Top Causes of Eye Problems

Most people have eye problems at one time or another. Some are minor and will go away on their own, or are easy to treat at home. Others need a specialist’s care.

Eyestrain
Anyone who reads for hours, works at a computer, or drives long distances knows about this one. It happens when you overuse your eyes. They get tired and need to rest, just like any other part of your body.

Red Eyes
Your eyes look bloodshot. Why?

Their surface is covered in blood vessels that expand when they’re irritated or infected. That gives your eyes the red look.

Eyestrain can do it, and so can a late night, a lack of sleep, or allergies. If an injury is the cause, get it checked by your doctor.

Night Blindness
Is it hard to see at night, especially while driving? Is it tough to find your way around in dark places, such as movie theaters?

Some people are born with this problem, or it might develop from a degenerative disease involving the retina, and that usually can’t be treated. If you have it, you’ll need to be extra careful in areas of low light.

Colorblindness
When you can’t see certain colors, or can’t tell the difference between them (usually reds and greens), you may be colorblind. It happens when the color cells in your eye (the doctor will call them cone cells) are absent or don’t work.

When it’s most severe, you can only see in shades of gray, but this is rare. Most people who have it are born with it, but you can get it later in life from certain drugs and diseases. Your doctor can tell you what’s to blame. Men are much more likely to be born with it than women.

Dry Eyes
This happens when your eyes can't make enough good-quality tears. You might feel like something is in your eye or like it’s burning. Rarely, in severe cases, extreme dryness can lead to some loss of vision. Some treatments include:

Using a humidifier in your home
Special eye drops that work like real tears

Excess Tearing
It has nothing to do with your feelings. You might be sensitive to light, wind, or temperature changes. Try to protect your eyes by shielding them or wearing sunglasses (go for wraparound frames -- they block more wind than other types).

Cataracts
These are cloudy areas that develop in the eye lens.

A healthy lens is clear like a camera's. Light passes through it to your retina -- the back of your eye where images are processed. When you have a cataract, light can't get through as easily. The result: You can't see as well and may notice glare or a halo around lights at night.

Corneal Diseases
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped "window" at the front of your eye. It helps to focus the light that comes in. Disease, infection, injury, and exposure to toxins can damage it. Signs include:

Red eyes
Watery eyes
Pain