Five Most Common Reasons People Visit the Eye Doctor

The eye is the window to the soul. It is the organ that allows you to gaze fondly on your loved one. It is how you are able to see, and it operates at full capacity virtually every minute of the waking day. It goes without saying that it is a very important organ and one that you would miss enormously if it stopped working. It is important to pay attention to optical health and to make sure that your eyes are working properly and are not being strained or damaged. There is a surprising amount that can go wrong with the eye. Here are some of the most frequent complaints that bring people to the eye doctor.

Impaired vision

Most eye conditions result in an impaired vision of some sort, but in this instance, we are talking about the inability to focus properly or to see clearly. This is a common problem and it is easily treated. A quick assessment at an eye clinic St Kilda or Perth or any other major city will have plenty of options to choose from, will be able to assess if you are short-sighted or long-sighted.  Glasses or contact lenses are the usual remedies although laser surgery is also an option. The key here is to get your eyes checked out regularly so that you can have spectacles prescribed before you do too much damage to your eyes.

Conjunctivitis

This is also known as pink eye and it is a harmless and easily fixed ailment that is common amongst school children or people who spend a lot of time in close contact with each other. It is irritating more than anything, but it will frequently require a visit to the eye doctor.

Glaucoma

Anyone who has ever been for an eye test at the optometrist will probably remember the little puff of air that goes onto the eyeball at some stage. This is a little test for glaucoma and the test is known non-contact tonometry or NCT test. It measures the pressure inside the eye which, if you have glaucoma will be abnormally high. Glaucoma can be treated, but, if diagnosed it can cause blindness.

Pterygium

This appears as a growth of skin across the surface of the eye. What it is, is a growth of the conjunctiva or mucous membrane. This is a commonly seen condition in the elderly, and it is also something that is quite easily treated with some simple surgery.

Cataracts

This is another common condition and one that most people have probably heard of. Explained briefly, cataracts are when the lens of the eye slowly but surely becomes opaque. This happens over a long period of time and for the person with the condition, it is a bit like looking at the world through a dirty window. Cataracts can be treated by replacing the lens with an artificial one. It is a simple procedure that can usually be done at a day hospital or clinic.