapting to changes from light to dark environments.
- Not being able to see objects to the side of them.
There are no treatments available to slow down or stop the deterioration that RP causes, but research is ongoing. RP is hereditary so you should tell your eye specialist about other family members affected by RP to help with your diagnosis.
There are lots of ways to stay active and independent if you have RP, such as compensating for tunnel vision by scanning; moving your eyes from side to side, and up and down to ensure you see objects around you. Allow yourself time to adjust to different levels of lighting, for example, pause in the doorway when coming inside from bright daylight, wear sunglasses or a sun visor to help protect your eyes from the glare of bright lighting and consider using a cane in dim light or at night time.
Amblyopia ‘lazy eye’
Amblyopia is the most common cause of sight impairment in children and occurs in about 3 in 100 children. If it is not treated early the amblyopia usually persists into adulthood. Amblyopia occurs when the brain and eye don’t work together properly; it usually only affects one eye but can occur in both.
The different types of amblyopia are:
- Strabismic – one or both of the eyes may be crossed in or turned out.
- Deprivation – occurs when the eye does not receive an adequate amount of visual stimulation e.g. cataract.
- Refractive – one eye may be more nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatic than the other. This type of amblyopia is usually only picked up when the child has an eye test.
The earlier Amblyopia is treated the better so it is important for children to have regular eye tests as early as possible. Different treatments are available depending on the type of Amblyopia:
- Refractive – early correction of the near or farsightedness using glasses or contact lenses.
- Deprivation – if the amblyopia is caused by ‘deprivative’ conditions such as cataract, surgical correction should be considered and discussed with a Consultant Ophthalmologist.
- Strabismic – Stimulating the development of the amblyopic eye by either using eye drops to temporarily blur the vision of the stronger eye or by placing a patch over the stronger eye, this should only be done under the recommendation of an Consultant Ophthalmologist.
Download eye condition leaflets
How we can help
We provide a range of services to help people with sight impairment, of all ages, to be independent, safe and mobile. Our support includes mobility training so you can get around safely and help to learn new way to carry out everyday tasks like making a drink or cooking dinner safely. We can also give you advice about specialist equipment that can help you make the best use of any remaining vision you may have. Our experienced team can also offer help, information and advice to family and carers to help them understand your needs.