Common Eye Conditions & Eye Health
Understanding your eye health starts with knowing what to look for.
Many eye conditions can affect your vision, comfort or eye health, while others may develop without noticeable symptoms. Our optometrists assess your eyes as part of a comprehensive eye examination and can provide advice, treatment and referral when appropriate.
Your Vision
Myopia, also known as shortsightedness, causes distant objects to appear blurred while close objects remain clearer. It commonly develops during childhood and can progress as the eyes grow.
Myopia is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Spending time outdoors is associated with a lower risk of developing myopia, while regular eye examinations help identify changes in vision and monitor progression.
If your child’s myopia is progressing, there are several evidence-based approaches that may help slow its progression.
Hyperopia, or longsightedness, occurs when the eye focuses light behind the retina rather than directly on it. Depending on the degree of hyperopia, this can make close work, distance vision or both uncomfortable or blurred.
Children with significant hyperopia may experience difficulties with focusing or eye coordination, which is why regular children’s eye examinations are important.
Glasses or contact lenses can correct hyperopia when vision correction is required.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea or lens has an irregular curvature, meaning light doesn’t focus evenly on the retina. This can cause blurred, distorted or “ghosting” vision at different distances.
Astigmatism commonly occurs alongside myopia or hyperopia and can usually be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Many people don’t realise they have astigmatism. A comprehensive eye examination can identify it and determine whether vision correction would be beneficial.
Presbyopia is the gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus clearly on nearby objects. It is a normal part of ageing and commonly becomes noticeable from around the early to mid-40s.
You may notice that small print becomes harder to read, you need to hold reading material further away, or your eyes become tired during close work.
Depending on your vision and lifestyle, options may include reading glasses, multifocal glasses or contact lenses.
Digital eye strain describes a group of temporary symptoms associated with prolonged screen use, including tired or dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches and difficulty refocusing.
Symptoms can be influenced by uncorrected vision problems, prolonged close work, reduced blinking, screen position, lighting and glare.
Simple changes such as taking regular breaks, adjusting your working distance and ensuring your prescription is appropriate can help. If symptoms persist, an eye examination can help identify whether an underlying vision or eye health issue is contributing.
Good vision relies on both eyes working together comfortably. Problems with eye coordination can sometimes cause headaches, eyestrain, blurred or double vision, difficulty concentrating or discomfort during prolonged close work.
Convergence Excess
Convergence excess occurs when the eyes tend to turn inward more than necessary when focusing on close objects. This can make reading and other near tasks uncomfortable and may cause symptoms such as eye strain, headaches, blurred or double vision, or difficulty concentrating.
Convergence Insufficiency
Convergence insufficiency occurs when the eyes have difficulty turning inward and working together effectively when focusing on close objects. It can cause eye strain, headaches, blurred or double vision, difficulty reading, or a tendency to lose your place when reading.
Eye Health Conditions
As part of a comprehensive consultation we examine and assess your eye health. Some eye conditions may be hereditary or vision affecting, some may not. Additionally some conditions are age-related or caused by systemic diseases or medications.
A cataract occurs when the normally clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. Cataracts usually develop gradually with age and can affect one or both eyes. They can cause changes in vision that become more noticeable over time.
What are the symptoms of cataracts?
Cataracts may cause:
- Blurred or hazy vision
- Increased sensitivity to glare or bright lights
- Difficulty seeing clearly at night, particularly when driving
- Halos around lights
- Colours appearing less vivid
- Changes in your glasses prescription
Cataracts usually develop slowly and are not typically painful.
How are cataracts diagnosed?
Cataracts can be detected during a comprehensive eye examination. Your optometrist will assess your vision and examine the structures of your eyes, including the lens, to look for signs of cataract and other eye conditions.
If a cataract is affecting your vision or daily activities, your optometrist can discuss your options and, when appropriate, refer you to an ophthalmologist for further assessment.
How are cataracts treated?
In the early stages, updating your glasses prescription, improving lighting or using other visual aids may help you manage changes in vision. If a cataract significantly affects your vision or everyday activities, cataract surgery may be recommended.
Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy natural lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens. The procedure is performed by an ophthalmologist.
Regular eye examinations are important as you get older, both to monitor cataracts and to check for other eye conditions that may develop without obvious symptoms.
Macular Degeneration, also known as AMD, affects the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. It becomes more common with age and can affect activities such as reading, recognising faces and driving.
Regular eye examinations can help detect changes in the macula. It can have a genetic component. Your optometrist can also discuss lifestyle factors and, where appropriate, monitoring or referral for further management.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can damage the optic nerve and cause permanent vision loss. Early glaucoma often causes few noticeable symptoms, which is why regular eye examinations are important. Glaucoma can have a genetic component.
During a comprehensive eye examination, your optometrist can assess risk factors and perform tests that help detect and monitor glaucoma.
Floaters are small shapes or spots that appear to move across your field of vision. They are common and often harmless, particularly as we age. All new floaters need to be assessed as they can in rare cases be associated with retinal problems.
New or sudden flashes, a sudden increase in floaters, a dark curtain or shadow across your vision, or a sudden change in vision can also indicate a retinal problem and requires urgent assessment.
If you experience these symptoms, contact Canterbury Eyecare urgently or seek emergency eye care if appropriate.
Dry eye can cause dryness, burning, grittiness, irritation, fluctuating vision and even watery eyes. It can have many different causes, and symptoms don’t always tell the whole story.
At Canterbury Eyecare, we assess the underlying factors contributing to dry eye and tailor treatment to your individual needs.
A red, sore, watery or light-sensitive eye can have many causes, including infection, inflammation, allergies or contact lens-related complications.
Eye injuries with foreign bodies or scratched eyes can also be assessed and treated or referred for further treatment by our Optometrists.
A painful or light-sensitive red eye, particularly when accompanied by reduced vision, should be assessed promptly, book an appointment by calling 03 9888 6377.
Diabetes can affect the blood vessels in the retina and, if untreated, can lead to vision loss. Regular eye examinations and appropriate diabetes management can help detect diabetic eye disease early and reduce the risk of serious vision loss.
Colour vision deficiency affects the way some colours are perceived or distinguished. It is commonly inherited and is more common in males.
Colour vision can be assessed as part of an eye examination, particularly where it may be relevant to your child’s education, activities or future career requirements.
