Nearsightedness is a common cause for blurred vision. People who are nearsighted can see near images more clearly than far images. Eyeglasses are the easiest and safest way to correct nearsightedness. Contact lenses can be used also but are associated with a risk of infection. Laser eye surgery may be a treatment option.

A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to decreased vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights and trouble seeing at night. Cataracts are most commonly due to aging but may also result from trauma, diabetes, medications and environmental factors. Surgery is the only effective treatment.

Farsighted people can have trouble seeing things up close and can even struggle to see far away as well. Typically, farsighted people have more trouble seeing things up close (reading) as they get older. Eyeglasses are the easiest and safest way to correct farsightedness. Contact lenses can provide a wider field of vision but are associated with a risk of infection. Laser eye surgery is a limited option.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which result in damage to the nerve and can cause blindness. Most forms of glaucoma do not cause symptoms until very late in the disease making routine eye exams necessary for detection. Risk factors for glaucoma include increasing age, high pressure in the eye, a family history of glaucoma and use of steroid medication. If diagnosed and treated early, it is possible to slow or stop the disease.

Astigmatism causes defocused images at all distances. In people with astigmatism, aspects of the eye are not perfectly symmetric and light rays entering the eye are bent differently as a result. Astigmatism often occurs at birth and can change or develop later in life. In addition to glasses and contacts, laser eye surgery corrects most forms of astigmatism.

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 20 to 64. The longer a person has diabetes and the more poorly controlled it is, the higher chance of developing related eye disease. An annual eye exam by a medical eye doctor is the only way to effectively diagnosis and prevent vision loss related to diabetes.

“Lazy Eye” can mean different things to different people. In the community, the term is often used when one eye appears different than the other. The technical term for lazy eye is “ amblyopia” and refers to reduced vision in one eye caused by abnormal visual development early in life. A lazy eye often wanders inward or outward.