People will often experience some type of eye disorder during the course of their lives. While the majority of these are minor and don’t require treatment, even minor problems can have significant adverse impacts on your vision and if you are concerned, you should consult with Dr. Kubota as soon as possible.

We’ve compiled some of the most common eye disorders, their causes, and treatments below. This guide is meant to be educational and not all of the disorders listed below require medical attention.

Eyestrain

Eyestrain is a prevalent eye disorder. Most people have experienced this at one time or another. This optical issue can be caused by placing excessive strain on the eyes. It often occurs when reading, viewing a screen or driving for too long. The eyes may begin to feel tired or a mild burning sensation can occur. Simple rest is often enough to correct this issue. However, if you continue to feel discomfort for a few days, its time to have a comprehensive eye exam.

Eye Redness

Eye redness can often be a minor issue that is caused by the inflammation or irritation of blood vessels near the eye’s surface. This can be caused by an irritant, lack of sleep, or allergies. If the redness in your eyes is linked to some type of traumatic injury, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Typical treatments for this condition are eye drops to help lubricate the eye, resting the eyes or taking medication to treat infection or allergies. Eye redness can also be symptom of conjunctivitis or sun damage. These conditions should receive medical treatment immediately.

Night Blindness

Some people find that they have difficulty navigating in darker areas like movie theaters, dark rooms, or driving at night. Several possibilities could lead to night blindness. Age-related cataracts and macular degeneration can cause night blindness. However, night blindness can also be caused by nearsightedness, vitamin A deficiency or keratoconus. If you are experiencing night blindness, see Dr. Kubota for a Comprehensive Eye Examination as soon as possible.

Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)

Crossed eyes are not a condition that you can fix by yourself. This issue is seen in the eyes not properly lining up with each other. However, Dr. Kubota may be able to help correct this issue and the cause needs to be determined so it’s worth scheduling an appointment.

Nystagmus (Shaking Eyes)

Nystagmus is a condition in which the eyes make involuntary rapid, repetitive, uncontrolled movements and these eye movements can cause problems with vision, depth perception, balance and coordination. People with nystagmus can’t control their eye movements because the areas of the brain that control eye movements don’t work properly.  Nystagmus can have a hereditary basis (congenital) or it may be acquired from trauma, medications or another health issue, especially those affecting the brain, such as stroke, brain tumor, toxicity, inflammatory diseases or inner ear dieases. The condition can sometimes be improved with glasses or contact lenses, medications or rarely, surgery. 

Colorblindness

Red and green color blindness is the most common form of color deficiency, although other types may affect your ability to see different color combinations. Color blindness happens when the eyes lack the appropriate cone cells that help to interpret and differentiate these colors. This makes some different colors appear identical to color deficient individuals. Very severe forms of colorblindness only allow individuals to see shades of gray, but this is very rare.  While there is no current treatment for the correction of color blindness, special contact lenses or eyeglasses can be prescribed that sometimes, but not always, help differentiate colors.

Uveitis

This condition is the inflammation of the uvea. There are several potential causes of uveitis that can be very serious, like multiple sclerosis, but uveitis is an umbrella phrase that covers all inflammation of the uvea layer of the eye.  Some other causes can be compromises of the immune system, like AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, or ulcerative colitis. If you have severe light sensitivity, blurred vision, eye pain, and eye redness that lasts more than a few days you should see Dr. Kubota as soon as possible.
 

Knowing When to Get Help

Your eyes are a critical organ for day to day function and small injuries or damage to your eyes can have devastating effects. For this reason, if you sense that something is wrong with your eyes, it is always a good idea to consult with Dr. Kubota as soon as possible. Additionally, make sure to get your regular annual comprehensive eye health exams which can help detect any issues that your eyes may be having and assure that you get the appropriate care quickly.