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Eye Diseases
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/eyediseases.html

Eye Diseases

On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Related Issues
  • Specifics
  • Genetics

See, Play and Learn

  • Images

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Reference Desk
  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Children
  • Teenagers
  • Older Adults
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

What diseases can affect the eye?

Even if your eyes feel healthy, you could have a problem and not know it. That's why regular eye exams are so important. Refractive errors are the most common type of vision problem that makes it hard to see clearly. But some eye conditions or diseases don't have any symptoms and can lead to a permanent loss of vision.

Some common eye diseases and conditions include:

  • Cataracts, which happens when the clear lens in the front of your eye becomes cloudy. Cataracts are common as you get older and can lead to vision loss.
  • Optic nerve disorders, which includes glaucoma. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside your eyes slowly rises.
  • Retinal disorders, which are problems with the nerve layer at the back of your eye.
  • Macular degeneration, which is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision.
  • Diabetic eye problems, which can cause vision loss and blindness.
  • Conjunctivitis, which is an infection also known as pink eye. It can cause pink or red itchy eyes. Some types of pink eye can spread very easily.

What are the symptoms of eye diseases?

Some eye conditions and diseases do not always have symptoms. Early detection through a comprehensive dilated eye exam could help your eye care provider detect diseases in the early stages. Proper treatment could help slow or prevent vision loss.

Get regular eye exams and call your eye care professional right away if you notice any of these symptoms:

  • A sudden change in vision
  • Everything looks dim
  • Flashes of light
  • Eye pain
  • Double vision
  • Fluid coming from your eye
  • Inflammation (swelling)

Who is more likely to develop eye diseases?

Getting older increases your risk of some eye diseases. Other things that may put you at a higher risk of some eye diseases can include if you:

  • Are overweight or obese
  • Have a family history of eye disease
  • Are African American, Hispanic, or Native American
  • Have certain health conditions such as Diabetic eye problems, or high blood pressure

What are the treatments for eye diseases?

Treatment may depend on the eye condition or disease but can include:

  • A new prescription for eyeglasses or contacts
  • Use of bright lights or magnifying lenses for reading and other activities
  • Medicines
  • Prescription eye drops or ointments
  • Laser treatment
  • Surgery

Depending on your eye condition or disease, treatment may slow vision loss but may not restore vision. Talk to your provider about what treatment is best for you.

Can eye diseases be prevented?

Your best defense is to have regular checkups. Be sure to tell your provider if any eye diseases run in your family.

You can also help take care of your vision by making lifestyle changes to lower your risk of health conditions that can cause vision problems. This could include by:

  • Protecting your eyes from the sun
  • Wearing protective eyewear while using tools or playing certain sports
  • Getting regular physical activity
  • Staying at a healthy weight
  • Quitting smoking (or not starting)
  • Eating a healthy diet

NIH: National Eye Institute

Start Here

  • About Common Eye Disorders and Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Symptoms

  • Eye Symptoms (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Dilating Eye Drops (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Eye Exam and Vision Testing Basics (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Eye Problems: Symptom Checker Flowchart (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Get a Dilated Eye Exam From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Get an Eye Disease Screening at 40 (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Getting Professional Eye Care (Prevent Blindness America)
  • Vision Screening From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Foods for Eye Health (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Treatments and Therapies

  • Enucleation (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • How to Use Eye Drops (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) - PDF
  • How to Use Eye Ointments and Gels Properly (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) - PDF

Living With

  • Diet and Nutrition (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Abnormal Head Position (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Floaters (Eye Floaters) (Prevent Blindness America)
  • Headaches in Children (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • How Do Smoking and Vaping Damage the Eyes? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Inflammation of the Orbit (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
  • Neurofibromatosis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Ocular Hypertension (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Red Eye (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • What Is an Ocular Migraine? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • What's Your Risk of Eye Damage from UV Light? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Specifics

  • Aniridia (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Choroideremia (Foundation Fighting Blindness)
  • Coloboma From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Holmes-Adie Syndrome From the National Institutes of Health (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
  • Iritis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Kearns-Sayre Syndrome From the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences)
  • Leukocoria (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Toxoplasmosis (and the Eye) (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • What Is a Pinguecula and a Pterygium (Surfer's Eye)? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Wildfire Smoke and Burning Eyes: 5 Ways to Cope (American Academy of Ophthalmology)

Genetics

  • Aniridia: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Autosomal dominant vitreoretinochoroidopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Blau syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Coloboma: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Congenital stromal corneal dystrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Fraser syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Gillespie syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Isolated ectopia lentis: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Kearns-Sayre syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Lattice corneal dystrophy type I: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Lowe syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Microphthalmia: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Norrie disease: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Oculocutaneous albinism: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Oculofaciocardiodental syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • RAB18 deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • WAGR syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Weill-Marchesani syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Images

  • Eye Disease Simulations From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute)
  • Flashes and Floaters (VisualDX)

Statistics and Research

  • Eye Health Data and Statistics From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Diseases From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Thyroid hormone signaling in ocular development and diseases.
  • Article: Perilesional dominance: radiomics of multiparametric MRI enhances differentiation of IgG4-Related ophthalmic...
  • Article: Is Artificial Intelligence an accurate tool for improving access to ophthalmological...
  • Eye Diseases -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • How the Eyes Work From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
  • NEI for Kids: Glossary From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute)

Find an Expert

  • American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
  • American Foundation for the Blind
  • Find an Ophthalmologist (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
  • Finding an Eye Doctor From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute)
  • National Eye Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • About the Eye From the National Institutes of Health Video (National Eye Institute)
  • Anisocoria and Horner's Syndrome (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Anophthalmia and Microphthalmia From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Excessive Blinking in Children (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Photoscreening (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Subconjunctival Hemorrhage (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Warning Signs of Vision Problems in Infants and Children (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Your Eyes (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Taking Care of Your Vision (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

  • The Aging Eye From the National Institutes of Health (National Eye Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Anisocoria (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Choroidal dystrophies (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Coloboma of the iris (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Episcleritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Eye and orbit ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Eye burning - itching and discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Eye pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Eye redness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Fluorescein angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Fluorescein eye stain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Heterochromia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Ophthalmoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Orbit CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Orbital pseudotumor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Photophobia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Pinguecula (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Pterygium (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Pupil - white spots (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Scleritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Slit-lamp exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Standard eye exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Subconjunctival hemorrhage (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Uveitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Eye Diseases

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Aging changes in the senses
  • Anisocoria
  • Choroidal dystrophies
  • Coloboma of the iris
  • Episcleritis
  • Eye and orbit ultrasound
  • Eye burning - itching and discharge
  • Eye pain
  • Eye redness
  • Eyes - bulging
  • Fluorescein angiography
  • Fluorescein eye stain
  • Heterochromia
  • Ophthalmoscopy
  • Orbit CT scan
  • Orbital pseudotumor
  • Photophobia
  • Pinguecula
  • Pterygium
  • Pupil - white spots
  • Scleritis
  • Slit-lamp exam
  • Standard eye exam
  • Subconjunctival hemorrhage
  • Uveitis

Related Health Topics

  • Amblyopia
  • Cataract
  • Color Blindness
  • Corneal Disorders
  • Diabetic Eye Problems
  • Eye Cancer
  • Eye Care
  • Eye Infections
  • Eye Injuries
  • Eye Movement Disorders
  • Eye Wear
  • Eyelid Disorders
  • Glaucoma
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Optic Nerve Disorders
  • Pink Eye
  • Refractive Errors
  • Retinal Detachment
  • Retinal Disorders
  • Tears
  • Vision Impairment and Blindness

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Eye Diseases is the National Eye Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Eye Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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