Eye diseases

Macular degeneration occurs when the part of the eye responsible for central vision - what you see when you look straight ahead – is unable to function as well as it used to. The centre of the image appears blurred while the peripheral vision remains intact. The condition is most common in people over the age of 50.

If you have red, itchy eyes, sometimes accompanied by a sticky coating on the eyelashes, you may have conjunctivitis. It usually clears itself up within a couple of weeks. If it persists, seek medical advice.

This eye disease develops when the fluid in the eyeball cannot drain properly and pressure builds up. The pressure can damage the optic nerve (which connects your eye to your brain) and the nerve fibers from the retina (the light-sensitive nerve tissue at the back of your eye), which can cause permanent vision loss. Risk factors for glaucoma include a family history of the condition, migraines, high blood pressure and obesity. If treated early, it is possible to slow or stop the progression of the disease with medication, laser treatment or surgery.

This is a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea begins to weaken and becomes more cone-shaped. This cone shape deflects light as it enters the eye, causing increasing nearsightedness and problems with distorted and blurred vision. Keratoconus can occur in one or both eyes and often begins during a person's teens or early 20s. There are several causes of keratoconus, including genetic predisposition and overexposure to ultraviolet rays.