Eye Conditions – Coakley Opticians

EYE CONDITIONS

ASTIGMATISM

Astigmatism is a common, treatable imperfection in the eye’s curvature – shaped more like a rugby ball than a football – causing blurred or distorted vision at all distances. It is often present at birth, caused by hereditary factors, or develops after eye injury or surgery.

Symptoms include eye strain, headaches, squinting, and poor night vision.

Treatment involves glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

BLEPHARITIS

Blepharitis causes red, swollen and itchy eyelids. It can normally be treated by washing your eyelids every day. The condition is not usually serious, but can lead to other problems, such as dry eyes, cysts and conjunctivitis, especially if it’s not treated. Symptoms of blepharitis include:

Sore eyelids
Itchy eyes
A gritty feeling in the eyes
Flakes/crusts around eyelashes
Red eyes or eyelids
Eyelids sticking together in the morning when you wake up.

CATARACTS

These are a common, age-related clouding of the eye’s lens, causing blurry, dim or hazy vision due to protein clumping. Key symptoms include glare, faded colours, and poor night vision.

They are primarily treated with a quick, common surgery that replaces the clouded lens with an artificial one.

Recovery is typically fast, with significant vision improvement within a few days to a few weeks. Key risk factors include aging, diabetes, UV exposure, and smoking.

CONJUNCTIVITUS

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the clear membrane that covers the white of your eye. It may be caused by an infection, or by an allergy. If it is one eye it is more likely to be caused by an infection. If it is present in both eyes then it is more likely to be caused by an allergy, such as hay fever. Conjunctivitis causes the eyes to become red, gritty, and uncomfortable. You may have pus that sticks to the eyelashes or itchy eyes. It does not affect your vision.

If your symptoms are acute, your optometrist or GP may recommend antibiotic drops or ointment.

DRY EYE

Dry eye syndrome is a common, often chronic condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears or tears evaporate too quickly, causing burning, stinging, redness and gritty sensations. It is caused by factors like aging, screen time, contact lenses, or conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome. Treatments include artificial tears, eyelid hygiene, and environmental changes.

FLASHES (light streaks) and FLOATERS (spots/lines)

These are common, often age-related symptoms caused by the vitreous gel separating from the retina (posterior vitreous detachment).

While usually harmless, a sudden increase or new onset can signal a serious retinal tear or detachment, requiring urgent, same-day evaluation by an optician.

MACULAR DEGENERATION

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision. It usually first affects people in their 50s and 60s.

It doesn’t cause total blindness. But it can make everyday activities like reading and recognising faces difficult.

Without treatment, your vision may get worse. This can happen gradually over several years (“dry AMD”), or quickly over a few weeks or months (“wet AMD”).

The exact cause is unknown. It’s been linked to smoking, high blood pressure, being overweight and having a family history of AMD.

Registered Office:

Coakley Opticians Ltd
9 York Row
Wisbech
Cambridgeshire,
PE13 1EB

Registered in England:
Number 09096000

WISBECH

9 York Row, Wisbech,
Cambridgeshire, PE13 1EB

01945 583044

info@coakleyopticians.co.uk

Mon-Fri: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am to 2.00pm

LONG SUTTON

15/17 Market Place,
Long Sutton, Spalding, PE12 9JA

01406 363348

info@coakleyopticians.co.uk

Mon-Fri: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am to 12.00pm

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