Vision related disease

Half of the Australian population reports a long-term eye problem. Almost 500,000 Australians are blind or have low vision, which impacts their ability to live independently.

An additional 300,000 Australians have glaucoma, although half of these cases are undiagnosed.

Our research has shown that many eye conditions have a strong genetic basis.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive eye condition that mainly affects older adults. It causes damage to the macula, the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision.

AMD can lead to a loss of central vision. This makes it difficult to read, drive, recognise faces, or perform tasks that require sharp vision. It is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness.

While we don’t fully understand what causes AMD, genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors are all thought to play a role.

You’re more at risk if you:

• are 50 or over
• have a family history of the condition
• smoke.

The symptoms for AMD can vary from person to person, but common symptoms include:

• blurred or distorted central vision
• difficulty recognising faces or reading
• dark or empty areas in the centre of vision
• changes in colour perception
• straight lines appearing wavy.

While AMD does not typically cause complete blindness, it can severely impair central vision. This affects daily activities.

AMD is prevalent in Australia. It’s most common in people aged 50 and older, so is expected to increase as our ageing population grows.

To preserve vision, it’s vital that AMD is detected early.

Treatment for AMD depends on the stage and type. There’s currently no treatment for early AMD, but you can lower your risk by eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which damage to the optic nerve causes vision loss. The loss of vision is usually slow and often starts with losing peripheral vision.

Once patients lose vision, this damage can’t be reversed or restored. Late detection of glaucoma is a major risk factor for blindness, so early detection is paramount.

Glaucoma is caused by an increase in eye pressure, which damages the optic nerve.

A healthy eye produces clear liquid called acqueous humour.

This fluid is secreted into the eye to provide nutrients and keep the eye in spherical shape.

Fluid drains through the trabecular meshwork near the cornea. If fluid can’t drain quickly enough, pressure in the eye increases. This can damage the optic nerve.

The optic nerve sends visual information from your eye to your brain, so is vital for good vision. As this nerve gradually deteriorates, blind spots develop in your vision.

In some cases, glaucoma can develop in people with normal eye pressure.

Glaucoma can affect anyone, but those with a family history are more at risk.

Glaucoma is a particularly challenging condition to diagnose. There may not be any symptoms of glaucoma at first, or they can develop so slowly that they’re hard to detect. People generally first lose their peripheral, or side, vision. As the condition progresses, it becomes more obvious that vision has been lost.

Without treatment, glaucoma can cause blindness.

One in 30 Australians has glaucoma. However, some people only find out when they go to the optometrist for a general eye check.

There are three main treatments for glaucoma:

• prescription eye drops, which lower the pressure in the eye and prevent damage to the optic nerve
• laser treatment, which can help drain fluid from the eye and lower pressure
• if neither of these treatments is effective, surgery to implant a shunt (drainage tube) can help lower the pressure in the eye.

Myopia is an eye condition that’s also known as short-sightedness. For those with myopia, light entering the eye focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This causes distant objects to be blurry, while close objects are clear.

It can range from mild to severe, with higher degrees of myopia resulting in more significant blurriness of distant objects.

While we don’t fully understand what causes myopia, it’s believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. You’re more at risk if:

• you have a family history of myopia
• you read, use the computer, or focus on close objects for long periods
• you spent less time outdoors as a child, with limited exposure to natural light.

Myopia can affect people of all ages, but often begins during childhood or adolescence. It may get worse as a person gets older. Its prevalence varies among different populations and regions.

The main symptom is being able to see close objects clearly but having difficulty seeing things at a distance. Other symptoms include:

• blurry vision when looking at distant objects
• squinting to see distant objects more clearly
• frequent eye strain or headaches, especially when you need to focus on distant objects
• difficulty seeing clearly while driving, watching TV, or playing sports.

Myopia is prevalent in Australia and is becoming more common, especially in children and adolescents.

Myopia can be managed and corrected by prescription glasses, contact lenses, and laser eye surgery.