At Emerald Eyes Optical, we believe that understanding your eyes and their vulnerabilities is the first step towards preserving your precious sight. In this section, we shed light on common and rare eye diseases, their symptoms, causes, treatments, and preventive measures. Our mission is not only to provide exceptional eyewear and services but also to empower you with knowledge and awareness about various eye conditions.
is the normal process of the lens inside the eye hardening over the years. This means that the eye has more difficulty (or is unable) to focus on near tasks, such as books, devices, fine art work, machinery, work benches and computers. Our lens progressively hardens from birth, but most people don’t notice the effect of presbyopia until their 40s and 50s. We have multiple spectacle and contact lens solutions to correct presbyopia to ensure you can continue to see the things you need, as well as those you love, to see.
(long-sightedness) means the eye has to work (or focus) to see things in the distance and work even harder to see things as they get close. Young people with low to moderate hyperopia (or those with very good focussing ability) may be able to focus well enough to see everything they need to see and may only experience eyestrain with intensive near tasks. As we get older and our focussing ability deteriorates, hyperopia can mean we struggle to see near objects. Over time the distance vision can also be reduced for some people. Hyperopia can be corrected with spectacles and contact lenses.
(short sightedness) means that the eye sees things well at a close distance and things look blurred far away. The more myopia someone has, the closer the distance where things appear clear without visual correction and the more blurred things appear in the distance. For the majority of people with myopia, it occurs because the length of the eye is too long for the focussing power of the eye so the image on the retina is blurred for distant objects. Myopia tends to progress as the eye grows, especially over the pre-teen, teenage and early adulthood years. Any amount of myopia can increase the chance of eye disease in the future, so it is very important it is detected and treated effectively when the eye is still developing.
Like long-sightedness and short-sightedness, astigmatism causes defocus on the retina which, for most people, can be fully corrected with spectacles or contact lenses. Often people with astigmatism will describe this focus on the retina as causing distortion, rather than blur, and it can influence objects both in the distance and at near. People with astigmatism may notice symptoms such as words running into each other when reading, or tired, and strained eyes on the computer or difficulty with night-driving when the lights can seem to flare. Astigmatism occurs because the focussing power of the eye is different in one direction compared to the other. Usually this is because the cornea, the window covering the front of the eye, is more curved in one direction than the other, more like an Aussie rules football than a soccer ball shape. This results in two different focal points for the different curves of the eye and a distorted focus on the retina. Spectacles or contact lenses can correct astigmatism. There can sometimes be a temporary adjustment period to the new prescription.
is an eye disease where there is progressive damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye. The Optic nerve is where the nerves from the retinal cells converge to send the visual message to the brain so we can make sense of what we see. Glaucoma usually affects peripheral vision first. As most people pay less attention to the peripheral vision and the peripheral vision of the two eyes overlap, there can be significant loss of vision due to glaucoma before any symptoms occur. Unfortunately, optic nerve damage in glaucoma is irreversible so it is important that all adults have regular eye examinations to check for glaucoma. Risk factors for glaucoma include a family history of glaucoma, increasing age, high intraocular pressure, short-sightedness, reduced blood flow to the optic nerve and systemic diseases such as diabetes. A diagnosis of glaucoma can be complex and often requires analyzing the results of multiple tests and advanced imaging technology.
is the lens inside the eye becoming hazy, yellowed or opaque. As cataracts are inside the eye it is not normally possible to see them by just looking at someone. Cataracts can result in symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty with night driving or requiring more light when reading. It is possible to have cataracts from birth, however, most people develop cataracts over years. Sun exposure increases the risk of cataracts, so optometrists recommend that everyone, even children, wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection when outdoors. If a cataract is interfering with someone’s visual tasks, cataracts can be removed by an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) via a short and painless day surgery procedure.
When we look at something, the cornea and lens at the front of our eye, focus the image of the object onto the retina which lines the eyeball. On the retina, cells (called photoreceptors) capture the image and send the message to the brain so we can interpret what we see. The macula is the central area of the retina. It is the part of the retina we use when we are directly looking at something. Atrophic (‘Dry’) Age-related macular degeneration, is the more common form. It can result in a gradual ‘wearing away’ of the cells at the retina over time which can result in a slow reduction of central vision. Visual correction, such as spectacles, may not be able to give perfect vision if the retinal cells aren’t functioning properly. In Neovascular (‘Wet’) Age-related macular degeneration the vision loss can be rapid due to unwanted blood vessels forming or bleeding at the macular. This requires immediate treatment with an eye specialist, ophthalmologist. Age-related macular degeneration can run in families, but our diet, lifestyle and habits (such as smoking and blue light exposure) may play a role.
The cornea is the window (or front surface) that covers the coloured part (iris) of the eye. Keratoconus is a genetic condition resulting in a gradual change in the curvature of the cornea which can result in corneal thinning and a ‘cone like’ bulging to part of the cornea. It can result in blurred vision, glare, halos around lights and difficulty with driving at low light levels. Keratoconus is usually detected in the teenage years or early twenties. It is important that keratoconus is diagnosed early, as there are now new treatments available which can be useful to help reduce the progression of keratoconus. Many people with keratoconus can achieve good vision with spectacle or contact lens correction.
is a non-cancerous growth on the front of the eyeball extending from the white of the eye (usually on the nose side) across the clear window (the cornea) that covers the front of the eye. Pterygium can slowly grow over time and can often become sore, red and inflamed. Also, they are often quite cosmetically noticeable. Pterygium needs to be surgically removed by an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) if they grow large enough to have the potential to interfere with vision. Pterygium is thought to be due to excessive sun exposure, so it is commonly seen in people that work or spend large amounts of time outdoors without proper sun protection. Optometrists recommend that everyone should wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection when outdoors. Sometimes sunglasses with wrapped or thicker sides may be recommended.
Diabetes can affect the blood vessels throughout our body. The retina is at the back of the eye and is composed of cells which capture light to allow us to see. The retina is full of small blood vessels. Diabetes can make blood vessels leak, or become blocked, both of which can result in bleeding and fluid at the back of the eye resulting in vision loss.. While subtle changes to blood vessels are very common in diabetes, most people with diabetes don’t lose vision as long as they work with their medical team to manage their diabetes and have regular eye check ups.
Amblyopia is otherwise known as a ‘lazy eye’. We are not born with perfect vision. Our vision develops over the first 8-9 years of our lives as our eyes and brain experience our visual world. Amblyopia occurs because the brain decides to favour the person’s other eye. As a result, the eye with amblyopia is not capable of seeing as clearly as the person’s other eye even with best spectacle correction. There can be numerous reasons why the brain decides to prefer one eye. A common cause is due to a difference in the amount of long-sightedness, short-sightedness or astigmatism between the two eyes. Strabismus is another common cause of amblyopia. Strabismus, (otherwise known as a ‘turned eye’ ) is when the two eyes don’t always line up together as a team. One eye (sometimes it can alternate between the two eyes) may appear to turn inwards or outwards some or all of the time. It is very important that all preschool children have their eyes tested to screen for amblyopia and strabismus as early treatment is very important. If you ever suspect your child has a ‘turned’ or ‘lazy’ eye please seek urgent attention from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
We don’t just have tears when we cry. There is a tear film, or moisture layer that covers the front surface of the eye all the time. The tear film provides a nice smooth surface to the front of the eye to give clear vision and it lubricates and protects the eyeball. The tear film is composed of multiple layers, the largest is the aqueous (or watery) component. There are also oily layers which help attach the tear film to the eye and stabilise it to reduce evaporation of the eye. Some people with ‘dry eye’ have a reduction in the aqueous layer of the tear film or quantity of tears. Others have a reduction in the quality of the tear film due to instability of the oily components of the tear film. Many people have a combination of the two. Most people with dry eye don’t report that their eyes feel dry, in fact often they can be watery. People with dry eye can report symptoms such as gritty, burning,stinging, watery, red, tired and heavy eyes as well as blurred vision. Adequately treating dry eye requires proper diagnosis and a targeted and often multi-layered approach.
often appear like little spots, lines or shadows moving around in front of the vision. Sometimes people feel like there is a fly or spider web in front of their vision which they can’t remove. True floaters come from the vitreous, or jelly-like substance that fills the large cavity of the eye. They are due to cells, fibres or membranes in the jelly moving around and casting a shadow on the retinal cells at the back of the eye to capture what we see. Any new floaters should prompt an immediate visit to an optometrist or ophthalmologist as damage to the retina layers or eye inflammation can give a similar appearance but require urgent treatment. It is especially urgent if floaters are accompanied by the appearance of lights flashing on and off in the corner of the vision or any other visual changes or disturbances.