Home » These Short Videos Show What It’s Like to Have Glaucoma, Cataract, AMD and Other Eye Problems

These Short Videos Show What It’s Like to Have Glaucoma, Cataract, AMD and Other Eye Problems

by Melissa Bell
3 minutes read

Here’s a glimpse at what it feels like to live with these conditions.

Do dust and stains on the screen of your PC or smartphone bother you? How about that annoying stain/scratch on the lens of your glasses that just won’t go away?

Now try to imagine for a moment what it would be like if you see those same stains, scratches and blurriness through your eyes, all the time. Picture dark spots or strings floating across your field of vision and you can’t shake it off. For people who’ve never experienced eye problems, these symptoms are hard to image.

After showing us how colorblind people see the world, UK site Clinic Compare has another set of amazing GIFs that let us see through the eyes of the visually impaired. Not only can we see briefly how the world looks like to someone close suffering from an eye disease, but we can also glance into our own future if we don’t start to take the best possible care of our eyes.

Cataract

Cataracts tend to develop when the tissue in the eye’s lens changes with age, or because of an injury. Age-related cataracts can affect your vision in two ways, the eye lens becomes yellowish/brownish color, adding a brownish tint to vision (as shown in the GIF), or a reduction of sharpness (blurriness) of vision due to clumps of protein.

Researchers suspect that there are several causes of cataract, such as smoking and diabetes. However, the protein in the lens can also change simply from wear and tear it takes over the years.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

AMD is a common eye condition and a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).  The disease blurs the sharp, central vision you need for activities that require looking straight ahead, like reading and driving.

You can reduce your risk of AMD or slow its progression by making these healthy choices:

  • Avoid smoking;
  • Exercise regularly;
  • Maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels;
  • Eat a healthy diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and fish.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma damages the nerve the links the retina to the brain, and can eventually lead to tunnel vision, vision loss and blindness. It’s typically caused by a build-up of fluid and pressure inside the eyes.

Another risk factor for optic nerve damage relates to blood pressure. Hence, it is important to also make sure that your blood pressure is at a proper level for your body.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is linked to chronically high blood sugar from diabetes, which can damage the tiny blood vessels that feed the retina. The eye then attempts to grow new blood vessels, but they tend to leak and interfere with vision.

People with all types of diabetes (type 1, type 2 and gestational) are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. Risk increases the longer a person has diabetes. More than 40% of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy, although only about half are aware of it.

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