Eye Disease Symptoms

There are two main kinds of eye symptoms: those that indicate an eyesight or vision problem, and those that are symptomatic of other diseases and conditions that may be present elsewhere in the body. We'll cover symptoms of common eye diseases, conditions and illnesses on this page. Vision problems are covered elsewhere on this website.

Eye pain as a symptom of eye diseases is covered in a separate article. Click on eye pain.

Cataracts Cataracts occur when there are changes in clarity of the natural lens inside the eye. Cataracts gradually reduce the quality of a person's eyesight because they can block or distort light passing through the lens.

Symptoms of cataracts include

• blurred vision
• cloudy vision
• difficulty with glare (often with bright sun or automobile headlights while driving at night)
• double vision in one eye
• dulled color vision
• frequent changes in eyeglass prescription
• increased nearsightedness

So called "second sight" a phenomenon which causes a person's reading vision to improve as they age. However the improvement is caused by their increased nearsightedness from swelling of the cataract.

Glaucoma The most common types of glaucoma are acute angle-closure glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma. They have very different symptoms.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma symptoms include:

• blurred vision,
• lights will sometimes appear to have halos around them,
• nausea,
• redness of the eye,
• severe eye pain,
• visual disturbances that come on suddenly, often in low light situations,
• vomiting.

Primary open-angle glaucoma signs and symptoms include:

• a gradual loss of peripheral vision, which usually occurs in both eyes,
• in the advanced stages, the person begins to experience tunnel vision.

Macular Degeneration The macula is a layer of tissue that is part of the retina in the back of the eye. Macular degeneration occurs, as the name suggests, when the macula begins to deteriorate, often due to advancing age. People over the age of sixty are more at risk for this condition than other age groups.

• gray or black colored spots,
• blind spots, or a blurry spot in the center of vision,
• difficulty reading print or road signs,
• performing tasks in dim light may become more difficult.

Macular degeneration is also often referred to as ARMD or age related macular degeneration.

Conjunctivitis or pink eye (often spelled "Pinkeye") Conjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye or pinkeye, is a temporary illness caused by inflammation of the conjunctiva (the thin, clear tissue that lies over the white part of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid). When someone has pink eye, there is a pronounced redness or pinkish color in the white of the eye or inner eyelid.

Here are other symptoms of conjunctivitis:

• thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep,
• green or white discharge from the eye,
• blurred vision,
• a burning sensation in the eye or eyes,
• tearing. The eye will produce more tears than usual,
• increased sensitivity to light.
• itchy eyes.

There are, literally, hundreds of diseases and conditions that present eye symptoms, even though there's no problem with the eye itself.

You'll find more information about eye disease symptoms in these books