Know the Signs: Five Signs of a Degenerative Eye Disease

Our vision is probably the most important sense we have because it allows us to see our surroundings. Losing the vision in our eyes is devastating, and it can truly affect a person’s quality of life. Degenerative eye disease is a common ailment that affects a person’s vision. Nonetheless, complete blindness isn’t the end result of this disease. Degenerative eye disease usually targets older adults, but younger people can also be affected by this problem. Here are five examples of common warning signs of muscular degeneration:

You Need More Light

If you have difficulty reading or recognizing faces in low-light, then that’s a warning sign of this disease. It occurs when the rods and cones face a certain amount of damage. Many people have trouble reading in low light, however if low light distorts your vision and you can hardly see without bright, blaring lights, then you may have a problem. This is one of the first warning signs.

Blurred Vision

Diagnosing degenerative eye disease can be difficult because it’s a painless condition and its symptoms can be confused for regular eye problems. Unfortunately, getting adequate treatment for this condition is highly imperative because someone can lose a great deal of their vision. One of the first signs of degenerative eye disease is blurred vision. Simple everyday activities such as reading or spotting something from a distance can become harder because of the blurring. As the disease progresses, though, the blurring becomes more serious. Seeing a blurred spot in the center of your eye signifies that the problem is in its severe stages. In order to avoid being in the advanced stages of the disease, it’s crucial to visit an ophthalmologist when you start experiencing problems in your eyes.

Distortion

Another common symptom of degenerative eye disease is the distortion of images. According to optometry specialists of The Eyewear Place, who provide those in Edmonton with contact lenses, a healthy individual is able to recognize lines easily, but someone with an eye illness can see wavy, blurred lines instead of straight ones. To prevent further damage, your eye doctor can inject the spot with special medicine and apply a dose of antioxidants to help with the damage.

Hemorrhage

In advanced states of this disease, people can experience minor bleeding in the affected eye. The blood vessels in the eye become damaged with this disease, so they bleed and release fluid, which, in turn, causes damage to the rods and cones. If you experience bleeding, it’s important to get medical attention to avoid further damage.

Less Vivid Color

Another symptom of this disease is that colors will look less vivid. Overtime, some people even become color blind. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to reverse this symptom, but doctors can try to prevent further damage which is why it’s important to contact your doctor if you notice this problem in yourself.

Now, you don’t need to panic if you have experienced one or two of these symptoms at some point. However, if any or all of these symptoms are continually effecting you, you definitely want to talk with your optometrist. Living with this condition can be difficult, but catching it in its early stages will help prevent further damage.