EYE CONDITIONS
ASTIGMATISM
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
CONJUNCTIVITIS
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.
Who is affected by conjunctivitis?
Infective conjunctivitis may be caused by bacteria or a virus and can affect anyone. The infection may be spread by contact with an infected person or exposure to infected surfaces such as towels, or through sinus or ear or sexually transmitted infections. Infective conjunctivitis will normally resolve without any treatment. In severe cases of bacterial conjunctivitis you may be prescribed an antibiotic which may speed up recovery.
DRY EYE
Allergic conjunctivitis causes similar symptoms to infective conjunctivitis, but is more likely to occur in both eyes. It is common in people who get hayfever.
How do you treat conjunctivitis?
Most allergic conjunctivitis will clear up on its own. To help relieve the symptoms you may wish to use a cold compress on your closed eyelids, to help them feel more comfortable.
It can help if you keep your eyelids clean by moistening a clean cotton wool pad or ball with cooled, boiled water, and use it to gently rub your eye lashes to remove any crusts. Make sure you use a different pad or ball for each eye. If your eyes feel dry you may also find that artificial tears make your eyes feel more comfortable.
If your symptoms are acute, your optometrist or GP may recommend antibiotic drops or ointment.
FLASHES AND FLOATERS
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.
