Common Eye Problems and What They Look Like

Very commonly, a stye or chalazion arises when glands in the eyelids are blocked, leading to a build-up of secretions or oily material. Such conditions can be treated with good outcomes.

The cornea is coated and protected by a tear film, and abnormalities in the tear film give rise to dry eye disease. Contact lens overuse also results in tear film abnormalities.

Refractive surgeries like LASIK modify the shape of the cornea and alter its refracting properties.

Such signs may indicate disorders in the nerve-brain pathways and always warrants a need for thorough and semi-urgent evaluation.

A cataract occurs when the lens becomes cloudy, and cataract surgery in Singapore involves the replacement of the cloudy lens with an artificial plastic lens implant. The new lens implant resides within the capsule.

The ciliary body is a muscle from which the lens is suspended. The focussing ability of the lens from distance to near or vice versa is altered when the ciliary body muscle changes its shape. Presbyopia (“lao hua”) occurs when we get older as this muscle weakens and cannot effectively alter the focussing capacity of the lens for near visual tasks, e.g. reading.

A retinal detachment occurs when the retina peels off the wall of the eye, much like wall paper peeling off the wall. It develops from an untreated retinal tear. This is an emergency that requires prompt treatment to prevent vision loss.

Epiretinal membranes which form on the macular surface occurs with aging, and causes blurry and distorted central vision. The treatment involves keyhole surgery to remove the membranel.

Early detection and treatment of glaucoma is important to preserve your sight.

Optic disc swelling occurs due to a sudden interruption of blood supply to the disc, in inflammatory conditions, or from problems like tumors and bleeds in the brain.

The optic nerve may be involved in inflammatory disease.

Conditions affecting the brain and nerve connections to these muscles, manifesting as difficulty with eye movements, may signal life-threatening diseases in the brain, and certainly need a thorough evaluation.