Eyesight Weak - Symptoms, Risk factors and Treatment

Weak eyesight is a condition when you can not see objects clearly. It is mainly of two types;

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness 

Nearsightedness 

Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a condition in which you can only see objects that are near to your eyes, and things that are placed far appear blurry. It may develop gradually or rapidly, often worsening during adolescence or childhood. Often it runs in families. To confirm its diagnosis, you need to get a regular eye examination done. It can be corrected through contact lenses, powered glasses, or refractive surgery. 

Symptoms

Nearsightedness may cause;

• The objects placed far may seem blurry
• Headaches because you strain your eyes
• Difficulty seeing objects placed far
• You need to partially close your eyes to see the distant objects

Children who have nearsightedness may;

• Rub their eyes
• Blink excessively
• Sit near the television, computer screen, and board in class.

Causes

Your eyes have two parts;

Cornea - the dome-shaped, clear surface of your eye

Lens - a clear structure, rounded in shape

Both cornea and lens have a perfectly smooth curvature like that of a marble surface. They refract all the incoming light to make a focused sharp image at the back of your eye, directly on the retina. A refractive error can occur if your cornea or lens is not smoothly curved. Nearsightedness occurs when light is focused in front of your retina, instead of being directly on it. Eventually, this results in the blurry appearance of distant objects.

Farsightedness

Farsightedness or hyperopia is a condition in which you can see distant objects clearly but nearby objects may appear blurry. It can occur in children at the time of birth or as you age. Usually, it runs in families. To confirm its diagnosis, you need to get a regular eye examination done. It can be corrected through contact lenses, powered glasses, or refractive surgery. 

Symptoms 

Farsightedness may cause;

The objects placed close may seem to be blurry

Headaches when you write, use a computer or draw any object because you strain your eyes.

Difficulty seeing objects placed close to your eyes.

You need to partially squint your eyes to see the closed objects.

Causes

Your eyes have two parts;

Cornea- the dome-shaped, clear surface of your eye

Lens- a clear structure, rounded in shape

Both cornea and lens have a perfectly smooth curvature like that of a marble surface. They refract all the incoming light to make a focused sharp image at the back of your eye, directly on the retina. A refractive error can occur if your cornea or lens is not smoothly curved. Farsightedness occurs when light is focused on the back of your retina, instead of being directly on it. Eventually, this results in the blurry appearance of close objects.

Treatment 

Treatment for near and farsightedness are;

Eyeglasses- this is a safe and easy way to get rid of weak eyesight. There are various types of lenses used in glasses to rectify refractive disorders. 

Contact lenses- these are thin lenses that you wear directly on your eyes. They can be of various materials and designs like;

Soft or rigid

Gas permeable- spherical, toric, multifocal, and monovision designs

Consult your healthcare provider about the type of lens you should wear. They can help you in choosing the right lens according to your condition. 

Conclusion 

Weak eyesight can be farsightedness or nearsightedness. The good news is that both the conditions are treatable and hardly cause any major complications. It occurs due to refractive errors in your eyes that can be corrected through glasses, lens, or surgery.