Common Eye Conditions

We know that today, almost three quarters of the people living in the UK wear either spectacles or contact lenses or at some time have had laser corrective surgery.

You can help to keep your eyes in good working order by not smoking and eating a good diet with plenty of green, leafy vegetables.

Sometimes your eyes could be affected by illnesses or conditions you were born with or which can change as you grow older.

Problems with your eyesight can develop at any time in your life, but you’re more likely to have a problem if you are over 40.

Conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataract are all more frequent in older people. You are also at increased risk if there are eye conditions in your family, and people from African-Caribbean and South Asian ethnic groups have a higher risk.

Wearing the wrong prescription in your glasses isn’t bad for you but if you are in an at-risk group you should have your eyes checked regularly, probably at least every year or so. That means if you do develop a condition, it can be caught and treated early.

In this section you can read about some common eye conditions.