The symptoms can start so slowly that you may not notice them. The only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

There’s no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.

Over time, you may slowly lose vision, usually starting with your side (peripheral) vision — especially the part of your vision that’s closest to your nose. Because it happens so slowly, many people can’t tell that their vision is changing, especially at first.

But as the disease gets worse, you may start to notice that you can’t see things off to the side anymore. Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually cause blindness.

• Are over age 60
• Are African American or Hispanic/Latino and over age 40
• Have a family history of glaucoma

Talk with your doctor about your risk for glaucoma, and ask how often you need to get checked.

• Intense eye pain
• Upset stomach (nausea)
• Red eye
• Blurry vision

If you have these symptoms, go to your doctor or an emergency room now.

Some people with high eye pressure don’t get glaucoma — and there’s a type of glaucoma that happens in people with normal eye pressure

The amount of eye pressure that’s normal varies by person — what’s normal for one person could be high for another

If you have glaucoma, it’s important to start treatment right away. While it won’t undo any damage to your vision, treatment can stop it from getting worse.

Medicines. Prescription eye drops are the most common treatment. They lower the pressure in your eye and prevent damage to your optic nerve.

Laser treatment. To lower pressure in your eye, doctors can use lasers to help the fluid drain out of your eye. It’s a simple procedure that your doctor can do in the office.

Surgery. If medicines and laser treatment don’t work, your doctor might suggest surgery. There are several different types of surgery that can help the fluid drain out of your eye.

Talk over your options with your doctor. While glaucoma is a serious disease, treatment works well. Remember these tips:

• If your doctor prescribes medicine, be sure to take it every day
• Tell your doctor if your treatment causes side effects
• See your doctor for regular check-ups
• If you’re having trouble with everyday activities because of your vision loss, ask your doctor about low vision services or devices that could help
• Encourage family members to get checked for glaucoma, since it can run in families

It’s called “lazy eye” because the stronger eye works better. But people with amblyopia are not lazy, and they can’t control the way their eyes work.

Amblyopia starts in childhood, and it’s the most common cause of vision loss in kids. Up to 3 out of 100 children have it. The good news is that early treatment works well and usually prevents long-term vision problems.

Squinting

Shutting 1 eye

Tilting their head

In many cases, parents don’t know their child has amblyopia until a doctor diagnoses it during an eye exam. That’s why it’s important for all kids to get a vision screening at least once between ages 3 and 5.

Were born early (premature)

Were smaller than average at birth

Have a family history of amblyopia, childhood cataracts, or other eye conditions

Have developmental disabilities

Normally, the brain uses nerve signals from both eyes to see. But if an eye condition makes vision in 1 eye worse, the brain may try to work around it. It starts to “turn off” signals from the weaker eye and rely only on the stronger eye.

nearsightedness (having trouble seeing far away)

farsightedness (having trouble seeing things up close)

astigmatism (which can cause blurry vision). 

Normally, these problems are easy to fix with glasses or contacts. But if they’re not treated, the brain may start to rely more on the eye with stronger vision.

Strabismus. Usually, the eyes move together as a pair. But in kids with strabismus, the eyes don’t line up. One eye might drift in, out, up, or down.

Cataract. This causes cloudiness in the lens of the eye, making things look blurry. While most cataracts happen in older people, babies and children 

How will my child’s doctor check for amblyopia?

As part of a normal vision screening, your child’s doctor will look for signs of amblyopia. All kids ages 3 to 5 need to have their vision checked at least once.

What’s the treatment for amblyopia?

If there’s a vision problem causing amblyopia, the doctor may treat that first. For example, doctors may recommend glasses or contacts (for kids who are nearsighted or farsighted) or surgery (for kids with cataract).

The next step is to re-train the brain and force it to use the weaker eye. The more the brain uses it, the stronger it gets. Treatments include:

Wearing an eye patch on the stronger eye. By covering up this eye with a stick-on eye patch (similar to a Band-Aid), the brain has to use the weaker eye to see. Some kids only need to wear the patch for 2 hours a day, while others may need to wear it whenever they’re awake.

Putting special eye drops in the stronger eye. A once-a-day drop of the drug atropine can temporarily blur near vision, which forces the brain to use the other eye. For some kids, this treatment works as well as an eye patch, and some parents find it easier to use (for example, because young children may try to pull off eye patches).

After your child starts treatment, their vision may start to get better within a few weeks. But it will probably take months to get the best results. After that, your child may still need to use these treatments from time to time to stop amblyopia from coming back.

It’s important to start treating children with amblyopia early — the sooner the better. Kids who grow up without treatment may have lifelong vision problems. Amblyopia treatment is usually less effective in adults than in children.

If you have diabetes, it’s important for you to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Diabetic retinopathy may not have any symptoms at first — but finding it early can help you take steps to protect your vision. 

Managing your diabetes — by staying physically active, eating healthy, and taking your medicine — can also help you prevent or delay vision loss. 

Cataracts. Having diabetes makes you 2 to 5 times more likely to develop cataracts. It also makes you more likely to get them at a younger age. Learn more about cataracts. 

Open-angle glaucoma. Having diabetes nearly doubles your risk of developing a type of glaucoma called open-angle glaucoma. Learn more about glaucoma. 

In later stages of the disease, blood vessels in the retina start to bleed into the vitreous (gel-like fluid in the center of the eye). If this happens, you may see dark, floating spots or streaks that look like cobwebs. Sometimes, the spots clear up on their own — but it’s important to get treatment right away. Without treatment, the bleeding can happen again, get worse, or cause scarring.

Diabetic macular edema (DME). Over time, about half of people with diabetic retinopathy will develop DME. DME happens when blood vessels in the retina leak fluid, causing swelling in the macula (a part of the retina). If you have DME, your vision will become blurry because of the extra fluid in your macula.  

Neovascular glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow out of the retina and block fluid from draining out of the eye. This causes a type of glaucoma.

Retinal detachment. Diabetic retinopathy can cause scars to form in the back of your eye. When the scars pull your retina away from the back of your eye, it’s called tractional retinal detachment.

Your risk increases the longer you have diabetes. More than 2 in 5 Americans with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. The good news is that you can lower your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy by controlling your diabetes.  

Women with diabetes who become pregnant — or women who develop gestational diabetes — are at high risk for getting diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes and are pregnant, have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Ask your doctor if you’ll need additional eye exams during your pregnancy. 

Diabetes damages blood vessels all over the body. The damage to your eyes starts when sugar blocks the tiny blood vessels that go to your retina, causing them to leak fluid or bleed. To make up for these blocked blood vessels, your eyes then grow new blood vessels that don’t work well. These new blood vessels can leak or bleed easily. 

If you have diabetes, it’s very important to get regular eye exams. If you do develop diabetic retinopathy, early treatment can stop the damage and prevent blindness.  

If your eye doctor thinks you may have severe diabetic retinopathy or DME, they may do a test called a fluorescein angiogram. This test lets the doctor see pictures of the blood vessels in your retina. 

Managing your diabetes is the best way to lower your risk of diabetic retinopathy. That means keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. You can do this by getting regular physical activity, eating healthy, and carefully following your doctor’s instructions for your insulin or other diabetes medicines.  

To help control your blood sugar, you’ll need a special test called an A1c test. This test shows your average blood sugar level over a 3-month period. Talk with your doctor about lowering your A1c level to help prevent or manage diabetic retinopathy.

Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol along with diabetes increases your risk for diabetic retinopathy. So controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol can also help lower your risk for vision loss.

In later stages, it’s important to start treatment right away — especially if you experience changes in your vision. While it won’t undo any damage to your vision, treatment can stop your vision from getting worse. It’s also important to take steps to control your diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

Injections. Medicines called anti-VEGF drugs can slow down or reverse diabetic retinopathy.

Other medicines, called corticosteroids, can also help.

Laser treatment. To reduce swelling in your retina, eye doctors can use lasers to make the blood vessels shrink and stop leaking.

Eye surgery. If your retina is bleeding a lot or you have a lot of scars in your eye, your eye doctor may recommend a type of surgery called a vitrectomy.

Usually, color blindness runs in families. There’s no cure, but special glasses and contact lenses can help. Most people who are color blind are able to adjust and don’t have problems with everyday activities.

The difference between colors

How bright colors are

Different shades of colors

Symptoms of color blindness are often so mild that you may not notice them. And since we get used to the way we see colors, many people with color blindness don’t know they have it.

People with very serious cases of color blindness might have other symptoms, too — like quick side-to-side eye movements (nystagmus) or sensitivity to light.

Have a family history of color blindness

Have certain eye diseases, like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Have certain health problems, like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple sclerosis (MS)

Take certain medicines

Get your child tested if they have a family history of color blindness or if they seem to be having trouble learning colors.

Ask your child’s eye doctor to test them. You also may be able to get your child tested at school.

Color blindness can also happen because of damage to your eye or your brain. And color vision may get worse as you get older — often because of cataracts (cloudy areas in the lens of the eye).

About 1 in 12 men are color blind

How can I find out if I have color blindness?

Your eye doctor can usually use a simple test to tell you if you’re color blind.

During the test, your eye doctor will show you a circle made of many different colored dots. The circle has a shape inside it that’s made out of dots — like a number, a letter, or a squiggly line. This shape is easy to see if you don’t have color blindness, but people who are color blind have a hard time seeing it.

There’s no cure for color blindness that’s passed down in families, but most people find ways to adjust to it. Children with color blindness may need help with some classroom activities, and adults with color blindness may not be able to do certain jobs, like being a pilot or graphic designer. Keep in mind that most of the time, color blindness doesn’t cause serious problems.

If your color blindness is happening because of another health problem, your doctor will treat the condition that’s causing the problem. If you’re taking a medicine that causes color blindness, your doctor may adjust how much you take or suggest you switch to a different medicine.

If color blindness is causing problems with everyday tasks, there are devices and technology that can help, including:

Glasses and contacts. Special contact lenses and glasses may help people who are color blind tell the difference between colors.

Visual aids. You can use visual aids, apps, and other technology to help you live with color blindness. For example, you can use an app to take a photo with your phone or tablet and then tap on part of the photo to find out the color of that area.

Dry eye is common — it affects millions of Americans every year. The good news is that if you have dry eye, there are lots of things you can do to keep your eyes healthy and stay comfortable.

A scratchy feeling, like there’s something in your eye

Stinging or burning feelings in your eye

Red eyes

Sensitivity to light

Blurry vision

Am I at risk for dry eye?

Anyone can get dry eye, but you might be more likely to have dry eye if you:

Are age 50 or older

Are female

Wear contact lenses

Don’t get enough vitamin A (found in foods like carrots, broccoli, and liver) or omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, walnuts, and vegetable oils)

Have certain autoimmune conditions, like lupus or Sjögren syndrome

Your glands don’t make enough tears to keep your eyes wet

Your tears dry up too fast

Your tears just don’t work well to keep your eyes wet

Learn more about the causes of dry eye

How will my eye doctor check for dry eye?

Your doctor can check for dry eye as part of a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

To find out if you have dry eye, your doctor might check:

The amount of tears your eyes make

How long it takes for your tears to dry up

The structure of your eyelids

Learn more about the tests for dry eye

Dry eye can happen if you spend a lot of time looking at your computer, tablet, or smart phone

If severe dry eye isn’t treated, it can sometimes damage your cornea, the clear outer layer of your eye

Over-the-counter eye drops. The most common treatment for mild dry eye is a type of eye drops called artificial tears. You can get these eye drops without a prescription. There are also over-the-counter moisturizing gels and ointments that may help your eyes feel better.

Prescription medicines. If your dry eye is more serious, your eye doctor may give you a prescription for medicines called cyclosporine (Restasis) or lifitegrast (Xiidra). These medicines are both types of eye drops that can help your eyes make more tears.

Lifestyle changes. If something in your life or your environment is causing your dry eye, or making it worse, your doctor may suggest changes to help protect your eyes.

For example, if a medicine you take for another health condition is causing dry eye, your doctor may also suggest that you try a different medicine.

Use a humidifier to keep the air in your home from getting too dry

Limit screen time and take breaks from staring at screens

Wear wraparound sunglasses when you’re outside

Drink plenty of water — try for 8 to 10 glasses every day

Get enough sleep — about 7 to 8 hours a night

Tear duct plugs. If tears are draining too quickly from your eyes, your doctor may suggest putting special plugs (called punctal plugs) in your tear ducts (small holes in the inner corners of your eyes). These plugs can help keep your tears in your eyes.

Surgery. In some cases, dry eye can happen because your lower eyelids are too loose, causing tears to drain too quickly out of your eye. If this is the cause of your dry eye, your eye doctor may suggest surgery to fix your eyelids and and help your tears stay on your eyes. This treatment is not very common.

Most people have floaters and learn to ignore them; they are usually not noticed until they become numerous or more prominent. Floaters can become apparent when looking at something bright, such as white paper or a blue sky.

However, a sudden increase in floaters, possibly accompanied by light flashes or peripheral (side) vision loss, could indicate a retinal detachment. A retinal detachment occurs when any part of the retina, the eye’s light-sensitive tissue, is lifted or pulled from its normal position at the back wall of the eye.

A retinal detachment is a serious condition and should always be considered an emergency. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent visual impairment within two or three days or even blindness in the eye.

Those who experience a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light in peripheral vision, or a loss of peripheral vision should have an eye care professional examine their eyes as soon as possible.

As the vitreous shrinks, it becomes somewhat stringy, and the strands can cast tiny shadows on the retina. These are floaters.

In most cases, floaters are part of the natural aging process and simply an annoyance. They can be distracting at first, but eventually tend to “settle” at the bottom of the eye, becoming less bothersome. They usually settle below the line of sight and do not go away completely.

However, there are other, more serious causes of floaters, including infection, inflammation (uveitis), hemorrhaging, retinal tears, and injury to the eye.

On rare occasions, floaters can be so dense and numerous that they significantly affect vision. In these cases, a vitrectomy, a surgical procedure that removes floaters from the vitreous, may be needed.

A vitrectomy removes the vitreous gel, along with its floating debris, from the eye. The vitreous is replaced with a salt solution. Because the vitreous is mostly water, you will not notice any change between the salt solution and the original vitreous.

This operation carries significant risks to sight because of possible complications, which include retinal detachment, retinal tears, and cataract. Most eye surgeons are reluctant to recommend this surgery unless the floaters seriously interfere with vision.

Pink eye is common, and some types of pink eye spread very easily. You can keep from spreading it to other people by washing your hands often and not sharing items like pillowcases, towels, or makeup.

Some types of pink eye get better on their own. If your case is mild, you can ease your symptoms at home using a cold compress and eye drops you can get over the counter, meaning without a prescription. Other types of pink eye may need treatment from a doctor.

Unusual fluid (discharge) coming from the eye

Puffy red eyelids

Pink or red eyes

Itchy or burning eyes

Watery eyes

White, yellow, or green fluid (discharge) coming from your eyes. Crust along your eyelids or eyelashes, which may keep your eyes from opening when you wake up

A feeling like something’s stuck in your eye

Sensitivity to bright light

Blurry vision

A lump in front of your ear

If you wear contact lenses, you may notice that they feel uncomfortable or don’t stay in place.

Recently had a respiratory infection, like a cough or a cold

Wear contact lenses

Come in contact with something you’re allergic to

Newborn babies are also at higher risk for pink eye — and it can be very serious

You can also get pink eye from allergies to things like pollen or pet fur — or from other things that can bother your eyes, like pool water with chlorine, air pollution, or makeup.

It can be hard to figure out the exact cause of pink eye, because the symptoms are usually the same. 

Wash your hands after you touch the person with pink eye or something that person used — for example, if you help put eye drops in their eyes, or put their bed sheets in the washing machine.

Always wash your hands before touching your eyes.

Don’t share personal items that the person with pink eye has used — including pillows, towels, makeup, or glasses.

Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes.

If you have discharge, wash the area around your eyes 2 or 3 times a day. Use a clean, wet washcloth or a fresh cotton ball each time. Be sure to wash your hands before and after washing your eyes.

Don’t share personal items with other people — including pillows, towels, makeup, or glasses.

Clean your glasses regularly.

If you wear contact lenses, follow your eye doctor’s instructions for cleaning, storing, and replacing them.

Throw away contact lens solution, contact lenses, and cases that you used while you had pink eye.

Clean your glasses and cases.

You have a lot of pain in your eye

Your eye is very red

You notice a lot of mucus coming from your eyes

Your vision is blurry or you’re sensitive to light — and it doesn’t get better when you wipe away discharge from your eye

Your symptoms don’t get better after a few days — or they get worse

You have a health condition that weakens your immune system, like cancer or HIV

You have symptoms of pink eye and you wear contacts, or you recently scratched your eye

Refractive errors are the most common type of vision problem. More than 150 million Americans have a refractive error — but many don’t know that they could be seeing better. That’s why eye exams are so important.

If you have a refractive error, your eye doctor can prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to help you see clearly.

Nearsightedness (myopia) makes far-away objects look blurry

Farsightedness (hyperopia) makes nearby objects look blurry

Astigmatism can make far-away and nearby objects look blurry or distorted

Presbyopia makes it hard for middle-aged and older adults to see things up close 

Double vision

Hazy vision

Seeing a glare or halo around bright lights

Squinting

Headaches

Eye strain (when your eyes feel tired or sore)

Trouble focusing when reading or looking at a computer

Some people may not notice the symptoms of refractive errors. It’s important to get eye exams regularly — so your eye doctor can make sure you’re seeing as clearly as possible.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses and still have these symptoms, you might need a new prescription. Talk to your eye doctor and get an eye exam if you are having trouble with your vision.

Most types of refractive errors, like nearsightedness, usually start in childhood. Presbyopia is common in adults ages 40 and older.

Talk with your doctor about your risk for refractive errors, and ask how often you need to get checked.

Eyeball length (when the eyeball grows too long or too short)

Problems with the shape of the cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye)

Aging of the lens (an inner part of the eye that is normally clear and helps the eye focus)

Glasses. Eyeglasses are the simplest and safest way to correct refractive errors. Your eye doctor will prescribe the right eyeglass lenses to give you the clearest possible vision.

Contacts. Contact lenses sit on the surface of your eyes and correct refractive errors. Your eye doctor will fit you for the right lenses and show you how to clean and wear them safely.

Surgery. Some types of surgery, like laser eye surgery, can change the shape of your cornea to fix refractive errors. Your eye doctor can help you decide if surgery is right for you.

See your doctor for eye exams regularly

Tell your doctor if your vision gets worse or if you are having problems with your glasses or contact lenses

Encourage family members to get checked for refractive errors, since they can run in families

What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?

If only a small part of your retina has detached, you may not have any symptoms.

But if more of your retina is detached, you may not be able to see as clearly as normal, and you may notice other sudden symptoms, including:

A lot of new gray or black specks floating in your field of vision (floaters) 

Flashes of light in one eye or both eyes

A dark shadow or “curtain” on the sides or in the middle of your field of vision

Retinal detachment can be a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of a detached retina, it’s important to go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away.

The symptoms of retinal detachment often come on quickly. If the retinal detachment isn’t treated right away, more of the retina can detach — which increases the risk of permanent vision loss or blindness.

You or a family member has had a retinal detachment before

You’ve had a serious eye injury

You’ve had eye surgery, like surgery to treat cataracts

Some other problems with your eyes may also put you at higher risk, including:

Diabetic retinopathy (a condition in people with diabetes that affects blood vessels in the retina)

Extreme nearsightedness (myopia), especially degenerative myopia

Posterior vitreous detachment (when the gel-like fluid in the center of the eye pulls away from the retina)

Certain other eye diseases, including retinoschisis or lattice degeneration

If you’re concerned about your risk for retinal detachment, talk with your eye doctor.

There are 3 types of retinal detachment: rhematogenous, tractional, and exudative. Each type happens because of a different problem that causes your retina to move away from the back of your eye.

If you experience any symptoms of retinal detachment, go to your eye doctor or the emergency room right away. Early treatment can help prevent permanent vision loss.

It’s also important to get comprehensive dilated eye exams regularly. A dilated eye exam can help your eye doctor find a small retinal tear or detachment early, before it starts to affect your vision.

If you have an eye injury or trauma (like something hitting your eye), it’s important to see an eye doctor to check for early signs of retinal detachment

Seeing a few small specks in your vision (floaters) is normal — but if you suddenly see a lot more floaters than usual, it’s important to get your eyes checked right away

If your eye doctor still needs more information after a dilated eye exam, you may get an ultrasound or an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of your eye. Both of these tests are painless and can help your eye doctor see the exact position of your retina.

Freeze treatment (cryopexy) or laser surgery. If you have a small hole or tear in your retina, your doctor can use a freezing probe or a medical laser to seal any tears or breaks in your retina. You can usually get these treatments in the eye doctor’s office.

Treatment for retinal detachment works well, especially if the detachment is caught early. In some cases, you may need a second treatment or surgery if your retina detaches again — but treatment is ultimately successful for about 9 out of 10 people.