Vision Problems

What are vision defects?

Visual defects are pathologies that cause impaired vision. Among the types of defects we find refractive anomalies, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia, decreased visual acuity, such as Horton’s disease, cataracts, chronic glaucoma, optic neuritis, and blurred vision, which may be due to various pathologies such as keratitis, retinitis or acute glaucoma.

Refractive errors occur when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing directly on the retina. Aging of the crystalline lens, changes in the shape of the cornea or the depth of the eyeball can cause refractive errors. A large part of the population has some of the diseases mentioned above.

Ophthalmologic problems cause alteration in vision.

Symptoms of visual defects

Among the most common symptoms of visual defects we find:

• Double vision
• Blurred vision
• Glaring light or halos around bright lights
• Squinting to see
• Headaches
• Visual fatigue
• Change in iris color
• Eye pain
• Dry eyes
• Iris color change

Diagnosis for visual defects

Among the examinations to undergo to make a correct diagnosis of visual defects we find the visit to the ophthalmologist for the measurement of visual acuity, biomicroscopy, visual field, OCT and pupillometry. On many occasions people who have a refractive error visit the ophthalmologist for reasons of visual discomfort or blurred vision. However, many of these people are unaware that they could have much healthier eyesight than they do.

Treatments for vision defects

Treatments for visual defects vary according to the pathology that has affected the eye. Myopia, for example, can be treated surgically, while hyperopia and astigmatism are corrected with corrective lenses. The treatments for each eye pathology are explained below.

• Myopia: depending on the degree of myopia, it can be treated in different ways:
  • Glasses
  • Contact lenses
  • Refractive surgery, which reduces or even eliminates the need for the two previous techniques. The most common techniques are PRK and Lasik.
• Farsightedness: Children and younger adults do not always need glasses to correct farsightedness because their eyes are able to adapt. However, adults will need glasses or contact lenses to adjust their vision. Adults who are interested in becoming independent of glasses may opt for laser refractive surgery to correct their vision.
• Presbyopia: There is no definitive treatment for eyestrain, but there are techniques to compensate for the loss of focusing ability. The most common is glasses, and there are different types of lenses depending on the case:
  • Bifocal lenses: for distance and near vision.
  • Trifocal lenses, for short, medium and long distance focusing.
  • Progressive lenses; the upper part of the lens is for distance vision, the lower part for near vision and the central part covers all distances.
  • Occupational lenses: for short and medium distances; especially suitable for people who spend many hours in front of the computer.
    • Even so, surgery is increasingly resorted to in order to put an end to the problem of eyestrain. For this purpose, there are different techniques:
  • Laser surgery: through which the cornea is molded to increase the depth of focus and thus compensate for the loss of focusing ability.
  • Intracorneal lens implantation: these are placed in the cornea and affect the corneal curvature to combat the inability to accommodate.
  • Intraocular lens implantation: the crystalline lens is replaced by an intraocular lens, which can be monofocal, bifocal or trifocal, depending on the distance needed.
• Cataracts: the only possible treatment to cure the cataract and recover correct vision is to perform surgery to remove it, although it is only recommended when the patient suffers such severe discomfort that he/she cannot continue his/her daily life normally, even when wearing glasses. The operation to correct cataracts is based on the extraction of the area of the crystalline lens that is damaged and its replacement by an intraocular lens.
• Glaucoma: although the vision that decreases due to this disease cannot be recovered, the progression of glaucoma can be prevented by lowering the intraocular pressure. This can be done, depending on the patient and medical recommendations, with the administration of drugs, laser techniques or non-invasive surgery. Treatment depends on the type of glaucoma the patient has:
  • Open-angle glaucoma:
    • Eye drops.
    • Pills to lower the pressure in the eye.
    • Laser therapy: A painless laser is used to open the channels through which the fluid exits. This treatment is applied when eye drops have not worked. If drops and laser treatment do not work, you may need surgery.
  • Angle-closure glaucoma:
    • You may be given drops, pills, and medications through a vein (intravenously) to lower your eye pressure.
    • Some people also need an emergency operation, called an iridotomy. The doctor uses a laser to open a new channel in the iris. Sometimes this is done with surgery. The new channel relieves the attack and will prevent another attack.
  • Congenital glaucoma:
    • By surgery: this is done under general anesthesia.

Which specialist should be consulted?

In case of visual defects, it is necessary to go to a specialist in Ophthalmology. At Top Doctors, patients can find the specialist who best suits their medical needs through a wide medical directory.